What is a THS Really?

[BubbaRay]

What is a THS actually. Is there reall a pattern that's condiered THS? Does each house have it's own pattern? Does THS where you bowl stay the same for every night of the week or the same league?

Well in one of my lolcal houses where I bowl THS doesn't even exsist where I am concerned. Why you ask? well the reason is, the shot varies from night to night and week to week. What condition you bowl on Monday this week won't be the same next Monday. Tuesday is different , Wed. is different , well you get the idea. You can go this Monday and play outside and next week you play 2nd arrow, the following week you play deep inside. And the rest of the week it's pot luck, what you bowl on is a mystery from night and week to week.

Last year the left lane always hooked mor throughout the house. The right lane was always tighter. Surprise! This year , totally different. And these are not wood lanes, they are the latest synthetics.

So is there a true THS? In know houses put down what they want but my deffinition of THS is the shot be the same or real close every night.



How is it in your houses? Some feedback on this would be nice.

[Tunat]

BubbaRay...wood lanes, need I say more. Shot varies by the weather, the house, I do believe tries to keep it semi the same. The shot you throw does vary by night but not a whole lot, its really a matter of adjusting to fit the what is out there...some night I will throw straight up the 10, others swing it across the 7 and still other nights is down the 3-4 board and then times I can swing it from 12-14 board .... the oil pattern seems to the same its just finding what fits and works for that night instead of fighting it for me, of course there are those nights that nothing works...yea, I said I play a wide variety of lines but in reality they are the same or similar type of shot and yes with wood lanes you have to adjust often and quickly....all I can say is I do believe the attempt is made to keep it fair and probably by most houses...of course if the person doesn't know how to use the equipment or it breaks down then we are all in trouble.

[BubbaRay]

Don't get me wrong I adjust just fine. And these are not wood lanes, they are synthetics. The shot varies night to night week to week and they aren't even relatively close neither. Going from straight down 5 to playing 25 -5 isn't what I close .


My point is, does the house put anything out there? I believe so because in this particular house, one guy who does the lanes has stated , " I am not a good bowler, so why should I put a decent shot out there "

[NeoWidow18]

At my local house where I bowl league we have wood lanes and the shot is close to the same every night. Some nights its thighter then the day before but I think its just me.

How do you mean the weather effects the wood lanes? I dont understand and Ive been bowling on wood for 5 years now and have a 184 avrage. Please explain. :confused:

And as far as what the oil guy said about not being a good bowler and thats why he doesnt put down a good pattern. I think he is one arragent son of a you know what. He should be fired. They need someone who knows what they are doning.

[can-ham]

I guess it varies from house to house. I see the THS as the Christmas tree, basically when a house intentionally puts out an easy pattern for higher scoring.

http://www.bowling-products.com/OilPatternNoordzee130797.gif http://www.bsu.edu/web/rcain/lane_t3.jpg

I'm lucky in our house we have a excellent lane man. He puts out a harder shot for the scratch leagues and tournaments. My league shot is a modified house shot (not sure the exact details this year but very slick on the out side and heavy all around, good thing I bought the Beat'n). But he is consistent each week so some lanes play differently but the sames lanes will play the same each week. I do know that during league I have a margin off error of at most a board on either side, where any other night at that house I can miss by 3 to 5 boards and still strike.

[5chmitty]

the weather can change how quickly the oil will dry up. the more humid it is the quicker the lanes will dry up

[idlehourlegend]

I know the house that Bubba is talking about the shot is different from day to day and week to week.There are two houses by us that are owned by the same family and we have asked the man who done the lanes at the houses why are the shots so different?He says there not they are exactly the same:eek: the one house I average 219 the other I average 174 now come on there has to be something wrong there and I dont think its me because everyone is the same thing.When you throw the ball down the lane the ball hooks 3 different times before it gets to the pins. If you have any type of hand in this house you cannot keep the ball off the nose playing inside and if you get it anywhere outside of 7-8 where there should be more friction if it were a christmas tree or even a top hat pattern, the ball just skids and you leave a washout.It makes no sense. ITS THE RIVER BUBBA! lol

[BubbaRay]

ITS THE RIVER BUBBA! lol


And I'm the POPE! :D

Idlehour is right. Everyone says the reason for this is the river that runs behind the lanes. Well my answer to that response is always, If the river is causing that much humidity in this place, where is all the mold from the humidity? None whatsoever in this place. I personally rule that theory out.

As for the guy who is doin:D g the lanes and he attitude, he's been there 25 years and it's not that he does not know what he is doing, it's just the poor way he looks at it.


But like everyone else there I adjust, have good nights and bad nights but still avg'ing 200+ there.

So is going into a house that the shot changes from day to day and week to week is called having a THS shot? When you go to your league night here, you better get lined up within 8 mins of practice there or you will be searching all night for a shot.

[idlehourlegend]

Ive been searching for about a month in that place, but to me not just because im left handed the right handed side seem a little more consistent then the left because of the traffic usually being the only person on the side is a fantastic thing but not at this place id rather have 3 or 4 lefties on my side so they can push me some oil into the middle.

[Rowdy]

A THS is a shot that is always the same,never varies. The house that Neo rolls on has a THS. The lanes are always DRY,so you just play the biggest hook you can and hope for the best.
The house we roll at on Thursday Nite changes the shot every week,so I wouldn't call it a THS at all.
The house we roll at on Saturday Nite has a THS they call "The Great Wall of China". That should explain THAT shot. The outside 8 boards are bone dry. All you have to do is pick out a breakpoint and throw as hard as you want to there. The ball bounces off the dry and comes back to the pocket every time.

[Thepainscoming]

My house is actually really really wierd. It is heavy oil from 13-28 then dry to 8 and 8(for leftys) then heavy oil the rest to the gutters.

[NeoWidow18]

The only time the lanes arnt dry is on league nights. Plus we use less oil in the summer cuz the lanes dont get oiled everyday.

[Rowdy]

Not to mention the God awful humidity we've been having plays hell with those old wood lanes. Dries 'em out fast!

[Thepainscoming]

Not to mention the God awful humidity we've been having plays hell with those old wood lanes. Dries 'em out fast!
Yea that is true. Up here its been pretty bad humidity wise too. After every game, u've moved like 5 boards.

[NeoWidow18]

Not to mention the God awful humidity we've been having plays hell with those old wood lanes. Dries 'em out fast!

well with my 4 balls I dont have to move so much. Its like this at league start with the Anger, then move two boards left throw the Black widow second game, then Finish with the wiked on my starting spot. And thats it. :D well there will be some minnor adjustments but thats my secret. lol jk

[can-ham]

I think any house can put out any house shot they want. It's good some houses choose to be harder than others. But I believe the THS (Typical House Shot) is a some thing like a Christmas tree pattern. More oil in the middle to produce higher scoring. When people refer to the THS I believe this is what is meant. If your house's normal shot is different, good for you but it doesn't make it the typical house shot! ;)

[TenPinSniper]

I think any house can put out any house shot they want. It's good some houses choose to be harder than others. But I believe the THS (Typical House Shot) is a some thing like a Christmas tree pattern. More oil in the middle to produce higher scoring. When people refer to the THS I believe this is what is meant. If your house's normal shot is different, good for you but it doesn't make it the typical house shot! ;)

We have a top hat the old machine does not even get right from week to week. The machine has been washered to to oil 10L:10R... give or take a board. The machine is from 1985.

So I guess I'm lucky... :confused:

[Rowdy]

It's NOT the pattern that makes a THS. It's the fact that it's the exact same pattern,week after week,month after month that makes it a THS. Before you even get to the lanes you KNOW where to throw the ball and what is going to happen when you do. How do you tell if your house has a THS? Walk over to the honor scores and see how many 298's,299's,300's,700 series,and 800 series the bowlers there have racked up. Not so many? Like maybe 10 or so. More than 20? House Shot!!!

[Thepainscoming]

We have like 20 300's in the 25 year history, also, like maybe 2-3 800's.

[can-ham]

It's NOT the pattern that makes a THS. It's the fact that it's the exact same pattern,week after week,month after month that makes it a THS.

Well again the predictability of the pattern makes it the "house shot" for that house but that doesn't mean it's a typical house shot. If it's a typical house shot you will pretty much know where your going to play with out ever stepping in that house before...

Here's a nice article that includes a definition of the THS:
http://www.michiganbowling.com/QuickAnswer.htm