Author Topic: Making it as simple as can be! (Read 4297 times)

Impending Doom · « **on:** February 25, 2013, 11:49:18 AM »

After talking a lot with my pro shop buddy and friend, I have decided to only go with 2 layouts on all of the stuff that I am drilling. It makes sense. I've learned that for the most part, for dual angles, my sweet spot is anywhere from 100 to 120. So, here is what I have planned for my plimagrige to the pro shop one day (because, boy, it's going to be one heck of a day!)

Drilling #1 (Used on Bank, Bank Roll, Clutch Pearl) 60x4.75x40
Put this on the War Eagle, Slant HD, Torrid, Hook Hybrid, Freight Train, Look (Possibly)

Drilling #2 (Used on Black Break, Aftermath) 50x5x65
Put this on the Jewel, Black Eagle, Hook Black/Green.

All surfaces will be adjusted back to what the "box" finish is, so it can be replicated again, before I even toss anything.

Now, why am I punching all of these balls at once?

For one, thinned out the herd a lot (Got 6 balls sitting in my "Give to high school bowlers" pile), thus leaving me with 5 in the bag as of right now. (Bank, Bank Roll, Clutch Pearl, Hype Reactive, Plastic)

I've kept fighting ball reaction with some of them in the get rid of pile. I would drill something for a specific condition, and it wouldn't work right for me. I would get trapped inbetween "This ball with this surface and this layout is too much, then if I ball down, it's not enough" garbage.

So I looked in my bag, said "Which ones would I throw if I needed to really trust my ball reaction?" The ones I could trust stayed. They mostly have the same layout.

But bowlers can not thrive on one layout alone! This is why my other favorite layout is the second one. One allows me to open up the lane, the other one is much more controllable in the midlane.

I've forgotten that surface management is 70% of ball reaction (I know, sevenpin, I bagged on you for it all summer!). If I need something smoother off the spot, I need to adjust surface. I need something more jumpy off the spot, I need to adjust surface. Let the weightblock dictate the details getting there (RG, diff, etc).

I look forward to testing all of these out, and reporting back what it is I find. Just trying to KISS.

charlest · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2013, 02:02:49 PM »

KISS is an especially good principle, when balls, drillings and surfaces are involved because there's so many potential combinations.

That said, when you have as many balls as you plan on using, I would still consider one or two special drillings for special purpose balls. Which ones depend on you and what you see and what you may potentially see in tournaments. It might be your strongest ball for the most oil, it might be your lightest oil for the driest conditions, or it might be for when you need to play the deepest.

Impending Doom · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2013, 02:36:43 PM »

I could see that, and the Hype is 30x4x30, and I was thinking about a Sure Thing drilled Rico. However, for the heavy, if I can't get the Freight Train to the hole, something is wrong. For the light, take the Hype or the Hook hybrid and move way left, or just throw it with your spare release. If they're too dry for me, then every elses ball is rolling out, lol. If I get a Look (On special for $90 at Buddies, BTW), I can't see that not being able to corner if I play deep, and if I need to play the rim, the ST Ricoed would work.

The key for me is to be able to use the ball appropriate for the condition, and then adjust your hand position. That is starting to become less and less of an art, since Joe Bowler buys a new ball, and if they can't throw it just the way they want to, where they want to, it's garbage.

Impending Doom · « **Reply #3 on:** March 11, 2013, 09:19:23 AM »

Update:

Finally made it to Competitive Edge Pro Shop in Woodridge, IL. Paul grabbed the layout off of my Banks, and we discussed what would be a good idea for me. We decided on going with 70x5x30, due to my ball speed. Drilled up the following with this layout.

Freight Train
Train
Look
Hook Hybrid
War Eagle
Slant HD
Torrid

The Black Eagle and the Hook Black/Green got the 50x5x65 treatment. Hook Black/Green looks a lot duller than the 4000 grit it says it is. My neck was kind of bothering me, and there had been birthday parties all morning and afternoon, so I figured it wasn't the best time to throw some stuff. Testing will come soon, and pictures will be up soon on my Flickr page as well too.

kidlost2000 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 11, 2013, 04:58:15 PM »

Any one who has drilled a lot of bowling ball will tell you that after a while you ended up seeing that there are a few layouts that work best for you and others that are just so so. I have maybe three to four tops that I really use. Usually keeping the angles the same and adjust the pin to pap distance as needed. Only making small mods if the cg needs to be moved slightly for static weight purposes or for desired x-hole locations.

Typically I have a pin up, pin down, pin even with the fingers and Rico layout that I use. The first three always keep the MB/PSA near the thumb. The Rico layout I only use on symmetric bowling balls. 98% of the pin distances are 4-6.25" with the occasional pin 3.5" or less.

Impending Doom · « **Reply #5 on:** April 08, 2013, 11:23:14 AM »

OK, so finally tested out the stuff I drilled. Granted, it was after a woman's league with all of the ladies pushing everything in the middle (And at this place, there's a LOT in the middle) all the way down the lane.

Freight Train - I can see why people like this ball. It's more angular off the spot than the Train, but still is readable in the middle of the lane. On the fresh in that house, I think it will kill. The condition that I was bowling on dictated that I play a part of the lane that the Freight Train could not. Hit is Train grade. Messengers and trip 4's. Too bad I had so many bowling balls to test, I would have kept throwing that ball just to see the pin carry!

Train - I still think that OOB, it's too smooth and early. Will have to test more with it to really get a read with it.

Look - With the more angular move out of it, ball rolled very well through the pins. Kept them low, and was a much different motion than the FT. At this house, I would personally rough up the surface just a touch to read the middles better.

Hook Black/Green - 4000 my eye. If my ball is really 4000 OOB, I would extremely shocked. Read the pattern like a dream (Even burnt up a little bit, which was shocking), hit was very simple. I didn't fling pins around or anything, but since the ball was rolling so heavily through the pins, it just kept the pins right where they belonged. In the pit.

Hook Black/Pink - The Hybrid version of the Hook is something every league bowler needs to have in their bag. I was able to move about 5 right, and play much closer to the friction than I thought I should be able to. Scooted through the fronts and mids, started reading the end of the middle part of the lane, and just had a nice smooth move to the hole. Due to my increased entry angle, it looked like a high end ball hitting. I had experienced this with another "Low end" release from them, the Link.

Black Eagle - Ball allowed me to move into the oil (Remember, there was alot), and bump the track. Had a little miss room (Not as much as I had with my War Eagle.) Angle was enough to carry light, but not so much that I was in fear of leaving 9 pins. It was about as strong as the Freight Train, but with a more defined move.

War Eagle - Thought this ball would have been weaker than the Black Eagle. Wrong. On this condition, it hooked more than anything else in my bag. Totally shocked by this. Never had a worry that if I threw it good, I wasn't going to carry.

I can't wait to actually test this stuff out on some FRESH. Might actually have to join a league lol.

charlest · « **Reply #6 on:** April 08, 2013, 12:06:59 PM »

Regarding the Black/Green Hook:
I think 900Gobal uses the full grit treatment on their 4000 grit balls: 500/1000/2000/4000, but who knows? They may have changed their philosophy and went with the Storm/RG "4000" of 500/4000.

Why not just do the "Full Monty" and take to 1000/2000/4000 grit of it is too early for you?

I think their S40/S43 grade coverstocks are very similar to Columbia's old Super-Flex coverstock. By that I mean, when dull you can use them on an awful lot of oil. When polished, they need an awful lot of dry to make the turn. By comparison, with many of today's coverstocks there seems to be less difference between dull/matte versions and polished ones.

Impending Doom · « **Reply #7 on:** April 08, 2013, 01:29:28 PM »

Charlest,

I'm OK with it. Totally. A little surprised, but ok with it. With my release and ball roll, a lower end dull solid is ok for me. Smooths out the left to right for me, and allows me a little tug room. On what I tested it on, I could tell that with more volume, it would read further down the lane, which is A-OK with me.

Personally, if the Sure Thing is stronger than this (And I am betting that it is), man, that's one hell of a ball!

charlest · « **Reply #8 on:** April 08, 2013, 03:48:45 PM »

The Sure Thing has been screaming at me since it first came out.
I wish I saw enough oil for it or wasn't in some kind of transition phase right now.
And it's so cheap, compared to many companies' offering for balls to handle medium to medium-heavy oil.

Author Topic: Making it as simple as can be! (Read 4297 times)

Impending Doom

Making it as simple as can be!

charlest

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Impending Doom

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Impending Doom

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kidlost2000

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Impending Doom

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charlest

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Impending Doom

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charlest

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