Chameleon oil pattern
A Chameleon oil pattern is a pattern of oil on a bowling lane. It is used by the Professional Bowlers Association in tournament play among others.[1]
A typical Chameleon pattern is 43 feet long.[2] It forces players to play in a specific zone on the lane because of the way the oil is layered in "strips". The lane conditions dictate where the bowler should play. This is considered a "retro" approach to pattern designing.
Use of a Chameleon pattern results in a large range of scores (low to high), as does the bowlers' approach to the pattern. No one bowling style is most effective on this type of lane, because there can be multiple starting points that dictate how much the ball will spin, and thus how much curvature its path will have.
This oil pattern is named after the chameleon because like a chameleon, which can change its color repeatedly, so too must a bowler be able to change his style of play.
Tournaments that used this pattern
| Tournament | Winner |
|---|---|
| Mixed Doubles Championship - 2009 | Norm Duke |
| Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship Women's Series - 2009 | Liz Johnson |
| Chameleon Championship - 2008 | Michael Machuga |
| Chameleon Championship Women's Series - 2008 | Michelle Feldman |
| Go RVing Classic - 2008 | Rhino Page |
| PBA Exempt Doubles Classic - 2008 | Danny Wiseman |
| Lake County Indiana Classic presented by United Way - 2007 | Michael Haugen Jr. |
| Lake County Indiana Classic Women's Series - 2007 | Joy Esterson |
| Go RVing Classic - 2007 | Patrick Allen |
| H&R Block Classic - 2007 | Patrick Allen |
| Lake County Indiana Classic - 2006 | Norm Duke |
| Great Lakes Classic - 2006 | Patrick Allen |
| Keystone State Championship - 2005 | Patrick Allen |
| Greater Omaha Classic - 2005 | Michael Machuga |
| PBA Banquet Open - 2005 | Tommy Jones |
| PBA GEICO Open - 2005 | Mika Koivuniemi |
| PBA Denver Open - 2004 | Tommy Jones |
| PBA Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic - 2004 | Mike Scroggins |
| PBA Greater Philadelphia Open - 2003 | Patrick Allen |
| PBA Greater Kansas City Classic - 2003 | Norm Duke |
References
- ↑ "PBA Oil Patterns: Chameleon". Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ↑ "PBA Oil Patterns: PBA Tour Chameleon". PBA.com. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
External links
- Chameleon Oil Pattern by Jef Goodger at about.com
- PBA Oil Patterns: Chameleon