Author Topic: What is "hitting power" (Read 1137 times)

janderson · « **on:** January 15, 2004, 07:53:06 PM »

I see the term used in many reviews, posts, etc.

I've been bowling for 25+ years and in that time, I've never noticed that one ball "hit" any differently than any other ball. Any ball I throw - white dot, hard rubber, urethane, reactive, particle, regardless of brand - that enters the pocket at the right angle and speed "hits hard". That is, if "hits hard" means that the pins seem to "explode" back into the pit. The only exception to this rule was an old 14 pound white dot that had been plugged and redrilled one too many times.

So what in the heck does "hitting power" mean and can someone please post a logical explanation of why one group of balls has it and another group does not?
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I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"

Jeffrevs · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:25:10 AM »

quote:
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"

Val Kilmer in Real Genius, 1985

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JEFF
Hello, I just lowered my track !

Rock77 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:26:51 AM »

I define "hits hard" as how much energy a particular ball saves when it gets to the pins. Yes almost any and every ball will strike regardless if it hits the pocket at the correct angle. Its just that some balls retain energy better than others on specified lane conditions.
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"I am the most consistent bowler in my house....

I consistently SUCK!!"

Jeffrevs · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:29:18 AM »

there are also situations where certain balls will appear (or actually do) keep the pins low, ....i.e.;, my Fuel, or send then dancing/mixing, Hercules, or scatter them like matchsticks, like my Silver Diamond did last night...etc
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JEFF
Hello, I just lowered my track !

janderson · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:32:05 AM »

quote:
Its just that some balls retain energy better than others on specified lane conditions.

Then logically, what determines if a ball "hits hard" is not the ball itself, but rather how the ball is thrown and on which condition it is thrown.

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I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"

Burak Natal · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:39:47 AM »

I agree with you partially.
"regardless of brand - that enters the pocket at the right angle and speed "hits hard". That is, if "hits hard" means that the pins seem to "explode" back into the pit". Yes, I believe this is correct. I believe that most of the cases, it is psychological.. Ball which will match up with the style and the lane condition, will conserve its energy and hit hard.

However, in my humble experience, sometimes you observe significant difference in hitting power especially on light hits and other inaccurate shots.
Here is my theory:
When ever you apply force on something, there will be always a counter force. For instance, hit on the wall by a plastic hammer. It will bounce. Counter force will reflect most of your hitting power back. This is called "kick back" if my English is not misleading me. Now try it with a steel hammer. Bounce and kick back force will be much more less. If you apply this to the bowling balls and pins, "hitting power" makes sense. More powerful cores (regardless of RG values) with inner, dense parts etc.. will decrease the kick back force come from the pins. Therefore, excess amount of deflection (more than it is required) will be eliminated.
This is only my theory, and I may be mistaken of course, but manufacturers use dense inner cores, harder materials like ceramic to increase the "hitting power".
I consider myself quite knowledgeable about matching up the core types, surface and the bowler's style, but beyond that it is physics. Unfortunately my degree is in Business Administration and Management, not in Physics

..

Hope some other guys who are more knowledgeable about physics of a bowling ball will chime in..

Regards,
Burak

Phillip Marlowe · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2004, 11:46:11 AM »

Well, what it really means should be, thrown on the conditions for which it is claimed to be suited, using ___ speeds, ____ changes in revs and ____ axis rotation and tilt, the ball seems to...___. In essence, I notice that some equipment "hits" better on the conditions for which it is supposedly suited if one almost tops it, while other equipment seems to "hit" better thrown almost end over end. Further, balls are not uniformly dense orbs. The multiple or varying densities in the cores of balls lead to "wobbles" that have some effect (the amount of which can be debated) on the effective force applied to the pins. If you doubt this, go to your local science museaum, go to the display where they have wheels where you can redistribute weights from the center to the outside and in varying places around the outside and then roll the wheels or spin them down wires. At the speed and rev rate most of us throw the balls, this variation or wobble can mean changes in effective force (i.e., at the rev rates most of us throw, balls do not roll with at a uniform rate throughout the revolution.
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"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings."

janderson · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2004, 12:04:30 PM »

Jabroni- In the past, I too thought roll played a large part in how "hard" the ball hit (again, assuming that by "hit hard" we're talking about the pins exploding off the pin deck) until last year. There was a pure "flinger" on my team who threw a 13pound ball so hard, straight, and fast that it never rolled, just skidded all the way to the pocket. Any time he hit the head pin it was an "explosion", regardless of where he hit the head pin. True, he didn't always carry, but those pins were Moving (with a capital "M")!!

So was it just his ball, or was it the core, or was it how he matched up?

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I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"

Burak Natal · « **Reply #8 on:** January 16, 2004, 12:06:00 PM »

Jabroni, I may agree.. However I would like to quote Jeff's post here again..

quote:
there are also situations where certain balls will appear (or actually do) keep the pins low, ....i.e.;, my Fuel, or send then dancing/mixing, Hercules, or scatter them like matchsticks, like my Silver Diamond did last night...etc

I also observe this. Regardless of the style, different balls have different reactions on the pins. If cores really have VERY little to do with hitting power, how can this be explained?
I also wonder what you think about my theory..

Regards,
Burak

Author Topic: What is "hitting power" (Read 1137 times)

janderson

What is "hitting power"

Jeffrevs

Re: What is "hitting power"

Rock77

Re: What is "hitting power"

Jeffrevs

Re: What is "hitting power"

janderson

Re: What is "hitting power"

Burak Natal

Re: What is "hitting power"

Phillip Marlowe

Re: What is "hitting power"

janderson

Re: What is "hitting power"

Burak Natal

Re: What is "hitting power"