When to hook it vs going straight?

[Ball99999]

(going straight and then hooking at the end. Like up around the 5 board).

So I know that if you are bowling on one lane during a night you can start on first arrow and transition all the way to the middle arrow after oil is used up. And I don't find it very challenging to hook it over the center arrows (just hand position change, lower ball speed etc, I'd assume) but..

There are versatile pros like Norm Duke and Chris Barnes who you specifically see in matches playing one way or another, even when their opponent is playing the other way. I don't think this is a rev/type of player issue since they're both very versatile, they seem to be doing it because of specific oil patterns.

[eugene02]

this normally depends on the oil i guess.. because to me.. if your going straight and hook at the end.. normally i find that it has more consistency compare to hooking it from left to right for me.. im noob though.. so.. yup.. just my 2cents..

[Zothen]

On certain oil patterns you have to play aound the gutter or in middle to get the ball to hook. Ball speed also plays a part depending if you need to build up friction.
For example the shark pattern(44' 1-2 boards are dry 3-3 boards are light to heavy oil)rule of thumb is to take lenght of oil which is 44' and subtract 31' from it and your starting line will be 13 board. You can play this 2 ways! 1)You can throw your ball over 2 board and see if your ball hooks to pocket or you can throw over 13 board. 2)Throw your ball with slow speed so ball has time to cut thru oil while building up friction and then turning when it hits dry.

Straight ball is mainly used for spare conversions or if lane has headpin oil.

Zothen

[J Anderson]

(going straight and then hooking at the end. Like up around the 5 board).

So I know that if you are bowling on one lane during a night you can start on first arrow and transition all the way to the middle arrow after oil is used up. And I don't find it very challenging to hook it over the center arrows (just hand position change, lower ball speed etc, I'd assume) but..

There are versatile pros like Norm Duke and Chris Barnes who you specifically see in matches playing one way or another, even when their opponent is playing the other way. I don't think this is a rev/type of player issue since they're both very versatile, they seem to be doing it because of specific oil patterns.

Duke has said that, "I play where the lane tells me to play", or word to that effect. In other words he plays whatever line is going to give him the either the largest room for error or the one that gives him the best pin carry. Other pros, like Mike Machuga and Walter Ray Williams will some times play a line that "shouldn't" work on a given pattern but use their accuracy to gain an advantage over opponents playing where they're "supposed" to be.

[billf]

Duke and Barnes. Two of the most versatile bowlers on Earth. These two don't just rev and crank the heck out of it. They know their strengths and what is needed to score the best they can on each pattern. As for letting the ball go long and then break hard, a lot of that has to do with the lay out of the ball combined with ball dynamics. The Terror, Nexxxus and Marauder are three balls that are designed with a very strong back end move. This is desirable due to the old adage, straighter is greater. It's just plain easier for most to throw at a target more in line with the lay down spot and then just let the ball come back to the pocket. My new Revenge and Terror are drilled the same. The Terror goes on a straighter path with all the hook at the end. The Revenge covers more boards. From break point to the pocket they have about the same entry angle just a different way of getting there due to ball design.