Here is the link to the oil pattern for the Nationals this year:

http://www.bowl.com/tournaments/usbcopen/National/laneconditions.aspx

It looks to have about 20 units more oil than the 70 they had last year which was 20 units more than the 50 they had the year before that. This year they have 90 units oiled to 35ft and buffed to 40ft in the middle and 30 units outside of 10 oiled to 15ft and buffed to 40 ft.

How to play this shot:

Use a dull aggressive ball in practice and have others on your team play the same line to open up a dry spot to get the ball to hook from, then change to a shiny aggressive ball to get some hold from the oil in the middle and take advantage of the dry on the outside. With this much oil, low speed players will have an advantage where high speed players will tend to throw the ball through the break point which should be between the 5 and 8 board depending on how you break the shot down.

Let me know if you have any equipment questions.

And as a left hander, do what you almost always have to do on a flatter shot: Play up the boards somewhere around 5.

Question: I always here pro's creating something for themselves by using dull balls to create a friction point (like the shark pattern, where a couple weeks ago some pro's were using the outside line). What happens when you have to move to another pair? All that lane-grooming on that previous pair doesn't help on your new pair does it? Or is everyone in some kind of agreement to burn out something in the outside?

Unlike most years, the lanes should play the same on the right and left side, the right side will break down quicker because of the ball traffic. Usually right handers will be deep inside and the lefties would be out on the gutter, but both sides should start off playing straight up the outside and moving in when the pattern breaks down.

At the Nationals you don't move after every game, so you can groove a shot in if you know what you are doing and your team works with you. In the singles and doubles you are at the mercy of who you rotate with from doubles to singles, one year we had to follow a team of old timers who had old rubber and urethane equipment and carried the whole pattern down into the pits when that happens you will most likely struggle.

Looks like I will be hitting my Special Agent with the 500 abralon pad again this year.

Unfortunately I am not going to be able to go, I will lucky to be back enough to practice by then, but I will not be up to speed by then so I got someone to bowl for me this year.

If I was going to bowl I wouldn't leave home without a Cell to blow a hole in the pattern, and a black widow to move in and take advantage of the dry boards that open up to the outside.

Thanks Coach Jim, Sounds like the new Columbia Resurgence and Columbia Rival I'm taking (as well as my Blue Dot spare ball and my Columbia Fear - which it seems I won't likely need!) should work. What do you think?

You might need a less aggressive ball for the Roto-Grip challenge.
That pattern is shorter around 37ft I believe, your rival should work, but you might need something a little less aggressive, or maybe a shiny surface on the rival.

Wish I would have tried to get going on the Nationals sooner.... I've got family down there, so it would be a cheap trip lol. Oh well I guess... you snooze, you lose.