What's the difference between board coverage and hook?

[Hendu71]

I've heard it said that balls don't hook more than others, they just hook earlier or later. However, some balls very obviously cover significantly more boards than others before hitting the pocket. If there is significantly more lane coverage between balls, how are they both hooking the same amount?

[Aslan]

It's hard to explain...and I'm sure one of the more experienced guys will do a better job.

But a ball with a solid cover stock and/or sanded surface will start to hook sooner than a polished/pearl type cover stock. They may get thrown up the same board...same arrow...cover the same number of boards and both hit the pocket...but they will take slightly different paths.

How all that ends up working out...varies immensely because it's gonna depend on your release and revs and speed.

For Example:
I used to throw 3 balls:
Solid cover, perfectscale of 211. Hybrid cover, perfect scale of 189. Pearl cover, perfect scale of 157.

Now, the solid cover...took a "backwards "C"" path to the pocket. A very smooth arc.

The hybrid cover...a less dramatic arc.

The pearl cover was virtually straight with only a slight, but more pronounced (like a reverse hockey stick) 'snap' into the pocket.

All things being equal;

The solid cover ball will definitely cover more boards, then the hybrid, then the pearl...IF (and this is important)...IF I play the SAME LINE.

Where things get complicated is...I used to not play the same line. My solid cover...thrown up the 6-board...would either hook too early AND too much and cover like 20 boards and miss left. OR...it would hook too early, enter the roll phase too early, and lose it's energy before it ever made contact with the pins. But the hybrid or pearl balls might work fine up the 6-board.

NOW....I use the same lines...but go through my balls in a progression (an arsenal style of ball selection) where I'll start with the most aggressive ball that hooks the SOONEST and progress to next soonest, then next soonest, etc...

GENERALLY, the ball that hooks SOONEST will cover more boards...and hook MORE. But that is not always true...because after the HOOK phase is the ROLL phase. If a ball hooks too early...sometimes it enters the ROLL phase too early...and then doesn't continue hooking and continuing to cover more boards.

I mentioned "PerfectScale" (even though Rob doesn't like it) because I've found that it works well for answering the question "which ball hooks MORE". It does NOT do a great job at answering the question "which ball hooks WHEN"...that can only be answered by throwing the ball because it's highly dependent on how you throw the ball. It's also highly dependent on the strength of the cover stock. It's also highly depoendent on how you surface the ball (sanding/polishing/etc...).

But looking at my arsenal SPECIFICALLY (and it's dependent on how a person throws the ball)...

Bullet Train: 222.8
Rhythm: 211.3
Encounter(s): 203.8
Slingshot: 157.6

That is also the exact progression in terms of soonest to latest hooking. So the PerfectScale system actually was spot on in terms of which one hooks soonest AND more....given the SAME LINE.

Think of it like a car. If two cars are racing and one turns "just slightly", a second before the other car turns "just slightly"....the one that turns SOONEST WILL end up hooking furthest by the time they reach the finish line. But if the car that turns first "corrects" and straightens out (ball going from hook phase to roll phase)...then maybe it ends up covering more boards...maybe not.

Another example:
My 157 pearl ball hooked MORE boards when playing an INSIDE line than my 211 solid ball. How?

Because with the solid/211 ball, I stood 31 and targeted 16...it would cover 15 boards back into the pocket.

The Pearl/157 ball, I stood 35 and targeted 19...and it covered a total of 16 boards back into the pocket.

Why/How? Because if I got too far outside (16) with the 157/pearl ball...it wouldn't come back. So I HAD TO move further inside with my target. The 211/solid WOULD come back...but I couldn't get TOO FAR left with my feet...or it stayed in the oil too long and IT wouldn't come back.

But even that example...the differnce is a total of ONE BOARD of hook. I have a 180-260 rev rate. I'm not gonna see a huge difference in hook from ball to ball. If a person has a 450 rev rate...a 210PS ball versus a 190PS ball might be HUGE. The more revs...the drier the conditions...the bigger and more noticeable the difference from ball to ball. The more you can open up the lane. The more drilling layouts matter. Etc...

So all that rambling aside...generally if it hooks soonest, it'll hook more boards.

[YODA]

It's hard to explain...and I'm sure one of the more experienced guys will do a better job.

But a ball with a solid cover stock and/or sanded surface will start to hook sooner than a polished/pearl type cover stock. They may get thrown up the same board...same arrow...cover the same number of boards and both hit the pocket...but they will take slightly different paths.

How all that ends up working out...varies immensely because it's gonna depend on your release and revs and speed.

For Example:
I used to throw 3 balls:
Solid cover, perfectscale of 211. Hybrid cover, perfect scale of 189. Pearl cover, perfect scale of 157.

Now, the solid cover...took a "backwards "C"" path to the pocket. A very smooth arc.

The hybrid cover...a less dramatic arc.

The pearl cover was virtually straight with only a slight, but more pronounced (like a reverse hockey stick) 'snap' into the pocket.

All things being equal;

The solid cover ball will definitely cover more boards, then the hybrid, then the pearl...IF (and this is important)...IF I play the SAME LINE.

Where things get complicated is...I used to not play the same line. My solid cover...thrown up the 6-board...would either hook too early AND too much and cover like 20 boards and miss left. OR...it would hook too early, enter the roll phase too early, and lose it's energy before it ever made contact with the pins. But the hybrid or pearl balls might work fine up the 6-board.

NOW....I use the same lines...but go through my balls in a progression (an arsenal style of ball selection) where I'll start with the most aggressive ball that hooks the SOONEST and progress to next soonest, then next soonest, etc...

GENERALLY, the ball that hooks SOONEST will cover more boards...and hook MORE. But that is not always true...because after the HOOK phase is the ROLL phase. If a ball hooks too early...sometimes it enters the ROLL phase too early...and then doesn't continue hooking and continuing to cover more boards.

I mentioned "PerfectScale" (even though Rob doesn't like it) because I've found that it works well for answering the question "which ball hooks MORE". It does NOT do a great job at answering the question "which ball hooks WHEN"...that can only be answered by throwing the ball because it's highly dependent on how you throw the ball. It's also highly dependent on the strength of the cover stock. It's also highly depoendent on how you surface the ball (sanding/polishing/etc...).

But looking at my arsenal SPECIFICALLY (and it's dependent on how a person throws the ball)...

Bullet Train: 222.8
Rhythm: 211.3
Encounter(s): 203.8
Slingshot: 157.6

That is also the exact progression in terms of soonest to latest hooking. So the PerfectScale system actually was spot on in terms of which one hooks soonest AND more....given the SAME LINE.

Think of it like a car. If two cars are racing and one turns "just slightly", a second before the other car turns "just slightly"....the one that turns SOONEST WILL end up hooking furthest by the time they reach the finish line. But if the car that turns first "corrects" and straightens out (ball going from hook phase to roll phase)...then maybe it ends up covering more boards...maybe not.

Another example:
My 157 pearl ball hooked MORE boards when playing an INSIDE line than my 211 solid ball. How?

Because with the solid/211 ball, I stood 31 and targeted 16...it would cover 15 boards back into the pocket.

The Pearl/157 ball, I stood 35 and targeted 19...and it covered a total of 16 boards back into the pocket.

Why/How? Because if I got too far outside (16) with the 157/pearl ball...it wouldn't come back. So I HAD TO move further inside with my target. The 211/solid WOULD come back...but I couldn't get TOO FAR left with my feet...or it stayed in the oil too long and IT wouldn't come back.

But even that example...the differnce is a total of ONE BOARD of hook. I have a 180-260 rev rate. I'm not gonna see a huge difference in hook from ball to ball. If a person has a 450 rev rate...a 210PS ball versus a 190PS ball might be HUGE. The more revs...the drier the conditions...the bigger and more noticeable the difference from ball to ball. The more you can open up the lane. The more drilling layouts matter. Etc...

So all that rambling aside...generally if it hooks soonest, it'll hook more boards.

Someone more experianced :) LOL I think you covered the subject just fine. I came in to write something but really cant add much to what you said :)

Great post!

[Hendu71]

So, hook is how dramatic the angle change is? Like a hockey stick has "more hook" than a banana shape, even if the banana shape covers more boards?

[Aslan]

So, hook is how dramatic the angle change is? Like a hockey stick has "more hook" than a banana shape, even if the banana shape covers more boards?

No...the opposite.

Total boards of hook is based on where you lay the ball down, how far out it goes (to the right for rightys), and how far back it comes. But a ball's coverstock/surface is going to change "how" it accomplishes that feat.

A Pearl/polished ball will go very straight at first...then make a "hockey stick" move at the end...also called "skid/flip" (I'm not going to get into skid/flip because it'll confuse both of us). A solid/sanded ball might allow you to move further inside....the ball may cover more boards (or not) and make a "backwards C" type of "big hook" into the pocket.

But again...despite Yoda's props...there's a TON that goes into a ball motion discussion and I'm very much a novice at explaining it. For example...I (intentionally) and not mentioning things like:
- RG
- cores
- cover stock chemistry
- flare/differential
- drilling layout
- etc...

All those things could be an entire post of their own...and some of them I barely understand myself.

Bowl1820 and Rob M and MWhite...VDubtx...Hampe...those guys could probably say kinda what I said but in a shorter (please God) and more understandable (maybe more accurate) way.

Also, not to steal Hammer's thunder, but if you google it and take a look at bowlingball.com's bowlversity...that gentleman does a good job explaining it as do the characters that do the bowlingtalk videos.

[Mike White]

My 157 pearl ball hooked MORE boards when playing an INSIDE line than my 211 solid ball. How?

Because with the solid/211 ball, I stood 31 and targeted 16...it would cover 15 boards back into the pocket.

The Pearl/157 ball, I stood 35 and targeted 19...and it covered a total of 16 boards back into the pocket.


You might as well just grab your magic 8 ball in ask it how many boards your ball hooked.

Lets take tour first example.

You stand 31, and target 16. Assuming you actually hit your target lets calculate the path of the ball.

While you're standing on the approach, your foot is on 31, but the center of the ball is more like above the 24 board.

Now you walk towards the target and release the ball. At the point of release your ball should be above the 20 board.

In the first 15 feet your ball has moved to the right 4 boards.

If your ball hooks 0 boards, it will be on the 4 board at 60 feet.

If you hit the pocket, your ball has "hooked" about 13 boards.

35 approach 19 arrows to pocket would result in 17-((19-(35-7+19)/2)*3+19) = 11.5 boards of hook.

I don't think I've ever seen you release a ball that hooked 5 boards, so 13 is a big stretch.

[Mike White]

Total boards of hook is based on where you lay the ball down, how far out it goes (to the right for rightys), and how far back it comes. But a ball's coverstock/surface is going to change "how" it accomplishes that feat.


To give you an idea how wrong this concept is...

Lets take my shot at a 10 pin.

I start with my feet at 33, and hit the arrows at 17.

I lay the ball down at 21, and it slides all the way out to 3 board when it contacts the 10 pin.

It goes out 18 boards, and comes back 0 boards.

Therefore the ball covered 18 boards.

It would be a big stretch to call any of those boards a "hook"

[bowl1820]

I've heard it said that balls don't hook more than others, they just hook earlier or later. However, some balls very obviously cover significantly more boards than others before hitting the pocket. If there is significantly more lane coverage between balls, how are they both hooking the same amount?


So, hook is how dramatic the angle change is? Like a hockey stick has "more hook" than a banana shape, even if the banana shape covers more boards?

Most of the time when people say "Hook" what they are referring to is backend, that dramatic angle change.

You have:
Frontend Boards Covered (FBC): This is the number of boards crossed from the laydown point to the breakpoint.

Backend Boards Covered (BBC): This is the total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.

Total Boards Covered (TBC): This is the total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.

Here's a simple example:
The illustration is not remotely to scale and so the ball paths are slightly distorted and would look different on a actual lane.
http://s5.postimg.org/3ry5g09zb/lane_diagram_tbc.jpg

Which hooked more?

Most would say the Red ball "Hooked" more because they see it make that dramatic angle change, It went long and snapped hard. But both balls (Red & Black) have covered the same amount of boards, The main difference was just where the ball made the change in direction "hooked". The Red ball hooked later than the Black one.

Heres another one:
http://s5.postimg.org/mljyd087b/lane_diagram_tbc2.jpg

Now most would say the green ball "Hooked" more here. Because it made that big angle change turning back toward the pocket.

But while The Green ball has covered more total boards, as for the backend it has covered the same amount of boards as the other two.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Instead of board coverage and hook it needs to be thought of in terms of matching up ball motion to lane condition in order to get to the pocket and through the pins correctly. My skid flip stuff will cover more boards on certain conditions than one of my balls with surface drilled to roll early. Conversely, a heavy condition the opposite will be true. Same 2 balls, different motions dictated by the lane. That is the challenge sometimes to determine what type of motion and where to play a lane to maximize not only your ability to hit the pocket but make the pins act the right way. Make the wrong choices and as the saying goes, it is hard to out bowl a bad ball reaction.

[rv driver]

Most of the time when people say "Hook" what they are referring to is backend, that dramatic angle change.

You have:
Frontend Boards Covered (FBC): This is the number of boards crossed from the laydown point to the breakpoint.

Backend Boards Covered (BBC): This is the total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.

Total Boards Covered (TBC): This is the total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.

Here's a simple example:
http://s5.postimg.org/3ry5g09zb/lane_diagram_tbc.jpg

Which hooked more?

Most would say the Red ball "Hooked" more because they see it make that dramatic angle change, It went long and snapped hard. But both balls (Red & Black) have covered the same amount of boards, The main difference was just where the ball made the change in direction "hooked". The Red ball hooked later than the Black one.

Heres another one:
http://s5.postimg.org/mljyd087b/lane_diagram_tbc2.jpg

Now most would say the green ball "Hooked" more here. Because it made that big angle change turning back toward the pocket.

But while The Green ball has covered more total boards, as for the backend it has covered the same amount of boards as the other two.
Sooo... Cliff's Notes Version: "total boards covered" =/= "hook." Right?

Now, for something (related, but) completely different: I'm confused by the term "flare potential." What is "flare potential?" Is it the number of boards covered in the roll phase only? Such that all 3 balls in ex. 2 have the same flare potential? Or is flare potential the "measure" of total boards covered, such that the green track has a higher flare potential? Or is it something completely different?

[Hendu71]

Okay, good stuff. Now let me ask you, wouldn't a ball that was capable of doing what the green line did, be a very good ball to have (situationally), since most people are bowling on the the black/red lines? Or does only the back end matter?

[J Anderson]

Sooo... Cliff's Notes Version: "total boards covered" =/= "hook." Right?

Now, for something (related, but) completely different: I'm confused by the term "flare potential." What is "flare potential?" Is it the number of boards covered in the roll phase only? Such that all 3 balls in ex. 2 have the same flare potential? Or is flare potential the "measure" of total boards covered, such that the green track has a higher flare potential? Or is it something completely different?

Flare potential, assuming your release allows you to take full advantage of it, can affect the number of boards covered. Flare is determined by looking at the oil rings left on the ball after rolling down the lane. The further apart the rings are, the more flare.

[Mike White]

Flare potential, assuming your release allows you to take full advantage of it, can affect the number of boards covered. Flare is determined by looking at the oil rings left on the ball after rolling down the lane. The further apart the rings are, the more flare.

It's not quite that simple.

Flare is noticed by the oil rings, but the ball is still flaring after the end of the oil so no oil rings there to measure.

Multi oil rings is a side effect of drilling the ball such that the core is unstable.

As the PAP migrates across the ball while rolling, it causes multiple oil rings.

The purpose of the migration is to have a non oiled surface of the ball make contact with the lane in the back ends.

Clean Ball + Clean Backends = hook potential.

So flare potential is a measurement of how unstable the core can be drilled.

If you throw the ball flat, you're not going to achieve as much flare as a high rev bowler will.

If you drill the pin near the PAP, or 6 3/4" off the PAP, you're placing the core in a stable position to begin with, and it won't flare.

A low flaring ball is tracking over the oil picked up on the previous revolution, so when the clean back ends arrive, the ball doesn't jump because it thinks it's still in oil.

[Mike White]

Okay, good stuff. Now let me ask you, wouldn't a ball that was capable of doing what the green line did, be a very good ball to have (situationally), since most people are bowling on the the black/red lines? Or does only the back end matter?

The guy playing the black line will have dry area to his right, and wet to his left giving him more error room.

The Red line guy doesn't get that kind of help because his ball doesn't see the dry part of the lane until after the end of the pattern.

For him, he has wet on both sides, then after the pattern, he has dry on both sides.

It's similar for the Green line as well.

Usually you see the Red and Green guys go outside the oil pattern much earlier, and if the ball hooks back too soon, it comes back to the oil line and stops hooking and just sets in the pocket, or on the nose or wherever... but it does so fairly consistantly.

[bowl1820]

Sooo... Cliff's Notes Version: "total boards covered" =/= "hook." Right?
No


Now, for something (related, but) completely different: I'm confused by the term "flare potential." What is "flare potential?" Is it the number of boards covered in the roll phase only? Such that all 3 balls in ex. 2 have the same flare potential? Or is flare potential the "measure" of total boards covered, such that the green track has a higher flare potential? Or is it something completely different?

Flare potential isn't about how many boards are covered. It's something completely different.

[rv driver]

It's not quite that simple.

Flare is noticed by the oil rings, but the ball is still flaring after the end of the oil so no oil rings there to measure.

Multi oil rings is a side effect of drilling the ball such that the core is unstable.

As the PAP migrates across the ball while rolling, it causes multiple oil rings.

The purpose of the migration is to have a non oiled surface of the ball make contact with the lane in the back ends.

Clean Ball + Clean Backends = hook potential.

So flare potential is a measurement of how unstable the core can be drilled.

If you throw the ball flat, you're not going to achieve as much flare as a high rev bowler will.

If you drill the pin near the PAP, or 6 3/4" off the PAP, you're placing the core in a stable position to begin with, and it won't flare.

A low flaring ball is tracking over the oil picked up on the previous revolution, so when the clean back ends arrive, the ball doesn't jump because it thinks it's still in oil.
Thanks, Mike. I get it now.

[rv driver]

No



Flare potential isn't about how many boards are covered. It's something completely different.
I meant to say "total # of boards covered on the back end." Closer?

[bowl1820]

I meant to say "total # of boards covered on the back end." Closer?

Yes the backend boards covered is closer. The bowling wiki defines Hook as the amount, measured in boards and angle, that a bowling ball deviates from its original trajectory in its path down the lane.

The "deviates from its original trajectory" part would be the backend boards covered.

[rv driver]

Yes the backend boards covered is closer. The bowling wiki defines Hook as the amount, measured in boards and angle, that a bowling ball deviates from its original trajectory in its path down the lane.

The "deviates from its original trajectory" part would be the backend boards covered.
Ok. Thanks for clarifying that. I'm getting it!

Now: let me deviate a bit and throw up a shameless argument.
Looking at the illustrations, we see the black path describing a continuous curve from beginning to end. Since it is such -- or at least appears to me to be such -- what part of that continuous curve represents the "original trajectory" sine the path never deviates outside it's curve? From the moment the ball is laid down, it's all "hook," yes? the red path is obvious, the green path a little less so, but still discernible. Or is the black path not as continuous a curve in reality as it's shown in the illustrations? is there always a point where the ball is traveling a straight trajectory?

[Hendu71]

Thanks Mike.

All I can say is, if you can manage it, the green line looks awesome!

But at the end of the day it's all about the pins falling down.

[bowl1820]

Ok. Thanks for clarifying that. I'm getting it!

Now: let me deviate a bit and throw up a shameless argument.
Looking at the illustrations, we see the black path describing a continuous curve from beginning to end. Since it is such -- or at least appears to me to be such -- what part of that continuous curve represents the "original trajectory" sine the path never deviates outside it's curve? From the moment the ball is laid down, it's all "hook," yes? the red path is obvious, the green path a little less so, but still discernible. Or is the black path not as continuous a curve in reality as it's shown in the illustrations? is there always a point where the ball is traveling a straight trajectory?

The illustration is not remotely to scale and so the ball paths are slightly distorted and would look different on a actual lane. It's was just meant to illustrate the idea of the boards being covered by the ball. Not actual lane play.

The "original trajectory" would be the angle from the laydown point to the breakpoint.

[rv driver]

The illustration is not remotely to scale and so the ball paths are slightly distorted and would look different on a actual lane. It's was just meant to illustrate the idea of the boards being covered by the ball. Not actual lane play.

The "original trajectory" would be the angle from the laydown point to the breakpoint.
So the picture isn't an accurate representation of what some balls do. No ball makes an arc move from the get-go.

[Aslan]

You might as well just grab your magic 8 ball in ask it how many boards your ball hooked.

Lets take tour first example.

You stand 31, and target 16.
Okay


While you're standing on the approach, your foot is on 31, but the center of the ball is more like above the 24 board.
Not really...more like above the 21 board...but it's dependent on the width of your shoulders and where you hold it. Continue...


Now you walk towards the target and release the ball. At the point of release your ball should be above the 20 board.
Nope. Still 21...assuming we walk straight on a strike shot. You'd walk towards your target pin on a spare shot...but...okay...still 21.


In the first 15 feet your ball has moved to the right 4 boards.
If I'm aiming at 16...standing 33...ball 10 boards right of my left foot at 23...first of all.... I'm laying it down at about 18-20 depending on the loft...so...okay...20...continue...

Thats (20-16) = 4 + (33-20) = 13 So thats 4 + 13 = 17 On a standard fresh oil shot....that resulting number is about 10. So we're talking an AGGRESSIVE line on some dry arse lanes!! But okay...I lay the ball down...


If your ball hooks 0 boards, it will be on the 4 board at 60 feet.
Actually...sooner than that. With that line...I'd imagine it would be at the 3-board or in the gutter at 60ft.


If you hit the pocket, your ball has "hooked" about 13 boards.

35 approach 19 arrows to pocket would result in 17-((19-(35-7+19)/2)*3+19) = 11.5 boards of hook.

I don't think I've ever seen you release a ball that hooked 5 boards, so 13 is a big stretch.
Well...

A) You're doing it wrong. The overall boards "hooked" that I calculate is based on starting position and target...not how far the ball hooks once it starts it's "hook phase". My system was designed to give you a Benchmark ball and a progression up and down. Therefore...you couldn't roll every ball on all 3 lines and measure the boards and hook phase and roll phase...not in 15 minutes of practice.

B) In THAT scenario...the ball enters the hook phase WELL before the 3-board at 60ft. That ball is traveling just shy of 15mph (not 19mph)...and it would generally begin it's hook phase at 45ft on fresh oil...probably 40ft "ish" on drier conditions. So we're talking more like the "7-board" at "40" ft??

So using your system...it actually hooks from the 7 to the pocket over the course of the last 20ft...so thats about 10 boards from hook phase to pocket on very dry conditions.

And no, you won't see that very often because other than the wood lanes we bowled on...THAT dry of a condition would be impossible for YOU to bowl on.

For reference...at the tournament Sunday...I was standing 20.5 and aiming 6.5. That puts the ball at 6.5 on laydown...straight up that board...so it's easier to calculate the hook into the pocket (which I hit a LOT) of 10.5 boards. So you must have been distracted by something shiny on Sunday or you would have seen my ball hook 10.5 boards a LOT!! :cool:


To give you an idea how wrong this concept is...

Lets take my shot at a 10 pin.

I start with my feet at 33, and hit the arrows at 17.

I lay the ball down at 21, and it slides all the way out to 3 board when it contacts the 10 pin.

It goes out 18 boards, and comes back 0 boards.

Therefore the ball covered 18 boards.

It would be a big stretch to call any of those boards a "hook"

Again....you wouldn't calculate "overall hook" on a spare shot where you're trying to throw it straight. I stand with my left foot on 33 and my target at 17 as well...and my only hope is that I have my shoulders aligned properly.

If you watched my recent (awesome) Encounter project (link to my youtube videos by clicking on my USBC number in my signature)...I'm sure a trained expert like yourself...will CLEARLY see...in slow motion no less...a ball that goes up the 11-board....maybe out to the 10-board...maybe 9...and it hooks back to the pocket. Thats 7-8 boards right THERE...using your system...so you've SEEN more than 5-boards out of me....you just generally aren't paying attention. And why would you? I wouldn't pay attention to me bowling either! :rolleyes:

[bowl1820]

So the picture isn't an accurate representation of what some balls do.

Yes it's was just a rough approximation to illustrate a point about boards covered not ball paths.


No ball makes an arc move from the get-go.

You know what? I don't know. I'm not saying it can or can't.

Just that it was quick sketch using a small not to scale diagram, to show a basic idea about something.


Just to throw in, here is a slightly more to scale diagram I found (it even has a oil pattern). with the same black and red lines.

http://s5.postimg.org/58f6en05j/lane_full_length_br.png

[rv driver]

Yes it's was just a rough approximation to illustrate a point about boards covered not ball paths.



You know what? I don't know. I'm not saying it can or can't.

Just that it was quick sketch using a small not to scale diagram, to show a basic idea about something.


Just to throw in, here is a slightly more to scale diagram I found (it even has a oil pattern). with the same black and red lines.

http://s5.postimg.org/58f6en05j/lane_full_length_br.png
Oh! Did you make those diagrams? Cool!

So, in a nutshell, I'm doing my typical overthinking-without-having-all-the-information thing again.