Author Topic: 8 yr old boy, ball or no ball? (Read 2487 times)

xrayjay · « **on:** December 27, 2011, 05:13:08 AM »

GF son wants to start bowling (fun) with me more often. He's been watching me and bowling with me 3-6 times a year since he was 3. He'll be bowling with me more often now since he's getting bigger. He tends to use my equipment rather than house balls. Even at 3 and 4 years old, he'll crab my ball, and two hand down the lane. But with his first ball, i dont think he should use heavy stuff..

I'm not sure what weight he should try first. When I was 9, my first ball was 12lbs. Should he go 12lbs.?

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MK · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2011, 01:28:40 PM »

XRay -

My son started bowling last year (then 10 years old) with a 11 pound ball given to him by the lady running the youth program. We had it plugged and custom drilled and he fell in love with the sport. After lessons from local pros and alot of coaching from me along with bowling about 10 games a week over the last year he is consistently bowling about a 180 average with more and more games in the low 200's.

One of the bigger turning points for him was picking up a 12 lb. Midnight VIBE and having a local pro drill it up for him after watching him bowl. His average shot up 20 pins almost overnight as well as his love for the game. My wife and I wondered if it was worth spending $100 dollars on a ball that he would outgrow in 1 - 2 years but it turned out to be the best thing I did for him.

MK

xrayjay · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2011, 05:10:06 PM »

Pretty cool what your son is doing. Great job Sir.

I don't know where he picked it up, but he is bowling two hands (with two fingers and no thumb, which I showed him.) I think it came naturally because he insists of using 12lbs. balls. The weight of the ball is too heavy if he puts his thumb in the hole. So, I just worked with him on how to hold the ball underneath and release behind the ball to allow an end-over-end roll - using the other hand to support ball through his swing. He is slowly learning to roll without hitting bumpers or going into the gutter. But, he is easily distracted when little girls are in the next lane lol like today.

He gets house balls hooking at the arrows at times, as well as, roll the ball real nicely. Still, he is nowhere near the other kids in youth leagues. At least he has the idea on getting ball in the pocket and is a fast learner.

He wants the Tropical Heat because he sees me use it at practices. For now though, we are leaning on the Polar Ice polyester ball. Then maybe a 11lbs heat in the summer.

Thanks for sharing MK your sons experience.

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tommyboy74 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2011, 05:12:05 PM »

My guess would be in the 10-12lb range, depending on what he is comfortable with. I started with 12 on my first ball (Purple Rhino Pro) around that time and I'm glad I did. Also shot my first 200 game with it and was consistantly shooting between 140-200 in that time.

My arsenal

Heavy Oil: Storm Virtual Gravity Nano: 2000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Storm Anarchy: 1500 polished
Medium-Heavy Oil: Track 919C: 3000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Ebonite Vital Energy: 4000 AB
Medium Oil: Roto Grip Nomad Dagger: 1500 polished

Medium-Light Oil: Roto Grip Rising Star: 1500 polished

xrayjay · « **Reply #4 on:** December 27, 2011, 05:37:26 PM »

Back in 86', I really liked the black rhino. I'm not sure if this is the same ball my friend shot 297 or 298 with in 1987 YUBA league. He was 13 years old. My parents got me a yellow dot... The soft shell (crab) bowling ball lol.... And another polyester from Columbia...

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LookingForALeftyWall · « **Reply #5 on:** December 27, 2011, 07:02:58 PM »

I started when I was 10 with a 10 pound ball...but I was small for my age. My second ball was a 12 pound Yellow Dot. I loved that ball.

JohnP · « **Reply #6 on:** December 28, 2011, 07:30:51 PM »

Ball weight depends on his size and strength more than on age, and you are the best judge. I'd say no less than 10 lbs and no more than 12 lbs. Use a conventional grip and urge him to use his thumb, but let him have fun. -- JohnP

DukeHarding · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2011, 04:09:43 PM »

+1

JohnP wrote on 12/28/2011 8:30 PM:Ball weight depends on his size and strength more than on age, and you are the best judge. I'd say no less than 10 lbs and no more than 12 lbs. Use a conventional grip and urge him to use his thumb, but let him have fun. -- JohnP

Duke Harding

xrayjay · « **Reply #8 on:** December 29, 2011, 05:06:11 PM »

A friend of mine may donate one of her 10 lbs.? or a 12lbs avalanche for the kid. But, this young blood wants a Tropical Heat or Brunswick Slingshot lol

The other night I let him watch Belmo and Barnes on Youtube. And I asked him which player he'd like to be one day, and he wanted to be like Chris B. "i want to throw with one hand like you" lol cute kid...

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll do the conventional grip and let him bowl.....He's a quick learner which is a great thing.

Side note: this summer I wanted him to learn how to throw football properly. I taught him what I learned in peewee leagues and in high school, and to my surprise he can throw a very tight spiral in few days of practice. He's not my kid by blood, but he sure reminds me of me when I growing up. lol

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tommyboy74 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 29, 2011, 08:07:04 PM »

Even though he isn't your kid, you are to be commended for being an excellent example of a role model. As you said earlier, teaching him the fundamentals is only 1 part of it. Having fun is definitely the other. Mesh them two together and he will love the sport for eternity.

You actually got me thinking of how I started with the sport. Quick story- my dad got me involved in the sport at an early age. I still remember my very first ball: a black Ebonite Maxim plastic alley ball when I was 6. The house let me keep it and had it redrilled with a custom fit. From there, I progressed into the following: a purple/silver Brunswick Laser plastic ball at age 8, a purple Rhino Pro when I was 10, an orange Columbia 300 Piranha when I was 12, and a purple C300 Cuda/C when I was 14. Then, I took some time off from bowling as my parents split and just got back into the sport last year.

Now turning 30 this coming July, and back in the game for the past year, I still feel like a kid in a candy store out on the lanes. I just love it. Only difference compared to back then is now having the ability to do different things with hand position, speed, and timing on the approach. Also, I carry 5 different balls at this point for different lane conditions. Getting a new ball punched is always 1 of the most fun days at the lanes for me.

At the same time, I still use the fundamentals that I learned back then. When subbing for a friend tonight, I was forced to the extreme outside at a house I normally don't bowl at. (Playing the outside up the 4th board throwing as hard as 23mph to keep the ball on line.) I actually ended up using stronger equipment (Track 919C and Ebonite Vital Energy) to control my breakpoint as well. I had a better night than most earlier: 220, 247, 197= 664). All I had to do was only move about 5 boards all night and make a ball change 2-1/2 games in. Knowledge and fundamentals were key.

Looking back, if my dad not taught me the fundamentals as well as the having fun part of things, I wouldn't be where I am now. In fact, he still loves to hear different bowling stories I have from league nights or anytime I have a practice session, regardless that we both live about 2,000 miles apart now.

Long story short, you're a good man for taking him under your wing and teaching him these things about the sport. Just think of the great bowling stories he will be able to tell you as time goes on. You'll always have that, and that is really cool.

xrayjay wrote on 12/29/2011 6:06 PM:
A friend of mine may donate one of her 10 lbs.? or a 12lbs avalanche for the kid. But, this young blood wants a Tropical Heat or Brunswick Slingshot lol

The other night I let him watch Belmo and Barnes on Youtube. And I asked him which player he'd like to be one day, and he wanted to be like Chris B. "i want to throw with one hand like you" lol cute kid...

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll do the conventional grip and let him bowl.....He's a quick learner which is a great thing.

Side note: this summer I wanted him to learn how to throw football properly. I taught him what I learned in peewee leagues and in high school, and to my surprise he can throw a very tight spiral in few days of practice. He's not my kid by blood, but he sure reminds me of me when I growing up. lol

Tag Team Coaching Success Story AKA: addik

My arsenal

Heavy Oil: Storm Virtual Gravity Nano: 2000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Storm Anarchy: 1500 polished
Medium-Heavy Oil: Track 919C: 3000 AB
Medium-Heavy Oil: Ebonite Vital Energy: 4000 AB
Medium Oil: Roto Grip Nomad Dagger: 1500 polished

Medium-Light Oil: Roto Grip Rising Star: 1500 polished

Edited by tommyboy74 on 12/29/2011 at 9:08 PM

JohnP · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2011, 10:40:02 AM »

If you're going to get him a reactive resin ball, look at the Ebonite Cyclone. You won't get the regular core in a 10 - 12 lb ball, but you still get the coverstock from The One. And it's a great buy, we sell them drilled (no slug or grips) for $102.95. -- JohnP

xrayjay · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2011, 06:00:27 PM »

Thanks Tommy.. I've been with the little guy since he was 2yrs.

This summer I'll get him in a fun league at the house we bowl. Yeah, he wants to learn the traditional way of bowling and he actually stays on the lane much better than two hand bowling.

@ John, someone just suggested the Cyclone earlier this week too.. Will see what he decides and see where he's at (game) before I get him a NIB before Summer.

He knows my schedule for work and he's been asking me to take him bowling more often.

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AKA: addik

Author Topic: 8 yr old boy, ball or no ball? (Read 2487 times)

xrayjay

8 yr old boy, ball or no ball?

MK

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xrayjay

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tommyboy74

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xrayjay

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LookingForALeftyWall

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JohnP

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DukeHarding

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xrayjay

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tommyboy74

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JohnP

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xrayjay

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