JBT LANE CONDITIONS

This is a chart of the conditions used at JBT events this season: 

Scroll below for previous seasons.

2024-25 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more or less games, etc])

2023-24 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more or less games, etc])

2022-23 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more or less games, etc])

2021-22 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more or less games, etc])

   (the below was written in 2011, but we've bumped it up here as it is still relevant as the sport has eveolved- maybe more relevant!):

   The JBT's policy of generally not pre-announcing lane conditions has both necessary and philosophical underlying reasons. First, the down and dirty necessities:

  If we were a scratch-only tournament club, we'd consider pre-announcing the conditions.  But we have a handicap division.   Let's say we did pre-announce our lane conditions.  We're not saying anyone would-- but, someone could look at that schedule and bowl all the hard-shot tournaments, trying as hard as they could, and going -200 or so every time.  They've then established an unreasonably low average, without 'sandbagging' at all.  They then bowl the next easier shot tournament, go +600, and win easily.  This is obviously not something we want to have happen.  That would mess with individual tournaments, the points systems that are so important to our Tour, etc.  This is a major reason why we don't pre-announce conditions.  The above scenario can happen by chance, we realize, especially early in the season, but over the course of a full season it is highly unlikely and quickly 'ironed out'.

  It should also be noted that laying out difficult patterns has had less of an adverse affect on the handicap division results than we had worried about before lane conditions became such an overwhelming issue last decade.  On an individual tournament basis, any lane pattern that is laid out will, by default, favor one style, one average level, one arm, or all of the above, over another- it's a fact of bowling life, just as certain golf course layouts and other variables favor one player over another.  There is occasionally a mild panic by some at individual events, where people fret that because the shot is very hard, the low average bowlers will "automatically" win (since they generally throw the ball straight and are thus theoretically affected less by tough conditions).  We had worried about this as well.  But, the results have consistently shown that there's always been a bunch of higher-average bowlers at each event that don't get fazed by the challenge and bowl very well on the "tough" conditions (just scan through the results on the website for proof).   Moreover, I implore folks who may have felt this way to consider the reverse situation: on very easy lanes, it is extremely hard for the straight ball bowlers to keep up with the big hook bowlers who take advantage of the "easy" lanes.  However, there are always low-average bowlers at our "easy" events who do great as well;  it really is you bowling YOURSELF in a pins-over-average situation, after all, in a handicapped event.  Lastly, over the course of a season, our points lists have bared out for decades that the most dedicated, most improved bowlers end up reaping the most rewards at the end of the season, and that single-event aberrations such as bowlers on either extreme of the average spectrum being shut out, in truth or perception, get "ironed out" over the course of a full season.  There's a hard truth about bowling, especially youth bowling: there is no such thing as a completely 'fair' handicap tournament, average and lane condition wise, and there never will be- some variable will favor one person over another.  BUT--- we feel a full season of our events irons out those one-day variables and provides the fairest competition out there anywhere.

  Philosophically, we also feel that laying out many patterns is the right thing to do.  One of our main goals at JBT is to prepare our bowlers as best as possible for the many different things they'll experience in the adult /college/high level youth bowling world.  In those events, you'll experience plenty of lane conditions, from house to sport, and you won't always know in advance what is being laid out.  Even worse is the people we'll jokingly call "condition junkies" that seem to be developing as a side-result of all the information (and mis-information) about lane patterns swirling out there.  Anybody who's bowled a few times on the PBA patterns, for example, knows that just because you have a preconceived notion of how the Shark pattern, for example, should play, that might have nothing to do with how the lanes play that particular day. Thus, announcing a pattern in advance can adversely affect a) the player that expects a pattern to play a certain way, and b) the tournament and center staff, who then have to field questions all day as to why a pattern that's "supposed to play this way" isn't... ugh! The type of oil used, surface topography (an enormous factor), lane machine used, humidity, temperature, who else is on your pair (or WAS on your pair) and where they are playing with what ball, etc. all can play a HUGE part in how a pattern plays.  Check out the results for our house patterns, especially, for that... "house" shots (a catch-all term for whatever pattern the center lays out on a regular basis) do NOT necessarily mean score-fests.  And, 'sport' shot do not always even mean a minus cut.  Thus, even if we HAD pre-announced these patterns, there still would have to have been a nearly start-from-scratch set of adjustments by the bowlers to adjust to what's out there. 

   A related topic that comes up more and more often is whether to ever put out house-type patterns at all.  It's hopefully obvious that as a huge believer in "fixing" the sport of bowling, we are all in favor of putting out non-house patterns often.  However, JBT does not presently put out all non-house patterns for a few reasons, again both philosophical and practical:

        - Practically, some centers can't put out 'fancy' patterns.  Many tougher patterns require precise oiling, and many centers have less fancy lane machines that can't accurately put out these patterns.  Some of these centers also happen to be great hosts that provide us with all the other factors we need (good linage, available lanes and time, great staff), so we don't stop going to them.

        - Some centers WON'T put out fancy patterns.  They have the machines to do so, but either don't have the knowledge to correctly make the machine put out these patterns, don't have or don't want to invest the time involved to do so, are worried that even with a full strip and oil there will still be memory of the sport shot that will upset their league house shot bowlers, don't have time to full strip between our event and evening leagues, are worried that low scores will translate into bad publicity for the center as a 'hard house' that they perceive will be bad for business, or any combination of these and more.

        -  Philosophically, it's one of the main goals of JBT to turn out the most experienced, well prepared for anything bowlers we possibly can.  The results of our bowlers and alumni at every level of bowling seems to indicate we're doing a pretty good job.   This preparation stems from the constant variety of lane conditions at a constant variety of centers.  For better or worse, much of a bowler's career will be on house shots, so you'd better learn how to hit them.  Bowlers who advance to play in bigger events will see sport-type shots, so they better learn to play on them too. 

        - There's also an economic angle that we don't shy away from admitting.  An all-house shot Tour would get very boring as our top bowlers would average extremely high, yet not 'learn' anything.  Going +100 and missing cuts isn't something we like to see very often.  It would also get very expensive since we make our own rings, and it would make those rings (and the accomplishments they represent) far less special.    Conversely, an all-sport Tour would result in a lot of dejected bowlers, and does not work well with a handicap division.  We want our bowlers to learn and progress, not get beaten over the head until they give up and quit.  We would end up with a 'pure', scratch-only sport Tour, but also one with too few entries to support our current prize structure.  So, it's a concession to reality. That said, we have gradually upped our percentage of non-house events each season, as you can see above, in an effort to sort of 'wean' our bowlers into a hopefully brighter future for the sport of bowling.  We believe the mix of patterns we have is good for the bowlers as well as good for JBT business, and will continue to adjust that mix every season the best we can. 

        - If our events are your first exposure to non-house pattern bowling, DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED.  Most people's JBT average is below, often far below, their league averages.  Average is the most meaningless statistic in bowling today, for all the reasons detailed above.  There is a 'getting your feet wet' process to JBT events.  Though your average may suffer, you are becoming a much better bowler by experiencing the challenges JBT offers, preparing you not only for our major events, but major bowling events everywhere, none of which are on house patterns.  If you go to Main Event, TPC, or Junior Gold with only your 220 house average and 40-board covering hook ball, be prepared to finish in the bottom half of the event...

  This is, as usual with these complicated subjects, just the tip of the iceberg.  I'd love to discuss this fascinating issue more in depth with you, in person or over the computer.  Hopefully, though, this has given some insight as to why we do things the way we do regarding lane conditions at JBT. 

  Thanks for reading!

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Previous season's patterns:

2020-21 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more or less games, etc])

2019-20 season:  (* = different format [bonus pins, more games, etc])

2018-19 season:

* by the cut number means something other than the normal 5-game format was used

2017-18 season: (* indicates patterns not announced until after qualifying)

2016-17 season:

2015-16 season: