What type of overall reaction are you looking for?
| Archetype Name | What It Means | Real Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Stability Benchmark | Not too early, not too strong — balanced read | First ball out to “read the lane” and adjust from there |
| Smooth & Blended Control Ball | Blends wet/dry or cliff shots with round, stable shape | Keeps you in play on tricky conditions |
| Versatile Hybrid | A balanced blend of solid + pearl traits — smooth, readable, yet responsive | Great “do-it-all” ball when you're unsure what you'll face or need a blend of control + shape |
| Urethane-Type Shape Ball | Very flat and early — friction control over shape | Great for short oil, spare shots, or keeping it in play |
| Big Backend Ball | Prioritizes backend shape — sharp, angular, or flippy motion | When you need steep angle creation or a ball that can “turn the corner” hard |
| Skid Flip Pearl | Skids easily through the front, flips hard off friction | Late hook timing, open angles, high-friction environments |
| Responsive Asym Pearl | Clean front with backend torque — asym strength with flip | Good for blending angle + torque without early roll |
| Strong Asym Solid Ball | Heavy cover/core that drives hard in the midlane | Best for volume, flat conditions, or players needing raw power |
| Smooth Symmetrical Solid | Skids through the front, arcs with control | Easier to throw solid for lighter oil or higher-speed bowlers |
| Clean Symmetrical Pearl | Clean look with gradual arc on the backend | Great for late block control, when stronger pearls are too jumpy |
| Continuous Solid | Strong backend continuation — keeps driving through pins | Great carry with stability, often a benchmark asym solid |
| Controlled Backend Solid | Midlane control with soft backend fade | Keeps you in play when pearls jump too hard or too soon |
| Early Traction Ball | Grabs early — strong front-lane read | Good on fresh oil or for speed-dominant players |
| Midlane Read Piece | Benchmark arc in the mids — easy to read motion | Trusted starting point for transitions and shaping adjustments |
| Burn Ball / Late Transition Piece | Clean and stable for dry or torched lanes | Keeps angles closed down when the backend is too wild |
The overall shape the ball creates from skid → hook → roll.
| Label | Meaning | Adjacent To | Common Traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth | Gradual, blended motion through the lane with no sharp breakpoint. Reads friction evenly from front to midlane for a stable, predictable shape. | Round | Early read, blends wet/dry, excellent control on fresh or tighter patterns. |
| Round | Continuous, flowing shape that arcs naturally without a hard corner. Creates a readable, benchmark-style motion that works on most patterns. | Smooth / Arc | Benchmark feel; balanced shape with consistent continuation. |
| Arc | Noticeable but controlled direction change with smooth continuation through the pins. Balanced blend of strength and control. | Round / Angular | Strong yet readable; versatile across medium to medium-heavy conditions. |
| Angular | Sharper move at the breakpoint with increased backend motion. Creates more entry angle while staying predictable. | Arc / Skid Flip | Responsive to friction; useful when opening the lane or chasing transition. |
| Skid Flip | Skids easily through the fronts and snaps hard when it encounters friction. High-energy, dramatic backend shape. | Angular / Steep | Clean fronts, sharp backend; great for creating angle and carry downlane. |
| Steep | Fast, high-contrast motion with maximum entry angle. Violent direction change at the breakpoint; best for creating sharp angles. | Skid Flip | Extremely fast response to friction; high risk/reward motion on dry or cliffed lanes. |
Where the ball begins transitioning from skid to hook.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Early | Hooks in the oil. Ideal for control and heavy oil conditions. |
| Midlane | Hooks in the middle third of the lane. Offers a balanced, benchmark-like motion. |
| Late | Stores energy and makes its move at the breakpoint. Great for length and backend shape. |
| Delayed | Skids farther downlane before reacting. Responds sharply to friction when it appears. |
| No Hook | Skids farther downlane before reacting. Responds sharply to friction when it appears. |
How quickly the ball reacts when it encounters dry boards.
| Label | Response Speed | Meaning / Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Blends Wet / Dry | Very Slow | Absorbs friction gradually. Great for blending over/under. Common in urethane or sanded control balls. |
| Smooth Off The Spot | Slow | Gentle, readable motion off friction. Ideal on tough blends or medium oil conditions. |
| Predictable & Controlled | Medium | Balanced response speed. Doesn’t jump or lag — a true “benchmark” reaction. |
| Responsive To Friction | Fast | Jumps off friction quickly, creating visible shape and angle. Great for opening up the lane. |
| Jumps Off The Spot | Very Fast | Sharp, instantaneous response to dry boards. Best suited for clean, high-RG pearls or when extra control is applied. |
How the internal weight block influences motion.
| Label | Core Dynamics | Meaning / Ball Motion Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Symmetric Core | Stable Rotation | Delivers a smooth, predictable motion with a gradual transition from skid → hook → roll. Ideal for control, benchmarks, and blending lane patterns. |
| Asymmetric Core | Directional Torque | Creates faster, stronger transitions. Enhances entry angle and backend motion by generating imbalance that tips the ball into roll more aggressively. |
| Low RG (Radius of Gyration) | Quick Spin-Up | Centers mass closer to the core. Reads the lane early, providing faster revs and a smoother, stronger midlane read — perfect for heavier oil. |
| High RG (Radius of Gyration) | Delayed Energy | Keeps energy stored for longer, producing more length and a sharper breakpoint. Ideal for medium to lighter conditions where control up front matters. |
| Low Differential (Diff) | Minimal Track Flare | Offers a stable, consistent motion that changes direction gradually. Best for blending wet/dry or when predictability outweighs hook potential. |
| High Differential (Diff) | High Track Flare | Increases total hook and motion shape separation by creating more flare potential. Stronger midlane read and backend continuation. |
How the ball interacts with lane oil.
| Label | General Motion Tendencies | Ideal When You Want... |
|---|---|---|
| Solid Reactive | Earlier traction and smoother overall motion | A stronger read in the midlane and a controlled transition through the backend. Great when the lane has volume or you need to smooth out over/under. |
| Pearl Reactive | Cleaner through the front, quicker response to friction | More shape and continuation downlane. Works best when the fronts start to hook or you need added recovery and angle. |
| Hybrid Reactive | Blend of midlane traction and backend pop | A balanced motion that bridges solids and pearls — ideal as a first-out benchmark or when conditions are in transition. |
| Urethane | Very smooth, low-response shape with early roll | Maximum control on short or high-friction patterns. Reduces over/under and keeps the ball in play when modern reactives are too quick. |
What lane conditions are you looking to match a ball for? Select all that apply — you can combine oil type, transition zone, and pattern length.
| Lane Condition | Core Challenge | Ideal Ball Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Light Oil | Ball skids too long, weak backend |
✅ Early-rolling ✅ Smooth or blend friction response ✅ Arc or hook-set shape ✅ Urethane, low-diff solids |
| Medium Oil | Balanced need |
✅ Midlane hook phase ✅ Smooth to moderate response ✅ Round or arc shape ✅ Control pearls or hybrids |
| Heavy Oil | Ball can’t read the lane |
✅ Early hook phase ✅ Strong covers with blend/smooth response ✅ Arc or boomy shape ✅ Early-rolling solids, asyms |
| Cliffed | Over/under reaction risk |
✅ Gradual hook phase ✅ Smooth or blend response ✅ Arc or controlled round shape ✅ Urethane or sanded solids |
| Flat | Harsh transitions, no forgiveness |
✅ Midlane or gradual hook phase ✅ Smooth to moderate response ✅ Arc shape ✅ Control hybrids or benchmark solids |
| Tapered | Blended but tricky zones |
✅ Midlane or controlled timing ✅ Moderate friction response ✅ Round or controlled angular shape ✅ Hybrids or readable asyms |
| Short Pattern | Hook starts early, backend tight |
✅ Early hook phase ✅ Smooth response ✅ Hook-set or early-rolling shape ✅ Urethane or low-flare solids |
| Medium Pattern | Balanced read |
✅ Midlane hook phase ✅ Moderate friction response ✅ Round shape ✅ Hybrids or solid benchmarks |
| Long Pattern | Delayed hook, backend angle crucial |
✅ Delayed or late hook phase ✅ Quick or immediate response ✅ Angular or flip shape ✅ Asym pearls or energy-retaining balls |
| High Friction Lanes | Hooks too early, loses energy fast |
✅ Delayed hook phase ✅ Blend response ✅ Straight or gradual arc shape ✅ Clean pearls or polished covers |
| Low Friction Lanes | Struggles to read, skids too long |
✅ Early or midlane hook phase ✅ Quick response ✅ Boomy or angular shape ✅ Strong cover solids or aggressive hybrids |
| Plays Slick | Needs help getting started |
✅ Early hook phase ✅ Smooth or blend response ✅ Arc or hook-set shape ✅ Strong early solids |
| Plays Dry | Too sharp off friction |
✅ Delayed or gradual hook phase ✅ Blend or smooth response ✅ Arc shape ✅ Polished control pearls or urethane |
| Tight Backend | Late hook, hard to create angle |
✅ Quick or immediate response ✅ Angular or flip shape ✅ Energy-retaining roll ✅ Asymmetrical pearls or boomy covers |
| Early Hooking Lanes | Ball reads too fast and burns up |
✅ Delayed hook phase ✅ Blend response ✅ Round or arc shape ✅ Polished solids or urethane |
| Carry Down Issues | Ball labors, loses backend pop |
✅ Midlane to late hook phase ✅ Quick friction response ✅ Flip or angular shape ✅ Clean pearls or high-RG asymmetrics |
| Fresh Oil Only | Needs to grip early to shape properly |
✅ Early hook phase ✅ Smooth response ✅ Arc or hook-set shape ✅ Strong solids or low RG options |