Do balls fundamentally change their motion shape in different oil conditions?

[Ball99999]

So say you have a ball that is designed for heavy oil, such as the Storm Modern Marvel

http://i.imgur.com/2AmSV.png

If you look at that diagram it shows the ball is supposed to have a very smooth arc toward the pocket in heavy oil.

I don't think I've had the opportunity to bowl in heavy oil. Most of the time when I bowl the ball returns to me without even oil on the ball (oil rings). So to keep the ball on the lane and retain energy instead of hitting like a pancake I have to really up my speed and not cup very much. The result is a fairly straight line til almost to the end of the lane when it snaps to the other direction and hits the pocket, either directly straight on or at an angle. Hockey stick style I suppose.

To get that smooth arc in heavy oil are you supposed to keep the same type of release (side rotation), or are you supposed to come up the back of the ball? When I come up the back of the ball on dry lanes it peters out goes straight and loses energy fast. In heavy oil, do you retain a lot of energy even though there isn't as much ball speed?

Do balls clearly labeled as heavy oil balls lose more energy on medium, dry oil (Even with slightly higher speed) and thus hook less?

[Zothen]

All good bowlers try to consitantly have side roll. According to the pros to keep energy in a heavy oil ball,you move forward about 1/2 ft-18" thus by forcing you to throw ball about 12mph which will give ball time to generate friction and hit the pocket with full energy.Heavy oil is usually 38' or longer!

Not all the time! I have a Defiant(Heavy oil) and the way it's drilled(Pin over ring finger)I can use it on medium oil as well as heavy oil depending how I adjust the coverstock. Dry lane is too much and ball just overhooks.

The ball peters out because it used up it's energy on the front part of the lane. You are better of using a light oil or spare ball on dry lanes to retain energy and remember to keep side rotation unless you flatten out the ball on purpose.

Zothen

[Ball99999]

What i meant by ball motion is the shape of the curve

[Zothen]

Shape of the curve is determand by lane conditions,how ball is drilled,coverstock and how you throw the ball. Example-If bowl on a 44' heavy oil pattern and you throw your ball at 18mph,your ball my skid down to far lane causing it to break to late(slight curve hitting 3-6). Now if you slow ball down to say 13mph with a nice even armswing slowing revs down,chances are your ball will build up friction so when it hits dry,it curves(like diagram).

Zothen

[Stormed1]

Theere are a great number of factors that have imput into the reaction shape of the ball. Things such as lane surface (wood. softer synthetics or harder synthetics) oil pattern length,oiol viscosity. Ball layout such as pin up (faster response to friction) or pin down slower response to friction.