Understanding Lane Friction

New Heat Map View:
Because building a ball arsenal can be a daunting task we created the MOTIV® Ball Guide to make decisions simpler and more objective.  We recently improved the ball guide with the addition of a heat map background that ranges from dark blue to red, designating low to high friction, respectively, on the lane.

The Role of Friction:
To have a better understanding of bowling ball reaction it is helpful to know the role that friction plays.  You cannot create hook without friction; however, friction can also kill reaction and drain ball energy.  You will need to find the perfect balance of power and energy remaining when the ball hits the pocket, allowing the ball to drive through the pins.  

Understanding Ball Motion:
Some balls hook early and produce a smooth arcing motion.  Others go straight through the front of the lane with an angular backend.  The Ball Guide shows the range from smoothest to most angular balls from left to right.  Pairing the ball motion produced with the friction on the lane is extremely important.     

Pairing Friction and Ball Motion:
Smooth balls are typically designed to read in the oil, like the Jackal Ghost, so far less friction is needed for those to perform at full potential.  The angular balls, like the Sky Raptor, need more friction in order to create the angular motion desired. Without friction, these angular balls would be too long and look as though they never hook.  Friction is key in understanding when to use each ball. 

Selecting the Right Ball:
The new heat map helps to visualize what ball is best suited, not only for the oil condition, but also for oil transition.  For example, the darker blue shaded area showcases very strong bowling balls that are typically best used on fresh, high-volume patterns where there is little friction. As bowling balls deplete the oil, friction builds, bringing balls into play that are positioned in other color zones.  These transitions continue as we move down the chart into lower-volume oil patterns.

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