When it comes to oil on the lanes, bowling presents two key challenges, length, and volume. Tonight, we bowled on the Kegel Eiffel Tower. And given that note, the pattern presented both. At 48’ in length, the pattern consumes a majority of the lane (Remember a lane is only 60’). In terms of volume, it has a considerable amount at 2.95mL. Given these two items, the shot was tight and inside. More spare shooting than anything else. Given that introduction, let’s get to it.
I practiced with each ball, trying to find the best look. The Phaze II rolled too much on the pattern, so that was an immediate no-go. I then tried the NRP, which played extremely tight but did the job. Finally, I knew the Flash Point was going to be too weak, so I didn’t even bother. Finding a line was a bit of a chore, even if you do the 48-31 method, meaning the ball should break at around 17. Keeping the speed down and played in the middle is best.
Game one felt like my best game, I was able to roughly keep the ball online in the mids. I didn’t strike a lot, but I was able to keep solid count and convert my spares. I didn’t really leave any difficult spares to convert, which was a true blessing. Game one played like practice, extremely difficult, but possible.
Game two was similar to game one, except the breakdown made spare shooting more difficult. That and missing inside became less favorable. The play room for the shot stayed the same throughout, giving only about one board or so of leniency.
Game three was the chore. The lanes went from playing tight and flooded to burnt on the line. If you didn’t find any oil, Brooklyn was a guarantee. Missing outside meant washouts or major splits. Either way, no fun. I left a way to many baby splits to count, and of which I only picked up one. Lesson learned, get your spares. By frame four I switched over to the Flash Point which allowed me to tighten up and get into position. Although, that only lasted for about three frames before I had to move roughly deep (10 with the feet, 5 on the lane) to stay online.
Quick Recap
- Pick up your spares
- Use heavy equipment game one. You need the power and you will need to reduce your speed.
- Use weaker equipment or find oil by the middle of game two. The lanes will BURN
- Don’t miss outside. Keep the ball tight and online