Do you have any experience playing Sports patterns? Whether your answer is yes or no, you gotta try the Kegel Winding Road oil pattern! I’m not saying the pattern is going to be very easy. If you’re a sucker for unique patterns and the challenges they offer, the Winding Road is truly something special. So why is it named like that? Because you gotta straighten up your shots on this twisting pattern. If you’re soon to enter a tournament where this oil pattern will be laid out, you better begin your practice. Allow me to enlighten you more about this pattern.
What is the Kegel Winding Road oil pattern?
The Kegel Navigation Patterns are killing it! One of them is the Kegel Winding Road oil pattern and interestingly, it has 3 official versions. Based on the difficulty level, the ‘Winding Road’ falls under the Sports category. Before participating in competitions have a look at the pattern sheet to know which version there will apply. Don’t worry, your gaming methods won’t vary too much. Let’s take a look at how different each version is.
First, we have the Winding Road (2839) which has two subcategories. One with the 50 uL and another with the 40 uL of oil on each board. For your information, both use a distance of 39 feet. The Total Volume Oil of the Winding Road (40 uL) is 22.44 mL (Forward Oil Total is 11.88 mL and Reverse Oil Total is 10.56 mL). Here the ratio is going to be 2.69:1.
On the 50 uL version of Winding Road, the Total Volume Oil is 22.45 (Forward Oil Total is 12.1 mL and Reverse Oil Total is 10.35 mL). The oil ratio for this version is 2.93:1. Do keep in mind— this version is most commonly used in various tournaments and league games.
However, players seem to enjoy the Winding Road V2 (3339) version more during competitions. This 39 feet pattern has 50 uL of oil on each board. Total Volume Oil is 26.7 mL where the Forward Oil Total is 16.35 mL and Reverse Oil Total is 10.35 mL. On the Winding Road V2, the oil ratio is 3.39:1. Now, let’s see how you’re gonna play this sports pattern.
How to attack the Winding Street oil pattern?
The first thing I’d recommend doing is using the ‘ Rule of 31’. So, just subtract 31 from the pattern length, and that gives you, 39-31=8. Roughly, the 8 board is where your breakpoint should be. After reading the pattern brochure I can tell, Winding Road is going to be pretty flat (based on the ratios) and play more on the slicker side.
Both the buff area at the end of the pattern and the front part of the lane will be flat at the beginning of your game. Hence, the rule of thumb will be to start somewhere around the 7-8 board with a bowling ball that has enough surface (let’s say 2000-3000 Abralon). After playing 1 or 2 games you can start your adjustments and migrate inside from the 7-8 board. As I have told you before, “Straighter is greater” if it’s a sports pattern, so, I’d like you to follow that on Winding Road. Keeping your shots straight at the beginning will keep you safe. However, once the lane starts to open up, you will be able to move inside. If you are not comfortable playing from the inside switch to a weaker bowling ball.
Accuracy is another factor you should master for playing on this pattern. Without accuracy, it is almost impossible to secure a decent score on sports patterns. When you will be practicing this pattern, I would suggest you learn how to create miss room for yourself as much as possible. Hit the pins the same you do by repeating your shots.
Bowlers often expect a pattern to play in a certain way. But that’s wrong. As the pattern breaks down, there will be some changes in how it plays. It is also applicable for the Kegel Winding Road oil pattern. How your ball will roll down the lane depends on the way you will break down the pattern. The buffed and lower ratio down lane is another important factor in that case.
Although the ‘Rule of 31’ is implying playing a bit close to the 2nd arrow, you can play both from the outside and inside. Just remember to keep your shots straight to straighten out the Winding Road! During practice, be sure to throw a few balls inside, outside, and in-between and observe what is happening. If you find it dry outside and wet inside, look forward to some big numbers. When I played gutter on this pattern, I completely botched the game but instantly saw better results when I moved to the left. So I’ll highly recommend you see for yourself what works for you best.
Which bowling ball is best for this pattern?
It’s hard to pinpoint a bowling ball for such a sports pattern. In Kegel Training Centre the bowlers love to use a moderately aggressive bowling ball for the Winding Road oil pattern. To play this pattern successfully, you will be needing a ball that is similar to Track 718A. Sadly, the ball is now discontinued. But don’t worry, there are some alternatives you can go for.
The Brunswick Nexus f(P+F) Solid, Storm Virtual Gravity, Hammer Obsession Tour, 900 Global Zen, Roto Grip Hyped Hybrid, Roto Grip Gem, Roto Grip Rubicon, etc. are some of the best bowling balls to use to play the winding Road bowling oil pattern. Besides these, I have some more options for you from the DV8. The DV8 Activ8, DV8 Turmoil Solid, DV8 Prowler, DV8 Freakshow— these balls will also play great on this oil pattern.
Conclusion
That’s it for today, folk! Well, you know the drill now. If you have a tournament coming, don’t waste any time and start your practice sessions. With the right methods and the right piece of equipment, you will be unstoppable. So prepare yourself for your future challenges and good luck!
