Not all bowling lanes are created equal. While bowlers understand that the oil can drastically influence their lane play strategies, the pattern is only one part of the environment. The lane’s topography and friction characteristics can vary from lane to lane and make each of the lanes in a center play very differently:

  • The most-used lanes in the house have the highest friction and tend to hook more. Be ready for more hook on lanes that get assigned first for league and open play.
  • Topography can make a drastic difference. Trust your eyes if you throw the ball well and it doesn’t react as you expected.
  • Even on house shots, it’s best to assume that the two lanes on a pair are different. Just because you make a move on the right lane, that doesn’t mean you need to make the same move on the left lane.