How Hidden Technology Transformed Bowling
Bowling has been reinvented many times over the past seven thousand years but especially in the last 30. This is the fascinating physics of balls, oil, lane and pins. A portion of this video was sponsored by Salesforce. Go to salesforce.com/veritasium to learn more.
Huge thanks to Steve Kloempken and all of Storm Bowling for letting us visit and get a glimpse into the crazy world of bowling.
Huge thanks to legends Chris Barnes and Pete Weber for taking the time to bowl with us.
Huge thanks to Creative Electron for their help with getting the bowling balls X-rayed. Check out their work here: creativeelectron.com/
Thanks to Ron Hatfield and James Freeman for their help with research. Check out their great book, Bowling Beyond the Basics: ve42.co/HatfieldFreeman
Thanks to the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) for their help with accessing archival data and footage.
Special thanks to Rod Cross for physics consultation.
Thanks to Bill Guszczo for giving us the idea to make this video in the first place.
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References:
Freeman, James, and Ron Hatfield. Bowling beyond the Basics: What's Really Happening on the Lanes, and What You Can Do about It. BowlSmart, 2018. -- ve42.co/HatfieldFreeman
N. Stremmel, P. Ridenour and S. Sterbenz. “Identifying the Critical Factors That Contribute to Bowling Ball Motion on a Bowling Lane.” United States Bowling Congress, 2008. -- ve42.co/BallMotionASQ
USBC Equipment Specifications and Certification Team. “Ball Motion Study: Phase I and II Final Report.” United States Bowling Congress, 2008. -- ve42.co/USBCBallMotion
Brettingen, Patrick, and Nicki Mours. “USBC static weight limits remain relevant.” United States Bowling Congress, 2011. -- ve42.co/USBCStaticWeight
Article on lane oil origins -- ve42.co/OilOrigins
Luna, Richard. “Bruce Pluckhahn says there's a little bit of bowling…” United Press International Archives, 1984. -- ve42.co/BowlingHistory
Johnson, Brody D. “The Physics of Bowling: How good bowlers stay off the straight and narrow.” St. Louis University. -- ve42.co/JohnsonPhysicsPpt
Talamo, Jim. “The Physics of Bowling Balls.” -- ve42.co/TalamoPhysicsPpt
Thompson, Ted. “Breakdown and Carrydown - Then and Now.” Kegel. 2012. -- ve42.co/ThompsonKegel
Frohlich, Cliff. “What Makes Bowling Balls Hook?” American Journal of Physics, vol. 72, no. 9, 2004, pp. 1170-1177., doi.org/10.1119/1.1767099. -- ve42.co/FrohlichHook
Article on bowling’s ranking in participatory sports -- ve42.co/BowlingRank
Speranza, Dan, and Dave Nestor. “Initial Oil Absorption Results.” United States Bowling Congress, 2016. -- ve42.co/USBCOilAbsorption
D. Benner, N. Mours, and P. Ridenour. “Pin Carry Study: Bowl Expo 2009.” United States Bowling Congress, 2009. -- ve42.co/USBCPinCarry
Hopkins, D. C., and J. D. Patterson. “Bowling Frames: Paths of a Bowling Ball.” American Journal of Physics, vol. 45, no. 3, 1977, pp. 263-266., doi.org/10.1119/1.11005. -- ve42.co/HopkinsPath
Normani, Franco. “The Physics of Bowling.” Real World Physics Problems. -- ve42.co/NormaniPhysics
Horaczek, Stan. “The insides of pro bowling balls will make your head spin.” Popular Science, 2020. -- ve42.co/HoraczekSpin
House shot oil pattern -- ve42.co/HouseOil. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0.
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Special thanks to Patreon supporters: Andrew, Diffbot, Micah Mangione, MJP, Gnare, Nick DiCandilo, Dave Kircher, Edward Larsen, Burt Humburg, Blake Byers, Dumky, Evgeny Skvortsov, Meekay, Bill Linder, Paul Peijzel, Mac Malkawi, Michael Schneider, Big Badaboom, Ludovic Robillard, Jim buckmaster, fanime96, Juan Benet, Ruslan Khroma, Robert Blum, Richard Sundvall, Lee Redden, Vincent, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Alfred Wallace, Clayton Greenwell, Michael Krugman, Cy 'kkm' K'Nelson, Sam Lutfi, Ron Neal
Written by Derek Muller and Emily Zhang
Animations by Mike Radjabov and Ivy Tello
Filmed by Derek Muller, Trenton Oliver, and Emily Zhang
Edited by Trenton Oliver
SFX by Shaun Clifford
Additional video supplied by Getty Images
Music from Epidemic Sounds
Produced by Derek Muller, Petr Lebedev, and Emily Zhang
Lesson learned: next time I go bowling, I'll ask the facility what their oil patterns are to optimize my strategy, and then after making a big show of that, subsequently lose.
They usually have the house pattern online, and it's dead easy. Stand left, throw right.
If you're finding it hard to get enough spin. I started throwing 2handed like Jason Belmonte and it really improved my game.
As is tradition!
Then ask to raise the bumpers.
before every throw, you gotta bend down and look down the lane with a face as if you know what you're looking at
".. We need the oil. If there was no oil, nobody would have fun." That's the most American thing ever said coincidentally
Damn. This would be hilarious if it wasn’t so true.
American forces proceed to liberate bowling allies to topple the bowling regime
@@minecraftminertime *bowling ball coincidentally crashes into the twin towers just before invasion*
Just wouldn't be fun because they'd all be worse players. Well and the shots wouldn't be impressing too.
They should have a non oil class for those who want more challenge. Compared to other sports, bowling is relatively easy as it is.
I like how stressed Weber gets when asked to bowl on the dry lane.
his cocky demeanor and swagger has only been surpassed by buddy rich😆
it's probably like nails on a chalkboard to him. painful.
Why does a guy like Weber have to stay in that I’m a hard guy attitude, why would he think this guy is thr to bust his 🏀⚽️⚾️ no he’s thr learning about a sport or hobby that he is great at. So just answer a question or just do whatever the guy needed you to do. It’s like he asked him to bowl a 300 on a lane that wasn’t oiled
I think he was just confused about why they wanted him to do it. If they had said, "We just want you to do it so our viewers can see the difference between a lane that's oiled and one that isn't," he might have been like, "Oh! Sure."
@@allamericanslacker2378 He obviously know they are doing this for a video, the whole damn crew is back there but he still didn't want it to look bad on him lol
I worked evenings in a bowling alley in 1978 & 79 and learned lots of things that were surprising. One was the cost for fire insurance for a building filled with lanes made of oak, surfaced with 7 coats of lacquer, and kept oiled daily with a light coating of oil. All of these were quite flammable which made the insurance bill the largest expense that owners had. I was involved with laying the 7 coats of lacquer during that time and was very happy once we had finished because we pulled 1 coat every 4 hours with the fans turned off which meant the air became heavy with the vapors. As the years passed and balls were made from new materials, the lanes were made out of nonflammable materials coated with safer coatings.
I to remember those days. The house I learned in was a 6 lane establishment built in 1941. Gateway Lanes in Chesterton Indiana. It's a martial arts studio currently but the Lane beds are still there.
Wow, I can't believe you guys have any memory of anything after breathing those fumes. lol.
@@snakezdewiggle6084It's 3 coats on sand two off until 7 coats at end or almost finished is 41 if you've customized pearls 21coats leafy metallics held up inside ingots brushed etched mirrored Lacquer. If you got mainframe wrong hits the sound barrier fluxes beginning at the fuselage begins to creep and it all cracks up at the developers UV panels chiping off. I bowled a 300 on request 1975 in Alaska likely the other one in question via personal in attending other than my coursework barely 170/5 average. I'm just wasting some time. He handed me a custom made Peralta bowling ball. "I don't bowl" but the few times I did if your in optimum physical condition the most important part of a good score is your shoes.
I’m from Canada eh, where 5 pin bowling is popular. During the 60’s I was a pin setter at our local bowling alley. Every night I came home with bruised shins. My mom didn’t want me to continue but I had a blast. I may have kicked a pin or two over for a pretty girl on league nights. There may have been a fight or two in the pit area too.
I thought I was bad at bowling personally, but now I know I'm bad at bowling scientifically. Thanks!
Why not both!
@@thisisralph14 You ruined it.
@@wizard_dynamo You ruined his reply.
Heh, me too! I wish I had known as a kid that there was a possible future in coaching the actual talented people!
Two-handed bowling is the best.
He really did not want to throw a bad strike on that dry lane.
It really sounded like playing on a dry lane is blasphemy and would land you in hell.
Probably the first gutterball he had thrown in years.
Yeah he looked almost offended.
He shuddered to think there'd be video of him throwing a gutter ball
Wars have been started over dry lanes
I love how the pro bowler was practically insulted by Derek's request that he try bowling on the unoiled lane.
yeah, you could tell he was bothered by not hitting a strike, right after he seemed almost mad. 😂 Mans got it down to a science, and asked to essentially miss on purpose.
Totally. Really put me off the guy. It's for science dude, not ego polishing.
@@PollokPoochesDogWalking He did seem like a cocky asshole too.
@No adv my degree is in physics and applied physics. Had to drop things all the time to test and measure gravity hahaha but I know what you mean.
@@PollokPoochesDogWalking His father, Dick Weber, was a class act. Pete Weber is the complete opposite.
As I was cleaning out my mothers house after she died, I was really surprised by her bowling trophies. I never once saw her bowl, or do anything “sporting.” But apparently she had a 175 league average and a 200-something game. But his was in the late 60’s. After watching this video, I’m even more impressed.
175 is great - one of the goals in league bowling (back when i did it long ago) was to average a 500 "series" (score over the three games).... basically 166/167 per game. Well done mom! With a 175 average she would have bowled many 200+ games.
I know an older gentleman that averaged 201 back in the late 60s. Newspapers came to interview him and take pictures. 175 was a very good average back then.
And to think, she did it without the technology of today 😎 .
Bowling Queen
Bowling was much harder back then. There was one type of ball and pins were usually heavier. My father was a PBA member in 65 and 66. His league bowling average was 198, which was practically unheard of back then.
“…makes the balls perfectly round” he says to a guy who’s held the Avogadro Project kilogram sphere.
Shots fired!!!
Lmaoo
That'd be way too light to bowl with, surely?
Finally The perfect bowling ball
@@daniellewis1789 just need to throw it down faster
As someone who has bowled for 15 years and averages over 220 in league, I want to say this video is incredible! It goes into so much depth but still explains every concept correctly and simply. If you watched this video you know so much more about the science behind the sport than a majority of regular league bowlers. Most bowlers can not tell what the rg on a ball actually means
For me whats missing, is how to improve on the regular bowling alley balls. Like, im never going to buy my own bowling ball, and im never going to bowl league. What i do from time to time, is bowl on a public alley with some friends. And i guess they use the solid core balls there. Any tipps on those?
@@Caffeine.And.Carvings From now on you can pose questions to the alley staff...."what's the oil pattern used here?"...."do you have the core types documented?" "can you get me a ball with this specific rg?"... I am sure as hell gonna do all of the above and still roll my ball in the gutter HAHAHAHA....and then loudly proclaim that the 'cores are off here' HAHAHA
@@omnicurious2949 my dad works at amf!
most players of most games don't know anything about the calculations and science behind their game.
@@randomvideoboy1 The funny part is that they know a ton about the game but nothing at the same time
I watched this a year ago as a non-bowler and was fascinated. Now a year later I joined my first league and have become obsessed with learning more to get better, knowing much more on the subject I watched it again and am so impressed with how accurate the information is and how well organized it is for non-bowlers to understand. Love your videos, keep up the great work!
I used to bowl a lot and in 28 minutes you have explained the game and technology very well. Kudos.
I’m a bowler and the knowledge I’ve accumulated over 2 years is condensed into a 28 min video. This would have been helpful when I started 😂. Awesome video
It seems like after moving to Europe from the USA, a lot of my team getting out events have involved bowling. It’s always kind of weird to realize that bowling isn’t just like _there_ in the background for everyone. Like, I knew about skid, hook, roll at least in part, because I’ve _seen_ it well before I had to ever do anything of it myself. So, I understand the “ideal” throw even though I couldn’t perform it. Props to you anyways, bowlers are pretty amazing, and I think it’s an incredible skill, especially since I have some practical experience knowing that I’m not good at it. It’s like watching a speedrun, and going “that looks complicated” but then actually getting into it, and you’re like, “oh wow. This is _way_ harder than I imagined,” and you can come back to the speedruns with a grasp of how things would play out if things weren’t done right.
It definitely feels like this should be required viewing before even just bowling for fun! No wonder I always hated bowling haha
@@puellanivis same thing with billiards! Way harder than one would imagine
@@DUK703 same thing with pretty much any skill. There’s much more nuance behind most things than people who aren’t into them can fully comprehend.
@@NoahOD_22 absolutely
13:26 his hesitation on throwing a gutter ball is palpable
Pete's soul leaves a little....
You could tell it hurt him 😭🤣
I wish they would've shown the path line like they did on the normal oiled lane so we could visually see the leftward acceleration imparted by the difference in friction.
@@danfr No need. That thing looked like it hit something heavy and bounced off it! Poor Pete. Always the generous host! A washed lane makes everyone look bad. In 1992, I watched touring pros bowl pot games on a washed pair of lanes. Guys were winning with 170's. It sounds easy, but go try it.
Felt that too...and he immediately went defensive after
Getting to bowl with Big Pete is a peak experience
I bowled in kids leagues with Chris's wife Lynda for several years. Her mom (Midge) was our coach and I can still hear her say, "stay behind the ball and roll it."
Can't believe you did all this stuff with Storm and didn't once mention how they make their bowling balls scented. Each model has its own scent (vanilla, cinnamon, apple, etc.)
That's the reason I stopped using their gear. The pong!
Mine smells like blueberries and is dark blue.
@@r.j.martin1818 ngl kinda want one to smell like blueberries. I've got an old one that used to smell like "Pear Berry" and the 2 current ones I use smell like cake and orange cream soda (though to me it smells more like root beer)
I can't think of few things more annoying than smelly bowling balls. So I know the brand to avoid now.
After rolling, will you be smelling some cooking oil?
I love how offended he was when you asked him to make the bad shot on purpose. The man loves his job for sure.
"can you shoot it how you would on the oil, but on the dry lane?" "but its gonna go in the gutter" "yeah thats what i want" "...but its gonna go in the gutter"
So hear me out. What if the pro bowler came in on the condition that they wouldn't show him missing a strike. We never see him miss in the video, and the first clip of him throwing they didn't show the ball hitting the pins (because he missed). So that was why Derek (veritasium) kind of hesitated to question if he would throw the ball on the dry lane. And thats why the pro bowler hesitated to throw there.
Saw that too! He is definitely a little bit full of himself but in that video, it looks at least good hearted.
It's like asking an NFL Quarterback to throw the ball end over end just to see what happens, or telling a MLB player to hold the bat upside down... it's just the wrong way to do things.
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE - I AM!!!
I feel like this should become a series. I would definitely watch more deep dives into sports like this.
I agree
I wanna see one about tennis. Specifically why its scoring system is so fucked up.
How Hidden Technology Transformed Rochambeau
@@B3Band We need to see Derek's demonstrations on that one!
I've been bowling for almost 40 years as a kid, teen leaguer, and a fun league as an adult. I'm not great, about a 185 average. I was fascinated by this video. I especially enjoyed part about the 3 stages of the ball, slipping, hitting the dry spot then rolling. Had no clue and i hope this elevates my game with better understanding on how to adjust as the game goes by. Great video, well done, Sir
Have you noticed a difference since then?
This is awesome and super interesting. I'd love to see the same analysis done on disc golf... recently took that up as a hobby and the way disc edge shapes affect aerodynamics and flight paths are really incredible.
My takeaway from the section at the end about advancements in bowling technology is this: I'm getting better at bowling every year without actually bowling. Thanks, science!
The Dude abides! 🎳
@@brunorecalde7048 Somebody doesn't grok humor.... Bruno, that was a type of humor known as 'Ironic Insight'. OP suggests that the _math_ suggests that his total score of Zero, because of a blanket increase in scores over time, should now be a positive number, which is impossible. The contradiction between the *bad* math and reality is where the 'subversion of expectation' happens and where the humor is. This comment, however, subverts expectation by explaining that which typically needs no explanation, as the humor is self-evident. Your failure to recognize humor on it's face is what makes it funny, as the expectation is that anyone who is mentally sound and not a child should recognize basic irony without assistance. This humor capitalizes on the premise that someone is always the 'butt' of any good joke, or the 'inherent malice' theory of humor. It is considered tradition to sheepishly recognize your own part in the humorous situation and play along in a humble and self-effacing way, to show your capability to 'take a joke'. I recognize that traditionally, explaining the joke ruins the joke, but I'm subverting expectations by ironically explaining the joke, as though to an Alien who has never experienced Earth humor before. Because, let's face it, most of the comments on KZhead are from beings who have _clearly_ never experienced Human situations in Human contexts before....
@@brunorecalde7048 OOOOOhhhhhh! A verbal pratfall! Touché! I am wounded! (sly wink to those following along)
🔹 SERCH ADITYA RATHORE-HE ALSO MAKES INFORMATIVE CONTENT LIKE VERTASIUM
As someone who has bowled all their life, this is by far the best explained, most accurate, representation of the factors that affect the game. Well done to the Veritasium team.
Agreed !
And he got Pete Weber and Chris Barnes to talk bowling!!! That's like having Sandy Koufax and Fernando Valenzuela in your daggum KZhead video
He even got the LT-48 in there!!
Agree
I don't think so. He didn't talk about beer.
Have bowled since age 5 and now that I'm old and disabled, I find I really miss going out for a few games now and then. Almost as much as I miss running. C'est la vie!
Try a quest 2 with fore bowling. Can play Sat down and feels great!
Great explanation of how much bowling balls have changed. No question that people are bowling better now. That Weber guy is amazing. When he was getting 300's, people would only get them very rarely.
Astounding to see a crossover between two giants - Derek, and "Who do you think you are - I AM"
g(old)
I still don't like that guy. Way too in the zone my dude.
@@jecht86 who
Why that is one of the best quotes in human history. This guy is definitely a major douche
I am that I am
I'm honestly surprised there's room in the bowling industry for 11 manufacturers. Insane.
Which is actually really good for competition and innovation. I wish more sports, or product categories in general, had such vibrant competition.
Lol
Every small poor city of the world has at least one alley, someone must provide
11 on different parts of the world, those 11 monopolise the market where they are located, check earlier bits of this where he mentions it,
The world is a pretty big place, my guy. Yeah, pro bowling isn't that big, but a lot of people bowl.
Thank You for putting your ad at the end, it is appreciated. I listened & watched to the very end because of it. Now I know about Sales Force. 😄😄😄😄😄
The angle-of-attack breakdown at 8:30 in this video explains why I've never been good at bowling strikes. I always rolled a very straight ball. I could hit the 1-3 pocket pretty consistently, but the strike was still kind of rare. So a common game for me was 10 spares plus whatever that final ball was. And as such, I've never broken 200, yet there was a span when I'd routinely score in the 170-190 range.
What bowling balls do you use?
Working around the bowling industry for the last 15 years or so, this actually is the most informative video I've seen on the subject. Plenty of pro shop guys could use to explain things this clearly.
How much cost one bowling ball is??
I agree. All the knowledge I've picked up over years of bowling was summed up so easily
I had no frigging idea bowling science was this involved.
@@aruljebin they vary in price considerably with ‘starter’ plastic balls about $50-$70 the reactive resin sort shown in the video start around $150 but the good ones are $230-$280. If you’re shopping for a ball, alstroemerias keep in mind that the prices you see in bowling center pro shops are often a little higher than what you can order one for, but most shops include the drilling in the price and charge a good chunk to drill balls they didn’t sell.
@@aruljebin depends. Performance of the bowling ball can make them cost around 220-240 at your local shop.
When you asked him to bowl on the dry lane he looked offended LOL
@aswer huio It's been done. Mark Rober made a video of one.
now he need to bowl on a dry ane made in wood lol x10 grip level
He doesn’t like it going in dry.
Dude. He did NOT wanna bowl that. 🤣🤣🤣
That's the legendary Pete Weber! Arguably the greatest of all time. You simply do not ask him to throw a gutter ball, let alone on camera for millions to view!
I used to be on a bowling league and went to tournaments, and you nailed this video! A lot of the stuff you mentioned were the same stuff my coaches would always talk about. Your form and consistency is the biggest, no ball is gonna fix bad aim lol
weirdly enough the most detailed and well put together Veritasium video I have seen. No clickbaity. Facts felt like a 10 min video. Props. Often you seem arrogant or ill informed even tho your a Physicist but this was very concise and to the point. Big up
I remember fondly when my dad told me of a story once when he partook in a perfect game competition back in the '80s which awards the winner a car. He said that the more strikes he got the more judges sat near him to observe his throws. He said that he lost his streak at the tenth throw from the pressure of being observed closely by so many people. Having watched this video, I'm guessing that the factors related oil had more to do with him losing the streak than the pressure. This video gave me a new appreciation for that story
Science
It's so common for people to blame themselves for everything bad that happens to them, when, typically, factors outside of out control influence our failures (and successes) more than we realise. All we can ever do is give it our best, and hope it works out. There's no point worrying about our past results
Actually maybe it was the pressure . As a bowler too for me it’s really all about the mental game . For the oiling u could adjust to its changes. If every single one of ur shots r consistent it will be easy to predict wat changes to make on the lane(moving right or left), and how the ball will start moving, relative to the oiling pattern and the amount of times the ball goes over the same line.
Yeah, the pressure and mental aspects are still huge parts of the game. It’s hard to be that consistent, especially with the changing oil patterns, as you mentioned.
It was appreciably harder to throw a perfect game back in the 1980s...ball technology was not as advanced as it is now and few balls had a core, lanes were typically still wood and thus were more variable than modern synthetics, and oil was still often applied by hand and thus was less consistent. Pressure certainly would have been a part of it but overall bowling conditions being less forgiving played a big part as well
“who do you think you are?! i am!!” toooootally forgot about this clip and did not expect to see it here 😂😂😂
🤔 eh?
@@gabbonoo 6:17
I was so happy to see it. Also that there was a quick forshaddow of it like 2 minutes prior, he shows up for a quick second.
I forgot about it too. A damn classic!
haha me tooo
I've never seen a video about bowling this in-depth. Thank you!
Fascinating! My bowling ball is a gyro-balanced 'Don Carter Gyro 2'. It's now 49 years old! I bought it and had it fitted in 1974 when I was 18 years old, and it cost me £21 back then. I've rarely used it since the end of the 70s. I'm old school and prefer manual projection scoring on league games.
What does that mean manual projection scoring on league games?
@@johngiovanni2440 You marked your score on a clear plastic score sheet using a Chinagraph pencil, (like a crayon) the scores were then projected on to angled ceiling above the bowling lanes for the spectators to see. The score was manual, not computerised. This system was used mainly for league competitions. None league games were scored on paper.
Never have I thought that I will be watching a video about bowling with such interest. Thanks V!
@@frackingfluidinjection 😏
@@frackingfluidinjection 😏
@@frackingfluidinjection 😏
@@frackingfluidinjection 😏
1:45am here and I've just finished watching this. And I don't even bowl.
"Who do you think you are? I am!" he really put that in there 😂
Was the guy trying to say Who Do You Think I Am? 🤣
@@stockstreamtwitch There was a kid in the audience heckling him and he wanted to say something like "who do you think you are? I'm the man of the tournament" but then he got too excited.
I absolutely loved this video, i've been bowling for about 16 years now, and im 19 in a few days, im in a few leagues, including the youth league at my home centre. It's a YBC bowling league (Youth Bowl Canada) and i went to provincials a few weeks ago, ended up winning with an average of 222 over 6 games, and now im going to nationals to compete Canada wide, and internationals to compete across all of Canada and the United States it's gonna be a blast
The best video of bowling that I've ever seen. Now I know the science of bowling, I never gave a thought to the difference between bowling balls. This was incredibly informative.
I'd like to believe that "Bear" was just a random guess lol. Made me chuckle
As if Derek doesn't do his research before going on site.
It wasn't - Derek was prepared like always
Yes and Bear is ridiculously difficult due to that it is a "flat" pattern so there is a high volume of oil on each board and it's doesn't taper off like on the house shot
Its a actual lane pattern
@@gotgt500 **wolf has entered the chat**
“Who do you think you are I AM!?” I had forgotten all about that gem. Classic…
Fantastic summary of one of my favorite pastimes. Shows that bowling can be quite deep!
Bowling was my favorite sport to take part in as a kid and me finding all of this cool information when I’m older really makes me wanna get back into it.
I know it would be a nightmare for the lane owner, but it would be really neat to use dyed oil to see how the pattern smears over time.
Some professional tournaments actually use dyed oil. You should check it out. :)
Also a nightmare for the hands and clothing of the bowlers
@@jonwick893 No kidding? I’ll definitely try finding some pictures and videos. Thanks!
To go along with what Jon Wick said, if you look up PBA tournaments on KZhead you will see that they use an oil with a blue hue to it for the people watching to better understand the oil pattern on the lane.
@@stevenz6424 Wow, this shows how long it's been since I've seen any pro bowling. haha 😅
Pete was like: The audacity, this lunatic wants to make me throw my first gutter since i was a kid, outrageous!
True!
Yup the look on his face like....you want me to do what aww man ...ok for science....I guess
Haha exactly he looked so unhappy
He was so uncomfortable. He had to defend and justify the gutter ball at 13:45 like we were judging him for it.
He REALLY didn't want tot do that. ANd totally top and tailed the throw with the "yeah, no oil, it WILL do this...[throw] see, I told you!" Fair play.
Superbly done. So many things I had no idea about. Fascinating.
i knew most of this but could never explain it as articulate as you did. I sent this video to my son who is great bowler and said the is the most amazing bowling video explaining the physics, theory and technique I've ever seen. Amazing job Sir. I'm born and raised St. Louis and followed Pete and his Dad Dick.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? I AM" Best line ever, bowling isn't the same without Pete
did he retire? pardon my ignorance
@@jeremylawson6648 Yeah, he did. He was one of the biggest trash talkers I've seen in professional bowling
@@motifity3416 > biggest trash talkers With lines like "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! I AM!", I absolutely believe you.
Legendary
whoever you thought you were, he was.
Great video! I'm just getting back into bowling and about to order a new ball. Good to know that I have a better chance at strikes hooking the ball. Keep up the awesome vids!
As a project and engineering manager, I coordinated the launch of a Brunswick bowling ball manufacturing plant back in 2006. Seeing this video reminded me of how cool the bowling ball manufacturing process is as well of the interesting science behind it. Great times!
The "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE??? I AM!!!!" Pete Weber reaction has never failed to make me laugh for so many years now it's ridiculous
One of the greatest memes of all time
Better is when he was being awarded the trophy he went right by.
I always come across random things at the same time.. I just listened to the dollop podcast episode on bowling and they mentioned that quote. And all the crazy names bowlers had. And now I'm watching the veritasium episode. But I would have never known what the deal with this quote was unless I listened to the dollop episode. This happens a lot to me. I just so happen to get a small tidbit of info on something then happen across the same thing later but I am prepared with prior knowledge
It was like biblical, whatever God you think you serve, I AM! So funny it made it into this video as well. But yeah when the top hang trophy was not glued down to its base was so funny, credit started rolling, then cut to commercial... so funny.
Pete was never the "man" his dad was. Dick Weber was a class act. Pete is still an immature baby.
Government: bans nine-pin bowling. Smart guy: invents ten-pin bowling.
That's what he gov't gets for being so specific. And to think before there was 10 pin bowling there was no chance at ever picking up a 7-10 split to brag about.
@@14yeartwitch14 It probably didn't help that the game at the time was literally called "ninepins" in the common parlance...
Police: You are all under arrest for illegal 9 pin bowling Bowlers: We are not playing 9 pin look at that wood branch beside the other pin, Its 10 pin bowling Police: Ok how do I place my bet?
lol ... ...... ...Why are you still here ... ... ... ... bye......
@@lilbigbob3836 I was hoping for something profound at the end... ya cut me deep.
Great video. Bowling is such a great game I've been bowling for many years really got into it in my late teens early 20s quit for over a decade then just recently got back into it
Would love to see a similar video about inline speed skating: different surfaces, track types, wheel sizes, wheel materials, weather conditions, tactics,...
"Hidden technology" is certainly a great legit-bait on this video. I didn't think I'd be interested but I was positively surprised about the depth of the topic and never felt mislead. You're getting better at this.
Hahaa I always check on Veritasium's videos to see how he changes the title and thumbnail throughout the week.
That’s his new strategy: only make videos that can be accurately described by what seems like clickbait. Best of both worlds.
someone stole your comment and got more likes
Got me thru Hidden Lost Ancient Technology vids I watch.
@@archevenault I don't mind, I don't comment for likes or originality. I was curious though, so I looked, and it seemed more like a bot to me anyway.
The production quality exceeds many TV shows at this point! Well done Derek and everyone involved in the production.
Not just many but most. There's a lot of trash on TV.
Great video. Just wish there was a segment about the creation and explanation of the pins. And then how different angles and contact would be used to hit pins that are split
Pete Weber is the son of a legend. I grew up watching those Dick Weber vs. Earl Anthony matches. What an amazing time for the game.
As a lifelong bowler, I didn’t learn anything new from this video, but I am greatly appreciative of the quality of effort, thought and care put into this production. I have already shared it with several non-bowling friends of mine.
you did learn one thing -- the face pete makes when asked to bowl on a dry lane.
@@timq6224 he was definitely uncomfortable
Definitely the most times Derek has ever said 'Balls' in a single day.
His boyfriend would disagree
Not*
But not the most times you've said it I bet.
Well "ho ho ho" - how very amusing. -_-
Excellent. A very informative, entertaining, and interesting video! I just forwarded this on to my league teammates as required viewing.
Nice explanation. I drove my local pro and the shop nuts when measuring me for drilling. I'm right handed and my thumb pattern fits that but my fingers map out L/H. Got even more obvious when I shifted to fingertip!!
My vote for the next sport to analyze: Disc Golf. There's a lot of interesting aerodynamics going on in that sport. I'd love to see a full Veritasium-level analysis!
It will happen now. Because suggestion and good idea.
Ooh yes, disc golf is ridiculous amounts of fun, can be played just about anywhere and guys like Paul McBeth have done so much for the sport over the last few years. Yet it is not as easy as it looks at first glance - it deserves the airtime of other major sports. It's a great spectator sport, gets one out into the open fresh air and the start-up cost is not an arm and a leg. I would love to see a more in-depth look at how the discs are made etc etc.
Good suggestion. He thought bowling had a lot of variables, wait till you throw a nose up DX destroyer hyzer flip into a headwind on a humid day.
I've never hward of this sport up untill now. But now I want a video
Seriously, I think the most underrated sport in the world. Look up the world championship. I think this game is the sh*t!
"The Determinator" has got to be the best in-house name for a machine ever! Every factory needs two or three good Determinators regardless of what they make.
If Skynet had a Determinator then Sarah Connor could have lived a normal life.
Also a Turbo Encabulator.
I like the german word endmaßsatz.
In British pubs people used to play skittles, like a mini version of bowling. You sadly don't see skittle lanes in pubs any more but it was a staple feature once. I haven't seen one for years. We have bowling alleys but they're really base quality.
I uses to love watching Pete bowl in the 70s and 80s. He has always been my favorite.
As somebody that’s bowled competitively for most of my life this was a good video with accurate information and I think you did your explanation very well, had I known nothing I firmly believe I would have understood everything to an acceptable degree. Good video for sure!
Yes! These types of videos need to reach more people.
As somebody who's bowled maybe 2 or 3 times, I do indeed feel like I understand most of this now :) so you're right about that
@@coryman125 Ditto. I did have to do a couple of double takes at the section about which shapes affects the spin progression in what way though...
Agreed. 32 year bowler here. It's great to see someone like Veritasium devling into the physics of my favorite sport.
Awww, now I have warm memories of my dad proudly coming home from the bowling alley, stinking of cigars, with a bowling trophy to add to the collection above the fireplace. He would always pick up a box of Junior Mints from the bowling alley vending machine for me. I miss him.
Ever since I was young I always thought it was better to bowl just off-centre, but I could never explain why, now I know why, nice and informative video.
I remember growing up and seeing pictures of some of the people in the 900 club and was just in awe how someone could pull that off and how stress filled it must have been to come down to the remaining frames in the last game.
36 consecutive strikes is insane.
I never thought that the science of bowling was so interesting but I never thought that there was much science to it. Thank you.
so thats how Wanted worked, curved bullets with grease in the air
Underrated comment🔥🔥😂
ACTUALLY WAIT IF THE BULLETS HAD WEIGHTS INSIDE BRO WAIT
@@NoConsequenc3 🤔
@@NoConsequenc3 That'll probably not do much, or at least it doesn't feel like it would, but maybe if you made the bullet itself assymetric and designed to curve using aerodynamics or whatnot...?
@@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149 Bro. Don't bring problem, bring solutions
Been bowling for almost 50 years now. Just learned more about the ball, the lane, and how best to use them in the last 28 min than I did in all 50 of those years. Haha. Wicked cool!
This is the coolest F1 shot I've seen. The way F1 shoots the races with the dynamic shots really takes away of the actual speed the cars go. Imagine them shooting F1 footage of live events with this drone.
I've bowled countless times. In high school our alley was BYOB so we'd take a case and have some fun. Some guys were good at spin, I wasn't I just grabbed the heaviest ball and launched it (usually 100+ score). This video at that time would have changed my game completely. Sometimes I think I was lucky to grow up without the internet, other times I think about how limited information was. No one could explain bowling the way this video just did.
Yeah last time I went bowling with my friends we were like googling oil patterns while we were there lol.
My dad took a bowling class in college, so he would always give me tips during bowling alley birthday parties.
I read that as bring your own ball before I got to the word case. For a split second I thought, wow who can afford their own ball in high school!?
I think that has more to do with why there are more perfect games. Information is shared so much they've got it down to a science.
“Who do you think you are?! I am!” Was lucky enough to see that live.
DAMMIT RIGHT!
i am extremely jealous. i’m so glad you could see that
Watched that also. Pete Weber, ONE OF A KIND !
who is that guy ? :D
Excellent well researched video as always. High quality high effort content. Love it.
I LOVE that you got the legend Pete Weber on her. And I love even more the fact that you included his most iconic clip. "Who do you think you are, I AM!"
Wow, now I can finally beat Roman in Grand Theft Auto
Let's go bowling!
Nice
Hey, cousin! Let's go bowling!
I just went down the right side with little spin, aimed just right of center pin.
COUSIN!!!!
The interviews are sometimes so amusing, where everyone one is so amused because they come from such different backgrounds
Yeah, but the ridiculous ones aren't the ones you think they are.
Well that guy seemed like an asshole. He started by screaming "You think you are better than me ? Huh? ", Talked like a cocky ass too
@@SF-li9kh It's the American way haha.
@@SF-li9kh i think he was talking to the robot
@@SF-li9kh He's famous for that. A lot of bowling guys hated him from what I understand because he was always trash talking. But he also won so many championships that it would be ridiculous to not give him a begrudging respect.
Excellent break down of the game over many many years. I began in the vertical early 70's & related to the data shared.
When I was a kid, my neighbor use to take us bowling. Maureen was a big lady, and when she would roll the ball down the lane, the pins would jump out of the way of her ball. I can’t count how many 300 games she had but it was in the thousands. She could’ve been a pro, but she loved being a stay at home mom. Bowling was just a hobby for her.
What? No way.
This was surprisingly fascinating. You've got a knack for doing that.
@@aratirao9007 search Aditi Rendy Rao, she makes random comments about random stuff. She is actually a he - HisRa :D
@@rajadhirajmaharaj show bobs and vegene
Years ago, at my office, we had a league bowler who seemed an absolute marvel to the uninitiated. There was a bowling alley across the street, and once in a while after work we'd all go over, ostensibly to bowl, but mostly to watch him. To his coworkers, he appeared as good or better than the pros on TV, and newcomers would always ask why he himself wasn't up on the screen. He'd laugh and explain how we were all bowling on a "house shot" - i.e., a recreational oil pattern - and that house shots were easier to score on. He said this was no secret, that most regular bowlers were aware of the difference between patterns used for customer play - even league play - and those used for pro play. He assured us that if he had to bowl on pro patterns, we'd soon see the difference between him and the pros. I think it was pretty classy of him to be honest. I'm afraid that if I had been he, I'd have been tempted to describe myself as an undiscovered Don Carter.
That was well-written and a pleasure to read, thank you.
@@iBringTheRain24 Thank you very much for taking the trouble to say so.
in 2014 I bowled a game at the local alley and got 183 and I thought I was awesome at bowling. Then on a different night they had the lanes oiled like the pros and I bowled 102. The oil is important.
I like to tell people house shot is essentially bumpers for competitive bowling. Sport shot is incredibly more difficult to stay consistent. On house shot you have about 5-6 boards of error, where sport shot you have maybe 2-3 boards to hit to strike. On top of this lane conditions are constantly changing and the only way to know what they are is to bowl and correct it in the next shot, which very well be a different condition due to having other bowlers on the lane. In tournaments you can sometimes have 10-12 people on a pair of lanes (switching lanes every throw). That amount of bowlers, usually at higher rev rates absolutely destroy lane conditions making it almost impossible to throw a consistent shot
@@boomfly9543 There is also a difference in bowling on an end pair. The lane next to the walkway will get goofy oil movement due to the airflow up against a wall. This can cause drastically different shots between the two lanes. Especially if the right lane is the end.
This is definitely one of the coolest videos on KZhead always wondered these things about bowling and sure learned a ton
Used to oil the lanes in an old Elks Club when a kid. It’s fun to watch our guru help explain stuff in 20 minutes that took decades to learn . Not being dismissive. It’s really goood . Makes me want to go buy a decent ball and drilled . Have a decent one I left in South Korea almost a decade ago
Jeez, I've loved everything Derek does and I'm a bowling geek. I just got back from watching these exact guys, Pete Weber and Chris Barns, bowling PBA50 in Vegas. Go to any tournament and watch them. They are all very nice people and easy to meet n greet. The reference to players selecting balls like golfers selecting clubs is spot on. We know the basic shape of the roll the different balls will give us. It is based on their weight block, surface material and how they are prepped, but also us throwing them all many times, under every condition. We are looking for the ball that gives us forgiveness to miss a little and still get to the pocket at a good angle. The industry will have a device one day that goes in a finger tip of the ball and give you all the computer analytics on your phone instantly. Bowling rocks. Veritasium ROCKS. Thanks, Derek
Go Dirk!
The golfer/club comparison is one I've been using for a long time when people ask why I carry so many bowling balls: Different balls for different conditions.
SHUT UP
@@LoanSharkTheFirst If you r gonna troll, your channel shouldn't be for only 5 yr olds.
@@livinb450 how is it for 5 year olds?
Amazing video, it was awesome learning the complexity of a sport that looks "simple"
Joder shadoune q haces aca jaja
A la madre JAJAJAJJA QUE HACES AQUÍ
Did it for years and thought it was too. But never understood why I could not stay consistent even though I was good. Because I never understood the science (and so much of it, my word, I never realized) behind lane condition changing in relation to the ball etc. And I'm quite scientifically minded too, but this was something that never really crossed my mind. When I was doing bad, I would change it up and do better, now I understand why those changes in approach and throw etc. worked. Because I tapped into the right lane condition, unknowingly. Gives a new meaning to being "in the zone" eh?! lol.
@@MrBilld75 mucho texto xd
Its a lot of research to learn on its own doesnt begin the small adjustments you need to make constantly
Excellent video went through the whole thing quick fast informative lots of new information very impressed
This is an outstanding video explaining the sceince and techniques of bowling! Something that caught my attention was the comment made at ~24:20 that winter tires have less friction during summer as less surface area is touching the lane. That isn't true as friction does not depend of surface area, but only on the CoF b/w surfaces. Its not recommened to use winter tires during dry summer condition as they're much "softer" in their rubber composition (and hence wear out faster) and behave/flex much differently than their summer counterparts, resulting in poor handling generally.
Please do Curling next. I would like to learn about cutting edge Broom technology in that sport. 😸
The science behind curling is actually really cool and interesting
Destin from Smarter Every Day, of all people (because he’s from Alabama, where it’s warm), has done a video on the physics of curling.
When Derek was saying how oil gets moved around as a bowling game goes on, I thought about how pebble gets warn down in curling and shooters have to adjust.
So funny dude, cutting edge broom tech... can't wait to share this joke with my mom she loves that sport for whatever reason
Here's a question I've wanted to get an answer to for decades: Explain the physics of taking the first shot at the racked up balls in pool. How does the force get split up in an ideal state where the balls all touch, and one in a more realist state where some balls touch but some don't.
One for the slowmo guys and veritasium explain
Great idea, hard to do i think since humans prepare the first shot and those tiny variations probably have a reasonably big impact. Anyway, vid when? 😁
It's a good question, but has a boring answer. Sensitivity to initial conditions is so great, that extremely small imperfections in how the rack is set up makes most tactics obsolete. It's like asking which "tactic" gets you more heads when tossing a coin, it doesn't make much sense, cause it's mostly randomness.
@@juozsx So its a chaotic system?
@@BurgahBoyy precisely
Honestly this might be my favourite Veritassium video I’ve seen. I love the exploration of all aspects of bowling technique and technology. I never knew most of it before and tbh its increased by interest in bowling as a sport. Interesting topic and Very well executed, the perfect combination for an excellent and enjoyable video
Humans true super power.....taking something simple and making it as complicated as possible.
I'd like to make the argument that in reality nature itself is complicated and we just take time to figure it out.
Me: "I'm not watching a 28 minute video on bowling". Me 28 minutes later: "well actually if you change the gyration radius on the oiled side you would drastically increase your chances of getting a 6° angle of attack..."
Yeah, and the fact you can understand what are you talking is even more impressive
And that is where throwing forms come in! Some do two hand throwing others do what I call "power thrower" using 2 finger no thumb or like me I use my thumb and 2 fingers
But honestly the people I had to bowl against consistently threw in tournaments at 30 mph minimum literal 8 hours
Same here.
Wow
This is absolutely wild. The idea that the technology behind bowling is as advanced as it is is fascinating and makes me rethink the sport. Different oil patterns, different balls, different internals, different surface materials. Awesome!
Very interesting. I remember watching pro bowling on TV years ago. I was never in to 10 pin. I always bowled 5-pin. I would be interested to see a similar video to this on the subject of 5 pin bowling. It would be quite interesting to hear of the similarities and differences between the two.
This was a fantastic informative documentary as someone that is getting back into bowling after a 4 year break.
"This is the most biggest and indepth video about bowling" Me: (changes my sitting posture)