The occurrence and aggravation of local defects in ball bearings are closely linked to the skidding behavior of the ball. Previous studies have given less attention to investigating the impact of localized defects on the problem of bearing skidding. To investigate the dynamic response of defective bearings due to skidding, a dynamic model of the ball bearing is developed that considers various factors, including self-rotation, revolution, and radial motion of the ball, as well as the contact forces and friction forces of ball/cage and ball/race, time-varying displacement excitation, and elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). Experimental signals collected from a machinery fault simulator test rig are used to validate the accuracy of the proposed model. The impact of race defects on the vibration characteristics of the bearing is analyzed, and the patterns of variation in contact and friction forces within one cycle of inner race rotation are described. The results indicate that the presence of defects intensifies the force fluctuation of the ball and causes it to deviate from its normal rolling condition. By comparing the skidding characteristics of a healthy bearing with a defective one under slippage, local defects will increase the skidding ratio of bearings. The proposed model can investigate the impact of race defects on the vibration response of ball bearings under the skidding condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]