Coverstocks

Question
Which coverstock will have the most bite, traction, hook or whatever we call it, a solid, pearlized or hybrid type? Anything else you can add as to the characteristics, etc.

Answer
Louis,
Coverstocks or bowling ball veneers provide a combination of elements. Matching up a cover with the lane, often has to do with aspects of your game. If you have a lot of ball speed, even light oil might be an issue and tough to overcome if your delivery doesn't provide the roll to help the ball slow down at the appropriate point on the lane. Making the ball rougher, changing the surface, will potentially help slow the ball when you need it to slow down. If you roll the ball more slowly, many covers can cause a ball to hook too much or too soon, so oil would be very helpful. Smoother covers would be helpful in this case, allowing the ball to skid a little further down the lane.

So, strong solid covers, especially with a rougher surface will help on very oily lanes, for players with more ball speed, while kids, women, seniors and some men that roll the ball slowly, especially if the lane is drier, benefit from smoother or shinier bowling balls, which allow the ball to skid further, delay the hook action and have more energy left when they hit the pins. Hybrids are an interesting middle ground of part pearl, part solid that literally falls in between, some with shiny finishes, some with rougher surfaces, providing the 'tweener kind of player to have the appropriate cover to help control the lane.

If you need a recommendation on a surface, your local ball driller ought to see you bowl, or be familiar with your game before nailing down a specific surface or altering a surface to fine tune a ball's reaction.

Unfortunately, some drillers invest in stock that they then must sell. Occasionally, a bowler is pushed toward a specific ball because it takes up too much space in their store room rather than a drillers confidence in it as the right ball for a particular customer.

Thanks for your question. Good luck and good bowling.