No oil at all... Can it damage a ball?

[Tony in Iowa]

I had a 1 hr lunch in between MBA classes at Iowa State today so I figured I'd go throw a game at their bowling alley where I've never bowled before. I threw my Ebonite Evolve 1 times and immediately noticed it reacted like there was no oil on the lane. I went to the attendant and asked him how often they oil the lanes and he informed me that they don't. Not at all. They clean them every once in a while but don't oil them at all... I picked up and left without playing any more. Now I'm a little paranoid that being thrown with no oil might have damaged my ball. What do you guys think? Am I just being paranoid or can that damage a ball?

Thanks.

[bowl1820]

I doubt they "Don't oil them at all" if they are a sanctioned house they have to oil them at least once a day to the minimum. Even if they were not sanctioned they need to oil them to help protect the lanes from wear.

As for your ball a true dry lane would wear a track on your ball a lot faster than if there was oil.

Simple way to find out is just walk up to the foul line and run your finger across the lane. see if theres some oil on them..

[Mellen]

You should have stayed and worked on a shot for a dry lane. You will be surprised how often this happens. Rolling a State or City tourney, and being the last shift, you (more than likely) will be on scorched lanes. If you had a shot on dry lanes, you have the advantage.

[Drano]

You should have stayed and worked on a shot for a dry lane. You will be surprised how often this happens. Rolling a State or City tourney, and being the last shift, you (more than likely) will be on scorched lanes. If you had a shot on dry lanes, you have the advantage.

I don't think burned out lanes is equivalent to lanes not being oiled at all.

[mrbill]

I woulda liked to see my plastic spare ball hook like crazy into the pocket hehe
or to see what my Rhino would do...

[Drano]

I woulda liked to see my plastic spare ball hook like crazy into the pocket hehe
or to see what my Rhino would do...

the spare ball would have likely just hooked the first 10 feet of the lane then, whatever change in angle it did, it would continue it to the pins

I saw it on the CSI: Lover's Lanes Bowling episode where the 2-finger guy threw the ball(they didn't oil the CSI lanes for safety reasons) and it just changed direction in the first 10 feet and kept going straight from there