I'm going to start by playing the areas that the pros suggest, but I'm also going to go with the characteristics of the house because I bowled a regular there some time ago.

This house plays a sort of reverse block anyway, so more often than not you're not getting your ball outside of the 5-6 board area, which should help me tremendously on the heavier oil patterns to keep my ball closer to the pocket and not trying to cover so much area.

Again, I'm excited...no matter what I average, I'm sure I'll take a bevy of notes and knowledge from this league.

Nope, two of them were lefties, Rhino Page was tied with for high average the Viper with Walter Ray, and Parker Bohn III was the high average on the Cheetah. The advice they give will work on both sides of the lane though. The right just is more likely to break down and change quicker.

I don't think that's the house or its lanes, but actually the way they're oiled. My local house is like that too and that's what I mean by modified house shot. Outside 5-6 board is kind of an out of bounds(except for pretty high revs) if you're swinging more than 3-5 boards. I think it's the way they're oiled and not the lanes because the lane man purposely put a bit more volume on our house shot due to complaints about not enough oil. Before, outside 5-6 board was where the ball would come flying back.

Now, I could be wrong, but I thought I'd let you know this because it's how my house shot is too. So when it comes to the Cheatah or Viper where you should play closer to the gutter, I don't think that "outside of 5-6 won't work" thing applies because that's where the shot is supposed to be played.

There is very little chance to being able to play any pattern completely the same as someone else, especially similar to a pro. Most of the pros don't even attack the lanes the same way, there are little differences in their game plans that play to their strengths. The rev rate, ball speed and several other things would have to be exactly the same. Chances are you either don't have the same revs probably less nor the same speed. You can attempt it and it might give you an idea of how to play the lanes but be ready to try a different angle of attack.

A reverse block is very little if any oil in the middle and the heavy concentration on the outside, usually 5 but sometimes 10, while a blocked shot is the other way around with a heavy concentration in the middle and then very little oil on the edges starting at 10 or sometimes 5. One of the centers I bowl in is short and light with more oil inside very light outside of 10 and then a little more oil outside of 3. The oil outside of 3 has started in the last few months, but its still the same the ball hooks like crazy as long as it doesn't get outside of 3. Nothing like seeing a ball skidding that close to the gutter. What I'm hearing described sounds more like flatter patterns, or what the center I described is like.

I'm not saying exactly the same, just a little similar. What I'm trying to get at is the basic style of the pros compared to ours. For example, I would say I'd play the shots more like Walter Ray than any of the other pros because, like him, I like to play straighter. I'm not saying I'll be able to play the same line as him because I know he has more revs and more speed than me. but I'm thinking I can base where I should play off where he plays. What do you think?

Also, I'm wondering what equipment would be best for each pattern. My arsenal includes a Rival, Lane Masters Counter Strike, and Twisted Fury. I also have a Black Widow drilled strong which I only use on heavy oil. I may need that for the Shark, but let me know what you think. My Twisted is currently 2000 polished, the rest have OOB finish.

Playing straighter is possible, I prefer being able play straight myself. I used to hate it but now I can do it and need to relearn how swing the ball when I need to. I know its all in the stance and approach, I line up square to the lane instead of my target line.

Depending on how many games is on each ball have the oil removed and have the balls surface redone at OOB on any of the balls that are OOB condition. I don't really have any experience on the PBA patterns but the Rival and Twisted might do well on the Cheetah. The house shot at that center is very similar to the Cheetah, only about 5 feet longer and I see some good scoring with the Twisted there. Someone else, maybe Lefty or CoachJim can let you know what might work on other patterns. Good luck.

From what little I've tested, my Rival works better than my Twisted on the Cheatah as they are, because my Twisted gives me over/under problems and I feel it's too condition specific. It works okay on the Viper though.

This is where you really have to be fully familiar with your equipment. You already notice that your Twisted works on one pattern but not another. That is a ball/bowler combination. What the ball can do and how the bowler rolls it. Each of your balls will have a different reaction on each different pattern. Selecting the proper ball for the condition is important.

Ball or balls. I have 3 that I use over a 4 game set on the Cheetah right now.