Of all target sports, you wouldn’t think bowling can become so engaging. But once you put the time and attention into it, it can be quite the experience. While some people might play bowling casually with friends once or twice a year, others will make a professional experience out of it.
Knocking down a whole set of pins with your throws can be one of the most satisfying feelings you can experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an amateur or a professional; we can all agree that bowling is such a fun time.
But your enjoyment of the game will be affected by the quality of equipment you use. So, getting a suitable ball will influence your game greatly. And, well, to make it simple for you, we found the top candidates for the title of the best medium oil bowling ball the market has to offer.
Keep on reading, my fellow bowling enthusiast to find out which is the best bowling ball for medium oil lanes!
Best Medium Oil Bowling Balls – Our Picks
1. Radical Squatch – Best Medium Oil Bowling Ball
Available in other colors (Click to see)
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You might be familiar with the old Yeti bowling balls that were very popular back in the day. Well, you can think of this as kind of a throwback to those balls. This is, of course, due to the fact that they share several common aspects with them. Most notably, these balls have a symmetric core, which was a very distinctive feature in the Yeti balls, even though it alters the coverstock.
The Radical Squatch bowling ball has an Ai 39 pearl reactive coverstock, giving it a dynamic and smooth nature in its movement and gliding. Crown Factory polish and 500 SiaAir were also used for the outer cover. This is to make contact with the pins more aggressive by giving the ball a greater hook compared to other symmetrical balls.
The ball is able to move through the front area of the lane easily and quickly pick the pins up as it exits thanks to the box finish. This is a common feature in all the good medium oil lanes and good heavy oil bowling balls .
Additionally, you’re able to land strikes more frequently thanks to the sharp motion of the breakpoint that allows you to have an excellent angle through.
All of that makes the Radical Squatch quite the solid ball, and the overall best medium oil bowling ball you can get today!
2. Ebonite Destiny Hybrid – Best Medium to Dry Bowling Ball
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This is a ball that was specifically engineered to serve certain conditions and needs. It was produced as a part of the Destiny Range. It’s one ball out of a set of three, and it sits between the Destiny Pearl and the Destiny Solid.
If you haven’t guessed from the name already, this ball is known to be one of the most versatile bowling balls you can get on the market. The fact that it is a ‘hybrid’ means that it can work well in different conditions that players may be put through.
It’s all about the Cyclone Torque shape with this ball. It is what gives this Hybrid ball its edge. It’s a defining feature when it comes to Ebonite balls. The purpose that it serves is giving it good high RG balance, and high differential hit as well as consistency which allows the ball to handle different lane conditions and skillsets.
Add to all of that the Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish to get the reliable performance and right length for medium to dry lanes.
3. Hammer Statement Pearl – Best Bowling Ball for Medium to Heavy Oil
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The title of the best bowling ball for medium to heavy oil goes to the Statement Pearl from Hammer. The coverstock is the Aggression Pearl CFI from Rip’D Pearl, and it’s different in its surface preparation.
Getting down to technical terms, the radius of gyration (RG for short) of the Hammer Statement Pearl is quite low, which is important for medium and heavy oil lanes. Of course, this makes it center-heavy, and you don’t get the front end action with dry lanes. But with the oiled lane, there is enough length through the front end and a strong backend action with the strong pearl reactive coverstock.
The mid-lane and the front parts are what maintain the hard revving. That means that you can rely on them to give the end of your strikes a nice and powerful arcing motion. The performance that it gives you is just very reliable and allows you to open your angles up.
4. Hammer Black Widow Black/Gold
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When it comes to real professionals, this is the best-rated medium/heavy oil bowling ball you can find. The top choice for all world champions is agreed upon to be the Hammer Black Widow series. One of the newest versions in this series is the Black/Gold. But this would imply the reactive hybrid bowling ball isn’t the best option for people who just got into the game.
The ball comes with a weight choice that ranges from 12 to 16 lbs. The 12 lbs. and 13 lbs. Balls come with symmetric cores. Hammer’s renowned Gas Mask core is what gives the ball the rest of its weight. It’s all surrounded by the Aggression Hybrid coverstock, which has a similar chemical base as Rip’D cover.
The ball was designed specifically for the medium and heavy oil bowling lanes. You get a great striking angle thanks to the hook provided by the pin and backend bite. It also moves pretty well across the lane, and its balance is pretty great.
But that’s not where it ends, the look of it is also pretty great. It’s got a cool drawing of a large black widow on its side, and it says “BLACK WIDOW” right in the middle of the drawing in case it slipped your mind.
5. Brunswick Fearless Bowling Ball
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If you’re still a beginner in the bowling world, then this ball can be the best pick for you. What’s great about it is that, along with its smooth movement, it also comes with a level of durability that outmatches almost all other balls in its series.
One of its most distinguishing features is the fact that it is the first ball in the Brunswick bowling ball range to feature the DOT system (aka the Durability Optimization Technology) in an extensive way. This has to do with the pin’s position adjustment from the bottom area to the ball’s center.
This is not so prevalent in other bowling balls. The opposite side of where the pin lies is where the DOT, which is a small circle, is engraved. This marking is what’s used to lay out the ball. The pin would do this in the case of other bowling balls.
What’s good about this is that it enhances the ball’s durability and decreases the chances of cracking from hitting the pins by keeping the holes away from the riser pin.
Besides all of that, you might expect this ball to have a warranty of 3 years at best. Well, this ball blows all others out of the water with its four-year warranty.
In addition to the change of the pin, you also get the solid reactive coverstock and the Contra symmetrical core. The enhanced durability prevents any damage from happening out of friction, and the pin placement combined with the smoother coverstock gives the ball a smooth surface gliding motion.
The cherry on top is the fact that it comes with the Brunswick Big B-Ball Cleaner that significantly helps in reducing the oil absorption in the medium oil ball.
What Is a Medium Oil Lane?
Medium Oil Lanes are made with 20 millilitres of Mineral Oil that are used to keep the lanes slippery and smooth.
When you’re playing on them, these lanes provide an average amount of hook. This gives the ball and RPM in the 300 to 400 window and a speed of 16-17 MPH.
If you’re a casual player looking to achieve high scores instead of participating in aggressive and competitive games, then the speed and rev rate that the lane provides is exactly what you need. It’s also the perfect kind of lane if you’re looking for something that’s not too dry or slippery.
How to Adjust to Lane Conditions
Let’s say that your shots are missing the target because of the lane oil. What can you do? Well, you have two options. Your first option is adjusting your stance. Calculate the number of boards that you miss the target by and move your feet by that number. This should fix the error, hopefully.
Your second option is switching up your playing style to suit the lane. For example, you should go with a hook for dry lanes and throw straight shots for wet ones. Some players don’t like to alter their style, so at the end of the day, do what you’re most comfortable with.
The equipment you use will also have an effect on your throws. If you’re playing on an oily lane, then you should probably try to generate friction with a reactive resin ball.
Lane Conditions at the Professional Level
When it comes to professional players, they’re intentionally put in unfavorable lane conditions to make high scoring more challenging. Exotic animal names such as Chameleon, Viper, and Cheetah are used to name the PBA’s current patterns. The good thing is, you won’t encounter any of them if you’re not in a competitive tournament.
Becoming a professional bowler is hard due in part to these advanced patterns, but most amateur players don’t realize this. You might even hear someone claim that they can compete on the PBA Tour because they scored a handful of 200s in their local alley.
How to Choose the Best Medium Oil Bowling Ball
When looking for the best bowling ball for medium oil lanes, there are several factors to consider, including:
Weight
One of the main things to keep in mind while buying a new medium oil bowling ball is its weight. You can’t land your ideal shot if you don’t pick the perfect weight.
For every 10 pounds of your body weight, the ball should have 1 pound. That’s how you choose the best medium oil bowling ball that can keep its balance as you use it.
Coverstock
You have to remember the importance of checking the coverstock of the ball before buying it. The purpose of the coverstock is to protect the ball’s surface and withstand all kinds of cracks and damages.
Never forget that performing on a medium oil lane means that you should use a smooth-surface bowling ball. It’s also critical in choosing the hook potential.
So if you’re looking to increase the hook potential, we recommend that you choose a medium oil bowling ball with reactive resin.
The different options for the cover that you’ll usually find are the urethane perfect for the experienced players and the plastic popular for the beginners.
Pitches
Pitches are the three holes in the ball. The style and placement are crucial as they should provide you with a snug safe grip to give you a better performance. They should be of equal sizes for extra comfort, another important aspect of choosing the best medium bowling ball.
Hook Potential
The hook potential is the friction the ball creates as it glides through the air when you throw it. Another aspect that you have to consider.
When compared to a plastic cover, the urethane and resin cover can have a great hook potential
Additionally, the hook potential helps you in making contact with all the pins no matter how you throw the bowling ball.
Verdict
The best medium bowling ball is the one that’ll take the characteristics of the bowling lane that you’re using and put them in your advantage.
A lot of bowling balls prefer to focus on overall reactivity rather than control, but that’s not necessarily bad as the lanes get drier and drier and you find yourself wanting to get more lane length to get yourself a high score.
Are you still here? Isn’t it time to get your new best medium oil bowling ball?
Last update on 2024-03-13 / Product Images