Hello there. This past weekend I just won my way to the 2008 Canadian National Championships, an event where I can compete to become part of Team Canada. This will be my first time going, and I've heard that this is an extremely tough event. We bowl for four days, the first three days consistent of two 4 game blocks, where 4 different oil patterns will be used. The first block of each day will be a short pattern, and then the next block will be a long pattern. They use two different short patterns and two different long patterns. On the last day we will bowl 12 games, with the even lanes being oiled with a short patttern, and the odd lanes being oiled with a long pattern, and it will be match play, round robin. I am mostly asking for some suggestions and any advice concerning ball choice, and any advice on how to play the lanes. I am allowed to bring 8 bowling balls, and I'll give a list of what I currently have, what and I intend to bring and upon request, how my equipment is drilled and layed out.

Here's a list of my current equipment, plus what I intend to buy in the near future:

NVS
Gravity Shift
2 Oddysey's
T-road pearl (Fair amount of games on it)
Tropical Storm (Already resurfaced once)
Cell (Intend to buy)
Gamebreaker (Intend to buy to replace my burnt out T-road Solid)
Groove Urethane (Intended for extremely burnt lanes)
Spare ball (Maxim)
Thinking of something like Storm's new Street Rod's.

Any help anyone could give would be wonderful, thanks!

What type of bowler are you, stroker, tweener, cranker, if you know your typical ball speed and rev rate and pap measurements it will help.

Do they have the lane patterns posted on line, if so send a link, this will help us figure out how to play each shot and what ball to use.

One thing I would consider is that if you are replacing a burnt out ball like your T Road solid, that you replace it with the same if possible. If you think its burnt out, then you must have used it a lot and liked it. That way you know what to expect from the ball and are familiar with it.

Erin

www.gotenpinbowling.ca This website has the information on the shots being put down, I believe it's on the front page somewhere. I'm a power stroker, with an RPM rate of about 350-400. My ball speed is about 18 mph on average, but can vary anywhere from about 16-20. Annd I believe my PAP measurements is 5 1/4 inch over and 3/4 inch up.

While I used my T-road solid a lot, I found it's reaction to be nothing spectacular. I just want something that is for the same condition. I just need another solid type ball, and I've heard a lot of good things about the Gamebreaker, so I thought about just replacing it with that. Definately needs to be replaced, at least.

I think you might be doubling up on the Cell and the Gamebreaker. The Cell is going to be more dynamic, more backend drive. The Gamebreaker will have more early move to plow through heavy oil.

It will depend on what is your comfort zone. If you like to see a ball make a move and head towards the pocket, the Cell is probably your better bet. The Gamebreaker is going to make a strong steady move to the pocket.

I would definately not over look the Hammer Anger. At the price you could definately fit this ball into your heavier oil arsenal. Its snappier then the Cell but very close in reaction, at a lower price point. You could get both and drill them differently.

Make sure your NVS is polished up and all your other shorter lane conditon balls are in proper condition.
Erin

I can't find the oil patterns on that site, if you can find them, and send me the link to where you found them that would help. If you find them, but it will not let you link it except to the one you already posted, then look at it and see how much oil they are using on the entire lane, the side to side graph (I imagine it will be pretty flat), and most important the exact length of the pattern, and the above looking down graph to see where the oil cuts off and how long the buff area is, this will determine how the lanes will break down and how fast, if the colored part goes to the end of the pattern, it will hold up longer than a shorter colored area and longer buff area at the end.

Alright, go to the website, and scroll down a bit on the main page and click on "Canadian National Championships" May 16-19th. Then on the left side of the page, about mid-way down, there should be a link that says "2008 oil patterns" and they're all listed there.

I'm getting a Cell as a heavy oil ball. It'll be my dull surface ball. And yes, my NVS is already polished up. I'll be bringing my gravity shift as well, and my t-road pearl. Still want a solid-ball, so many another t-road solid, or a horizon solid or have a game-breaker drilled to react similar. Didn't think the gamebreaker was a heavy oil ball, seemed like a medium-condition ball to me. I've heard from people who have gone that the lanes can get VERY brutal, and almost everyone said that spare-ball can be playable. I'm a firm believer in that you can always find something and make it work without resorting to a spare ball, so I want to bring my tropical Storm. And I would like to get a medium-light oil ball, like Storm's new Street-road pearl that they're releasing, and put a strong layout on it, but I don't know if I should do that, or bring my Urethane Groove or not. So I have a few decisions made at least, but still a little indecisive. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

The problem is the title didn't look like a link, I couldn't tell it was a link until I gave up and started running the cursor across the page until I saw the link, but I found the patterns.

Games 1-4 is on a 41 foot pattern oiled to 32ft and buffed to 41 and should play from the 9 or 10 board at the break point, the pattern should break down quick, running the new Cell straight up the 7 or 8 board in practice and dry out the outside a bit to help open up the shot, I don't know if you are moving pairs or not, I assume you are, so don't expect someone to open up the outside for you, but you never know. You will have to make quick transitions as there are only 40 units of oil and the shot will dry out pretty fast, so try to anticipate the moves before you need to, watch how the ball travels through the pins, if the ball is taking out the 9 pin you are alright, if the ball is driving through the 5 too hard it is probably time to make a move.

Games 5-8 will be on a 34ft pattern that will require you to hit the 3 board at the break point and will require you to use less side rotation to keep the ball off of the head pin, but should be pretty scorable as long as you keep your speed up and trust it. The pattern uses more oil than the long pattern and is oiled to 32 feet as well with only 2 ft of buff so the shot will be very abrupt transitioning from skid to hook to roll, this is why you need more end over end roll for this pattern and absolutely no grabbing the ball at the bottom of the swing, you don't even want to leave finger prints in the finger holes is how little you need to hit on the ball. Your adjustments will be to use more speed, by holding the ball higher. If you can not change your axis rotation you will need your urethane ball to try to control the jump off of the oil.

The next day games 9-12 will be on a 36 foot pattern that will play similar to the 34 ft pattern except you will need to hit the 5 board at the break point instead of the 3 board and you will not have to make adjustments as fast since they are using more oil which will make it even more important to stay behind the ball, you may not need as much speed as the 34ft pattern, but you will still not want to grab on the release, you need to be nice to it at the release, any jerkiness will create an abrupt reaction at the break point.

Day two games 13-16 will be on a 40ft pattern that will play similar to day one games 1-4 but with more oil so a stronger ball might be required for the first game until the shot starts to break down. The shot will play between the 8 and 9 board at the break point. You will need to watch your speed, too much and you will slide through the break point on this pattern, the heavier volume of oil will provide more carrydown. You are only bowling 4 games so you may not see much carrydown it will depend on how many people are on the lanes with you and ahead of you and what equipment they are using. If you have a ball that seems to be carrying and the break point seems to be getting farther down the lane, you will need to move your break point inside to a fresh part of the back end by moving your feet and target inside two boards each.

Your friends might have been using plastic because they rip on the ball and have too much side rotation, or the charts are all bs.

Wow, that's some awesome advice, thank you! I'm gonna make a note to write those things down so when I'm entering each new block, I can have some things to think about. All of those things you mentioned I'm capable of doing. Actually just today I really figured out how to up my ball speed to about 19-20 and not lose much rev rate, it was really cool. I can change my axis rotation easily, coming up the back of the ball comes quite easily to me. I think the things I'm gonna have to worry about the most is knowing when to "be nice" to the ball, and really think about making adjustments before it's too late. Thinking smart and trying to break down the lanes in practice and stuff as well will play a large deal. I'm thinking my final ball line up is going to look like this:

Cell
NVS
Gravity Shift
Horizon Solid
T-road Pearl
Street Rod Pearl
Tropical Storm
Spare ball

Only thing I'm still considering is my Cell and NVS are both drilled the same, just one will be dull the other polished. Since my NVS and Gravity might be too close a selection, I might substitute my NVS for something else, perhaps one of my Odyssey's. Perhaps you could have some advice on that? Again, thanks everyone so much, this should be of great help!

I would bring the NVS and leave the tropical and bring the groove urethane which will not be as jumpy off the break.

If you have the NVS you will have a different ball company to pick from incase the Storm/Roto-Grip stuff that is made at the same factory doesn't carry for some reason. I always try to mix manufacturers up as well as ball reaction because for what ever reason one always seems to carry better than the other, and it is always good to have options.

I would practice being nice to the ball while still maintaining rev rate, that is the key. You do this by wrist position, not lifting with the fingers. This is what takes the longest to learn so don't waste time breaking down some shot that you will not be bowling on any way, all that does is fill you equipment up with oil, learn new skills, and practice fundamentals.