Learning about bowling patterns is crucial to your advancement in the sport. So, it’s always a good idea to become familiar with the oil patterns you may come in contact with later.
Today, we’re going to jump into the Sunset Strip bowling pattern. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about as a beginner, including how to play on it, and the right ball to use on it.
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s discuss what a bowling or oil pattern is in a general sense. A bowling pattern has everything to do with how the oil is applied to the lanes.
Though all lanes need to be coated in a lane conditioner, a bowling pattern is a technical way of arranging the oil. The manner in which the oil is arranged has a significant effect on how your ball behaves after it leaves your hand.
Some patterns make it difficult to hit the pocket. The pocket is the spot between pins 1 and 3 (righties) and pins 1 and 2 (lefties). Others are designed to be more forgiving without adding any difficulty to the game – these are normally found at your local bowling alley and used for recreational play.
Among the easiest bowling patterns to bowl on are the Main Street and Easy Street Bowling patterns, and some of the most difficult patterns are the Highway to Hell and the Winding Road. The Sunset Strip bowling pattern is somewhere in the middle. Keep reading to learn specifically about the Sunset Strip bowling pattern.
Contents
- 1 Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern- What Is It
- 2 How the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern Affects Your Ball
- 3 Is the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern for Beginners?
- 4 How to Bowl on the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern
- 5 How Will Your Bowling Average Be Affected by the Sunset Bowling Pattern?
- 6 Where to Play on the Sunset Strip Pattern
Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern- What Is It
Now, it’s time to get into the Sunset Strip bowling pattern, a Kegel Challenge Series pattern that can be classified as a medium-difficulty oil pattern. The oil pattern is 40 ft long and requires a total oil volume of 24.7 ml, with 15.95 ml of it being forward oil and 8.75 ml of it being reverse oil.
How the Oil Is Arranged
Getting into how the oil is arranged on the lane, the pattern looks similar to the shape of a skyscraper. Combined oil takes up the first 21 ft of the pattern. There is reverse oil from the foul line to the 9 ft mark near the gutters, and it tapers in until the 13-foot mark. Then there is forward oil from the 21st through the 29th foot of the pattern. The rest of the pattern is buffed out.
How the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern Affects Your Ball
To understand the effect the Sunset Strip bowling pattern will have on your ball, you need to first understand how oil affects bowling balls in general.
In heavily oiled areas, the ball will go straight rather than curve. But in dryer areas, the ball will hook because of the lack of friction on the lane.
So, with the Sunset Strip bowling pattern, you’ll notice that after rolling the ball, it will go straight for a short while. But soon after it passes through the 21-foot mark, the ball will suddenly get much more active, often veering off course. It may even go into the gutter.
Is the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern for Beginners?
Since the Sunset Strip bowling pattern is midway on the difficulty scale, it will work for some beginners. But there’s a caveat – totally green beginners will have a very hard time on the pattern if they are trying to hook the ball.
Unless you have precise control over the ball you’re trying to hook, that ball could hook too much and go into the gutter. Alternatively, it could hook less than you intend and miss your target. This will likely lead to frustration, making you lose sight of the fact that bowling is supposed to be fun.
If a beginner usually bowls straight, they will not have too much trouble with this pattern. So long as you bowl completely straight, the pattern will not result in a gutter ball – you should be able to hit some pins every time.
The pattern is geared towards avid bowlers who want to improve their skill set. It will provide enough of a challenge to increase the average of a bowler’s skill set by teaching them to have greater control over the ball.
How to Bowl on the Sunset Strip Bowling Pattern
If you decide to give the Sunset Strip bowling pattern a try, here is some helpful information to increase your chances of bagging those strikes and spares.
First, ensure that you’ve got the right ball for the job. For bowling patterns that have little oil on the back end of the lane, and lots at the beginning, you’ll need a moderately reactive ball. Reactive balls are constructed to favor bowling patterns like these.
When you throw a reactive ball on the Sunset Strip bowling pattern, it will start out going straight, but at the end of the lane, it will curve inward. This motion is complementary to this pattern.
In addition to getting your hands on the right ball, you’ll need to bowl according to the rule of 31. This rule helps you to decide your breakpoint. The breakpoint in bowling is a point at which your ball stops going straight and hooks.
In the case of the Sunset Strip bowling pattern, you subtract 31 from 40 (the length of the pattern) and get 9. So, you’ll target the 9th board as your breakpoint.
The last tip on how to bowl on the Sunset Strip bowling pattern is not to be afraid to readjust your stance, throw, or approach in real-time. If you see that standing at the midpoint on the lane is not giving you the results you’re after, move a tad to the left or right.
If you find that your ball is hooking too early, adjusting your starting point may be just what you need. Throwing the ball with more or less power can also yield a different result when you’re playing on this pattern. Being flexible and cognizant of how your ball is reacting after each throw will put you in a position of power on this pattern.
How Will Your Bowling Average Be Affected by the Sunset Bowling Pattern?
If you’re concerned about your bowling average, you’re right to be. When you first start bowling on the Sunset Bowling pattern – especially if you’re used to bowling on house patterns – you may experience a decrease in your average score.
But when you begin to get used to the pattern and learn how to work with it, you’ll likely see your score increase again. If you play on the pattern enough, you may even see your bowling average surpass your previous one.
Where to Play on the Sunset Strip Pattern
The Sunset Strip pattern is not as common as your typical house pattern. For this reason, you may have a hard time locating a bowling alley that enables players to play on this pattern. But if you’re diligent, you may find a bowling alley that allows for it.
Just do a Google search of bowling alleys in your area and call a few to see if they offer the Sunset Strip pattern on their lanes. One of them may even oblige and oil a lane specifically for you.
Related Articles
So there, you have everything you need to know about the Sunset Strip oil pattern, including a pdf. Given that it’s a medium-difficulty pattern, most bowlers can find their stride on it. We hope you found all the information you were looking for in this article, and we wish you the best on your bowling journey.
Kira Byrd, a Certified Fraud Examiner, holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. With a passion for bowling from her childhood, Kira has poured her expertise and personal experiences into creating and nurturing Bowling For Beginners. Kira’s mission is to meet new bowlers where they are and guide them toward consistently achieving higher scores. With a focus on skill development and strategic techniques, she empowers readers to take control of their game and unlock their true potential.
Bowling For Beginners embodies strict editorial integrity, ensuring reliable and unbiased information. Kira’s commitment to delivering valuable insights and practical strategies is reflected in every article. Here’s an explanation of our editorial policy and how we get money.