That darn transition game!
We all know what the first game feels like: the ball skids through the oily heads and dives through the dry back ends into the pocket. It may take a few frames to find the best shot, but the ball reaction is usually pretty predictable. Small moves keep you lined up.
By the third game, the lanes have changed, and you've moved (usually deeper) or "shelled down" to a longer or weaker ball. With luck, you've found the shot again and finish strong and happy.
But if you've ever shot 225, 167, 248, (or the like) you've been bitten by the "transition bug".
What happened?
- Have the bowlers started moving the oil around, creating no clear pattern?
- Have you changed the way you approach, swing, and release the ball?
- Have the lanes themselves changed?
- Have the time-bandits transported us to another dimension?
Maybe any of the above, but so what? What can you do? We've talked about all sorts of moving and tweaking strategies before, but sometimes they just don't do it.
Consider a Transition Ball!
When changes are happening faster than you can figure them out, think about switching to a ball that does nothing. Ok, not nothing, but less. We've all heard that "straighter is greater"; it's never any more true than when things are confusing. A ball with a moderate coverstock, a weaker layout, and a medium-sanded surface may deliver a mild, controllable reaction on transitioning lanes. It might not give you the same score that your stronger balls can yield in predictable conditions, but may keep that "low-2's" game from turning into the price of a cup of coffee. Golfers sometimes look for where to miss the shot – the bowler's equivalent is how to avoid the big misses.
The trick is to make the change to it quickly when necessary, and to know when the lanes are coming out of their Jeckyl-Hyde act so you can put it away and get back to your third game boomer-ball. You've got to recognize the signs both ways. Get with a USBC-certified coach and find out just how much you know about your equipment.
