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Author Topic: Soaker Ball  (Read 13918 times)

burly

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Soaker Ball
« on: September 15, 2005, 05:48:09 PM »
what is a soaker ball and why was it banned?
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dizzyfugu

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2005, 02:00:08 AM »
It is not a ball, but a (now) illegal method of ball preparation. In the 70ies, a mediocre pro player (I do not remember his name) had a sudden success on tour and even made at least one title with an incredibly hooking ball. The secret to his success was that he put the ball (a polyester, when I remember correctly?) into a bucket with chemicals which softened the shell, increasing grip and traction. This was so aggressive that balls were ruined in a row, but the results spoke for themselves... after some time the secret was discovered and the practice of soaking balls was banned, the player fell back to his mediocre status. Nevertheless, it left a deep mark in bowling history and it is also the reason why certain cleaning detergents which might soften the ball shell are banned till today.
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
Team "X": http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe


Edited on 9/16/2005 10:00 AM
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iommifan

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2005, 09:18:55 AM »
I don't think it was toluene I belive it was M.E.K. (Methyl Ethyl Keytone) a nasty little solvent that is also a carcinogen. They used to use it in the theatre business to remove prostetics off actors (Karloff, Legosi...) they all suffered health problems after.
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azus

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2005, 10:02:57 AM »
I think the banned the method because it was dangerous.
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dizzyfugu

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2005, 10:05:01 AM »
An addendum, although the details have already been unveiled by others...
Don McCune started his "soaking fame" in 1973, TOC is right! He also almost became player of the year, but he leaked the secret by himself and all the fame was gone...

As a aside note, the minimum hardness regulation of 72 on the D scale (and of at least 75 on the pro tours) which is still in use today stems from this incident 30 years ago. Before the soaker ball, nobody ever spent a thought about friction of ball coverstocks and its influence on scoring and ball dynamics.

Important topic, and big bowling history!


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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
Team "X": http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe


Edited on 9/16/2005 10:01 AM
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scotts33

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2005, 10:46:03 AM »
quote:
I think the banned the method because it was dangerous.


It is dangerous but it was banned because it gave players doing it an unfair advantage.  

M.E.K <methyl ethyl ketone> is used in dry cleaning fluids.  Very nasty stuff.

BTW---Don was a very good bowler before "soaking" equipment.  

For you PBA history buffs follow some of the PBA threads that Larry Lichtstein has written about ball doctoring.  "Soaker" balls were not the only illegal equipment tried and used on the tour.  

One of the long Billy Hardwick threads on pba.com makes for very interesting reading.

Scott
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Scott

charlest

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2005, 11:37:38 AM »
quote:
An addendum, although the details have already been unveiled by others...
Don McCune started his "soaking fame" in 1973, TOC is right! He also almost became player of the year, but he leaked the secret by himself and all the fame was gone...

As a aside note, the minimum hardness regulation of 72 on the D scale (and of at least 75 on the pro tours) which is still in use today stems from this incident 30 years ago. Before the soaker ball, nobody ever spent a thought about friction of ball coverstocks and its influence on scoring and ball dynamics.

Important topic, and big bowling history!
--------------------

DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany


FYI Since he is in the PBA Bowling Hall of Fame I hardly think he earned it by using the Soaker ball for one year ... He was NOT a "flash in the pan". He just found a loophole in the manner people do these days with sanding with the track sanding against the track, burning up other people's lines with 120 grit supoer-dull balls and throwing plastic balls down the middle to create hold areas.


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Bowling: Just like hand grenades and horse shoes, you only have to get close.
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charlesrob

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2005, 11:57:11 AM »
Came across an old columbia ball in the mid 80's called a Sure D. It was a caramel colored polyester. There was a Shore durometer for hardness testing. Does any one know how this,or if this is part of the soaker history?

thanks for any info
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RSalas

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2005, 12:02:50 PM »
quote:
Came across an old columbia ball in the mid 80's called a Sure D. It was a caramel colored polyester. There was a Shore durometer for hardness testing. Does any one know how this,or if this is part of the soaker history?


Depends on whether it was a "Shore-D," a "Shur-D," or a "Sur-D."  Yes, all of these were names for Columbia polyester balls back then.

IIRC, the last incarnation of the "Sur-D" was actually slightly *harder* than the Yellow Dot, but not as much so as the White Dot.
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burly

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2005, 04:17:17 AM »
thanks for the info guys

i want to learn about bowling history --the good and the bad.

this deserves a ttt.
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JohnP

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Re: Soaker Ball
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2005, 11:55:56 AM »
The SurD and ShoreD (spelling may be wrong, but close) came in a specific time sequence, and I don't remember which came first.  Both were caramel plastic balls from Columbia.  After the advantage of soaking was discovered, Columbia brought out a super soft ball, which I think was the SurD Pro.  Soon afterward, ABC instituted the 72 hardness spec to bring some sanity to the soaking that was going on.  Since the SurD's hardness was in the mid to high 60's, that made it illegal.  I had one of them, and it could be scratched with a thumb nail, but it really reacted (for that day) on the lanes!  I set it up in an old bag for a few years, and when I went to see what it looked like, it had about 1/4" of gooey resin on its surface.  I threw it away, sure wish I'd kept it.  But anyway, after the SurD became illegal, Columbia brought out the ShoreD, which had a hardness just above the 72 cut off point.  I never threw one of those.  Regarding the old Crown Jewels, when they came out they and all plastic balls were considered "womens balls".  But one of the better bowlers in town bought a gray CJ, and all of a sudden he was putting up scores he'd never been able to post before.  He was a full roller, and we just thought he'd hit a lucky streak.  Never guessed the ball was softer than the rubber balls others were using.  --  JohnP
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