Synthetic V/S Wood.
- Thread starter jimcross
- Start date
Troyza
Flash
I agree sturner, I highly prefer wooden approaches. Spending 6 years learning on wood (& fast wooden approaches at that) it's a real kick in the ass when i come to bowl on synthetic approaches & can barely slide at all. Sole changes do help but not as much as I'd like (my issue is my thigh rather than my knee though)
steve jones
Active Member
Jim as you know across Australia there is a massive diversity of bowling equipment installed in vastly different facilities impacted by a variety of climates and conditions - not to mention the sizable impact that the "human factor" plays as well. Not surprisingly then playing conditions vary from centre to centre, from shift to shift and of course from lane to lane and so too approaches and the "slideability" [don't you just hate these new words created by "Amerilish"] factor is impacted.
The reality is that current technology allows us to access synthetic approaches that react almost exactly as wood does. All three primary manufacturers offer synthetics that do just that. The science is relatively new and will take time to be available [at centre level] across all markets - but available it is.
Having said that - the reality of the parameters I note in my opening paragraph will still impact, no matter what the science of the day enables in a critically controlled R&D laboratory.
Perfect - well no - vastly improved - yes.
The reality is that current technology allows us to access synthetic approaches that react almost exactly as wood does. All three primary manufacturers offer synthetics that do just that. The science is relatively new and will take time to be available [at centre level] across all markets - but available it is.
Having said that - the reality of the parameters I note in my opening paragraph will still impact, no matter what the science of the day enables in a critically controlled R&D laboratory.
Perfect - well no - vastly improved - yes.
Roysa
Well-Known Member
Interesting... do you get pain in your slidding leg thigh? i do... i stretch i do everything to try and stop it but after 3/4 games its really sore, almost like having a dead leg.
I too know the feeling, I thought it may have been from my younger days playing soccer, but I am beginning to realise that it may have actually been caused by my bowling years, in my even younger than younger days !
All's good though, the pain in my wrist nowadays, drains out the pain in the thigh! LOL!
Troyza
Flash
yeah mate, sliding leg. From what I can gather, it's caused from trying to gain a bit too much leverage off that leg, & trying to stay down at the same time. The sudden stop throws out timing, thus the issue is created, for me anyways. I've never had the issue on wooden apps unless I've popped up in my shot.
Roysa
Well-Known Member
yeah i know what you mean.... trying to stay down and get a nice consistant stance at the foul line makes me bend my knee more, putting pressure on the thigh...
funny thing is i feel as though if i just stood on one leg and bent my knee 10 times in 20 mins i wouldnt get that pain... its almost as if it only hurts as a result of the complete bowling motion not just the actual movement at the foul line.
anyway deep heat helps but when you have to bowl more than 4 games it really is off putting.
funny thing is i feel as though if i just stood on one leg and bent my knee 10 times in 20 mins i wouldnt get that pain... its almost as if it only hurts as a result of the complete bowling motion not just the actual movement at the foul line.
anyway deep heat helps but when you have to bowl more than 4 games it really is off putting.
sturner
Terrified
I actually have a pair of SST 5 Dexters which help a lot (just missing an S10 sole which I am in the process of obtaining) and probably need a sliding sock now. Currently I am using a S8 sole with H5 heel but still get probs on synthetics from this.
It really only took one mishap to do serious damage - Sunday night session at last years Nationals the week of Rachuig: BTW a big hello to anyone who saw that one, caused a jag in my hip/top thigh muscle of the sliding leg and anytime I have another trip it brings up the old injury.
The main problem you end up with is total lack of confidence after such an injury which, personally throws out the rest of my game, timing and the like.
It really only took one mishap to do serious damage - Sunday night session at last years Nationals the week of Rachuig: BTW a big hello to anyone who saw that one
, caused a jag in my hip/top thigh muscle of the sliding leg and anytime I have another trip it brings up the old injury. The main problem you end up with is total lack of confidence after such an injury which, personally throws out the rest of my game, timing and the like.
I would like to add to this discussion on wood v synthetic,
Firstly let me say that there should be no centre built with synthetic approaches. No one can convince me that synthetic approaches are as good as wood. As a tournament director with wooden lanes and approaches there were always complaints about the lane conditions and very few about the approaches, since the introduction of synthetic approaches and lanes the complaints are all about the approaches and not about the lane conditions. After bowling on wooden lanes for 30 years and the last 10 years on synthetic I far prefer to bowl on synthetic lanes but with wooden approaches.
Firstly let me say that there should be no centre built with synthetic approaches. No one can convince me that synthetic approaches are as good as wood. As a tournament director with wooden lanes and approaches there were always complaints about the lane conditions and very few about the approaches, since the introduction of synthetic approaches and lanes the complaints are all about the approaches and not about the lane conditions. After bowling on wooden lanes for 30 years and the last 10 years on synthetic I far prefer to bowl on synthetic lanes but with wooden approaches.
jimcross
Active Member
From all the opinions and also that which could be termed technical advice, believe it or not, I am beginning to see a path emerging through the forest.
Thank you all.
I have now, another question. If you and everyone you were going to bowl against was confined to ONE BALL ONLY, plus a plastic spare ball, and disregarding the type of drilling you would use ( as this would depend more on your type of release and delivery,),
Would you select,
a) ball for light oil
b) ball for medium oil,
or
c) ball for heavy oil.?
AND WHY.?
Thank you all.
I have now, another question. If you and everyone you were going to bowl against was confined to ONE BALL ONLY, plus a plastic spare ball, and disregarding the type of drilling you would use ( as this would depend more on your type of release and delivery,),
Would you select,
a) ball for light oil
b) ball for medium oil,
or
c) ball for heavy oil.?
AND WHY.?
steve jones
Active Member
Bell - read my post - and get with it son!
..oh Go Hawks
Jones
..oh Go Hawks
Jones
jimcross
Active Member
Yes Steve. I understand - but it is easy to get off track sometimes - sort of wishing for what 'might be', or was. In this whole thread, what I wanted to do for me, was to find ways to best handle 'what is'. I can dream of what used to be as much as I want - but, sadly, it achieves nothing. I thought such a discussion might also focus some other peoples minds, on what they do or what they don't do, and why it works or does'nt work, etc.
Jim
One ball = for light oil conditions
Why ??
Because i can use angles early on if the oil is heavy then move around
the approach once they open up then later with cary down
Just for interest i only use one ball these days even to spare with
and still average 208
14 lb ball at that, Due to injury, Oh okay and age then !!
One ball = for light oil conditions
Why ??
Because i can use angles early on if the oil is heavy then move around
the approach once they open up then later with cary down
Just for interest i only use one ball these days even to spare with
and still average 208
14 lb ball at that, Due to injury, Oh okay and age then !!
Jonsy
Sorry mate I can't agree with you on this one. The difference in synthetic approaches from bowl to bowl are miles apart and whilst there are some good ones there are also some shockers. Synthetic approaches can tend to be fast in one part of the approach and then super slow (sticky) in another part of the same approach. Wooden approaches are far more even and reliable.
Sorry mate I can't agree with you on this one. The difference in synthetic approaches from bowl to bowl are miles apart and whilst there are some good ones there are also some shockers. Synthetic approaches can tend to be fast in one part of the approach and then super slow (sticky) in another part of the same approach. Wooden approaches are far more even and reliable.
Troyza
Flash
I have to agree too, & I'm not even a bowling veteran! Besides, wooden approaches are far easier to maintain than wooden lanes, (they only took my boss & my self a couple of hours total to resurface & recoat) so from a propriorters point of view, sometimes it might make sense keeping wooden apps.
Roysa, the reason it probably dooesn't hurt whilst bending up & down on your knee 20 times in a row is because you're right, it is a chain reaction caused from the weight of the ball throughout your entire shot! Like, its one thing putting weight on your thigh, but putting weight on your thigh plus throwing a 15 lbs ball increases the ammount of pressure by quite a lot, take out the sliding buffer, & its increased even further! big pain in the ass (literally) does deep heat really work that well? I haven't tried it on my thigh, but I have used it on other muscels with not so much success
Roysa, the reason it probably dooesn't hurt whilst bending up & down on your knee 20 times in a row is because you're right, it is a chain reaction caused from the weight of the ball throughout your entire shot! Like, its one thing putting weight on your thigh, but putting weight on your thigh plus throwing a 15 lbs ball increases the ammount of pressure by quite a lot, take out the sliding buffer, & its increased even further! big pain in the ass (literally) does deep heat really work that well? I haven't tried it on my thigh, but I have used it on other muscels with not so much success
