The reason I posted this is that  I can't/don't  move inside and swing the ball--it just isn't me and has never worked well the times I have attempted it....so I always square up and play down and in on everything(if at all possible).  My league shot is no problem to do that, but when I have done these "big-money" tournaments in my state of Florida, the typical pattern(s) don't naturally allow me to do that. To compensate I have roughed up covers on certain balls to  really low grits and can play straight up the out of bounds on the left side(I'm a lefty) with varying degrees of success.  Even on these patterns I can play straight up the 2nd arrow with my Lane #1 bullet(normally it is only my spare ball when I need one), I can get the length I need with the bullet on that type of pattern without the ball reacting early and crossing over---something that with the squeaky clean bone dry backends  just about nothing else will hold pocket----however when the bullet gets to the 1-2 pocket on those shots, it's not driving very well--and the leaves sometimes reveals a lack of drive.

I have the balls cover as tame as it can be and with polish....I understand that I could remove the polish and/or take it to a rougher grit for it to drive a bit better , but on these type of patterns I have played on and will again over labor day weekend, an earlier reaction is usually an overreaction.  Over memorial day weekend I bowled in a 20,000 tourney in Orlando and the pattern was a 38 foot heavy volume pattern--the numbers closely resembled the usbc masters pattern as far as volume length..playing up the out of bounds wasn't working , so I ended up using a clear wolf
that I picked up just for the 2 tourneys I bowled in that weekend and on that 38 ft pattern was able to stroke that ball over the 2nd arrow and hold pocket, wasn't striking but was able to bowl well enough to cash.

I guess ideally what I would love to find is a ball that will allow me to play those tournament patters like I do in league--stroking it straight up the 2nd arrow, but hit harder than the plastic and have a more powerful motor than the low diff bullet.

I imagine that now that I own a clear wolf I could use that as my spare ball for the tourneys and then I could play around with the bullet--cover change or even drilling change, but it is already on it's 3rd drill, I picked it up a few years back from Charlest
already on it's 2nd drill. I imagine a flare hole and a stronger drilling with the pin outside the ring finger could help achieve what I would like?

Brad

Instead of trying to find a ball to play the same area on any condition. Why not practice bettering your game to adjust on the lanes as the lanes dictate?

Altering your release alone can allow you to play the same area with the same ball as the lanes transition.

The guy who holds the PBA record for high 8 game block was able to adjust and take the lanes almost completely out of play by playing hard and straight.

The key is being able to adjust. As mentioned there comes a point where the lanes will not allow you to stay and play the same shot no matter the ball.....unless you change your way of throwing the ball.

Therein lies the quandary.  Very few guys are able to play the gamut of hard and straight vs hooking the lane with revs.  At either extreme a person becomes something of a niche player.  Also as I mentioned before, the style of play by the rest of the field has a huge impact.  High rev guys usually take a lot of options out of play quickly with what their revs do to the pattern.  On the bright side it is sometimes possible for straighter guys to play far enough out that they don't run into the really burnt area until late. 

More often than you think in this day and age of boomers lofting the gutter cap, and starting at 5th arrow. 

It doesn't happen way more often than I think, I'm pretty on top of the game. 

With current tournament formats it is very rare to see guys throwing over the gutter, and there are very few guys that can actually do it and strike.

Even the best power players are going to blow up a pattern much faster than straighter low rev guys.  It happens at the highest levels.  I remember when Tommy Baker came out and dominated the seniors his first couple of season.  His ball reps told me that despite his success in the one major with the kids, that he couldn't handle the transitions when he bowled regular tour stops with the kids.  He scored much higher on the same patterns in senior tourneys than in regular stops.  I have experienced the same thing at a much lower level in local scratch organizations. 

The OP is a left-hander that doesn't want to move off the big dot.  None of this talk about power players blowing up a pattern will effect him.