I've only thrown 15 lbs and have never tried a 16 but I have been considering it. A couple thoughts behind this being: I've always struggled with too much speed forcing the ball through the break point and I've heard that 16s will carry a touch more than a 15.

Any thoughts from anyone on the differences between 15 and 16?

Very minor with reactives imo.  Have a 16lb Hy-Road Pearl which even with the much higher diff is still weaker than my regular 15lb Hy-Road and the carry difference is negligible.  The only reason really to throw 16 is if it does help slow you down and keep from muscling it.  It is harder on your body long term though.  Also harder to find and especially deals on 16lb balls.  For old urethane imo 16lb does make more a carry difference.

Often many of the closeout balls are 16lb only so from what I have seen you can get great deals on 16lb balls.

E=MC²

 Any time you have a situation where you have to calculate brute energy, always remember that mass counts.

 A 16lb ball has more mass than a 15lb one (duh), so therefore creates more raw power when all other factors are equal, but those other forces have to REMAIN equal.

 If you throw it slower because it weighs more, it might help, or it might hurt, but it will change the formula.

 Look at it this way. You only need a certain amount of power to reach the optimum “strikeability” of the game. Once you reach that point, any added power is overkill, and might even cause the strike percentage to fall due to overly powerful pin interactions.

 Some people, because of speed and revolutions, may reach that point with a 14lb ball, while for others it may require a 15 or 16 lb ball to do so.

 A much simpler calculation shows a difference. Say you throw a 14lb ball 17mph, but throw your 15lb ball 16mph, and the 16lb at 15mph.

 14 X 17 = 238
 15 X 16 = 240
 16 X 15 = 240

 It is easy to see that the lighter ball, with greater speed, has nearly the same raw energy as the heavier ones. And, if it only takes 235 units of force to strike properly, the added energy of the other two weights is really nullified because it is overkill and isn’t productive energy.

 Now, I understand in bowling there are MANY other factors involved, but as a simple calculation of raw energy, you see what I mean.

 I can carry just as well with a 14lb ball as I can with a 15lb one, but not everyone does, and not everyone will.

 The ONLY way to know is to try. It may work for you, and it may not, but at least you’ll know.

If my wrist would allow me to use 16lb, I would for sure go back to using 16 over 15. Many say 15 is just as good as 16. I still believe in 16, but my body does not.

Sadly, pain wins out in most cases.