By Mike Kolar

Playing a lane condition is one of the most important, if not the most important, part of getting your average above 200. To play a lane condition, you have to be able to read the lanes and adjust accordingly. Once you have mastered the skill of playing the lane condition that you are faced with, you will become a better bowler.

I will endeavor to speak to the two extremes in this article. You will need to adjust your style accordingly based on the condition that you are faced with. More often than not you will not be faced with either of these extremes, but something in between. I have tried to explain the best way to adjust to the different things that you will run into here, but the final adjustments necessary will be figured out by you during your practice time.

NOTE:

By “practice time”, I do not mean the 5 or 10 minutes before you start your league or tournament. I am speaking of the time that you have dedicated to learning how to bowl better away from your leagues and tournaments.

Wet (Oily) Condition

An oily condition basically means that your ball won’t turn over (hook). It slides down the lane and does absolutely nothing. On a severely oily condition, you will have to throw the ball straight at the pocket “from the corner” (this means standing as far right as you can). The problem with this shot is that it is very hard to carry strikes consistently.

Basically an oily condition means that there is more oil on the lane, so your ball gets less friction with the lane. Normally when you throw your ball, at some point down the lane it gains friction with the lane and will “grab” or hook. On an oily condition you have to force this to happen.

The way that the majority of bowlers do this is by having a sanded ball with a soft coverstock that is meant to hook on any condition. This ball will have a high hooking potential and allow the ball to move even on the oiliest of conditions. Particle balls are known for their high hooking potential and are probably the best balls for the extreme conditions.

For those of us with a more modest budget that can’t buy a ball for every condition, don’t fret; there is another way to combat the oily condition. Remember that we spoke earlier about the ball not getting enough friction with the lane? Well to improve the friction with the lane, you can slow the ball down. This gives the ball a change to stop sliding and sink (for lack of a better term) into the oil and grab the lane.

Once you have your ball grabbing the lane and hooking, you will probably still need to move your target and feet to the right (left for lefties). On an oily condition you are not going to get a lot of hook out of your ball, so you need to get the angle to the pocket by where you stand and throw the ball.

Dry Condition

As you would guess, a dry condition is the opposite of an oily condition. The ball will seem to start moving across the lane as soon as it hits the lane. For this condition the best shot is to throw a “big hook” or a “ballooning” shot. This means that you stand to the left (right for lefties) of the lane and throw your ball straight at the 10 (7 for lefties) pin. This allows the ball to roll out towards the gutter and come back to the pins. The biggest problem with this shot is that you are prone to leaving splits, because this shot is more likely to come in behind the headpin.

Basically a dry condition means that there is very little oil on the lane, so your ball is immediately touching the surface of the lane and will grab right away. Ideally you will have a ball with a lot less hooking potential that has been “shined” or “polished”. This will make the surface of the ball slick and allow it not to hook too much too quickly. The best balls for this are hard plastic (in extreme cases), but you can usually get away with a shined up, low hooking potential, resin ball.

Again, for those of us who can’t afford another ball, you can speed the ball up and move farther to the left (right for lefties) and throw the ball towards the corner pin. This combination of speed and big hook can create some pretty dramatic hits and make the pins go flying everywhere (this is a good thing).

By adjusting the speed and location of your feet (and getting a certain kind of ball, if you can afford it), you can conquer the oily and dry conditions. Let me emphasize here that you will need to practice this as you would any other change in your game. Practice is the most important piece of your game to get you to the next level.

Keep bowling and having fun!

Author BIO

Mike Kolar has been bowling for about 20 years and has taught several bowlers helping them to improve their averages by over 30 pins!

Click on Free Bowling Information for all of your bowling needs from balls and bags to articles and advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Kolar

By Mike Kolar

As you become better at bowling you will need to learn how to “read the lanes”. This is what you do when you understand what lane conditions you are bowling under and how they are changing. Lane conditions can be the most frustrating part of bowling as you get to be a better bowler. For the new bowler, who will generally be working on getting the ball straight down the lane, lane conditions are not a big issue; however, as you improve your game lane conditions will come into play, and you will have to learn how to read the lanes.

Wet vs Dry

I guess I should discuss here the difference between a wet and a dry lane condition. Basically a wet or “oily” condition means that your ball will slide further down the lane than it will on a dry condition before it hooks. When you are bowling on a “wet” (oily) condition, your ball seems to slide down the lane and not turn over (hook). Sometimes, it seems to slide the whole way down the lane without ever hooking! When you are bowling on a dry condition, your ball will seem to turn over the minute it leaves your hand. This is a particularly difficult condition to deal with.

Fortunately, the normal shots that you will run into are neither of these extremes. They are something in between. But this is why it is important to practice… practice… practice… your bowling; preferably in different bowling centers.

If you become proficient in one house, it doesn’t mean that you are a “good” bowler, just that you are “house” bowler. By bowling in several houses you will be able to adjust to many different lane conditions. This is important if you plan on ever going to tournaments or even if you bowl on different nights.

Lane Conditions

When I think about lane conditions, there are several things that come to mind. First off, the lane conditions when you start bowling have to be figured out. Secondly you have to adjust to changing lane conditions as you bowl. Finally you have to be aware of who you are bowling with and where they are throwing their ball on the lane and how.

Let’s take these one at a time.

Beginning to Bowl

The lane conditions when you begin bowling are usually one of two types: Fresh oil (the mechanic has just oiled the lanes) or used oil (a league or, worse yet, open play has just been bowling on the lanes). When you get to the house to bowl, you should be aware of whether you are bowling on fresh or used oil, although this really shouldn’t effect the way that you approach the lanes.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you are bowling on fresh oil the shot will be wet. Different bowling alleys use different amounts of oil when they run their machines leaving a wet or a dry condition. Sometimes it even depends on what league or tournament is coming in as to how the house will oil their lanes.

Also don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you are bowling on used oil, the lanes will be dry. Some houses put a lot of oil down so that the condition won’t break down quickly. Also on some different types of lanes (synthetics for one), the condition tends to stay the same for a long period of time.

So now you are saying… “If I can’t make a judgement call based on what I see before I bowl, what do I do when I start bowling?” Here’s the answer: Start bowling with an open mind as to what you are going to run into. Don’t base your thinking on what you see other people doing (unless you know their style and it is close to yours).

The worst thing you can do when you start bowling is assume that the lane condition is wet or dry. You know your shot better than anyone else, so you need to try a couple of things during practice to figure out how the lanes are rolling, for YOU. If you try to base your game off of somebody else, you will be forever changing what you are doing and never progress. This is why I emphasize that you need to practice on several different conditions.

Changing Conditions

As the night wears on, the shot will, more than likely, change. This is why you need to know your game and be consistent. When you throw the ball consistently the same, you can identify changes in lane conditions more rapidly. There is nothing more frustrating than not recognizing that the lanes have changed for 4 or 5 frames and then realizing that if you had changed a couple of frames earlier you could have shot better.

You must pay attention to each shot that you throw and know whether you threw it correctly or not. If you adjust off of a bad shot, then you will be lost for the rest of the night. When I do this, I usually just decide to “start over”. I start with the next frame and start where I started the night after practice.

Other Bowlers

Pay attention to where the other bowlers on the lanes that you are bowling on are throwing their balls as well. If you are playing the same area of the lane as someone else on your pair, this can lead to the shot changing more quickly. Sometimes I purposely shoot a different line than the rest of the people on the pair, just so that it doesn’t break down as fast.

Don’t change to an alternate line if you can’t carry strikes on it. It is more important to continue making strikes and adjusting than to avoid the changes. Changing conditions are a part of bowling, but if you can avoid the changes or reduce the amount of change that is certainly to your benefit.

Reading lanes isn’t hard, but it does take practice. The more you do it the better you will get at it. It is also an essential skill to learn to become a better bowler, to exceed the 200 average range. Always remember this, the more conditions that you practice on, the easier it will be to tell what kind of condition you are bowling on. So continue to practice… practice… practice… at several different bowling centers on several different nights.

Keep bowling and having fun!

Author BIO

Mike Kolar has been bowling for about 20 years and has taught several bowlers helping them to improve their averages by over 30 pins!

Click on Free Bowling Information for all of your bowling needs from balls and bags to articles and advice.

http://www.BowlersEverything.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Kolar

By Michael Russell

Are you interested in improving your bowling game? You can start getting better scores right away by correcting common mistakes that lots of people make. Anyone can become better at bowling no matter how experienced they are.

The first step to becoming a better bowler is to buy your own equipment. If you get a ball that is custom fit to your hand it will feel lighter and will be a lot easier to control. If you use a different ball every time you bowl, you will never be consistent. For your equipment, you will need a ball, a bag, a towel and shoes.

When you decide to purchase a ball, you need to realize that there are several different types of balls. Balls may have high hook, medium hook, low hook, or no hook. However, be aware that bowling balls do not hook on their own; you make them do it. Some bowlers even carry three balls for different hook types. High hook balls are used if the lane has heavy oil, medium hook balls are used if the lane has medium oil and for dry lanes you use little or no hooking balls. If you only want to purchase one ball, you should get a medium hook ball. For the weight of the ball, just be sure you don’t get one that is too heavy for you to handle.

For your equipment to last, you will need to take care of it. Don’t leave your ball in the garage or the car for a long time. Bowling balls can crack or melt if they are left in extreme conditions. You should also be sure to keep your ball clean. Your shoes also will need care. Don’t wear them outside of the bowling center. Also, try not to step in any food or soda.

When you go bowling, wear comfortable clothes. Try not to wear tight or really loose clothing. When it is your turn, be right there and ready. Keep your mind on the game between frames. Make sure your hand that you bowl with is completely dry so that you can release the ball efficiently. Check the bottom of you sliding shoe to make sure it is clean and dry. When you pick up your ball, dry it off all the way to remove any dirt or oil. Try to relax; take a deep breath before you approach.

Something that many bowlers fail to do is practice. You need to practice at least twice as much as you actually play. You can either practice alone or with other people. Both can be helpful. Try to work and concentrate on one problem that you have at a time. Also, when you practice, don’t keep score because this can be very distracting. If you get discouraged or frustrated you should quit and come back later or you might develop some bad habits.

These things may seem like very simple things that won’t make a difference, but they really do. These are very common mistakes that many bowlers don’t even think about. The most important thing you can do is believe in yourself and believe that you can become a better bowler.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Bowling

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell