Thank you for reading this post. All constructive feedback appreciated. I feel this is a silly question after bowling for 55 years. I have what may on the surface seem to be a simple issue, but upon reflection I think it is not quite as simple as it seems.

First, lefty50 is now closer to Lefty60. I am currently recovering from my second arthroscopic surgery and having a few problems at the line. My bowling style (stroker) along with the heavier left side conditions plus the combined effect of the operations have put me in the definitely low rev category with high rotation. Currently I'm probably a 225 rev and above 60° rotation. I'm about 14 mph at the line.

My arsenal is as follows:

- My favorite, an old 15 pound Storm Special Agent that seems to hook no matter what until it met this condition, even with 200 games.
- A 15 pound Roto Grip Theory at 800 grit, my first asymmetric ball (after 6 previous asyms)  with a layout that I can actually use and a decent heavy oiler (650 at Nats)
- A new 14 pound Brunswick C System Maxxed, currently at 800 grit
-A 14 pound Ebonite GameBreaker with approximately 20 games on it

I need to be at 14lbs now, and am finally admitting it. I love my 14's, fairly good reaction (in most cases), no loss of power.

Although I'm hitting 240-270 frequently in practice at two other houses,
I am currently bowling in a league where every left-hander below 400 rev rate coming in from the far outside has dropped an average of 15 pins this year. It is ice in the truest sense of the word, and the worst left-hand flood I've seen in many years. The Gamebreaker, currently at 500 grit, is useless. The Theory isn't even getting a wrinkle, and even my new Brunswick Maxxed is sliding. (One note on the Brunswick Max is that the 14 pound RG is 2.52 and everyone tells me it is pushing too far down the lanes, which I tend to believe is correct).

My average has dropped from 210 to 197. This is the first time in my adult life that I have ever been below 200, and it must stop, no matter what.

Last week out of sheer frustration I took my old favorite Special Agent out of the closet and sanded it to P320. My expectation was to burn a line in practice so that I could use the Theory or the C system Maxx. I expected a marshmallow reaction with a gentle curve that had no other purpose than to remove oil from the lane.

Imagine my great surprise when the Special Agent, obviously sanded to within an inch of its life, reacted normally with fair power and a somewhat playable line where nothing else had ever worked.

At first thought the simple answer may be what that I should continue to use the Special Agent and ignore the looks of everybody who knows I've sanded it more than I should. However, the answer is not that simple. First, I'm having trouble with 15 pounds now and have admitted that I must drop to 14. Second, I can't change all of my equipment to 200 sanded and expect to use it anywhere else, even if it MIGHT work here (and I'm not certain).

I need to figure out what is really going on in the background and what the best method of attack is to approach the situation. Should I get a 14lb low Rg high diff ball (something like a Motiv Talon for example) and expect it, with nominal sanding, to do what my Special Agent appears to be telling me?

Second, should I take my Brunswick, sand it to P320, and reserve it for use in this house?

Third, I could decide to just exclude this league from consideration, admit that I will need to throw pocket rockets from the corner, take my beating and stop screwing up my game, which I have already done trying to fight this ice.

The bottom line is that I can no longer use 15 pounds reliably, and I am hopeful that seeing the Special Agent have at least a minimal reaction tells me that I can drop to a low RG high differential 14 pound ball sanded to maybe 500, and make something happen.

What is the best approach in this situation?

Thanks in advance
L<60... 

Lefty,

I empathize with you. I, too, am going through the same exact thing in one house I bowl in. I can almost avg 230 in any house in my area except for this ONE house in which I luckily avg 205 to 210 and every game is a mystery. One week my Critical Theory is the ball because the backends are more forgiving. Another week, my Defiant Egde is it because I need earlier reaction. Another weak my 80 grit Mutant Cell solid is the ball because shot is so heavy that the righty crankers struggle for reaction, so you know the left side is screwed. And then you have the occasional week when they layout an actual house shot and I use any ball in my bag.

I normally carry 6 balls into this house which is 2 more than I normally carry into any other house. I will tell you not to worry about what people think. Just as lefties dont normally encounter the amount of friction and transition the righties do, its the vice versa for righties. Do whatever is necessary to score. I would say find a special agent in 14lb or a ball that is similar and add the same surface.

Things to keep in mind...

A drilled ball doesn't maintain the original, un-drilled, RG and differentials... thus the RG of that 14# Maxxed could be higher or lower depending on how it is  drilled.

A 14# Special Agent takes a hit with a slightly lower amount of flare (0.049) and a higher RG (2.51), so if you were to drill one, you'd be best served by drilling it stronger than your 15# SA.

For a challenging shot like this you might want to consider a double thumb layout. This layout maximizes the drilled core dynamics and ball reaction while still being USBC legal.

Check out this topic - http://www.ballreviews.com/drilling-layouts/tried-my-hand-at-my-first-double-thumb-t292104.0.html

Thanks Mac for referencing my topic. I really appreciate it as I was going to bring that up.

Lefty, i understand you frustration hince my topic. I  was struggling actually on drier conditions. I got tired of covering a lot of boards as a lefty and the Scream I drilled was just a mistake in ordering that sat in our shop for about 5 months. Finally, I drilled it but i wanted it to be strong enough to handle some oil as I moved a little inward.
I love the ball and drilling because it allows me to play in the friction and have miss room where most lower diff balls would need more precision from the bowler. 787 out of box aint bad! Lol! I now want to do the same layout in a stronger ball for the house I'm struggling in. Maybe a Freight Train, Black Eagle, or Reign of Power.
The point is, I'm doing this in hopes that I dont have to make drastic changes in my game just for this one house as slowing down and increasing rev rate is still not a guarantee that I'm going to score. This house makes sport patterns look easy and I refuse to change that much for a house i rarely bowl in, knowing that there is more information and technology out there that I can use. There is a shot, ball, and surface for you too, Lefty. You just have to work to find it.

Good info, thanks to all!