New to bowling

[mpotapa]

I've been bowling for about a month and a half now.  Joined a summer league with a few friends.  My average for the first week was 112, then I bought a new ball and 2 weeks later my average is up to 135 so I'm improving.  The ball I bought is the Storm Reign of Fire.  Is this a good ball for a beginner?  The guy at the pro shop has been working with me, I can throw a decent first ball but I have a lot of trouble picking up spares.  Any advice?  Thanks

[Juggernaut]

As for a spare ball, I recommend you stay with the same weight. That way, you don't have to go back and forth between two different weights.

 Just make sure to get a "plastic" ball for spares, as this type ball tends to go very straight, or at least much straighter than other type balls. This will let you go straight at your spares with no un-anticipated moves.


--------------------
Good transactions list in my profile

[mpotapa]

Do you guys think I should put the ROF away and buy a different ball or should I just stick with it since I have it?  I bought the ball because of how cheap I got it for.

[Xcessive_Evil]

You might as well keep it.  Just understand that you may run into issues on shorter, drier conditions.  You may find yourself adjusting surfaces week in and week out(if you aren't familiar with hand positions) if your lanes are as sporadic as mine are here.


--------------------
www.youtube.com/c6evolution2008

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Phoenix_RsX/Arsenal/

[Juggernaut]

quote:Do you guys think I should put the ROF away and buy a different ball or should I just stick with it since I have it?  I bought the ball because of how cheap I got it for.

 I don''t necessarily think you need to get anything else, except maybe that spare ball. The ROF is a little higher performance ball than most "entry level" balls, but all that really means is that it has higher performance "POTENTIAL". If you like it, it is a great ball, and the surface can be changed if it is too strong in its original finish. And the added performance potential is going to let it continue to perform well for you as you get more and more adept at the game.

 Someone made the analogy that learning to bowl with the ROF was akin to teaching a youngster to drive in a corvette, but I don''t really see that. The corvette performance potential is there, but in the case of bowling, is directly related to the bowlers physical ability to make it perform at that level. In other words, the ROF CAN act like a corvette, but it can also act like a YUGO, and what it does depends on how you use it.

 Almost any car can perform like a YUGO, just as any ball can be suitable to learn with. The difference comes with YOUR ability to get that performance out of the equipment with your physical ability.
--------------------
Good transactions list in my profile



Edited on 6/6/2010 12:53 PM

[Xcessive_Evil]

^ Well said.
--------------------
www.youtube.com/c6evolution2008

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Phoenix_RsX/Arsenal/

[MI 2 AZ]

There has been a lot of good advise here for you already about your bowling ball and on considering getting a plastic spare ball so I do not see any need to add anything more.  

There are some links that you may find helpful in the  BR FAQ so keep that in mind for future use.

Here is one link to spare shooting.


--------------------
_________________________________________

Need bowling information? - Please check this:  BR FAQ

[mpotapa]

Thanks for all the advice.  I went bowling today and bowled my highest game so far, a 181.  I was happy with it.  I think my average was around a 145 today.  Just have to keep improving.

[mpotapa]

What does it mean when you guys say the ball has high performance? Does it mean it will hook a lot?

[AngloBowler]

Congratulations on the new high game, and many more in the future, hopefully.

In answer to your question, high performance, in this context, means that the ball is made of a ver high friction material. As has been said before, with the correct application of technique, it is possible to make this ball hook well, although it will always be at its best on wetter lanes.
--------------------
Reporting from England

[dizzyfugu]

I'll chime in, too... AngloBowler made a very good and important statement:  

quote: high performance, in this context, means that the ball is made of a ver high friction material.

Friction is key, and can be both your friend and foe. Many players (esp. beginners) misunderstand "high performance" as "hooks a lot", which looks cool, but rarely gets you anywhere except for splits and washouts.
What's important is to know that a properly drilled and released ball goes through 3 phases as it travels down the lane: skid, hook and roll. If you achieve this, the ball "works" to its full potential, and friction is an essential part of it - too little, and the balls skids too long, hitting weak. Too much, and the ball rolls out and hits like a wet donut.

Your ROF is already a strong ball concerning friction characteristics - which is nothing wrong in itself, but depending on the lane conditions you play, it can prove to be counterproductive. If the ball "works" for you, I would not worry much, because it is a simple piece that will make it easy for you to learn to play.

But there might be - beyond a spare ball (HIGHLY recommended) and a pair of shoes - some space "under" it for a weak entry level piece, a polished pearl like a Tropical Storm.

You CAN teach a kid to drive in a Corvette - you just need the proper highway
--------------------
DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

[leftyinsnellville]

quote:What does it mean when you guys say the ball has high performance? Does it mean it will hook a lot?

No, "High Peformance" usually means it will cost a lot.  Nowadays it is possible to get a variety of different balls at the different price points.  Most manufacturers have three or four levels of price points for bowling balls.  The levels have designations like "Advanced, High, Mid-level, Value, Beginner, etc."  It used to be accepted that the more expensive the ball, the more that ball tended to hook.  More and more manufacturers are now releasing balls at the different price points that can provide a variety of reactions.  The factors which make a ball "high performance" versus "mid-level performance" versus "value performance" are now more a function of marketing rather than ball reaction.  

A great example is the recent release by Columbia 300 in their "Value Performance" line called the Burst.  The Burst is the exact same ball that was released a few years ago under their "High Performance" line called the Resurgence.  The only difference is the grit level of the abrasive they use for the final surface.  Columbia 300 even advertises that all it will take is a quick change of surface and you'll get a Resurgence.

With a little research you should be able to get a ball with the performance characteristics you desire either at the lower price point levels or from earlier releases at the high performance level that are now on sale.  (Of course it always helps to have a friend who runs a pro shop who will sell you a Reign of Fire for $60!)
--------------------
I wanna be a house hack when I grow up.

http://averagebowlersballreviews.com/

[dizzyfugu]

quote:
No, "High Peformance" usually means it will cost a lot.

I did not want to be that direct, but that's correct! A huge price tag does not mean that a ball "works" better than another - many lower price level balls are already very effective and anything a sound bowler might need. Older equipment is much the same - just because a ball is 1 or 2 generations "old", it does not mean that it is outdated or obsolete!
--------------------
DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

[Xcessive_Evil]

quote:just because a ball is 1 or 2 generations "old", it does not mean that it is outdated or obsolete!

Damn right.

--------------------
www.youtube.com/c6evolution2008

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Phoenix_RsX/Arsenal/

[bowlingaddiction]

quote:

It's really no different than teaching a 16 year old how to drive....In a Corvette.

A Auto Driving School where I learned to drive, they had a corvette.
--------------------
Austin Burris

[completebowler]

I think the ball selection is just fine. I drill many stong balls for beginners that "want the ball to hook" because imo the WORST thing I can do for a customer like this is put them in a entry level ball and have them think I scammed them because the ball isn't hooking enough.

The way I see it is they will be able to get the most out of the ball and as they learn the game the ball will respond more and more.

Of course many may think that I am scamming these customers but I usually am selling them a top end that I got at a really good price (or a recently discontinued/closeout top end). That way I don't have to charge full retail to turn a profit, they feel like they got a good deal and will probably come back, and I am rest assured that as I work with them we will see a strong ball motion.

Just my philosophy though. It has worked really well for me and my customers.
--------------------
ALL STAR BOWLING & TROPHY
LANGAN'S ALL STAR LANES
WALLED LAKE MI