Bowldle · Guide
Bowling oil patterns explained
Every bowling lane is coated with a thin layer of oil. Where that oil goes, and how much of it there is, decides how much your ball hooks and where you need to throw it. Here's what you need to know.
Why lanes are oiled
Oil protects the lane surface. It also creates the game: the ball skids through the oiled front part of the lane, then grips and hooks when it reaches the dry wood near the pins. Without oil, every ball would hook early and hard. With too much, nothing would hook at all.
Pattern length
Length is how far down the 60-foot lane the oil goes. It's the most important number on a pattern sheet.
- Short patterns (about 37 feet or less): the ball reaches dry wood early and hooks a lot. Play closer to the outside of the lane, or use less hook.
- Medium patterns (about 38 to 42 feet): the most common in leagues and open bowling.
- Long patterns (about 43 feet or more): the ball skids most of the way and hooks late. Play deeper inside with more angle, or throw slower to give the ball time to hook.
A popular rule of thumb, the "rule of 31", says to subtract 31 from the pattern length in feet to estimate the board where your ball should start hooking toward the pocket. On a 41-foot pattern, that's around the 10 board.
House shots and sport shots
Most recreational centers use a house shot: lots of oil in the middle of the lane and much less near the edges. That shape guides the ball back toward the pocket. If you miss a little to the outside, the dry boards hook it back. If you miss inside, the oil holds it straight.
Sport shots, used in tournaments and pro events, spread oil more evenly across the lane. Misses don't get corrected, so accuracy matters much more. Pro patterns are often named after animals, like Cheetah (short) or Shark (long).
Patterns change as you bowl
Every ball pushes a little oil down the lane and soaks some up. Over a few games, the front of the lane dries out and the ball starts hooking earlier. Bowlers call this transition, and good bowlers move their feet and target to follow it.
Read a new lane every day in Bowldle
Bowldle gives everyone the same lane each day, with its own pattern, oil length and hook. The six patterns are House Shot, Short Fuse, Sport Shot, Long Haul, Dry Lanes and Flood. Some lanes also drift slightly left or right on the dry back end. See today's pattern and the line that strikes most, or learn how to throw a hook.