Lane topography is one of the most influential factors in ball reaction. The American Bowling Congress and Women's International Bowling Congress make the rules covering lane specifications. One such specification is the crosswise tilt, or the measurement from gutter to gutter which shows if one side of the lane is higher than the other side. For crosswise tilt the level is laid across the lane, and the bubble of the level will move to the side that is high. The thickness of the gauges needed equals the amount of tilt on the lane.
All lanes have some amount of tilt.
While there may not be consistent tilt readings across all lanes in a particular center, there is often a degree of consistency on each lane. The amount the crosswise tilt affects the entire lane can be averaged between each arrow. The crosswise tilt only becomes a real factor when the lane is tilted to one side for a certain length of the lane. The ball is more affected by the crosswise tilt from thirty feet to the pin deck. It can have some impact in the front of the lane, but the tilt needs to be pretty large.