Andrew S.
Gold Coast
The following is an extract from an article by Brent Sims. Sorry but I can't provide a link.
Understanding the Role of Conditioner in a Lane Pattern
By Brent Sims
Most of the articles that I written have been intended to help bowlers gain a higher level of understanding to help them perform better in tournament and other competitive environments. In the past, we have talked a lot about understanding ball reaction. We have talked about the different looks we want to create with bowling equipment, and how to do it. In the past, we have also talked about different types of lane surfaces and what to expect. This time we are going to review some of those things and add another variable that we have not addressed in the past. We know the basic differences between our bowling equipment and when we should be using what type of ball. We know basically how to combat the different patterns. This month we want to also look at the differences that will be present with different types of lane conditioners.
Before bowling in any event, you can gather some valuable information about the lane condition and the lane conditioner that you are bowling on. This information is gathered through 3-sources; the laneman, the graphs and the other posted information. Another thing for you to do (if you are familiar with the operation of the lane machine), is to watch it go up-and-down the lane and listen to the noises that come from it.
Here are a few questions which are helpful information to give you a head start to success:
What types of ‘lane surface’ are we bowling on; wood, synthetic, or guardian?
Wood tends to play more evenly from front to back. Synthetics tend to play slick in the conditioned part of the lane, but react much more violently on the dry part of the lane. Also, remember that different types of synthetics have different characteristics. Guardian is a plastic sheet that is applied over the top of a surface and tends to be rather soft - so the ball will hook earlier and lose energy more quickly, for less back-end hook.
What is the distance of the pattern?
The distance of the pattern can basically tell you where to play. Generally, anything 37-ft.(or shorter) will play around 1st arrow; 37 to 41-ft. will play around the 2nd arrow; and anything longer will play 3rd arrow or deeper.
What kind of conditioner is being used?
Each conditioner has its own individual characteristics. Each conditioner will hold-up a different amount of time depending on who you are bowling with and what type of equipment they are using. The higher the rev rate the players have, the faster the pattern will change. The more aggressive the surface, the faster the pattern will change. For example: a particle ball will change the pattern faster than a plastic ball will. Also, the texture of the pattern will make a difference in the way the pattern changes. Sanded equipment will usually change the pattern much faster.
There are generally three things that you should look for when you are bowling:
1. What type of breakpoint does it create? When the ball reaches the end of the oil pattern, does the change in friction create a smooth arcing motion or does it create a violent “skid-flip” type motion?
2. Where does the breakpoint move? Does it go further down the lane or does it move closer to you, the bowler?
3. What surface of the bowling ball gives me the best reaction? Do I need to use a dull ball, a medium ball or a shiny ball?
Although there are numerous different types of lane conditioners on the market, we are only going to talk about a few of the ones that we manufacture and test regularly here at Kegel. There are three of our conditioners that each gives a different type of look. We have Defense – S, Offense HV, and Offense LV.
Defense – S tends to create a very skid-flippy type of motion. As this conditioner breaks down you will find yourself having to use equipment that will go more “out and around” the pattern. To better control this reaction you will usually find yourself using balls that will create more friction earlier in the lane.
Offense HV tends to have less carrydown than some of our other products and create a more predictable reaction. This type of reaction will usually result in a player having to make smaller moves in regular intervals. You will often time find that you are always making a small move after every few shots.
Offense LV tends to hold up longer in one area but then require big, sudden moves. The pattern will seem to disappear in one area and require you to make a 2 or 3 board jump to suddenly go around it. To best score on this pattern, you will have to not be afraid to make some large, sudden moves.
If you start paying closer attention to this, you will generally see that different types of conditioners will give you similar looks. Environment will play a role in what the lane conditioner will do. The general characteristics of the lane conditioners will be the same, but they will each look differently when you bowl on a different surface.
One way to effectively understand what types of reactions and the needed adjustments you should expect to see is by bowling on the specific conditioner before you bowl in the tournament. If you are bowling in a house and they will be using their same type of conditioner, even if it will be a different pattern for a tournament, it is a good idea to bowl and watch the type of ball reaction that you are getting. Although the pattern may play differently, it will usually breakdown in a similar way and react similarly in the friction areas. For example, if I am bowling on the regular house shot and I notice that after every 5 or 6 shots, I tend to have to make a small move - there is a good chance that even when the pattern is different it will break down in a similar way. Also, if I notice that I am getting a very smooth rolling arcing reaction when it gets to the end of the oil pattern, this is probably similar to the type of reaction I will see when the pattern is a little different. Although it will probably happen in a different part of the lane, it will still give me a similar read to what I should expect when it is different.
Another thing that you can do is to keep notes to help you remember the differences between the different conditioners and patterns. Some players like to keep notes while they bowl. He or she will make a note between every shot if there is a change. Other players like to just write a quick note in a journal-type book to remind them. He or she will just make a quick note about where he/she played and what types of adjustments he/she had to make. Other players only make a mental note. Then of course you have the players that don’t even think about it. They merely go out and react to what they find. Whatever works best for you as a player is what I would recommend doing.
Understanding the Role of Conditioner in a Lane Pattern
By Brent Sims
Most of the articles that I written have been intended to help bowlers gain a higher level of understanding to help them perform better in tournament and other competitive environments. In the past, we have talked a lot about understanding ball reaction. We have talked about the different looks we want to create with bowling equipment, and how to do it. In the past, we have also talked about different types of lane surfaces and what to expect. This time we are going to review some of those things and add another variable that we have not addressed in the past. We know the basic differences between our bowling equipment and when we should be using what type of ball. We know basically how to combat the different patterns. This month we want to also look at the differences that will be present with different types of lane conditioners.
Before bowling in any event, you can gather some valuable information about the lane condition and the lane conditioner that you are bowling on. This information is gathered through 3-sources; the laneman, the graphs and the other posted information. Another thing for you to do (if you are familiar with the operation of the lane machine), is to watch it go up-and-down the lane and listen to the noises that come from it.
Here are a few questions which are helpful information to give you a head start to success:
What types of ‘lane surface’ are we bowling on; wood, synthetic, or guardian?
Wood tends to play more evenly from front to back. Synthetics tend to play slick in the conditioned part of the lane, but react much more violently on the dry part of the lane. Also, remember that different types of synthetics have different characteristics. Guardian is a plastic sheet that is applied over the top of a surface and tends to be rather soft - so the ball will hook earlier and lose energy more quickly, for less back-end hook.
What is the distance of the pattern?
The distance of the pattern can basically tell you where to play. Generally, anything 37-ft.(or shorter) will play around 1st arrow; 37 to 41-ft. will play around the 2nd arrow; and anything longer will play 3rd arrow or deeper.
What kind of conditioner is being used?
Each conditioner has its own individual characteristics. Each conditioner will hold-up a different amount of time depending on who you are bowling with and what type of equipment they are using. The higher the rev rate the players have, the faster the pattern will change. The more aggressive the surface, the faster the pattern will change. For example: a particle ball will change the pattern faster than a plastic ball will. Also, the texture of the pattern will make a difference in the way the pattern changes. Sanded equipment will usually change the pattern much faster.
There are generally three things that you should look for when you are bowling:
1. What type of breakpoint does it create? When the ball reaches the end of the oil pattern, does the change in friction create a smooth arcing motion or does it create a violent “skid-flip” type motion?
2. Where does the breakpoint move? Does it go further down the lane or does it move closer to you, the bowler?
3. What surface of the bowling ball gives me the best reaction? Do I need to use a dull ball, a medium ball or a shiny ball?
Although there are numerous different types of lane conditioners on the market, we are only going to talk about a few of the ones that we manufacture and test regularly here at Kegel. There are three of our conditioners that each gives a different type of look. We have Defense – S, Offense HV, and Offense LV.
Defense – S tends to create a very skid-flippy type of motion. As this conditioner breaks down you will find yourself having to use equipment that will go more “out and around” the pattern. To better control this reaction you will usually find yourself using balls that will create more friction earlier in the lane.
Offense HV tends to have less carrydown than some of our other products and create a more predictable reaction. This type of reaction will usually result in a player having to make smaller moves in regular intervals. You will often time find that you are always making a small move after every few shots.
Offense LV tends to hold up longer in one area but then require big, sudden moves. The pattern will seem to disappear in one area and require you to make a 2 or 3 board jump to suddenly go around it. To best score on this pattern, you will have to not be afraid to make some large, sudden moves.
If you start paying closer attention to this, you will generally see that different types of conditioners will give you similar looks. Environment will play a role in what the lane conditioner will do. The general characteristics of the lane conditioners will be the same, but they will each look differently when you bowl on a different surface.
One way to effectively understand what types of reactions and the needed adjustments you should expect to see is by bowling on the specific conditioner before you bowl in the tournament. If you are bowling in a house and they will be using their same type of conditioner, even if it will be a different pattern for a tournament, it is a good idea to bowl and watch the type of ball reaction that you are getting. Although the pattern may play differently, it will usually breakdown in a similar way and react similarly in the friction areas. For example, if I am bowling on the regular house shot and I notice that after every 5 or 6 shots, I tend to have to make a small move - there is a good chance that even when the pattern is different it will break down in a similar way. Also, if I notice that I am getting a very smooth rolling arcing reaction when it gets to the end of the oil pattern, this is probably similar to the type of reaction I will see when the pattern is a little different. Although it will probably happen in a different part of the lane, it will still give me a similar read to what I should expect when it is different.
Another thing that you can do is to keep notes to help you remember the differences between the different conditioners and patterns. Some players like to keep notes while they bowl. He or she will make a note between every shot if there is a change. Other players like to just write a quick note in a journal-type book to remind them. He or she will just make a quick note about where he/she played and what types of adjustments he/she had to make. Other players only make a mental note. Then of course you have the players that don’t even think about it. They merely go out and react to what they find. Whatever works best for you as a player is what I would recommend doing.
COSHEA 
