One of the greatest additions to the Kegel Reaction Series is the Stone Street oil pattern. How much do know about this oil pattern? How popular do you think it is? Honestly, this pattern isn’t that widely-popular and has a lot of mixed reviews. Some bowlers seem to love it a lot while others think it’s too critical. But what can you do when there is a tournament or league game coming where they will use this pattern? You better start practicing in your nearby bowling center using the Stone Street oil pattern. Here is everything you need to know before you throw your ball on this pattern.
What is the Stone Street oil pattern?
Strike the street with the Stone Street bowling oil pattern! Despite not being the most favorite pattern in the bowling community, the Stone Street oil pattern (9642) has actually gained a good reputation over the year. This pattern has a 42 feet oil distance with 50 uL of oil on each board. Because of being 42 feet, this gets a place in the medium-heavy pattern.
To oil the Stone Street pattern, the Kegel Flex machine is used. The conditioner and the transfer type are not bound by one type. However, the Flex machine often blends the Fire and Ice oils together to get this pattern. In some houses, they customize the settings and use only the Ice oil to get the desired pattern.
The total amount of the Forward Oil is 14.20 mL and Reverse Oil is 10.40 mL. So that makes your Total Volume Oil = 24.60 mL on the lane. Considering the pattern length, the total volume of oil is pretty decent. The Total Boards Crossed in the Stone Street pattern are 492 Boards (284 Boards- Forward and 208 Boards- Reverse).
How to attack on the Stone Street oil pattern?
First, let’s use the Rule of 31 to determine the board you should start at. So, 42 (Pattern Length) – 31 = 11. The 11 board would be a great place to start. I would suggest keeping your shots in between 8 and 12 at the breakpoint back to the pocket to score better. Let’s say, you started at board 10. As the lane transitions, you will have to move further inside. A bowling ball that can ensure a smooth and flawless reaction to friction will help you fight against the under/overreaction with the sharp drop in oil outside of 8 board. If you can maintain consistency in straight shots, you will achieve some high scores, so keeping an eye on that is important.
While you’re maintaining consistency, you should also minimize the entry angle. Anything more than 5.5° would be unsettling and perhaps leave you with some nasty splits or spares. Before you attack this pattern, you must know your rev rate and
zxx. If you throw your ball too fast, there will be less friction and a strong finishing arc, but these are not the problems. The problem is you will end up with no snap. A professional from my local pro shop has recommended skid and using more surface on the mid lane for this pattern.
Are you soon to be played on the Stone Street oil pattern? There is one more thing you should be concerned about— the cross alley spares. If you have spares on the left side, you will see your ball is turning a lot. Oppositely, the right side spares can easily be knocked down backed up by the oil. If you’re a righty, you will probably get nervous chopping several pin spares like you’d know down a left side spare. However, if you’re a lefty, this situation would be a bit easier for you to handle.
One of the biggest hacks to win on this pattern is to remember this— if you think your bowling ball is deflecting too much, without having any second thought try to move further outside. On the other hand, if your ball is driving too hard, start moving further inside. If none of these seems like an option for you, you should consider adjusting your axis rotation.
Which bowling ball is best for this pattern?
A good benchmark bowling ball for the Stone Street bowling oil pattern would be Storm IQ Tour. But there is a catch. Taking it to a 2000 grit will give you the most heavenly ball reaction and the performance of a lifetime. The Brunswick Mastermind Einstein is also a great option for the Stone Street pattern. Another great strong ball is the Hammer First Blood. Just make it rougher by sanding it to 1000 grit.
If these balls aren’t your cup of tea, you can go for a slightly mid-range bowling ball with a symmetrical core. What these balls offer is— customizable (add/subtract) angularity and aggressiveness. In that case, the Storm Phaze II is a great ball to start with as you can go more aggressive if you are not getting the desired reaction without ruining your shot. The Storm Hy-Road is an alternative if you have that in your arsenal. However, you might face some difficulty throwing it too far right.
Conclusion
Stomp the street with the Kegel Stone Street oil pattern! No matter if you’re a power player, a tweener, or a straight shooter, you will love this oil pattern. however, you have to maintain consistency and follow some rules carefully. Just try to keep your shots straight, and you’d be good to go. So, if there is a tournament or league game or a 1 vs 1 competition coming, it’s high time you started practicing. Last but not the least, don’t forget to have fun!
