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Playing Ball Roll vs the Pattern
In the Thursday section I brought
up the idea of bowlers playing their ball roll rather than the
lane conditions.
To me this starts with a
bowlers basic concept of lane strategy and the US Open is an
environment that identifies a bowlers lane strategy focus. If
you are to watch any given bowler you can see by their choices
if they are trying to play the lane conditions or the
characteristics of their ball roll first.
Playing Ball roll
characteristics include. Rotational direction and angles
combined with speed rev/ratios. Matching this up with the length
of the pattern you can tell half way down the lane if the ball
is going to be close.
Playing the lane conditions
has a bowler more focused on a window on the lane and how they
can get the shape they desire off of that window.
Matching up is always a
combination of both but I think the US Open environment brings
out the instinctive focus of a given player. When a player
starts to see transition or tries to adapt their options for a
better match-up, their instincts become more apparent.
As you watch a bowlers
ball go down the lane you can make a prediction on where it will
end up. If your prediction is dependent on a hook or hold spot,
chances are that bowler is playing the lane conditions. If a
bowlers rotational direction, and angles combined with speed/rev
ratio just look like they are aligned with the length of the
pattern your prediction doesn't seem to be as dependant on lane
conditions.
All bowlers will tell you they
do a combination of both but you can tell their instinctive
choices during those transitional times. The right or wrong
moves during those times is very crucial at the US Open.
Players using moves with a
stronger bias towards angles and ball roll have a better history
in these types of tournaments. |
