2018 PBA Animal Patterns Part I
bowlingball.com 10/18/2017
When I first heard that the PBA unveiled the new PBA Animal patterns, I couldn’t contain my excitement! Luckily enough I have the audience of bowlingball.com here to talk about these animal patterns more in depth because nobody has done so yet, and give all of you 100,000 plus subscribers to our website here the juicy content that all PBA and sport shot fans are waiting to hear about! So let’s dive in.
Something very interesting the PBA has done is increase the length of the Wolf pattern, decrease the Cheetah pattern in length, and more shockingly enough, decrease the Viper pattern. ow we are going to be considering that a “short pattern.” So the Wolf is now at 33 feet instead of 32 giving you 21.73 mL of oil with a 1.21:1 ratio. So basically, it’s flat. It’s not fun for two-handed bowlers like myself. It is perfect for my one-handed friends who are multidimensional and love that outside part of the lane
The Cheetah pattern is returning but not as expected. The PBA has decreased the length of the Cheetah pattern. Remember when it was 35 feet? Then 36? Well it’s now 33 feet. I had actually done quite well on the Cheetah patternin the PBA Experience league over the summer, but now as the PBA has unleashed the leopard spotted, high scoring, wild cat jungle beast of an animal pattern 3 feet shorter, it makes me nervous. 25.43 mL of oil and a 1.48:1 ratio.My strategy is going to remain the same as it was before. Same goes for the Wolf. Basically, I will throw urethane at it’s weakest surface,play the outside and hope for pin carry. Worse case-scenario I may have to useplastic. As I said above too, one-handers are going to have a field day, as they have before and they will continue to do so.
The Viper pattern actually took me by surprise as I am a fan of the newest one they unveiled a while back. Now we have learned that Viper patternand gotten used to it, it is time to get used to the new Viper. The newest Viper pattern will be 36 feet in length, with 24.39 mL of oil and a 1.96: 1 ratio. For me, this is going to be a pattern that I will be able to possibly create a bit of angle on from the outside, but very minimal. Still being considered a short pattern and calling to play the outside, I can’t play in like I could on their most recent version and my ball selection will have to be more specific.
The Bear pattern was unveiled back in 2013 as one of the most atrocious animal patterns to ever hit the circuit, but now it has been decreased to 39 feet. With 24.62 mL of oil and a 2.10:1 ratio, there could possibly be a bit of swing room in the beginning as opposed to it opening up as the pattern breaks down. Now this I can see benefitting myself. So from a two-handed bowlers perspective, you’ll be at 25% for patterns you’re going to love. For one-handed bowlers, have a field day. Bear I will leave up in the air but I can still say those able to figure it out you will love it.
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