Short Patterns 101

Tonight i would like to write about something that i think i feel confident enough to write about. Overall in the last 3 years or so, i have had much success on short patterns. Granted there were times where everything went out the window, but all in all very successful... in the following post, i would like to explain a couple things...first, i would like to overview what short patterns are. secondly, id like to examine how i attack the pattern before i throw a ball and my adjustments throughout the day....and thirdly, hopefully cover ball choice, surface prep and laneplay.


What are "short" patterns?
I guess referring to a pattern as short, medium, or long is all relative....a 39 ft pattern is long compared to a 30ft pattern....However, generally we see short patterns around 35-38 feet in length. The most common and probably well known short pattern is the PBA Cheetah pattern at 35ft. Of course, there are plenty of other short patterns from WTBA, Kegel, etc. I think the shortest ive bowled on was a 33ft WTBA pattern..... JG used WTBA "Beijing" this year. So if you are a top level bowler, you see short patterns fairly regularly. This makes it important to know how to attack one and what to expect.

My gameplan.
After a while, you start to see certain patterns develop while bowling on shorter stuff. One could say that, lane surface aside, most play pretty similar. So, my first thoughts before even throwing a ball is to start as far right as i can. I literally stand on 1-board or in the gutter. Dont be afraid to move really far right. Your mind will force you to keep it on the lane. Because you have around 25ft of backend for the ball to hook, you can expect everything to hook. Couple that with lane surface and you can have some crazy ball reactions. During practice, i try to gauge how the lane surface will play into my ball roll. When the friction is high, i have to adjust for the energy spent earlier and vice versa for harder lane surfaces.

Now, as for adjustments, i find that i rarely ever move my feet or target during the day. When i do, its really only a board or two. I want to keep myself from messing around with the inside, so i try to keep my front target outside of 5 the best i can. I never really find ymself having this problem as outside of 5 stays pretty consistent throughout the day.

Ball choice and surface prep.
The fact that i have two different urethane balls should say something about my preferred ball choice on short patterns. However, ive found success with all different types of ball. I only choose urethane cause it allows for a more controlled approach to the pocket whereas reactive can give a little unpredictability. Remember, urethane isnt a "no hook" ball, it just needs friction to move as it doesnt absorb oil. The only downside to using urethane, is there needs to be a straighter trajectory for the ball to obtain optimal carry. Unless the lane is high friction, i cant really "hook" it from the right. I need to stand right and throw it straight or even a slight right-to-left path. 


Surfaces are key. Polished is usually a no-go on shorter patterns. You need to be able to control backend as there is a ton of it. You might be able to get away with polish if there is low pin. However, polish creates a more violent change in direction so it would be wise just to avoid it completely.  have yet to see anyone really bowl well with polish on short patterns.

Laneplay.
I sort of addressed this in the "My Gameplan" section, but there is a issue ive been struggling with that i want to put out there. We all know that patterns break down. We see it all the time. However, i still have a hard time understanding the breakdown of short patterns. I think if you are in the right area with the right ball, you will see very little breakdown. As ive said before, moving left could spell trouble, especially if you are not used to throwing at the gutter. Add to the fact that not everyone can play as right as others, moving during a block is very uncommon. At JG, the only time i had to really adjust is when the 1 board didnt hook on a pair i hit and had to switch to reactive. Other than that, i stayed in the same place the entire block. If anything, i made accidental moves left and had to realign myself right.

Conclusion.
Overall, short patterns are fairly straight forward if everything is done correctly. One of the best things you can do is to practice throwing it up the gutter. Even if a shot isnt there,just practice it. Make sure your ball is 5 and out both at the arrows and down lane. Also consider picking up a urethane ball. There are at least 3 different companies making urethane, which shows that people are understanding the benefit on having one. Finally, remember that the more controlled ball reaction you have, the less chance of leaving wide open splits. Because of the amount of friction, uncontrollable ball reactions can cause some ugly games.

As always, thanks for reading. I sometimes tend to not make sense or give false info, so if there are any questions or comments, feel free to ask and i will give my best answer.
-Cameron
"I dig the urethane!"