Post by Gary Faulkner on Feb 6, 2012 12:59:50 GMT -5
The secret is to find the "shim". What is the "shim"? The shim is the portion of the lane pattern that allows you to "pull" the shot a couple of boards and still hit the pocket. For the majority of THS conditions, the shim can be found around boards 8,9, or 10 on both sides of the lane. The vast majority of league bowlers play the lane pattern too far to the inside of the shim or too far to the outside of the shim. Playing the pattern too far to the left of the shim will create a problem of having nowhere to move when the shim "disappears" or transitions. This is caused by having too much angle through the front part of the lane. When the shim disappears it will cause the bowling ball to react to the friction earlier and earlier forcing the bowler to move too far to the inside part of the lane. This will create weaker hitting power because too many boards of friction are being crossed, eating up the bowling ball's energy. Playing too far to the outside of the shim will cause the ball to "check up" to quick and have weak hitting power. So what do you do? If your normal ball reaction is up the boards, you line up with a straight foul line angle rolling the ball 1 board to the outside of the shim. If the shim is on board 8 then your line would be board 7 at the foul line with a target of board 7 at the arrows. If your normal ball reaction is an open angle or "swinging the ball", you line up with no more than 3 boards of swing to help preserve the shim as long as possible. If the shim is on board 8 then your line would be no more then 11 at the foul line with a target of board 8 at the arrows. Notice that your target is not to the outside of the shim. This is because your open angle will project the ball to the outside of the shim. With both types of alignment the shim will migrate towards the inside usually 1 to 2 boards at a time for every game and half bowled. Depending on the number of bowlers on the pair this transition could happen quicker. If you can get everyone on the pair to play the shim the same way, the shim will transition in a consistent, predictable pattern.