Your Bowling Ball Motion

By: bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 12/29/16; Updated: 12/10/2021

If you are averaging between 150 and 175, it is time you understand your bowling ball motion and which factors influence your ball reaction as it travels down the lane.

Here are a few factors to monitor:

*Your Release Technique is your personal method of releasing your bowling ball. It is most important to be as consistent with your release technique as you can. Your release is the number one factor affecting your ball motion.

*Your wrist tilt at the moment you release your ball affects your ball reaction. Stabilize your wrist tilt (the amount you hinge your bowling wrist as you release the ball) to help you control your ball skid distance.

*Ball Speed is a big factor influencing your front end skid distance. By increasing or decreasing your ball speed slightly you can also increase or decrease your ball skid distance, both of which influence your ball reaction.

*Bowling ball construction and ball surface (coverstock) preparation influence your ball reaction. The surface texture of your bowling ball determines the degree of friction your ball generates when in contact with the lane surface. The higher the amount of friction, the quicker your ball reacts on the lane.

The core design by the manufacturer determines the the general shape of your ball reaction by providing varying amounts of track flare.

*The specific drilling layout used in each of your bowling balls influences your overall ball reaction. A strong layout can help you get back end hook and help combat heavy to medium heavy oil patterns.

A weaker layout will stabilize your track flare potential and give you a smooth, controllable arc movement.

*The oil pattern influences your ball motion by establishing a down-the-lane distance oil is applied to the lane surface and by establishing the cross-lane ratio of oil application which directly affects front end skid distance.

*Your amount of bowling ball loft distance also has an influence on ball skid distance. It is of particular importance to develop a consistent loft distance when releasing your ball in the same manner as it is important to regulate your ball speed.

*The friction factor of the lane surfaces themselves influences your ball reaction. Aworn lane surface can generate more surface friction and ball traction than will a smooth lane surface.

*The type of lane oil used to condition the lanes affects your ball reaction. The lubricity and viscosity of the oil can either carrydown the lane or breakdown in varying fashion depending on the amount of games recorded during your session on the lanes.

One important item to remember is that you can only control your release technique, your ball speed, your ball loft distance, and your angle of attack to influence your ball reaction. Once you have chosen a bowling ball, prepared the surface texture to match the lane conditions, and used a given drilling layout, the bowling ball will influence your ball reaction. You cannot control which oil pattern the proprietor chooses to condition the lanes, the type of lane oil used, the humidity factor in a given bowling center, and the friction factor of the lane surfaces.

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