No matter how much oil is placed on the lanes or the pattern that's laid down, you will have to make adjustments every time you bowl. There are more options in this day of high-tech balls then there were 40 (or even 30) years ago, but you still have to learn how to adjust comfortably with these options.

In the days of only one type of bowling ball, it was dependent on you, and you alone, to make the necessary correction to score high. Generally, you first changed your angle by moving left or right; when that didn't work, you varied your ball speed - slower, faster, softer, or harder; and finally, you might have been one of the "wealthier" or "luckier" ones who had two bowling balls, both drilled with different top, side, or finger weights from each other. (Also, "in those days," it was not uncommon to find an 18 pound or illegally balanced ball being delivered down the lane.)

Here, then, are four common adjustments that you should practice in order to be able to move comfortably between them when it's necessary to do so. These are your bowling ball, your angle, your release, and your ball speed. A good acronym for these adjustments would be BARS - ball, angle, release, and speed.

As with anything, we could cover many more variables; but, my purpose here is to pike your interest by providing the basics and let those of you that want to, dig into them deeper as their desire(s) drives them.

With that in mind, here are the four basics of adjustment called "BARS":

1) Ball - if you are serious about the sport of bowling and want to be a high average bowler, you will need more than one bowling ball. At a minimum, one will be your bread-and-butter; one will go longer than the others; and another will have a softer surface. This makes a total of four when counting your spare ball. From a hooking perspective, they are zero, small, medium, and large. Keep in mind that high-tech bowling balls are so advanced that you should consult with your favorite pro shop for the differences in ball specifications and reactions.

2) Angle - if you get on the lanes and your ball hooks further left than normal, move left; if your ball tends to go right, move right. Nowadays, consider playing outside the 5-board (first arrow) or as deep inside as the 30-board because the different oil patterns also affect how the ball breaks to the pocket. More oil in this day-and-age does not necessarily mean that the ball will hook less.

3) Release - this may be for the more advanced of you; however, how does one get to be "advanced?" You've got it - it always comes down to practice. Variables include, but are not limited to, cupping or relaxing your wrist, having an apparatus on your hand to keep your hand firm or relaxed, being behind the ball, being on the side of the ball, and throwing full-roller, semi-roller, or 3/4-roller.

4) Speed - if the ball is not hooking enough, slow the ball down; if it is hooking too much, throw the ball faster. Some possible adjustments are to move forward on the approach and take shorter steps to slow down, move back and take longer steps to speed up; hold the ball lower when you set-up to slow down and hold the ball higher to increase the speed; and, of course, you can always get a heavier (unless you throw a 16-pounder) or lighter ball to vary your speed.

As I alluded to earlier, it all comes down to practice, practice, practice. Don't just throw for strikes and scores. Practice some of the aforementioned hints to see how your ball responds on the lanes.

When it comes to the final analysis, what does a 250 game in Tuesday practice mean when you are shooting 150 in league? Wouldn't it be of more benefit to come into the league saying, "I practiced my 10-pin spare and will pick it up more regularly now and then go ahead and do it?" Remember, one or two more spares on a regular basis could mean a ten to twenty pin increase in your league average.

A Hui Hou! (See you again!)