Abnormal ball oil tracks

[e-tank]

I was getting some practice in on friday and i noticed that my ball tracks on the top side of the ball. Sometimes angling left or sometimes straight like a halo on the ball. I know why this is happening but my question is, is it necessarily a bad thing? My ball still hooks like its supposed to and i havent had any problems or anything. The only thing i can think of is it probably effects the core and possibly the grip the ball has on the lane since there is a smaller ring on the ball than if it was tracking like its supposed to along the left side of the ball.

[UBowling]

The oil track is a trail of how you rotate the ball. With the way you describe it, sounds like you are a spinner. A lot of bowlers in Asia have helicopter spins that probably leave tracks like that. It isn't bad, but it changes the way the ball reacts. It will definitely wait a lot longer to turn than it would if you had more forward roll.

[Greenday]

So you basically have two sets of rings of oil? The first ring is from the normal roll, the second is when the ball changes direction and is then spinning on a second axis. Perfectly normal if that's what's going on.

[scottymoney]

Yeah depending on how it hooks you can have more than 2. I have seen balls with 3 or 4 rings as the ball transitions into the roll.

[UBowling]

These "rings" are called flare. When the core flips the ball it "flares" to roll on a fresh part of the coverstock to increase the hook potential. A lot of bowling balls show you the flare potential on the ball and this is what they are referring to. How large of a potential the ball has to flare. Also, Pin to PAP distance makes a big difference on flare potential. If you are rotating the ball a decent amount and it is a newer reactive ball, you should see 3+ rings of oil as it flares down the lane.

[e-tank]

The oil track is a trail of how you rotate the ball. With the way you describe it, sounds like you are a spinner. A lot of bowlers in Asia have helicopter spins that probably leave tracks like that. It isn't bad, but it changes the way the ball reacts. It will definitely wait a lot longer to turn than it would if you had more forward roll.

ah okay i just thought id check as usually the oil track is always on the left side of the ball if youre a right hander. Although im assuming that im borderline cranker seeing as i have a high ball speed and if it does in fact wait longer to turn, wouldnt that mean revs would also have to be high aswell?

[I suck at bowling]

ah okay i just thought id check as usually the oil track is always on the left side of the ball if youre a right hander. Although im assuming that im borderline cranker seeing as i have a high ball speed and if it does in fact wait longer to turn, wouldnt that mean revs would also have to be high aswell?

High speed doesn't equal cranker. Some strokers have speeds upwards of 20+mph. Its the revs and form style that make you a stroker/tweener/cranker

[e-tank]

High speed doesn't equal cranker. Some strokers have speeds upwards of 20+mph. Its the revs and form style that make you a stroker/tweener/cranker

i was implying higher revs due to ubowling saying that with having that track on the top side of the ball it would cause the ball to turn later. Since i throw at a higher speed i was thinking it would also take higher revs as i can play outside and throw middle arrow or first arrow to the right.

[I suck at bowling]

i was implying higher revs due to ubowling saying that with having that track on the top side of the ball it would cause the ball to turn later. Since i throw at a higher speed i was thinking it would also take higher revs as i can play outside and throw middle arrow or first arrow to the right.

Ahh I gotcha. It's not overly difficult to find your rev rate. All you need is your PAP, and piece of tape, and a camera, lol.

[e-tank]

Ahh I gotcha. It's not overly difficult to find your rev rate. All you need is your PAP, and piece of tape, and a camera, lol.

yea ive just been lazy to set that up haha