Afternoon All,
this might be a multiple topic question as I get into it...
1st lets start with throwing the ball on each surface;
On synthetics you throw the ball straighter cause if you throw it out its a gutterballo and on wood you can throw straight or
go deeper theres more give on the wood.. I've decided to bowl on sythetics this winter to prep me for next year's Nationals in Vegas. My first question is: is my preparation for Vegas good?
My second is: what do you prefer or bowl better on?
thanks,
Pacifica Lefty.

I hate to tell you this but nothing you can bowl on will prep you for Nationals. Don't get me wrong, it is a fun time but the conditions can be brutal. Think of the most amount of oil you have ever played on in league. Now triple it. Get the ball outside of 8? Hope you get 3. Pull the ball a board left of your target? Hope you get 3.

Best thing you can do to prep yourself for Vegas is to find a sport shot league. Also, work on your spares. If you have a spare ball, get really aquanted with it. If you don't, get one and learn to like it. Hooking the ball at spares at Nationals is a recipe for disaster.

humm i bowl on wood. i see a difference on both. i like both really but i love the wood sound. oil holds better on syn but wood is just more fun to me because it seems tuffer to bowl on. but thats just what it seems to me. i have better scores on syn but woods a challenge that i can't pass up

I prefer wood, only because thats what I have the most experience with. But thats going to change next year as my house will be converting to synthetics. Rumor has it that they will be doing this just after the season starts. So we will bowl on wood untill October, then synthetics after that.

Wood hands down. However, its a dying breed. Soon there will be no wood lanes. We only have one wood house in Sac. and its scheduled to go synthetic anytime. Or at least when AMF gets around to it.

Sea Bowl is synthetic isn't it? We go there next month for travel league.

As for practicing for Nationals. I agree with GP. The lane surface alone will not prepare you for what's going to be in Vegas next year. Best thing to do is ask your center to put out the National shot. Its no secret, and usually posted around bowl.com somewhere. You can find a PBA or Sport league but even that will not be the flat pattern used at Nationals. Still they will give you a taste.

First time going to Nationals? You'll have a blast and the condition will be like nothing you've ever seen before. Plus the atmosphere is bowling bowling bowling.

Erin

All of the bowling alleys around where I live have all converted to synthetic. I haven't been bowling long enough to experience the transition from wood to synthetic lanes. I'm not even sure If I've ever even bowled on wood lanes lol.

Wood lanes? What are those? I've bowled once on wood lanes. Around me its mainly AMF centers and the houses that are wood have synthetic overlays is makes them synthetic. The one time I bowled on wood my plastic ball was really moving and covering at least 15 boards, of course this was also midday and the lanes probably weren't oiled since the night before.

I normally bowl on wood, thats the only thing within 45 min. away but occasionally bowl on synthetics, mainly when our highschool has away matches. Wood does give alot more, I get a lot more reaction out of my Tornado on wood than I do synthetic but I do agree with what general pounder said

It's not the wood or synthetic issue that will be your challenge - the oil pattern itself and adjusting to how quickly it will break down will be the biggest challenge for nationals. I agree about getting sport pattern experience, as most people who usually throw a big hook on a house shot find their balls in the right gutter 30 feet down the lane on a sport pattern (misses to the right will not come back). Good Luck! - SimplyAmazuring

Erin said, "First time going to Nationals? You'll have a blast and the condition will be like nothing you've ever seen before. Plus the atmosphere is bowling bowling bowling."

I just bowled is State Tourneys and a few Invitationals out of State, when I used to bowl. but, in the 24 year layoff I had, Nationals has become the top dog. Bowling on it the first time was really a treat. Got goose bumps walking down the center Aisle at the introduction. Then, it was focus and bowling, bowling, bowling.

Then, seeing my score on the big board was a little unnerving. Especially, when the frame didn't go well.