Bowling Tournament Preperation
Scott PohlDescription
Tournament bowling is more difficult than league bowling in a number of ways. More prize money, more competitive bowlers, and trickier oil patterns just to name a few.
Sometimes the tournament releases the lane sheet and you can prepare ahead of time and other tournaments, well, don’t.
In this video, Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, helps you prepare for your next tournament.
Considerations
If you do know the pattern, review first to see if you have bowled on this pattern before. If you haven’t, is it similar to one you have bowled? What about the bowling center, are you familiar with it?
Knowing answers to these questions help you make ball choice decisions, where to target and where the break point is located.
Pattern length, breakpoint and ball choice
Short to medium length patterns are between 35ft – 40ft.
You’re going to use medium to weaker bowling balls. The ball needs to get further down the lane because the pattern isn’t very long.
If you’re bowling on a 40ft pattern, using the rule of 31 has us subtract 31 from 40.
The pattern’s breakpoint will be the 9 board 40 feet down the lane. The oil pattern stops at 40ft while the friction begins there.
For right-handed bowlers, this is where the bowling ball begins to make its left turn towards the headpin.
If the pattern distance is 35ft, the breakpoint is going to be even further outside (4 board).
When bowling short to medium length lane patterns you have more time for the ball to leave the end of the pattern and still hit the pocket.
The opposite happens when bowling on medium or longer patterns 40ft and beyond.
Medium to stronger types of bowling balls are used when the pattern is longer because there is not as much friction down at the end of the pattern.
With the break point being further inside, you don’t have as much room to miss to the right (right-handed bowler) and bring it back to the pocket so this means you need to keep angles a little straighter.
Knowing all of this, what happens when you don’t know the oil pattern?
You want to find trouble spots to throw the bowling ball, otherwise known in golf as the sand traps.
Obviously, you can’t see them on the lanes, so you have to figure it out during practice time.
Start further outside. Throw one at five board or at ten board. You’ll find out right away if that’s a spot you can or can’t throw the ball.
When throwing this shot, start with more of a medium benchmark reaction.
This is going to give you a consistent feel for the lane. If it’s in play, try to keep your breakpoint at ten or even further inside to determine if it’s a longer pattern. Remember, a shorter pattern will play closer to the gutter.
All right. So I bought a lot of tournaments. Sometimes, you know what, you know, that pattern. Sometimes you don't know the pattern. I'm gonna show you ways to get into it how to be lined up. Hopefully a lot faster, you'll be more successful. First of all, let's look at it if we do know the pattern. Well, I want to go back in my mind and say, hey, you know, what did I bowl on a similar one or did I bowl on one in that bowling center? It's going to help me where I'm going to throw my ball with my target break point, even ball decisions. Let's get into some more fine details. If they give you what that pattern is, we're going to start with. They tell you what the distance. Well, if it's between 35 and 40 ft, I would characterize that short to medium patterns. You're going to use medium weaker bowling balls. You got to have that ball get further down the lane because the pattern isn't very long. For example, the break point also tip using that rule of 31 we subtract it from maybe 40. The pattern break point is about nine. Well, if it's 35 ft, the pattern is going to be even further outside. That's usually what happens when we have patterns between 35 and 40 ft. Also, our angles can be a little bit more open. Well, why is this, we have more time for that ball to leave the end of the pattern and still hit the pocket the opposite. If we get to medium or longer patterns on 40 ft and beyond, I'm gonna typically grab a ball that's medium to a stronger type of ball. The pattern being longer, not as much area there to hit the head pin and get to the pocket. So once I use a medium to a stronger bowling ball, the entry angle has to be a little bit less if the break point is further inside. I don't have as much room to miss to the right and bring it back. Once again, keep my angles a little straighter. Right. There's a lot of tournaments where we don't know what the pattern is. Well, I want to find out trouble spots to throw the bowling ball, otherwise known as in golf, the sand traps, we can't see them on the lane. So we got to figure it out by throwing balls. Sometimes it's just trial and error. First of all, I'm going to start further outside. I want to throw one maybe at five board, maybe at 10 board. I'll find out right away. If that's a spot I can or can't throw the ball, I'm also going to start with more of a medium benchmark reaction. This is going to give me a consistent feel for the lane. I can go from there to a weaker, stronger ball. A lot of different spots on the lane. Sometimes I might want to keep my break point at 10 or even further inside. If I can figure out it's a longer pattern, shorter pattern, be closer to the gutter. I hope all these things help you. It's what I try to do in tournaments if I know or if I don't know the pattern.
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