Ok this may sound like a stupid question, but how can you tell a difference in volume of oil on a pattern? To me, it would seem that as long as there is enough oil to reduce friction, the volume would not make a difference and everything would be based on pattern length and width

What do you look for in ball motion? Like watching how it rotates and flares to determine where it is picking up or watching where and how much it turns? Or all of the above?

^^^^^^^ what he said....

during warm ups i get loose by not going 100% the first few shots, and I also see what the ball does going down lane..... like going down first arrow, second arrow, etc.....

The lower the oil volume, the quicker a pattern will start to blow up.  Also with the modern balls it takes more oil, up to a point, to reduce friction.  The length of the oil and the length of the buff are bigger factors than the pattern right to left.

Bottom line however, modern balls create so much friction at high rev rates, that no oil will hold up very long regardless of any reasonable volume.  Volumes of oil used and viscosities of oil have been steadily increasing over the years.  20 ml of oil per lane was moderately high 10 years ago.  Last year they used 30 ml in nationals, and lots of the sport patterns are that high