Could the oil on a bowling lane at the same establishment but a month later be so different as to make your performance ball not hook hardly at all even in the same place on the lane?

Yes. Two reasons would be 1) they are putting more oil on the lane than they were before, and 2) they are oiling the lanes further down then they were before.

Another cause could be that they are cleaning the lanes regularly. A dirty lane will grip more than a clean lane, causing more break. Similarly, a dirty ball will grip the lane more than a clean ball. Do you have a strip of oil on the track of your ball when it comes back through the ball return? Make sure to wipe the track of the ball before you throw it to take off any oil that may be on the track.

Still another reason could be humidity. Has there been a change of humidity in the bowling center? Humidity acts as a buffer between the oil and the ball and less of it (oil) will be 'removed' from the lane by the ball.

First answer by Dlmick. Last edit by Dlmick. Contributor trust: 1384 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 3 [recommend question]