Just wanted to encourage a little discussion about entry angle.

I see that most of the ball companies like to promote angular backend reaction and entry angle. While I will agree that in creased entry angle is a good thing on light pocket hits, I completely disagree when it comes to flush or high flush pocket hits.

As a rule, my carry is much better when it is not from an extreme angle. I absolutely dislike balls that skid/flip for a few reasons, but one of those reasons is the entry angle at the pocket. While yes it looks pretty cool, the reality is that I leave tons of pocket 4's 9's and 4-9's with these entry angles.

Balls I use that are more of an arcing ball and have heavy forward roll to the carry much better regardless if the hit high flush, flush, or even light. The only problem I have with carry with the more arcing balls is when the lanes get extremely dry and I run into a problem with the ball rolling out in the back ends. However this is usually corrected with a ball change or loft/speed increase.

Just wanted to get the guru's takes on this subject. Like I said I prefer a heavy forward rolling ball with minimal entry angle to a flippy ball with extreme angles.

Good topic.

A few years ago the USBC did a study with a ball ramp and rolling a ball down it through the pocket at different angles and they determined that 6 degrees was the optimum angle of entry into the pocket to carry strikes, 5 degrees and 7 degrees didn't carry as well as 6 degrees of entry angle.

As part of this study they drew a line from the pocket at 6 degrees and determined that the line hits the gutter at 31 ft from the foul line, so to play the lane with the proper entry angle you need to subtract 31 from the length of the pattern to find the board that the ball needs to make it's turn to get to the pocket. If you are playing the Chameleon pattern which is 39ft of oil from the foul line, which means we want the ball to make it's move on the 8 board to get to the pocket with a 6 degree entry angle.

If you hit the 8 board and the ball is leaving 4 or 9 pins (6 or 8s for lefties) then the ball you are using has too much backend for the conditions. If the ball leaves weak 10 pins then the ball you are using is not strong enough. This is why you need to know when you hit your targets and make a good shot and follow the ball all the way through the pins. If you just think well I played the lane right and made a good shot but I got robbed, you will not make the proper adjustment which can be a different ball, or a release adjustment to get the proper angle more or less that you need to strike.

So, subtracting 31 from the pattern length gives you the optimum breakpoint? As far as board?

That seems fine in theory, but the ball will not make its move right at the end of the oil pattern all the time. So I see a flaw with this formula. It assumes the ball will react right at the end of the oil pattern.

Also if you remember back in the late 80's the ABC mandated a short oil pattern that was not to exceed 24 feet. 24-31 means that your breakpoint should be on the lane beside you?

It is possible to get a 6 degree angle of entry with the ball breaking at 15 or 1 depending on the shape of the hook.

It is interesting that the USBC determined this angle to be the best, however what board were they entering the pocket on? 17 board? 18 Board?

Also does simply rolling a ball down a ramp accurately simulate a ball that is rolled off a persons hand? Does that apply to high rev and low rev alike?

Seems like there are a lot of holes in this study. Do you have a link to this study?

A higher entry angle enlarges the strike pocket. With lower entry angles, the strike pocket is narrower than with higher entry angles.

The following chart shows the strike percentage in relation to the entry angle and entry point (inches from center of head pin). (I copied this chart from Bowling Steps to Success by Doug Wiedman).

The study was published in Bowling This Month magazine, maybe someone who has more patients for finding things on the net can find a link to it.



The ball does react at the end of the oil pattern, at least a reactive resin ball does, if there is no oil, the ball will hook, there is nothing to stop it from hooking if there is no oil. You are envisioning the ball moving dead left like someone kicked it, the ball doesn't hook like that.



Notice how that rule is not in effect these days. There is no playable break point on the lane on a pattern this short. This means that the path to the pocket will have to be bowler driven and not played there by the lane conditions.



This is true but again it is bowler driven, you can do this on any lane condition if you have the talent, if not you will have to play the lane the like the rest of us mortals.



17 board.



A ball rolled down the ramp that Neil Stremell made was supposed to simulate a thrown ball. When a modern bowling ball is thrown it has some degree of axis rotation that revolves the ball in an angle to the direction it is traveling. When the ball comes off the oil it starts to grab the lane and stop traveling at what ever angle it was traveling and turn to go straight with the boards for a short distance. Then it rolls straight in the direction of the remaining axis rotation to the pins, so yes it does simulate a ball that is rolled down a ramp. A ball that is still hooking into the pins will drive through the pins and not carry as well.

This applies to high and low rev bowlers alike, they all strive to achieve a 6 degree angle of entry into the pocket for optimum carry percentage. This is how Lynda Barnes beat Sean Rash at the clash of the Champions.

Linda Barnes and women in general scoring like they do these days is a whole other subject, and just proves that the sport is all about the technology and equipment now.

Back to the 24 foot oil pattern. It sounds to me like if there is no mathematic formula that works, then the "US MORTALS" are incapable of bowling on these conditions.

This whole response in fact makes me sad to see what has become of this game. You know it actually used to be all about talent. I'd be interested to see how the modern bowler would score using only plastic or hard rubber on a 24 foot oil pattern. Now THAT would be an interesting league concept.

Why is it hard to believe a woman can score well, especially with good fundamentals? Ok, they don't have the strength of men but with a free armswing and the same weight ball, ball speed can be the same. They also might not have the revs, but thats why they play straighter lines and are more finesse players.



Most patterns aren't this short, even though I think one house I bowl in isn't far from it. I find a plastic ball, or maybe a Groove Urethane the best thing on something like this. "US MORTALS" can play these conditions, but its having to learn what to use and how to use it.



I see this type of posts way too often on other bowling sites.

People need to realize that everything changes over time, in any sport. Techniques change, technology changes, talent levels change. Either change with it or don't bowl. I don't hear anyone complain about the forward pass in football since it was added many years ago.

As for the plastic ball on a short pattern, those kind of leagues have been done with some mixed results across the country.

Back to the talent versus equipment/technology. On the league level equipment does make a big difference, especially on your typical house shot. On the tougher patterns equipment means nothing if you can't repeat a shot with good fundamentals. Many bowlers, including those that have bowled over several decades, and through the different changes will argue that the technology actually makes it harder. If you use the wrong ball on the wrong pattern you won't score well. Its more of a thinking game these days.

Its not hard to believe, I am simply stating an opinion that this sport is dominated by the equipment. Why do you think the USBC is taking steps to tame the balls down?



EXACTLY!!



I am sure the ball manufacturers are loving this. This is why you see people with furniture dolleys rolling into the local bowling center for league play.

I get the fact that I have to adapt my game, and I am taking the steps needed to do just that. That does not mean that I cannot have the opinion that the game has become dominated by the ball manufacturers, and easy house shots. I am going to out perform 95% of league bowlers regardless of the equipment and lane conditions, but I sure long for the days when a 200 average meant something, and an 800 series was pretty much unthinkable.

As far as the PBA conditions being more about talent. I will agree to an extent, however I doubt many will be dragging out a white dot to bowl the shark pattern and say equipment doesn't matter that much.

In the end though, It is what it is. Like it or leave it. I still enjoy the game, even if I have to tolerate Johhny 5 rev throwing an occasional 279 at me, and never hitting the same board twice.

I apologize if this thread went in a negative direction, it was intended to talk about entry angle and todays equipment. I am still interested to hear more about that subject and I am sure many will benefit from it.

I meant to make a response about entry angle, but got side tracked.

The best entry angle is 6 degrees flush in the pocket. Now there are different ways to get there. Some do it with arching balls, some with skid/snap balls. Now the entry angle is different than the angle you have to play the lanes, such as extreme inside angles, straight up the boards or even pointed to the pocket. I have a hard time playing inside anymore when I used to be able to, I guess due to added speed and a whole lot of mechanical issues.

As for USBC trying to tame balls down, they really aren't. They are studying ball motion to make it look like they are doing something. If they can't get the ball companies to fall inline, nothing will come of it, or they will lose thousands on top of thousands of bowlers because they can't use the newest ball in sanctioned competition. I think lane conditions are a bigger issue than the balls. Put out a harder shot with very little room for error and see how much those balls help the guy that sprays the lane. Take the USBC Open Championships that are in Albuquerque this year. There are many 220+ house bowlers that are struggling to hit 200 once in a total of 9 games.

As for watching someone shoot a 279 and rarely if ever hitting the same mark, I've seen my own teammate do it, well a 250 game while I was hitting my mark hitting the pocket, not carrying and adjusting and still not being able to carry. He hit at least 6 different marks over 15 different boards and acted like he was trying to do that. Now it helped the team win the game, but we drew each other in the first round of the bracket we were in.