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Do You Know Your Bowling Lane?By Riley Hendersen The average person may know what a bowling lane looks like, but chances are that they don't know much about how bowling lanes actually work. Bowling lanes all react differently depending on a number of factors. Let us begin by examining some of the regulations for average bowling lanes. Each lane must be about 63 feet and 11 inches long from the foul lane to the "pit", which is the area just behind the pins. Also, the distance from the foul line to the first, or "head", pin has to be 60 feet. Additionally, all lanes have to have a smooth surface. Aside from these and a few other standard facts, bowling lanes are completely individual. Due to the fact that bowling balls can hit the bowling lane with an incredible amount of force, a lot of oil is used to try to protect the lanes from damage. Oil is a big factor in making each lane as individual as a pebble on a beach. There are several reasons for that. One reason is that a good bowling alley proprietor will keep an eye on the use of each individual bowling lane. They will then oil that lane appropriately. Based on wear and tear, each individual lane receives oil in different areas. Some lanes have more oil in the middle, while others may have more oil to one side. This is a major reason why your ball may seem to have a mind of its own during certain games. If you know and understand this fact, sometimes you can compensate for it by releasing your bowling ball at a different speed or angle. One reason one bowling lane will react differently from another is that a proprietor of one bowling alley may choose to use a different amount or brand of oil than a proprietor of another bowling alley. Therefore, a lane at one alley will react differently than a lane at another alley. Another reason for the varied effect of oil on a bowling lane is simply the amount of use between oiling. Depending on what time of day the lanes are oiled, as well as how many players have used a lane on a particular day, there can be major changes in how the ball reacts to the state of the lane. Also, a single bowler may notice a distinct difference in the way the lane works as his game progresses. This is due, in large part, to most bowlers preferring to bowl in a certain area. Some throw the ball on the right, some the left and some down the middle. As these bowlers bowl, they wear oil off of the lane entirely, or move it around. The result is a change in the direction and speed that the ball rolls. A good bowler is one who uses his first few shots to size up his particular bowling lane and then adjusts his stance and swing accordingly throughout the game. Do not allow yourself to get stuck in an endless string of gutter balls. Know your bowling lane! |
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