A Shark oil pattern is a pattern of

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

on the lane used by the

Professional Bowlers Association The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and currently owned by the Lucky Strike Entertainment Corpor ...

in tournament play. A typical Shark pattern is 44 feet long. It forces players to move toward the center of the lanes, because if the ball moves to the outside it will not curve back into the pocket. This play is more risky, because it puts the gutters in play. The forcing of players to take inside angles makes playing these lanes tougher and lower scoring for professionals. This oil pattern is named after the

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

because, like a shark, which lives primarily in the depths of the ocean, the bowler is forced to play deep in the middle of the lane.

Tournaments that used this pattern

References

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