What ball attributes help push further down lane?

[bobforsaken]

What attribute has the greatest effect on pushing the ball down the lane before making its hook?

Coverstock?
RG?
Layout?

[bowl1820]

What attribute has the greatest effect on pushing the ball down the lane before making its hook?

Coverstock?
RG?
Layout?

Going by the often quoted and much maligned USBC Ball Motion Study.

Coverstock has the most affect on the ball path, Followed by RG then Layout.

[RobLV1]

To expand on what bowl1820 wrote, it's actually cover (material and surface), and RG. The layout does nothing more than change the rg numbers and the path of the axis migration.

[bobforsaken]

Going by the often quoted and much maligned USBC Ball Motion Study.

Coverstock has the most affect on the ball path, Followed by RG then Layout.

So a pearl all with a lower RG may push further down the lane than a hybrid with a high RG? Example Optimus w/Pearl coverstock and RG of 2.48 may be hook later then a Hyroad w/ Hybrid Coverstock and a RG of 2.57 given same layout and same finish to the coverstock? Or is it not as simple as pearl vs Hybrid in terms of the more aggressive coverstock since the Optimus is R2X Pearl and Hyroad is R2S Hybrid. Trying to understand my equipment better and my go to has been to go pearl when I want more length. I recently acquired a hyroad and was wondering if its higher RG is a better play. (given the same surface and layout)

[RobLV1]

So a pearl all with a lower RG may push further down the lane than a hybrid with a high RG? Example Optimus w/Pearl coverstock and RG of 2.48 may be hook later then a Hyroad w/ Hybrid Coverstock and a RG of 2.57 given same layout and same finish to the coverstock? Or is it not as simple as pearl vs Hybrid in terms of the more aggressive coverstock since the Optimus is R2X Pearl and Hyroad is R2S Hybrid. Trying to understand my equipment better and my go to has been to go pearl when I want more length. I recently acquired a hyroad and was wondering if its higher RG is a better play. (given the same surface and layout)

Wow, is this a bag of worms. I'm currently trying to finish off an article with which I've been struggling for months. My theory is this: different styles of bowlers depend more on rg than others. Friction (cover/surface) is always more important, but how much more important depends on the style of the bowler. If you are a high rev/high speed player, friction (cover/surface) is more important in relation to rg, than if you are a lower rev/lower speed player, where friction is still more important, but to a much lesser degree. Tell me about your style, or post a video, and I will be able to provide you with a much more definitive answer.

[Mike White]

What attribute has the greatest effect on pushing the ball down the lane before making its hook?

Coverstock?
RG?
Layout?

If I had to pick from these, it has to be Coverstock.

RG and layout have NOTHING to do with pre-hook.

Complete skid (no hook at all) means the ball is either in the air, or hydroplaning on the oil.

The rougher the coverstock, the more likely it will be able to sense friction from the lane, through the oil.

[bobforsaken]

. If you are a high rev/high speed player, friction (cover/surface) is more important in relation to rg, than if you are a lower rev/lower speed player, where friction is still more important, but to a much lesser degree. Tell me about your style, or post a video, and I will be able to provide you with a much more definitive answer.

Thanks for being willing to help. I'd say i'm more lower rev/Lower speed. Lower speed for sure with my new approach. Not 100% sure I'm still lower rev given my changes to my release. I have to video myself again to estimate. I used to have close to 90 degree axis of rotation but have changed that recently with my new drilling to more in the neighborhood of 30 to 45. Not sure about axis tilt but it was very high and i'm bringing it down a bit. Guessing about 20 to 30 degrees..

With my current balls I describe the reaction as follows for my center's 42 foot house shot.

IQ Fusion: Arcing reaction despite being drilled for length and max flare. Used to be my go to ball but with changes to approach and release, I haven't really been able to use it for very long and usually opt to leave it on the bench.

Optimus: Skids straight until the end of the pattern then roars to the pocket. This is my most Skid snap reaction and by far my most forgiving ball when I miss right however it goes too high really quick if I miss the signs that its starting to read too early. It is my go-to ball when I start playing deeper

Hy-Road Pearl: Drilled for Length with lower flare. As compared to the Optimus I seem to be able to play the same line and get to the pocket, but the reaction is much smoother. Less Hockey stick more Candy cane. I usually play this in the track area because it will be less likely to leave me the nasty split if it starts to read to early (especially when I'm playing open bowling or used lanes). Can play deeper with it but it seems to lack entry angle.

Hy-Road: Is a mystery to me. I got this used and its laid out like the Optimus. Its reaction is probably right in between the Optimus and Hy-Road Pearl in terms of how it hits the pocket. It never seems to be the better option. When the Optimus is reading a bit to early and I want a similar reaction I've tried the Hy-road and it just doesn't seem to carry on a pocket hit. Perhaps what I should be doing is moving the breakpoint when switching to this ball. Maybe switching to it with a 1 and 1 move left when the Optimus is starting to read to early may be a better way to play it. I don't know what the surface is currently so I'm bringing it back to factory and will evaluate it at that time to see if it has a role.

[fortheloveofbowling]

The thing we don't think about sometimes because we can drill a ball to do what we want is the release and hand position. You can definitely change the length by altering those 2 things. Again, not as commonplace anymore because of the wide variety of equipment and drilling options we have now. But if you want to see some different looks from your equipment mess around with moving your index and ring fingers around and change your wrist and hand position slightly when practicing. Be careful with this though, changing these things may put a strain on your wrist tendons compared to your normal release. I used to put my index finger in tight and spread the pinky to go straighter but it hurts my wrist now so i don't do it anymore.