There is a big difference between short oil and dry. Dry implies low volume of oil, so if you use anything thats dull it digs down though that thin little layer of oil and hooks early. Thats why you use shiny balls on patterns that have burned up. Polished balls store energy well until they see a lot of friction, and they very quickly transition and turn their energy into sideways motion.
On short oil, you want to slow down your reaction which could mean a few things... Any and all of these could help.
1. Weaker coverstocks - most (though not all) newer balls hook a lot, regardless of surface and drilling. There are some newer balls that use weak coverstocks and truly offer less overall hook potential. A favorite of mine here is to use a ball with lots of games that has not been well maintained and just doesnt hook as much as it used to.
2. Surface - Rough surfaces can dig down through more oil and hook earlier, but they also do not transition as quickly once your ball gets to the dry part of the lane, giving you more of an arc shape instead of a hockey stick.
3. Core/layout - using a lower differential core and/or a long pin-PAP distance can both cause a ball to flare less and not have as much overall hook. Another drilling option is to put the pin very close to the PAP, say 2 inches or less. This puts your ball in a very stable position right off your hand so it will not try to flip hard. This option can work better for players with higher axis rotation. I have a very forward roll and this layout does not match up well for me.
That being said, my favorite ball on a fresh short pattern is a Brunswick Wild Card, 5.5in pin-PAP drilling, surface at 1000 or 500.
Then, if the lanes start to transition and you need something to still get through the fronts, try to keep a weak coverstock and low differential ball with a little smoother surface, maybe 2000, then another option at 4000.
