What type of oil track do you have

    There are basically four types of BALL TRACKS. Before you start your next practice game, wipe your ball off really well with your towel and then bowl your first shot. When the ball returns, pick it up and observe the “Oil Track” on the ball to determine what kind you have.
 

1. SEMI ROLLER: This track is just to the side of the thumb and fingers. With this track, about ¾ of the balls surface touches the lane as it travels down the alley. A bowler with this track indicates that he/she holds their fingers a bit stiff and turns the wrist as they release the ball (rather than the arm) which creates a nice hook. This is the ideal ball because as it hits the pins, it makes them fall in a horizontal direction helping to knock down nearby pins instead of just flying quickly off the pin deck.

Semi-Roller Oil Track

2.   FULL ROLLER- The oil track on this ball runs around the center of the ball and falls between the thumb and finger holes. The bowler with this track gets a lot of mix on the pins, the hook isn’t as large as the person with the semi roller, and there isn’t much wrist turn when the ball is released. 

Full-Roller Oil Track

 3.   SPINNER- You’ll notice the track of the oil here is way down on the ball and only covers a small portion of the balls’ circumference. A bowler with this track doesn’t have as much pin mix or power as the previous two tracks, but is rolled with a lot of wrist turn when the ball is released. There isn’t much hook and the ball deflects more when it hits the pins. Instead of the fingers normally finishing on the right side of the ball (left side for the left handed bowlers), they finish more at the top of the ball.

Spinner Oil Track

4.   FLARE- This type of ball track is newer since the more modern balls have been made. The ball moves off it’s initial track and ends up making a new track with each rotation of the ball as it travels down the lane. This means more of the cleaner surface of the ball is touching the lane which will equal a larger hook. (As you recall, oil cuts down on the hook). 

Flare Oil Track

​    Checking your ball track will be able to tell you how consistent you have been in releasing the ball to make sure the oil ring is basically in the same area. If it’s off more than an inch, or so then you’ll need to work on keeping it consistent. After all, that’s the name of the Game!!
 
 
    As I previously mentioned, I will be away for the month of July 2021, so please keep practicing the things we discussed and make sure you have been able to get all the necessary equipment. Having your own “stuff” will also keep you more consistent. 
 
Good Luck and High Scoring!!  Join me here next week when I'll be discussing more important things to do in bowling part 3.