Most bowlers with whom I deal on a day-to-day basis consider the overall amount of hook of their bowling ball the most important factor to higher scores. In some cases, this is true. But to achieve optimum scoring, the total amount of hook is not nearly as important as when and how the ball moves.
Most better bowlers have developed the necessary skill level to play various angles on the lane. On an oily condition, they can "square up" and play less hook, while on a drier condition they can belly the ball more and "open up" the lane. Therefore, the overall hook amount is not a huge factor.
However, problems usually occur when the ball won't hook and roll when you expect it to. Understanding how to make the right equipment decisions to solve ball reaction problems is an important step in the tournament bowler's training.
A bowling lane consists of three basic sections. The "heads" are the first 18 feet of the lane and generally hold the heaviest concentration of conditioner. For high scores, it is imperative that your ball skid through this area of the lane.
The "pine" area is the second 18-foot section of lane. In most local centers, the lane conditioner begins to taper somewhat in this part of the lane. At some point relative to the length of oil applied, the axis of your ball should start to migrate and achieve a more forward rotation.
The "back-ends" are generally the least oiled area of the lane. This section provides the most friction, allowing your ball to hook and roll strongly into the pocket. Identifying possible ball reaction problems in each of these sections is imperative to choosing the right ball for each condition.
Other than the physical makeup of your game, the three most important factors to ball reaction are ball surface, ball construction, and drill pattern. Each of these factors varies in importance relative to each section of the lane.
As the ball travels through the heads, the most important ball reaction factor is surface, followed by ball construction and drill pattern.
In the pines, ball construction plays the most important role, then ball surface and drill pattern.
By the time the ball reaches the back-ends, the drill pattern will have the majority effect on the reaction, followed by ball construction and ball surface.
Each one of these factors plays a significant role in creating ball reaction, and the section of lane determines their individual importance.
As stated above, the heads are the first 18-foot section of the bowling lane. To achieve proper ball reaction, the ball must skid easily through this area of the lane.
We've all encountered a condition where the heads are dryer, and it usually creates a lower-scoring environment. The surface of your ball will greatly affect its reaction in the heads. If the ball you are using is hooking early, you will probably want to change to a lower-surface-friction ball. The lower friction will allow the ball to glide more smoothly through this area of the lane.
Other than the physical makeup of your game,
the three most important factors to ball reaction
are
You can also change your ball construction. Going to a ball with a higher radius of gyration (RG) also will improve skid through the heads, though not as much as a surface change.
The drill pattern will have a minor effect, but not nearly as pronounced as the first two factors.
Again, the pines are the middle 18-foot section of lane. Most bowlers tend to misread this section more than the other two.
In this area, the oil will taper lengthwise and decrease in amount. In most local centers, the optimum break point falls somewhere in this section. Because of this, reading your ball's reaction is imperative at this point. Generally speaking, if you're hitting the pocket and not carrying, your ball is not beginning its hook at the proper point. You should control this part of the lane with your ball construction.
Balls with higher RG ratings will tend to delay the break point, while lower RGs will hook slightly earlier. You can also manipulate the surface, but this may negatively affect your reaction in the heads.
Drill patterns will have a stronger effect here than in the heads, but are not as important as ball construction or surface.
The ball reaction at the back-ends, the last 18-foot section of the lane, is the most obvious. Most bowlers can tell if their ball is not reacting correctly in this area. The catch is separating a back-ends problem from a break point or pines problem.
Many times, a bowler will inadvertently make a back-end change when the problem occurred much earlier in the pines.
The drill pattern of your ball will have the greatest effect on its reaction at the back-end. Balls with stronger drill patterns will tend to move at a sharper angle towards the pocket (i.e., leverages) than those with weaker patterns (i.e., label and axis drillings). This may seem very simple, but many bowlers automatically think that a sharper break point angle is always better. This is simply not true. There are many cases in which using a ball drilled to "lay off" on the back-end will provide a much higher-scoring potential than one that makes a left turn.
Let's review some examples of bad ball reaction, and how to adjust. Let's say you're bowling in a tournament, and you've just had a good game and are changing pairs. Your first two shots go "through the face," so you make a small adjustment with your feet and target. The next shot skids way too quickly, and you miss the headpin light.
It is apparent that this lane has a more "wet/dry" condition, and a ball change is needed. Since there is more oil in the heads and pines, you need to change either your ball surface or ball construction. You can take a ball with more surface and stay in the oil, or you can use a ball with a weaker construction and move out into the drier area of the lane. Which one you choose depends on your own personal comfort level.
Now, you've made the right decision and you squeak out a nice game. You move to the next pair. Your first shot skids nicely through the heads and pines, starts to hook on the back-end and stops. After making a line adjustment, your next shot goes through the nose.
Once again, you have to make a change. The ball is reacting nicely through the heads and pines, so the surface and construction are probably correct. However, it just isn't strong enough on the back-end. A stronger drill pattern will create more back-end reaction, providing good entry angle and carry. A weaker pattern will allow you to move your break point into the drier areas. Either move could work; you pick the one that is most comfortable.
The next pair acts like it hasn't been oiled in three weeks. No matter where you lay the ball down, it wants to hook early. It's time to go to less ball surface and a ball construction that produces maximum skid. The drill pattern is irrelevant if you can't get the ball down the lane. A note: If you were able to score on all of these conditions, the tournament is yours for the taking.
The examples above are somewhat exaggerated. Generally speaking, once you get lined up, the changes aren't so dramatic. However, on many occasions I've seen local tournament bowlers, myself included, use the wrong ball during competition simply because it worked on the last pair of lanes. Given the high-scoring environment in most local tournaments, it is imperative to make the right changes quickly.