Question about our house oil pattern.........

**Hammer** · 12-08-2014, 04:09 PM

I asked the pro shop guy at our league house what kind of oil pattern they put down. He said that the pattern is 43' long and is close to a sport pattern. He said the back end of the pattern has flat oil. What does flat oil mean? Our AMF house that closed down had a pattern only 37' or 38' and it was a THS red pattern. Reactive resin balls hooked more at the AMF house.

**RobLV1** · 12-08-2014, 04:19 PM

There are three elements that make up every oil pattern: the length of the pattern, the total volume of oil used, and where the oil is dispersed on the lanes. On most house shots, there is a heavier volume of oil on the middle part of the lane to help bowlers to stay in or near the pocket; misses inside slide more, and misses outside hook more. Sport patterns use a much smaller ratio of oil, often 3:1 or less to put a premium on accuracy. It sounds like your league house has decided to make you work harder. The bad news is that your average will probably go down. The good news is that it will probably make you a better bowler.

**ALazySavage** · 12-08-2014, 04:20 PM

A flat pattern is where there is the same volume of oil on the outside portion of the lane as the inside portion of the lane. When you bowl a typical house shot you will typically see a ratio ranging around 9:1, this means that there is 9 times as much oil on the inside portion as there is on the outside portion. Generally, the higher the ratio - the easier the pattern. This is because when you miss inside there is more oil to hold the ball on line and when you miss outside there is less oil, allowing the ball more of an opportunity to react back to the pocket.

My concern/issue with this is that I doubt that the typical house pattern at your bowling center is really that close to a flat pattern, too many people would be complaining about the pattern being too difficult. If it is somewhat close to a flat pattern though I am very, very jealous.

**Hammer** · 12-08-2014, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by RobLV1

There are three elements that make up every oil pattern: the length of the pattern, the total volume of oil used, and where the oil is dispersed on the lanes. On most house shots, there is a heavier volume of oil on the middle part of the lane to help bowlers to stay in or near the pocket; misses inside slide more, and misses outside hook more. Sport patterns use a much smaller ratio of oil, often 3:1 or less to put a premium on accuracy. It sounds like your league house has decided to make you work harder. The bad news is that your average will probably go down. The good news is that it will probably make you a better bowler.

At our AMF house I had a lower average then I do at our new Brunswick house. It seemed that my Raw Hammer Anger ball was hooking more and harder to control at our AMF house with the shorter pattern and less oil from the 10 board to the gutters on both sides of he alleys.
At the Brunswick house my Anger ball is easier to control the hook probably because of the longer pattern and the slightly flat oil on the backend. I looked up the specs on my Anger ball and it showed that it was made for medium to medium heavy oil patterns. That is probably why I had a harder time controlling the hook at the AMF house then I do at our new Brunswick house.

**Hammer** · 12-09-2014, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by RobLV1

There are three elements that make up every oil pattern: the length of the pattern, the total volume of oil used, and where the oil is dispersed on the lanes. On most house shots, there is a heavier volume of oil on the middle part of the lane to help bowlers to stay in or near the pocket; misses inside slide more, and misses outside hook more. Sport patterns use a much smaller ratio of oil, often 3:1 or less to put a premium on accuracy. It sounds like your league house has decided to make you work harder. The bad news is that your average will probably go down. The good news is that it will probably make you a better bowler.

The guy at our pro shop said they have a tougher oil pattern at their house so that they can sell higher end/more aggressive bowling balls out of their pro shop. He said that if they had an easier pattern people would just be buying entry level balls. How's that for using the old brainbox to sell balls out of their pro shop? It doesn't seem like the folks there are complaining either. I personally like the tougher pattern.

**Perrin** · 12-09-2014, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by Hammer

The guy at our pro shop said they have a tougher oil pattern at their house so that they can sell higher end/more aggressive bowling balls out of their pro shop. He said that if they had an easier pattern people would just be buying entry level balls. How's that for using the old brainbox to sell balls out of their pro shop? It doesn't seem like the folks there are complaining either. I personally like the tougher pattern.

I would love to bowl on a midlevel pattern or league. if I remember right the house shot is something like 9-1 21 units to 41 feet.
I shot a game on Bear a week or two ago and it was refreshing to have the ball go where I threw it instead of missing right and just having it pickup earlier to still make it back to the pocket.

Sadly I think too many people would complain about even switching to a 4-1 pattern.

**Mike White** · 12-09-2014, 06:43 PM

Originally Posted by Perrin

I would love to bowl on a midlevel pattern or league. if I remember right the house shot is something like 9-1 21 units to 41 feet.
I shot a game on Bear a week or two ago and it was refreshing to have the ball go where I threw it instead of missing right and just having it pickup earlier to still make it back to the pocket.

Sadly I think too many people would complain about even switching to a 4-1 pattern.

They complain if the 10:1 is moved longer/shorter, or wider.

It's common to hear someone describe how they bowl as "I stand near the big dot, and throw towards the second dot"

**ALazySavage** · 12-09-2014, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Mike White

They complain if the 10:1 is moved longer/shorter, or wider.

It's common to hear someone describe how they bowl as "I stand near the big dot, and throw towards the second dot"

Exactly, we just recently had a thread that was close to this complaint. If I remember correctly there was a complaint about a league changing the pattern mid-season; no description if the pattern was more difficult or not, just the fact that they changed the pattern is enough to get bowlers up in arms.

**Perrin** · 12-09-2014, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Mike White

They complain if the 10:1 is moved longer/shorter, or wider.

It's common to hear someone describe how they bowl as "I stand near the big dot, and throw towards the second dot"

I do object if they change the pattern without telling the league. I have no problem with it being changed just would be nice to know.