LAS VEGAS – Welcome to the 11th edition of the PBA World Series of Bowling from South Point Bowling Plaza. Multiple patterns over multiple days will occur over the next two weeks of competition.

The players will bowl for four titles throughout the WSOB with standard titles up for grabs in the PBA Cheetah Championship, PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Scorpion Championship. A major will also be on the line with the PBA World Championship using qualifying scores from all three standard events.

Before we go into the patterns, let’s take a look at the state of the art South Point Bowling Plaza. South Point does have a separate bowling center for everyday bowling at another part of their property here in Vegas. But the 60 lane bowling plaza is used exclusively for the country’s top tournaments such as the USBC Open Championships and this week’s World Series of Bowling.

The lane surface here is very new compared to what the PBA Tour players have been experiencing at local centers around the country the past two months. The pins are also somewhat new since being installed about two years ago. 

While the Brunswick Pro AnvilLane surface will play smoother through the fronts and tighter down lane, the pins will seem to fly around much more here than usual. The pins are fresher, the backstops seem to help bounce the pins around more, and this means more chances for messengers and better carry overall.

Let’s breakdown the patterns we will see at the World Series.

PBA Cheetah 33

The shortest pattern the PBA Tour will see this season, the Cheetah pattern stretches itself only out to 33 feet. The pattern volume is at 26.31 mL and the ratio is almost flat at 1.2:1. 

The Cheetah has notoriously been known to be high scoring, and we could see that happen here during Sunday’s 10 games of qualifying on this pattern. 

Expect a lot of players to use urethane at the start to control angles.

“I feel like one of my strengths is throwing urethane, and I got a good couple of options to go to,” said Kyle Sherman, who finished second in last year’s Cheetah Championship. “What I like to see out of urethane, I can see that out there now.”

When transition occurs, look for players to venture a lot of boards left (or right) and use reactive resin to get them away from the friction in the front part of the lane being developed from the urethane covers.

The near flat ratio and newer lane topography does mean the gutter will be in play. But the biggest challenge for this pattern is to keep consistent on shot making and reading how your ball reacts off the end of the short pattern. You will see a lot of flat 10s if players can’t get their roll and speed precise on this pattern.

PBA Chameleon 39

The Chameleon extends out to 39 feet with a pattern volume of 30.43 mL and a ratio of 2.4:1. This pattern falls into the medium category for length but the 30+ mL of volume gives this pattern a heavy amount of oil at the fronts to dig through.

To start, you’ll see players fairly straight down the track area of the lane (around 10 board/second arrow). Urethane with surface could come into play at this length and help get early roll through the heavy oil. Cleaner ball covers will keep angles consistent and create hold as the backends tend to snap a lot here at South Point.

AJ Chapman, who finished third in last year’s Chameleon Championship, has a game plan for this week on the Chameleon.

“It seems like to the right, it is almost out of play,” Chapman said. “The long right misses are pretty bad. I think you just need to start left of the track area (boards 13, 14, 15) and just chase it in from there.”

As transition occurs, players will get left and more left to chase the friction and keep their angles deep. Some players were experimenting with loft in practice but with the heavy oil up front, it may not be needed to go that far left with higher rev players being an exception.

Qualifying on the Chameleon will start on Monday. 

PBA Scorpion 42

As the World Series of Bowling rolls on, the patterns get longer and longer. The Scorpion pattern is 42 feet long with a volume of 28.90 mL at a ratio of 2.3:1.

The longer length of this pattern will be playing tighter due to the newer lane surface. When a pattern plays tighter, the ball can either hook too soon and cross the headpin or fall flat on the outside and miss the headpin completely.

Kris Prather, who won last year’s Scorpion Championship, knows that you will need to be precise on your shots with this pattern.

“The pattern is playing a little bit tighter than what we’ve bowled on in the past few weeks,” Prather said. “Oil seems to be carrying the ball down lane very easily and storing a lot of energy. Shot execution is going to be at a premium to be able to make the cut and move on to the matches.”

For the bowling balls, look for players to use surface to add those “snow tires” to the ball to get it through the fronts and down lane as the pattern transitions game to game and pair to pair. Players will be using stronger asymmetric cores as well to get their ball back to the pocket and get the carry they need.

Qualifying on the Scorpion pattern will start on Tuesday.

PBA Earl Anthony 43

The Earl Anthony pattern clocks in at 43 feet with an oil volume of 26.38 mL at a ratio of 2.2:1. This pattern and the Scorpion are very similar on paper and the lines could play similar when they bowl on this Wednesday.

There will be over 30 games plus practice before Wednesday’s PBA World Championship qualifying on this pattern so the shot may look different than what they saw in practice Saturday. Look for players to start straighter and keep their angles closed to start to see what their reaction looks like.

“What I found the best for me was playing them a little straighter,” Bill O’Neill said. “I try to make my breakpoint around boards four, five, six and using balls that are stronger and more surface.

“Bowling here (at South Point) is a total 180 from the last month. All the balls that I brought that were shinier, drilled weaker, weak pins, they aren’t working as well. The lane are just way tighter in front here.”

The bowling balls are picking up fast as soon as they hit the lane here at South Point. Players will be getting soft with their release but also slow down their ball speed so it can get through the end of the pattern cleaner and more predictable.

Only 40 players out of the entire field (unless they went through the PTQ which bowled on this pattern) will bowl on this pattern at South Point for the qualifying rounds of the PBA World Championship. The 40 players will be determined by their total pinfall from the Cheetah, Chameleon and Scorpion qualifying rounds combined.