Posted Oct 1, 2012 In: Bowling Tips | Coach's Corner | Tips
By Bowling.com

Well the 2012-2013 season has started for most everyone by now, so with that being said, back to attacking our THS (typical house shot). Why do some bowlers seem to have more success than others on the THS? Where is the best spot to be playing on the THS? How to match your game and the THS at the same time? These are going to be some of the things we will cover in this article.

Lets break down the house shot first before we begin attacking where to play on the shot. Most of your THS will range anywhere from 37-42 feet with the oil volume being anywhere from 19-24mL. What does this mean to you? Well hopefully nothing since the design of the shot is to create the most room for error to help you recover from an errant shot. Most of your house shots will look either like a Christmas Tree or the Lincoln Top Hat. Now if you were to lay these 2 designs on the lane, you will have more oil in the middle of the lane and slowly have less as you “branch” to the outside of the lane. That way when you tug/pull the shot, the oil in the middle of the lane is trying to hold your ball from hooking past the head pin. Versus when you push/spray the ball outside(towards the gutter), there is less oil outside, which will cause your ball to start hooking sooner.

I am a low rev player, so where should I be playing? Depending on the amount of the oil most low rev players will be playing up 10 board, or even further outside than that. Why should a low rev player play the THS outside? There is LESS oil out there which will help your ball create the entry angle off the dry boards. The opposite will happen with high rev players. High rev players will need to be further inside and use the oil in the middle of the lane to help get the ball down the lane. Even though your further inside your break point will need to get out to 10ish board or further to again bank off the dry boards. So with that being said, where is the best place to play the THS? Ever hear of “Straighter is Greater”? The only downfall with that is, most everyone else is playing in the same general area. Most bowlers that bowl in everyday leagues tend to play in the “Track area” which consists of boards 7-13. So what does this mean to your game? If you are in a 5-person league, the bowler that usually has the most success, is your high rev player. They are already further inside of most everyone else on the pair, so that means less moving when the THS starts breaking down. Now what if your in a 3-or less person league. Less people means less moving around on the pattern. Not saying you wouldn’t have to ever move but when you only need to move a board or two it is a lot easier and safer.

Why is it that some bowlers seem to score better on THS than others? Yes it is just a THS, but you still have to be some what consistent. You may not need to hit the same exact board every time but you need to be in the same area. The more you can repeat your rev rate and speed is where you will benefit on your THS.

To recap, the THS can be played anywhere on the lane and most of the time you will have success along the way. Straighter is Greater but when your in a league with 8+ on the pair, you should try and be further left than anyone else so you don’t have to make as many adjustments. Play the lane where your game allows it play. If you have a lower rev rate or cannot hook the ball a lot, try to stay outside and use the dry to your advantage. If your Robert Smith or Jason Belmonte, get inside, wheel and deal. Pay attention to what others are doing around you and you will eventually find more success than you previously had. Remember always enjoy the game of Bowling and spread the word to get others involved in the sport!