It appears to me by looking at every ball I have rolled since the mid 90's that my particular game is affected significantly by ball differential. I also have (rightly or wrongly, a separate topic) a preference for symmetric equipment. I'd like to more completely understand the comparison of benefits between ball weight and entry angle. With apologies if this is oversimplified, please consider the following:

Ball 1 - Ebonite Gamebreaker, 15 lb, diff .051
Ball 2 - Ebonite Gamebreaker, 14 lb, diff .058

Theoretically, all other factors being taken out for this discussion, and with the assumption that overall hook, will improve in the higher differential ball, is there more advantage to drop a pound in order to gain entry angle and a little speed, or is there a higher benefit in utilizing heavier equipment?

Thoughts?

Higher differential merely means that the core has a higher potential to flare...

Here's the thing. If you get more overall hook, but particularly earlier in the lane, are you going to be able to create any extra entry angle, or are you just going to be forced to move a couple boards deeper with your feet into the oil, and the end result will be basically the same entry angle you already had? Not to mention you'll probably throw the 14lb ball a bit faster, which will give you less hook anyway.

 

I know this much -- the numbers are only a very basic starting point for me. It just tells me what kind of drilling options I need to consider. I don't leave a flat 10 pin then think "Hmm, which ball in my bag has a higher differential than this so I can create more flare?" I think "which core/cover/layout/finish combo is going to give me a better shape to the pocket, or let me move my feet/target so I can create more angle myself?" Don't overthink things with the technical minutia.

Second Ricos explanation: you have to look at the whole package when you set up a ball. First of all, you need to know what you actually want or need from a ball. Reaction shape and utility are things I'd consider. The next step should be chosing a ball which fits your needs and your style, taking into account the ball's technical specs and strength. You will have a certain"sweet weight" you normally work with, and the differential tells you how much flare you can create through the drilling setup, and it also indicates (roughly, together with the RG value) what the ball can potentially "do" on the lane - if it pushes well down the lane, saving energy, or if it is a rolly piece, etc. IMHO, you can improve the "purchase result" and overall ball effectiveness when you put things together that complement each other well - including the surface prep, which is a final factor and easily to tune.

 

BTW, that different weights have different RG and RG diff numbers is just the result of the inner weight distribution between the core and the filler material. Different densities cause this - I would not worry about that, but keep in mind that the numbers can differ from weight to weight. But that's nothing I'd worry much about.

 

Besides: entry angle is rather a user issue. You should be able to influence the ball's entry angle with your feet or with your hand position. As a side note, I frequently see players with strong balls that have VERY strong layouts - and they actually have entry angle problems because their balls move too much and too early, leaving washouts or wide splits, esp. on lighter lane conditions. IMHO, less is more - you only need about 6° the get effective carry, and instead of focussing on the amount of boards covered I'd rather watch if the ball properly goes through skid/hook/roll phases, because this tells you that the ball actually "works". And using a lower diff. ball or a weaker layout can sometimes the better answer than ore and bigger hook...

 

Good luck!

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
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