Mary Had a Little Lamb.

[RABid]

I had not bowled in 30 years, and only about 5 times in my life. After retiring I decided to take lessons and learn how to bowl, correctly. I’m driving 82 miles one way to a nice bowling alley with a respected tutor and pro shop. So far I’ve had two lessons, two practices, and a lot of gear lust. My instructor/pro shop owner says the same thing I have read in a lot of posts here, a new player does not need a lot of good equipment. It is okay to buy ONE ball that you really like, and a cheap spare, but no more. Not starting out. That is so hard. All those pretty balls. All those major companies. All those different materials, different patterns, and specialty balls for different oil patterns and amounts. Come on. I may be new but I know I need at least a half a dozen balls. And that is just to start. And YOU are telling me one, maybe TWO balls at most for a beginner?

Well, I need proof of such outrageous theories. Today, I did a scientific experiment. I went to the bowling lane with my Soniq and my Mix, rented and hour of lane time, and pitted them against each other. A three game matchup between balls.  Player 1 was the Soniq, a nice ball that should make me better just by owning it, and player 2 the Mix, a spare ball that is not good for much else. Let them fight it out. I KNOW which will win. Well, after 2 games it was really close, with the Mix having a 5 point lead. What? Surly this cannot be right. Then disaster struck for the Mix, 3 gutters in a row put it behind and it could not catch up. Soniq won the matchup, but not because of ball quality. Just too many gutter balls with the Mix starting game three. Okay, maybe you all are right and I am wrong. Maybe I don’t need a collection of expensive balls as a beginner. … Maybe.

The only other time I have taken lessons is when I started piano back in the 9th grade. Much like bowling, start simple and build up. Whenever I ask my bowling instructor about developing my hook he replies “We are not there yet. Don’t worry about that. Focus on your timing, posture, and sticking your arm out to the side for balance. You are still bending over too far and ending with your left hand on your knee.” He is right about that. I keep bending over trying to release the ball close to the floor, and way too often I end the throw with my left hand on my left knee for balance. On piano in high school, my senior year recital consisted of 36 pages including Hungarian Rhapsody and a 3 Part Back Invention. I had caught up to the class, passed most of them, and got accepted as a music major at a large university. That was after 4 years of very good progress. Sadly with bowling, right now in musical terms I am working on scales, posture and correct wrist positioning so I don’t injure myself. I’ve not even started to play a basic song, and even if I was, todays experiment taught me something.

You don’t need a grand piano to play Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Note: This will be the ONLY time that I admit that everyone else here is right and I am wrong. Don't expect it to happen again.

[HackJandy]

I had not bowled in 30 years, and only about 5 times in my life. After retiring I decided to take lessons and learn how to bowl, correctly. I’m driving 82 miles one way to a nice bowling alley with a respected tutor and pro shop. So far I’ve had two lessons, two practices, and a lot of gear lust. My instructor/pro shop owner says the same thing I have read in a lot of posts here, a new player does not need a lot of good equipment. It is okay to buy ONE ball that you really like, and a cheap spare, but no more. Not starting out. That is so hard. All those pretty balls. All those major companies. All those different materials, different patterns, and specialty balls for different oil patterns and amounts. Come on. I may be new but I know I need at least a half a dozen balls. And that is just to start. And YOU are telling me one, maybe TWO balls at most for a beginner?

Well, I need proof of such outrageous theories. Today, I did a scientific experiment. I went to the bowling lane with my Soniq and my Mix, rented and hour of lane time, and pitted them against each other. A three game matchup between balls.  Player 1 was the Soniq, a nice ball that should make me better just by owning it, and player 2 the Mix, a spare ball that is not good for much else. Let them fight it out. I KNOW which will win. Well, after 2 games it was really close, with the Mix having a 5 point lead. What? Surly this cannot be right. Then disaster struck for the Mix, 3 gutters in a row put it behind and it could not catch up. Soniq won the matchup, but not because of ball quality. Just too many gutter balls with the Mix starting game three. Okay, maybe you all are right and I am wrong. Maybe I don’t need a collection of expensive balls as a beginner. … Maybe.

The only other time I have taken lessons is when I started piano back in the 9th grade. Much like bowling, start simple and build up. Whenever I ask my bowling instructor about developing my hook he replies “We are not there yet. Don’t worry about that. Focus on your timing, posture, and sticking your arm out to the side for balance. You are still bending over too far and ending with your left hand on your knee.” He is right about that. I keep bending over trying to release the ball close to the floor, and way too often I end the throw with my left hand on my left knee for balance. On piano in high school, my senior year recital consisted of 36 pages including Hungarian Rhapsody and a 3 Part Back Invention. I had caught up to the class, passed most of them, and got accepted as a music major at a large university. That was after 4 years of very good progress. Sadly with bowling, right now in musical terms I am working on scales, posture and correct wrist positioning so I don’t injure myself. I’ve not even started to play a basic song, and even if I was, todays experiment taught me something.

You don’t need a grand piano to play Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Note: This will be the ONLY time that I admit that everyone else here is right and I am wrong. Don't expect it to happen again.

Horses for courses.  As a beginner yes the ball won't matter if it goes in the channel.  If your goal is to get better, equipment won't help you to do that until you are consistently hitting pocket (where equipment selection can help with carry).  That said if you derive enjoyment from having different pieces to throw and aren't using rent money to do it then there is nothing wrong with starting an arsenal.  Know that in general buying more balls will tend to actually make you score less until you are very consistent but scoring isn't everything to all people.  I love throwing 20yo urethane balls that rarely allow me to score much over 210 or so.  The danger is of course you tell yourself I will just buy one Scandal Pearl as my go to ball and then a year later you end up with 30 balls and have to think of which ones go in the closet and which ones go in the garage.  Can be habit forming.

[Juggernaut]

RABid,

  If you can’t throw one correctly, having more than one won’t make you throw it better, it will just facilitate you throwing more than one incorrectly.

 And honestly, I would NOT have recommended you getting a SonIQ either.


 I will liken it to this. I know how to drive, but I do NOT need a 700HP supercar to drive, as there is NO WAY I would know what to do with all that “extra” power. It would just be wasted potential.

 Just listen to the coach/instructor. Don’t put the cart before the horse. First learn why you do certain things, learn how to do those things correctly, and then you might start thinking about being able to expand your arsenal to maximize your scoring potential.

 It’s hard to know which ball to get if you don’t know why you need it. Heck, even then it’s not easy, especially with all the choices out there now.

[HackJandy]

RABid,

  If you can’t throw one correctly, having more than one won’t make you throw it better, it will just facilitate you throwing more than one incorrectly.

 And honestly, I would NOT have recommended you getting a SonIQ either.


 I will liken it to this. I know how to drive, but I do NOT need a 700HP supercar to drive, as there is NO WAY I would know what to do with all that “extra” power. It would just be wasted potential.

 Just listen to the coach/instructor. Don’t put the cart before the horse. First learn why you do certain things, learn how to do those things correctly, and then you might start thinking about being able to expand your arsenal to maximize your scoring potential.

 It’s hard to know which ball to get if you don’t know why you need it. Heck, even then it’s not easy, especially with all the choices out there now.

+1 on this.  I have a ton of balls but I only take one strike ball (middle of the road hybrid Hy-Road) and one spare ball to league to score with.  Even a third ball more often than not became a distraction or at least more useless weight to carry.

[milorafferty]

Don't listen to 'em RABid!!!

You need more balls, more balls will make you better. And shoes, got to have the latest, most expensive shoes. And lots and lots of those accessories pro shops sell.


And you especially need those "legendary" gems that everyone so fondly remembers from years past. They just worked better than the new stuff. You will bowl SOOOO much better with the older stuff. Not to mention, you will have a serious advantage over everyone you bowl against BECAUSE you have a ball they can't get.


Oh, and by the way, I have quite a few of those older balls I can sell you. Of course, they are rare(which is a gentle way of saying expensive as f*@k), but think of the envy you will cause when you walk in with your shiny new gem.   


Seriously though, don't worry about hooking the ball, that will come naturally as your swing and release improve. Concentrate on repeat-ability in your delivery and everything else will come as you improve.


And next year, when you ARE ready for one of those cherished gems, I (and others like me) will gladly overcharge you for them. 

[HackJandy]

Balls can be a bit like matchbox cars or Pokemon cards for adults.

[RABid]

I play synthesizers AND have a modular synth. Nothing is as addictive as buying those $50-$500 modules.

In the keyboard world we call it GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

[Juggernaut]

In the keyboard world we call it GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

I LIKE IT!

[milorafferty]

I play synthesizers AND have a modular synth. Nothing is as addictive as buying those $50-$500 modules.

In the keyboard world we call it GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

I hear you, I have a fondness for whiskey, specifically Bourbon and Rye. So I have quite a few bottles that cost more than I'm willing to admit. 


I am just thankful that I'm not into Scotch! 

[charlest]

"Mary had a little lamb, .... and the doctor was quite surprised."
That's how it goes.

If you have a good coach, don't second guess him. Don't be influenced by we ball whores, who inhabit this environment. Not if you want to learn to bowl.

If you're starting from scratch, scratch first; then play games with your supplies.