Hey Guys,

After talking and explaining reactions to Ramtart last night, I thought it would be a good idea to share this info with you.  This mainly applies to our GP2 coverstock but will apply across the board for your heavier load particle balls as well.  

There can be times when we will see oil on the lanes and there will even be oil rings on your ball. However, it does not mean that the oil concentration is "thick" enough for this particular ball to actually store the correct or necessary amount of energy to finish strong.  If the lane has a lighter or thinner density of oil, it can still make other balls slide but when you pull out your GP2 or heavier particle, it just kind of rolls evenly and not have that good finish on the back.  This is a very deceiving reaction.  It makes the ball look like it's not finishing but in actuality it is rolling very evenly throughout the lane (back to my snowtire analogy not seeing the difference between light snow and dry road) because the density is truly not "thick" enough for it to spin up and store it's power for the latter part of the lane.  Hope this helps explain some for you GP2 owners out there....

Not to complicate things but the lane surface also plays a huge part in this reaction.  Not only from synthetic to wood but the different synthetic surfaces that we have can cause this reaction when combined with a thinner density of oil.
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Rick Leong - Ten Pins Pro Shop
Track Intl. - Amateur/Pro Shop Staff  
Vise Inserts Staff
Trackbowling.com

Edited on 7/6/2005 4:55 PM

Great info Rick.




Here is something I would like to add, and this seems especially true on synthetics for me:

You can throw your "benchmark" ball and it not get back enough so you decide maybe you will pull out your "oiler" to combat the condition. Your oiler seems to skate because the pattern is long but it doesn't turn the corner. You will not necessarily get the impression of rollout. It appears the ball is just not turning the corner. In this instance, try using something polished or lightly polished. It will definately break off of the dry better. The dull particle ball will not recover strong enough off of the dry.

Make sense?

-EX-
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C-G Pro Shop (owner/operator)
Youngstown Ohio

Track Intl.-Amateur/Pro Shop Staff

www.trackbowling.com

Yeah, spoke to Rick earlier this week and mentioned that I bowled on Synthetic Lanes at a neighboring house about 3 miles from mine. I've never really had the luxury of covering a bunch of boards at that house.

The shot is usually in between the 2nd arrow and the gutter (For both Leftys & Rightys). With my equipment (GP2 & Animal), I couldn't get these balls to check up when starting around the 15 board out to about the 5 (Normal speed for me is about 16-17 at the pin deck). You needed to slow up on your ball speed for the ball to check up.

So I picked up the GP2 thinking the lanes were Heavily Oiled. I actually pointed the ball starting at around 5 at the arrows and keeping my hand behind the ball and hitting the ball upwards with forward roll. Squaring up like this gave me a great look. I went 200-265-211 = 676.

I saw other people using Non-Particle equipment bellying the ball from the 2nd arrow and bouncing the ball off the gutter with slower ball speed. Their ball was checking up, but they had to becareful with their speed. I didn't have the luxury of doing that with the GP2 since it was just giving me a look as if it was just "rolling very evenly down the lane."

When I'm at home and see the same amount of Oil on Wood Lanes, the GP2 reacts in a different way. I actually get more contact with friction on the back part of the lane. Anyways, I'm rambling on. I guess the moral of the story is, even though we have a Hook Monster like the GP2, it doesn't mean it will cover a "Huge Amount," of boards. We have to remember how much Oil is on the lane, what surface we're bowling on and remember that it is a Particle Ball. Thanks for the advice Rick!
Regards,
Ramtart
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"Heck Yes!" Napoleon Dynamite