The Bill O’Neill is a 36-foot pattern from the PBA Jr series, named after a top professional bowler. The PBA Jr patterns are used in junior competition and play at a sport level, so they are tougher than a typical house shot.
At 36 feet, the Bill O’Neill pattern rewards a controlled, repeatable shot. Read the lane early, find the part of it that gives you a clean look, and adjust in small steps as it breaks down.
| Length | 36 feet |
|---|---|
| Pattern type | PBA Jr (Sport) |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Best played | More angle to the outside |
| Official sheet | PBA (link below) |
A shorter pattern lets the ball hook earlier, which suits a straight game. Play a touch more angle to the friction, keep your speed up, and stay accurate to the pocket.
You can use some angle on a shorter pattern. Send the ball to the dry and let it come back, but control your speed so it does not over-hook. Move in as the fronts wear down.
A short pattern plus a big hook can over-react. Smooth your surface, add speed, and play straighter so the ball finishes instead of jumping.
A shorter sport pattern plays tricky. The ball hooks early and can over-react, so control your speed and surface and lean on accuracy.
Bowling Addicts links to the official source so you always get the real sheet. The file opens on the PBA site in a new tab.
Official pattern courtesy of the PBA.
The Bill O’Neill pattern is 36 feet long.
It is a PBA Jr sport pattern, so it plays tougher than a house shot. At 36 feet it rewards accuracy and a controlled ball motion.
Use a bit more angle to the friction outside, but control your speed so the ball does not over-hook.
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