North American Bowling News
Understanding Oil and Bowling Ball Technology
In the early days of tenpin bowling, up until about a generation ago, bowling lanes were dressed by applying an oil coating for the express purpose of protecting the wood from the continual wear and tear of balls impacting and rolling on the lane. However, with a revolution in the manufacture of bowling balls, the protective nature of oil on a lane is no longer the paramount reason for the use of the slippery substance. Nowadays, with synthetic lane surfaces playing a part in the equation, oil is also applied strategically to bowling lanes in an effort to add an extra level of difficulty to the game of bowling, compensating for the overpowering nature of the technologically-advanced bowling balls.
We hear a lot about different oil patterns, like Cheetah, Viper, Shark, etc., but what do they all mean? And how do they differ from one another? In this article, we’ll take a crash course on the different technologies in the ever-changing game of tenpin bowling.
The Bowling Ball Revolution
Before we can comprehend the way that the different oiling patterns affect the game, we must first understand a little about bowling ball composition.
In today’s world of tenpin bowling, there are four basic types of bowling ball: Urethane, Reactive Resin, Particle, and Plastic. The coatings of each of these types of bowling ball have different friction levels, making each one suitable for a different type of lane condition, that is, how oily or dry a lane is.
Urethane bowling balls are softer than other makes. These bowling balls also drag on the wooden bowling lane, (meaning that they don’t skid) which increases their hook potential. For those who tend to bowl toward the gutter, this hook can help drag the ball back to the strike zone in the center of the lane. These bowling balls can be sanded or buffed to help limit the amount of hook if desired.
Reactive Resin bowling balls are a relatively new type of bowling ball. Only in the 1990s did bowling ball manufacturers start to add resin particles to the urethane coverstocks. What did this resin do? Well, resin is sticky/tacky, and therefore increases the ball’s grip on the lane. It made the balls have even more hook potential. Additionally, this type of ball’s coverstock has pores, which allows the ball to absorb oil from the lane as it is rolling. Reactive resin bowling balls skid on oil (giving them great speed) and hook strongly on dry boards (at the back-end of the lane).
Particle bowling balls are reactive resin balls with small ground pieces of glass and/or ceramic pieces added to the mix. This glass increases the bowling ball’s grit, which helps it grip the lane. Professional bowlers generally prefer particle bowling balls because they help make spin and hook easier to control.
Plastic bowling balls are the most common type because they are the cheapest to manufacture. Made from polyester, plastic bowling balls handle intense wear and last much longer than urethane, reactive resin, or particle bowling balls. Professional bowlers avoid plastic bowling balls because they tend to skid across an oiled bowling lane rather than roll, which makes them harder to control. However, the balls are preferred for spare shooting, when hooking the ball is undesirable.
Back in the mid-1970s, there were 2 types of tenpin balls: rubber and plastic. The school of thought at that time (that is, the pro shops would tell you this) was that the plastic ball was easier to control, but deflected more upon impact with the pins, making it not as reliable for striking. A rubber ball was said to be more difficult to control, but drove the pins better—just a testimonial as to how much of a factor lane oil is, in today’s bowling world.
Lane Oil Application
So, did the complex oiling of lanes cause the manufacturers to renovate the composition of bowling balls, or vice versa? Actually, the famed ‘animal oiling patterns’ first originated (from the Kegel company) in the latter part of the 1990s, after the urethane and reactive resin balls made splashes on the tenpin scene in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, respectively. The specialized bowling balls with their ‘hard hooking’ nature, overpowered the pins and made the prospect of rolling perfect games well within the reach of the dedicated weekend player. Over the years, there has been discussion among some of the bigger names in bowling to increase the weight of the pins to make them more ‘bottom heavy’ to combat the aggressive bowling balls. But, the general direction seems to have progressed to alter the conditioning on the lane, affecting the path of the ball.