Ball Reaction and Surface Adjustments

Abralon pads, Mirka pads and TruCut sanding pads are used to adjust the bowling ball’s surface. The lower-grit sanding pad, the earlier the ball hooks down lane. Conversely, the higher the number sanding pad the later the bowling ball hooks down lane.
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Gold Coach and Bowler Development Lead at Bowlersmart Richard Shockley and Silver Level Coach Dan Triske explain how to apply different grit abralon pads to a bowling ball and demonstrate how it affects the bowling ball on the lane.
Polish
We took a bowling ball with a shiny finish and threw it down lane. It hit the 13 at the arrows and 7 board down lane at the breakpoint and the result was a strike.
1000-Grit Sanding Pad
Using the same bowling ball, we applied a 1000 grit abralon pad to the surface of the bowling ball. The result was a 4-9 split. That’s ok. The purpose of this demonstration is to show that the bowling ball hits the same place at the arrows, 13, and that the breakpoint changes from the 7 board to 9 board.
You’ll also notice that the bowling ball begins hooking earlier down lane than the polish. This demonstration shows that by changing the surface of the bowling ball, you can change ball reaction to better match up to the lane condition you are competing on.
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500-Grit Sanding Pad
Continuing on with the demonstration, we hit the same bowling ball with a 500 grit sanding pad and targeted the same 13 board at the arrows.
The bowling ball’s breakpoint is at the 10 board down lane and it began to hook earlier than both the polished and 1000 grit bowling ball.
360-Grit Sanding Pad
For our final shot, we applied a 360 grit sanding pad to the same bowling ball and targeted the same 13 board at the arrows. The bowling ball hooks even earlier down lane, hitting the 12 board for the breakpoint.

[@brianmcnally2254]

But is there away to make the reaction last longer. I get about one full game out of a surfaced ball until it just stops reacting the same.

[@jvmiller1995]

That is not the ball on the most part it is lane transition. Especially with 8 or 10 people on a set of lanes. Something all bowlers must be able to account for. Also just so you and other people know since they did not mention this and should have, is you can not change the surface of any ball once a sanctioned league or tournament begins. it is okay in practice but after a game match starts and you roll a ball you have to stick with what you have. So back to lane transition you just have to learn to adjust.

[@The_pipeliner]

That’s definitely the oil breaking down from bowlers running the same path through the oil. At that point you’ll adjust forward/back, slower/faster and left/right with your approach.

[@skylershelton8584]

5 board difference at the breakpoint between the polished and the 360 grit shots...

[@williamfreitas7016]

Of course. The more surface the earlier the ball can read the lane. That moves the breakpoint closer to you and in. The amount it moves will depend on the pattern and they chose one that really highlighted the move in.

[@jvmiller1995]

keep in mind the more surface the more energy the ball will use up. If you do not have enough rev rate you will find that the ball as it hits, it hits flat. Instead of driving through the pocket it runs out of hook energy and it hits flat deflecting and often misses the 5 pin and 8 pin. A proper hook ball takes out the 5 and splits the 8,9 pin. There is a lot more science to it than just changing surface. It is more about matching the right surface to lane condition but also to your own rev rate and ball speed. (matching up the ball)