The Chameleon oil pattern is a pattern of oil used by the Professional Bowlers Association in tournament play. It is among the numerous Animal Patterns.

The current rendition of the Chameleon pattern is 39 feet in length. This forces players to play a specific part of the lane because of the way the oil is layered in "strips". The lane conditions dictate where the bowler should play. This is considered a "retro" approach to pattern designing.

The Chameleon pattern varies in a large range of scores (low to high), as does the bowlers' approach to the pattern. There isn't one specific bowling style that is most effective on this pattern, because there can be multiple target lines that dictate how much the ball will hook, and thus how much curvature its path will have.

This oil pattern is named after the chameleon because like a chameleon, which can change its color repeatedly, so too must a bowler be able to change his style of play.

Tournaments that used this pattern Tournament Winner Mixed Doubles Championship - 2009 Norm Duke Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship Women's Series - 2009 Liz Johnson Chameleon Championship - 2008 Michael Machuga Chameleon Championship Women's Series - 2008 Michelle Feldman Go RVing Classic - 2008 Rhino Page PBA Exempt Doubles Classic - 2008 Danny Wiseman Lake County Indiana Classic presented by United Way - 2007 Michael Haugen Jr. Lake County Indiana Classic Women's Series - 2007 Joy Esterson Go RVing Classic - 2007 Patrick Allen H&R Block Classic - 2007 Patrick Allen Lake County Indiana Classic - 2006 Norm Duke Great Lakes Classic - 2006 Patrick Allen Keystone State Championship - 2005 Patrick Allen Greater Omaha Classic - 2005 Michael Machuga PBA Banquet Open - 2005 Tommy Jones PBA GEICO Open - 2005 Mika Koivuniemi PBA Denver Open - 2004 Tommy Jones PBA Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic - 2004 Mike Scroggins PBA Greater Philadelphia Open - 2003 Patrick Allen PBA Greater Kansas City Classic - 2003 Norm Duke

References

External links Chameleon Oil Pattern by Jef Goodger at about.com PBA Oil Patterns: Chameleon