When things go right...

jason_doust

The Bowling Geek
We have a 6:1 shot down at Tuggeranong now as a house shot. It has played erratically. Some nights, it's great, then some nights it plays as a reverse block and is near impossible. Then last night it was just as it should be, tougher, but fair, with multiple playable angles and a little bit of room.

I asked the new mechanic "what had they changed, had they recalibrated the machine?" He replied "Nothing, I just cleaned the dust out of the inside (my words), like we're supposed to." I then told him they played great, thanked him for doing so, and told the Assistant Manager they should hang onto this guy. (Who happens to be a bowler and contributor to this forum.)

A few minutes of oiling machine maintenance by someone who cares had made all the difference. It's that delicate a balance, especially with reactive balls and synthetic lanes.

So, to all the lane folks, I know sometimes it's hard to care when you feel nobody cares about you, but all you do get noticed when things go right, as well as when things go wrong.

I think it's up to us bowlers to make the effort to let you know when things go right more often. I'll make a point of it from now on.

Cheers,
Jason
 
We have a 6:1 shot down at Tuggeranong now as a house shot. It has played erratically. Some nights, it's great, then some nights it plays as a reverse block and is near impossible. Then last night it was just as it should be, tougher, but fair, with multiple playable angles and a little bit of room.

I asked the new mechanic "what had they changed, had they recalibrated the machine?" He replied "Nothing, I just cleaned the dust out of the inside (my words), like we're supposed to." I then told him they played great, thanked him for doing so, and told the Assistant Manager they should hang onto this guy. (Who happens to be a bowler and contributor to this forum.)

A few minutes of oiling machine maintenance by someone who cares had made all the difference. It's that delicate a balance, especially with reactive balls and synthetic lanes.

So, to all the lane folks, I know sometimes it's hard to care when you feel nobody cares about you, but all you do get noticed when things go right, as well as when things go wrong.

I think it's up to us bowlers to make the effort to let you know when things go right more often. I'll make a point of it from now on.

Cheers,
Jason

Never a truer post made. We are all too quick to criticise lane conditions (more often than not to cover our own inadequacies), but when we find them to our liking, there is precious little appreciation shown to the back end guys, some of whom really do make the effort to give the players the best conditions they can.
 
Never a truer post made. We are all too quick to criticise lane conditions (more often than not to cover our own inadequacies), but when we find them to our liking, there is precious little appreciation shown to the back end guys, some of whom really do make the effort to give the players the best conditions they can.


I make a point of thanking the staff behind the counter and asking them to pass it on to the backend staff when the lanes are good

It not only helps them to feel a bit more appreciated but it makes them more open when you go to them and let them know how bad they are

Always been my policy
 
It is always nice to get appreciated by bowlers. One thing many bowlers (particularly up here in Queensland) don't realise is just how much of an effect humidity and temperature have on the playability of lanes (as the surface temperature inside invariably changes and alters the viscosity of oil). Older wick based machines also need to be treated a LOT more carefully than newer sanction machines to get any sort of a consistent pattern.
 
So true. You should see what happens to the lanes every year when Winter lands with a thud in Canberra! In Sunner, I throw 4000 grit with polish. I'm dusting off a solid particle ball and sanding a reactive or two for Tuggeranong this week. Massive difference.
 
Steve dowds & I believe that difference has been magnified because of our new cleaner (it's cleaning the lanes very well, clean pin wipes show absolutely no dirt or grime at all when rubbed on the back ends) - he's saying they are getting the same flooded problem with the same lane surface & pattern. Pretty sure we've come up with a sollution - but still expect the flood on tuesday night.
 
Back
Top Bottom