Polished bowling balls

[edpup316]

Silly question... maybe. So you polish a bowling ball because you want a smoother surface so it slides longer but wouldn't that same shiny surface maybe cause more deflection when it hits the pins then a matte finish ball? Cause its shiny and smooth. Just a thought let me know if im crazy or not.

[Ball99999]

No wouldn't come into play when it hits the pins

[MICHAEL]

Call me crazy, but a slick surface, ( I would think ) is easy to deflect with pins. Would it not be the differance between a snow tire, and a slick tire on snow? c If your angle is not just perfect would it not be effected more with the slick surface vs non polished? Law's of physics! I think that was a good question!

[bowl1820]

Deflection happens If the bowling ball is sliding through the pins or never quite grips the lane.

This can happen if it's a light weight ball or the deck is wet with oil or you have high enough speed going through the pins, any of which doesn't allow the ball to grip the lane in the first place will cause it to deflect.

This could happen with a sanded or polished ball.

One thing also a smooth ball makes more surface contact (Has a larger footprint) than a sanded ball. This generates more friction which would help reduce deflection.

Mikes tire analogy is close. (Also slick and smooth are two different things)

A sanded ball is like a tire with tread, the tread is meant to grip the lane through the oil.
A smooth ball is like a racing slick, it will slide on oil yes, but will have the most grip on the dry.

Old saying:
A sanded ball hooks less, but hooks earlier than a smooth ball.
A smooth ball hooks more, but hooks later than a sanded ball.


Also Deflection is neither good or bad, but you can have too much or too little.

[MICHAEL]

One thing also a smooth ball makes more surface contact (Has a larger footprint) than a sanded ball. This generates more friction which would help reduce deflection.

I wonder HOW large of a foot print a ball actually has on a lane? How much surface is in contact with the lane? Has that ever been measured? When you use the word FOOT PRINT,,,lol,,,, maybe a medium, size fly with small feet? lol I would imagine it to be very small since the ball is round, and the surface flat.

[bowl1820]

One thing also a smooth ball makes more surface contact (Has a larger footprint) than a sanded ball. This generates more friction which would help reduce deflection.

I wonder HOW large of a foot print a ball actually has on a lane? How much surface is in contact with the lane? Has that ever been measured? When you use the word FOOT PRINT,,,lol,,,, maybe a medium, size fly with small feet? lol I would imagine it to be very small since the ball is round, and the surface flat.

How much I don't know. But it's more than you might think, it depends on the hardness of the ball and lane surface. That's why they have rules on ball hardness, a softer ball would have even more surface contact and more friction.


Here's a graphic to illustrate the contact:

[bowl1820]

Did a quick look through my files, found this in the Matching Up- The Ball to the Bowler guide.

How the Surface Bumpiness (Surface Roughness) Affects the Roll of the Ball
As the surface bumpiness increases, the overall amount of break usually increases. This is
most easily seen as the sanding state of the surface of the ball. As the sanding grit number
decreases, the overall amount of break increases. In the published ball guides, balls are
sometimes listed with ratings for both the smooth and sanded state. The sanded state “almost
always” has more hook potential.
There are exceptions, however. When a bowling ball has too much roughness (traction), it will
do well in the early part of the oil but may not get enough friction (rubbing) at the rear part of
the lane. The result is that the sanded ball actually breaks less than the smooth surface ball of
the same type. This is especially true of an aggressive reactive resin ball. That type ball does
extremely well on the dry back end. And, it is mostly because of friction, not traction. If you
sand the ball, you decrease the total surface of the ball that makes contact with the lane surface.
Hence, the ball will break less, not more.

[Zothen]

A polished ball has in my opinion has more hitting power then a dull ball. Also a polished ball will have more snap to the pocket then a dull ball.

Zothen

[bowl1820]

I wonder HOW large of a foot print a ball actually has on a lane? How much surface is in contact with the lane? Has that ever been measured? .

Did some looking, it was measured. They used it in setting some standard for lane hardness. Don't have the numbers but it was measured.

Excerpt:
"That specification is a result of a new test procedure which analyzes surface friction and bowling ball footprint size in the readings"

[billf]

ok, you're crazy. How's that for short and to the point