When it comes to bowling on medium oil patterns, having the right bowling ball can make a world of difference.
Medium oil patterns require a ball that can navigate the lane's oil volume effectively, providing a balance between length and hook potential. Whether you're aiming for a consistent roll or a controlled hook, choosing the best bowling ball for medium oil conditions is crucial for enhancing your game.
Top 5 BowlingLife bowling ball picks for medium oil
Don't feel like reading the full review? Here are our top recommendations for the best bowling balls tailored for medium oil patterns:
Roto Grip Optimum Idol - the best bowling ball for fresh medium oil
Storm IQ Tour Edition - the most universal bowling ball for medium oil
Hammer Scorpion Low Flare - the most controllable bowling ball for medium oil
Motiv Venom Shock - the best soild bowling ball with more backend motion for medium oil
Storm Summit Peak - the best bowling ball for transition medium oil pattern
Looking for a new bowling ball release?
Storm Ion Pro - best assymetrical benchmark bowling ball for medium oil
Choosing the Best Bowling Ball for Medium Oil
Medium oil patterns are often seen as the "Wild West" of bowling because they present a unique set of challenges. Unlike shorter or longer oil patterns, where bowlers might find more predictable zones to play, medium patterns require a keen sense of observation and flexibility.
That is why selecting a bowling ball best suitable for medium oil pattern can play a key role in your results.
When selecting a bowling ball for medium oil patterns, consider factors such as coverstock type, core design, and surface preparation. Reactive solid coverstocks are generally recommended for fresh medium oil as they offer enhanced friction and backend reaction, while reactive pearl coverstock is best for transition oil as it skids the dry spots in the front part of the lane, where solids would lose some of it's energy.
Each bowling ball mentioned here has been carefully selected based on its performance, versatility, and feedback from BowlingLife testers. We've tried to gather different bowling balls best suited for various game situations in one place to make your decision process as easy as possible. We must feed our testers, so please note that certain links provided might be affiliate links.
BowlingLife Top Picks for Medium Oil
ROTO GRIP OPTIMUM IDOL
Best bowling ball for fresh medium oil
HAMMER SCORPION LOW FLARE
Best controllable bowling ball for medium oil
STORM SUMMIT PEAK
Best bowling ball for transition medium oil
Best bowling balls for medium oil
Best bowling ball for fresh medium oil
Coverstock: Reactive solid
The Roto Grip Optimum Idol combines the original Ikon core with A.I. Core Technology and the MicroTrax Solid Coverstock. It excels on medium to medium-heavy oil conditions, offering excellent mid-lane grip and a strong backend reaction. Our testers found it to excel on fresh medium oil patterns and noted it is suitable for both speed-dominant and rev-dominant players, providing consistent performance and adaptability. Overall, the Roto Grip Optimum Idol bowling ball is a solid addition to any bowler's arsenal.
Most universal bowling ball for medium oil
Coverstock: Reactive solid
Typically, a bowling ball remains on the market for about a year, but the Storm IQ Tour Edition has lasted for twelve years - a testament to its quality! The Master line form Storm has always been popular with bowlers worldwide, and the IQ Tour Edition, released in 2012, is no exception. Our testers consider it as the most universal bowling ball for medium oil due to its reliability and unmatched responsiveness to cover changes. Dubbed the "9/ machine," this ball has achieved significant success on the PBA Tour and among casual league bowlers in the past decade. It's recognized as a dependable bowling ball for medium oil, offering consistent performance.
Best controllable bowling ball for medium oil
Coverstock: Reactive hybrid
The Scorpion Low Flare ensures a smoothly predictable motion on the lanes. Powered by its core numbers and wrapped in the Semtex Hybrid cover, finely finished at 2000 grit, this ball guarantees a consistent roll. Whether you're a high-rev player using it across the lanes or a lower-rev bowler for more straight play, the Scorpion Low Flare is a must-have for medium oil if you seek for controllable stone to add to your bowling ball arsenal. Don’t hit the lanes without this game-changer in your collection.
Best soild bowling ball with more backend motion for medium oil
Coverstock: Reactive soild
If Storm has its IQ Tour, renowned for its performance over a decade, Motiv has its Venom Shock bowling ball. Introduced in 2014, the Motiv Venom Shock features a Gear symmetric core paired with the Turmoil™ MFS Solid Reactive coverstock, providing extended length and a strong backend roll. The Motiv Venom Shock is incredibly reliable and smooth on medium oil patterns, offering a better snap in the backend compared to the IQ Tour, which can be advantageous when you need a bit more power in the last part of the lane. Additionally, it performs outstandingly when other bowlers are using urethane balls. No other reactive solid bowling ball that our testers have used competes with urethane balls as effectively as the Motiv Venom Shock. It's no surprise that our testers consistently choose the Motiv Venom Shock for their tournament bags.
best bowling ball for transition medium oil pattern
Coverstock: Reactive Pearl
Probably the best bowling ball you can have for medium oil when transition happens and you need to move more inside. Why is it different? With the Centripetal HD nestled in the A.I. Core, Storm has redefined the game, pushing RG and differential boundaries - it effortlessly glides through the front part of the lane, conserving all its power for the friction further down the lane. For our testers, Storm Summit Peak proved to be the ideal choice when they needed a bowling ball that could smoothly navigate the front part of the lane and deliver a powerful pop on the backend with controllable overall motion. The Storm Summit Peak is undoubtedly your go-to choice for trasnsition oil!
Best assymetrical benchmark bowling ball for medium oil
The Storm Ion Pro is a versatile and dependable bowling ball designed to accommodate various bowling styles. It broadens angles without sacrificing the entry angle to the pocket, making it one of the top choices for medium oil setups. Plus, due to it's specifications, there is no need to change bowling balls when transition happens - Ion Pro got you covered! The Storm Ion Pro is a game-changer, delivering consistent performance across different lane conditions and setting a new standard in benchmark balls.
