At the lanes where I bowl for league, I'm having a problem I'm not sure how to correct. Its happened to me the last few times I bowl there.

The problem is that as the night progresses, probably about the third game my ball starts hitting "light". What I mean is that I'm still able to lay the ball down on my line, and I'm still hitting the pocket, but where early in the night the hit is like an explosion with a big crash and pins going everywhere, by the third game its more like a little girl throwing a plastic ball down there and I knock over a few and leave some strange splits.

I've noticed it for a while, and I'm pretty sure its not that I'm throwing any less hard, allthough if I back up and bit and speed up my feet it makes up for a bit of the power, but I get wreckless more often and don't get the ball down on my spot as well.

Early in the night my ball is exploding in the rack it seems like, but at the third game it seems like there isn't any "power" at all when it gets there.

Do I need to workout/exercise and build more endurance ? Switch to another ball or something ? What do I need to do to keep the power-level at 10 when the ball is in the pocket ?

And I don't know if this is related or not, but I notice that my hook starts to hook a lot earlier by the third game too, is that a symptom of the ball slowing down ?

Most importantly, how can I last so I don't tank in the third game ?

i would sure like to see answers to this to.i have the same problems,my first 2 games are good,but that 3rd one kills me.i think answers to this would help me to!

Its a symptom of the lanes breaking down. The dry area (your first line) getting drier. Instead of hooking more, your ball is actually dying due to excess friction with the lane.

Somewhere between your expolsive strikes and light "little girl" hits there's some communication that pin fall is trying to tell you that you are not catching. Which is understandable because this part of the game is very hard to learn. But before you start getting those light hits, probably you carried some high hits. A trip 4 (where the pins knock the 4 forward) or even carry out the 9 pin. Or you have left a 4 pin or a 9 pin or worse the 4,9 split. Those are signs that you need to move inside a bit with the lane transition.

Since you have recognized this as a trend, start just habitually moving before it starts happening. As soon as you see that 4 pin leave you should move maybe 2 and 1 inside. That's 2 with your feet, one with your target....inside. Try that for starters. Don't mess with your ball speed and hand position until you gain enough skill to control the differences and are able to consistently implement the changes. Very few people, even elevated scratch bowlers can do this. As you've seen if you try to speed up you get less accurate and more reckless. Just move.

There's absolutely NO REASON for anyone to be able to stand in one place all night and expect to hold their line to the pocket. Bowling is not a stagnant game, its a moving changing transitioning thing.

Erin

I agree with Erin. What happens is called, "Carry down". The oil moves around as the night goes on. So, the oil that was at, say, 30-35 feet is now at around 40-45 feet. As Erin said, the only thing to change is where you are standing. If the ball isn't getting up, move in, (Right for right handers and vice versa for south paws). Trying to speed up can cause, "Muscling", of the ball instead of a free arm swing, this isn't what you want. In my experience, I would have to move left as a right hander because the lanes are drying out and I need more room. Just watch what your ball is doing...Not getting up, move in. Going through the nose or Brooklyn, move left(Righties)...Don't forget to practice, too....Hope this helps...

OK, thanks.

I'm right handed, so "inside" means left ?

In my experience Carry Down happens before the third game. Usually by the 5th to 10th frame of the first game. That's when the oil gets pushed down and out and can also cause the ball to start coming up light. You move outside (towards the gutter), not inside for carry down. That's right for RHs and left for LHs.

But in my experience in the third game, if you are getting light hits, I think its probably going to be due more to roll out then carry down. Especially if you have not moved at all the first two games. So then you move inside. Left for RHs and right for LHs.

Erin

Thanks Erin, I'm going to try that tonight. I'll be watching for those 4 and 9 clues.

Cheers!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="VERDANA,ARIAL,HELVETICA,TAHOMA">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="VERDANA,ARIAL,HELVETICA,TAHOMA">Originally posted by Atochabsh:
There's absolutely NO REASON for anyone to be able to stand in one place all night and expect to hold their line to the pocket. Bowling is not a stagnant game, its a moving changing transitioning thing.

Erin </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="VERDANA,ARIAL,HELVETICA,TAHOMA">Unless you're the only lefty on your pair. If that's the case, then you can almost always hold the same line. But, that's not always the case.

At league this weekend, I kept trying to adjust more inside when I would get weak hits and notice those clues Erin mentioned, but unfortunatly every adjustment I made just resulted in continued weak hits. After the league was over I moved back outside and aimed one board further right, and BINGO! Found the oily spot with the devastating hits. Thats was the key, put down my first game ever over 200, I was so excited! Did a few more 200+ games this weekend while practicing, but the "clean" game has still eluded me. Did a couple 200 or better games this morning and I'm going back for more now.

About Carry Down.. The oil does move DOWN the lane as stated previously. By moving inside with your feet and line, you get not only a fresh surface to bowl on but also more oil.

Try moving inside with your feet but keep the same spot. You will then be throwing over your spot from inside to out, not straight down the lane. When your ball crosses your spot it continues towards the outside of the lane, hits a much dryer section of boards further down the lane and then hooks hard for the pocket. You need to experiment on how far to move your feet inside.

Moving outside is an option, but what may happen is that the ball will hook too early. When I have to move outside, I go to a ball with less surface (ie- something shiny).