Leaving Corner Pins?
Ten-pin leaves (7-pins for lefties) are commonly caused by seemingly perfect pocket shots that deflect from the headpin too much, hitting the 3-pin too square, which hits the 6-pin too thin, driving it around, rather than into the 10-pin (for lefties, the 2-pin and 4-pin are the guilty ones). Most of you know this. The question is why it happens; the problem is how to keep it from happening.
There are two main reasons:
- The ball rolls too soon, losing energy too quickly and hitting the pocket without enough drive to keep it on track through the pins. This happens more often on drier lanes or with the most aggressive balls on a drier portion of the lane.
Possible solutions: Move your target line closer to the middle of the lane where there is (usually) more oil,
preserving the ball's energy with a little longer skid; make your ball roll later by altering your hand release; increase your ball speed; have your pro shop clean and polish the ball; change to a less aggressive ball.
- The ball rolls too late and is still skidding (or hooking) when it hits the pocket, deflecting due to the skid.
This often happens with a ball that is not aggressive enough for heavy oil, when oil carry-down reduces the back end reaction,
or when the ball's hooking motion is too angular for the condition.
Possible solutions: Move to a drier portion of the lanes, allowing the ball to roll earlier and complete the hooking action sooner; make your ball roll earlier by altering your hand release; decrease your ball speed; have your pro shop scuff your ball lightly to start the roll slightly earlier, polish it over a scuffed surface, or redrill it for a less angular hooking motion; change to a more aggressive ball.
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