Why Bowling Pairs Of Lanes React Differently
By: bowlingball.com, 3/14/17
Updated 9/9/20If you wish to know why bowling pairs of lanes react differently, the answer can involve more than one factor.
Lane topography, lane levelness, lane lineage, oil conditioner application, and bowling ball surfaces all can be contributors to given pair of lanes reacting differently.
The topography of the lane is generally slightly different from lane to lane. Topography can be defined as the detailed mapping or charting of the features of a relatively small area.
You most certainly will notice a variance in ball reaction on one side of a given bowling center compared to another as well as from lane to lane on pairs of lanes used in your league.
Not only does the wear of the lane surface vary from lane to lane, so does the levelness of each lane compared to other lanes.
One lane may be very level (within 40,000th of an inch variance) in the front end. The other lane on a given pair may have a greater or lesser depression in the ball track area of the front end compared to the other lane on the same pair of lanes.
The same holds true in the mid-lane and on the back ends.
Levelness of lanes is measured in two ways - across the lane and down the lane (side to side and front to back).
As the building foundation settles of the years, it is quite natural that the lanes lose a bit of levelness.
The actual microscopic peaks of worn lane finish or of abrasions developed from the constant wear resulting from thousands of modern bowling ball textured surfaces rolling in the same general area of a given lane over time is another chief reason your bowling ball reaction varies from one lane to the other.
As example, in a 40 lane center, one section of lanes may get up to 25% more play over a period of one month than another section. This usually is the case when day leagues use one side of a house and sporadic open play occurs in another section of the center.
In this case, unequal amounts of lineage occur from day to day over the course of time bowlers can notice their ball reaction vary due to varying surface friction on one section of a lane versus the same section on the other lane on a given pair of lanes.
Also, the actual application of oil conditioner by the lane machine may vary slightly as you might anticipate. No lane machine operates perfectly all the time.
A lane with a greater depression in the ball track area than the companion lane on a given pair of lanes will receive a slightly different volume of fresh oil than the other lane.
This happens because the machine cannot read the levelness of every lane up and down or across every lane as would be the case in a perfect bowling world.
The net result is you will see one lane cause a slightly different ball reaction than the other and your alignment to the pocket or for spares varies accordingly.
Some pairs of lanes are pretty well matched and you may not notice a variance in ball reaction between the two right after the oiling process is complete.
This does not mean that the oil breakdown will vary somewhat between the two lanes on your pair of lanes during league or tournaments you bowl.
If the topography of one lane varies from the other lane, after a given amount of lines bowled on the two lanes you may begin to see a slightly different ball reaction one each lane than when the lanes were first oiled.
Another factor causing a variation in ball reaction on your league pair, as another example, is different bowlers using different bowling ball surfaces and crossing the lane differently than other bowlers. Some bowlers rev the ball more than others and may also cover more boards to the pocket. The delivery path angle of each bowling ball is based on a given technique and based on the coverstock friction factor of the given bowling balls. Your job is to find the best initial alignment to the pocket and then make adjustments as you notice ball reaction changing on a lane to lane basis. Be alert and ready to adjust. Remember, the term “lane conditions” refers to all of these factors causing a variation in your ball reaction, not only the oiling pattern.
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