Read The Bowling Lanes

By: bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 6/29/16; Updated: 3/11/2022

Learning how to read the bowling lanes is an integral part of competitive bowling.

If you are a skilled bowler, then you know that reading the lanes and making decisive adjustments is a vital part of the game.

When reading the lanes, you are also reading the oil pattern. The oil pattern dictates the route your bowling ball must travel based on your delivery technique to hit the pocket repeatedly.

We all understand that on easy lane conditions where the pattern literally steers the ball to the pocket helps you get away with lesser quality shots and still score very well.

With easy lane conditions, there is little or no stress finding the pocket quickly and getting off to a good start in competition.

It is when the condition is less than forgiving and far more challenging than typical easy house shots that you must be prepared to read the condition promptly and line up to the pocket as soon as you can.

It becomes important to rely on a favorite bowling ball, one by which you can quickly notice how far your ball skids in the front end, precisely where it transitions in the mid-lane, and how to reacts at the break point.

A smooth reacting, symmetric ball which produces only modest track flare is usually a good bet for reading the lanes when first warming up before competition.

On extremely challenging lane conditions, you will need a ball which reduces chances of getting an over-reaction and an unpredictable overall ball motion.

It is then you must additionally determine if your shotmaking is consistent enough for effectively reading the lanes before making alignment and bowling ball decisions.

The tougher the lane conditions, a lesser than usual bowling ball motion will serve you best.

It is easy to get carried away with making choices from drilling layout options, coverstock surface texture preparations, and ball symmetry that it can be confusing if you do not gain a good ball reaction.

Most skilled players today choose to carry a low flare ball with a symmetric core design.

A ball which makes a predictable reaction when bowling on a USBC Blue or White pattern is far more preferable than using a high flare ball set up to hook strongly.

Controllable bowling balls work best in reading lanes and tend to reduce the chances of your ball reacting unpredictably.



Trusting your “lane reading ball” to assess a pattern when bowling in an unfamiliar environment, such as out-of-town tournaments, is key to a good initial pocket alignment and is key in deciding which bowling ball to use as you proceed in the given event.

Avoid loading too many strong reacting bowling balls in your bowling bags.

Try and have a like number of control bowling balls with a couple of dependable layouts and with mild coverstock preparations so your ball does not transition in the mid-lane unpredictably if you encounter tougher patterns with a very light oil blend.

Any player who can make good “lane reads”, quickly choose the best ball for the oil pattern, add any other adjustments such as ball speed changes, release changes, alignment changes, and sighting changes to modify the reaction to match best with the lane conditions is the bowler who gains an edge at the beginning of the competition.

Be that bowler. Read the bowling lanes.