To be honest, length and amount of oil are really the key contributors you have to worry about, and the rest is how you throw it. The edge of the pattern is somewhat important, but you soon realize a pattern almost never plays as you think it should. If there's barely any oil polish your stuff up and bring some weaker equipment. If theres a ton of oil, put surface on it and bring stronger equipment, et cetera et cetera. The length is a little more complicated, and thats on how you throw it and you have to learn what stuff rolls best on what for you.


There are so many variables you will never know (topography of the lanes, how the pattern breaks down, what other bowlers are on it) that you just wont know and theres really no way (not even the ebonite ball drilling simulator) that can give you the 100% matched ball or line for the occasion. The gurus of pattern design are making these patterns to not only have an initial challenge, but break down certain ways too, and although interesting, its not going to help you bowl.

Your best bet is to bring some benchmark balls (like a hyroad or GB3 or a weaker solid) and just see how they read. I mean look at the pros, they literally get their patterns dyed on the lane and yet they are still bringing 25 balls. Why? because its not about what you see on that paper, its about what you see at that exact moment. I know pros who literally study that stuff and end up not liking any of the 20 balls they brought to a tournament.

Your idea of going in blind is honestly not a bad strategy, because the people who can read their balls and read the lanes will almost always come out on top, and that's how it should be. Sure, will someone end up pulling the lottery ticket and having the stars align with the best ball for the occasion, but they didn't do that because they knew how the lane was buffed.