In addition to what Jeff said, you might also want to look into drillings that allow for length AND less flare.
Many times, even with today's "weak" covers, you can get balls that over read the drier parts of the lane due to the flare pattern putting fresh, oil-free coverstock in contact with the dry lane surfaces. I have a pearl misfit that will not hook on oil, but let it get drier, and it will hook with anything out there, even though it is supposed to be a "light oil" ball.
If you have an older ball laying around that doesn't get used much, might want to experiment with a lower flaring pattern on that to see what effect it has for you.
Works great for me. For me, controlling the flare is the key.