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Author Topic: Ball choices  (Read 3682 times)

Impending Doom

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Ball choices
« on: February 28, 2018, 09:40:59 PM »
Ok, I'm pretty certain that most of us have more than 1 ball.

When you are putting a 3 or 4 ball bag together, how do you choose? Do you choose how fast or slow response they are? Surface? Different shapes?

Reason I ask is because where I'm at, there are 2 houses. 1 I can not use fast response balls at. Not because they're too snappy, they just just don't read the pattern correctly at all.

Conversely, the other house, I can't use slower response balls because you have to go around the pattern. Can't play up the track with urethane and slower response stuff just doesn't make it up the hill for how I have to cut the heads.

So I'm creating a bag to take to each place. 1 with a Booyah, X and Darkness, the other bag is Black Ops, Drift and Night Hawk SE.
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BallReviews-Removed0385

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2018, 10:30:55 PM »
Not sure this is much help, but I like to have one fairly strong solid, one stronger pearl, and one weaker pearl.  When in doubt I lean towards symmetric cores, too.  They tend to be a tad more forgiving if I'm not 100%.  Spare ball can fit in the Joey.


 
« Last Edit: February 28, 2018, 10:32:53 PM by notclay »
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HackJandy

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2018, 12:09:47 AM »
Hy-Road and Ogre urethane for this THS warrior when have to score (Venom Shock has outside chance of making roster we'll see).  Everything else is mostly just a distraction.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2018, 12:13:15 AM by HackJandy »
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2018, 01:55:09 AM »
Since everybody will have different reactions with different balls, go by experience for yourself.  Keep notes on what balls you use each week/game, results, lane conditions, etc and use that info as a basis for your reference. 
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2018, 12:53:40 PM »
Depends on how deep you want to go.  Not just the ball, but what surface was the ball at? Number of bowlers on pair, how many were RH?  What oil pattern or at least the length of it, the lines you used and adjustments made.  What frame did you make an adjustment and what was it?

For each ball, you should have an index card or electronic version, to maintain the layout and surface changes/date of. You could record the starting RG and diff there too.

You will have to develop your own shorthand or use the one that Susie Minshew talks about.  She also recommends recording the weather and to note that each center has their own characteristics due to age of lanes, maintenance of, oiling schedule, etc.

You can go pretty deep if you want to.  :)
« Last Edit: March 01, 2018, 12:56:34 PM by MI 2 AZ »
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2018, 01:09:27 AM »
Are they old school?  Some bowlers are really good at making adjustments in their release, ball speed, finger positions, moving target not only left/right, but up/down lane, etc which just multiplies any balls they do use.

If you have four different releases and can  use four different finger positions and can vary your speed in two or four gears, plus other variables, how many different looks can you get with one ball?

I think it was Earl Anthony who was a master of that.
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HackJandy

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2018, 11:19:46 AM »
Quote from: MI 2 AZ on March 02, 2018, 01:09:27 AM
Are they old school?  Some bowlers are really good at making adjustments in their release, ball speed, finger positions, moving target not only left/right, but up/down lane, etc which just multiplies any balls they do use.

If you have four different releases and can  use four different finger positions and can vary your speed in two or four gears, plus other variables, how many different looks can you get with one ball?

I think it was Earl Anthony who was a master of that.

Pretty much any of the top pros can vary their speed and at least axis rotation over a wide range I remember hearing somewhere.  Think I heard some can even vary their axis tilt as well.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2018, 11:57:19 AM by HackJandy »
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HackJandy

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2018, 05:45:21 PM »
If a house is so low friction you can't use a Sure Lock then you need to let the front desk know they oiled the pin deck also.
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Impending Doom

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2018, 06:13:15 PM »
I like this discussion. Really, you need to create the right amount of friction to slow the ball down properly. I'm pretty sure the place that I like slower response stuff is wood with guardian heads (at least they play like it lol) and the oil moves at the speed of light. Haven't ever bowled on the fresh there, so the fresh ths may play different, but I'm betting not by much.

The other nicer house is synthetic, pattern holds up better, and is better maintained. Since the surface isn't beat up, I need something that comes off the spot faster.

Having 2 houses within 15 minutes of me is starting to be a very good thing, especially since they're different.
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nolesftw

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2018, 07:23:40 AM »
The house I mainly bowl at is very spotty lane to lane. It is a place that makes you on some nights move zones every game and on others the back ends tighten up.  I’ve found myself rolling a lane shined Jackal Le on one lane and a Venom Panic on the other.  I bring a Forza GT, Panic, and purple hammer every week and keep a Tag Cannon and Le close by encase they get crazy one way or another. Lane surface and weather (humidity) play a huge roll in my opinion.
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HackJandy

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2018, 10:26:41 AM »
Quote from: nolesftw on March 03, 2018, 07:23:40 AM
The house I mainly bowl at is very spotty lane to lane. It is a place that makes you on some nights move zones every game and on others the back ends tighten up.  I’ve found myself rolling a lane shined Jackal Le on one lane and a Venom Panic on the other.  I bring a Forza GT, Panic, and purple hammer every week and keep a Tag Cannon and Le close by encase they get crazy one way or another. Lane surface and weather (humidity) play a huge roll in my opinion.

Motiv does have a solid line up. Love my Venom Shock.  Wish they had a 2 piece.
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avabob

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2018, 02:31:08 PM »
I know I am an old guy, but my mind boggles at the thought of having more than a 4 or 5 ball tournament arsenal.  I would reduce that to 2 for a house shot league.

Too many guys try to use a huge arsenal to try to stay in a comfort zone rather than move on the lane.  They would be better served getting comfortable playing anywhere from the gutter to 4th arrow, and would need a smaller arsenal. 
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Impending Doom

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2018, 08:36:16 PM »
Oh, for a single house shot, I could take 2 balls and be good. Tournament play is obviously a different story. I'm considering bowling a regional in June and have never been to that center so I asked around to see what the characteristics of the house is. Now I just need to know what they're putting down lol.
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bergman

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2018, 12:23:19 PM »
For my house shot league- 3 balls. 2 resin, 1 plastic spare ball.  I used to take 12-14 balls to regionals. It started to get crazy. As has been mentioned, if you have the ability to manipulate your release and ball speed, and can play different angles, you can save
yourself a lot of unecessary confusion (and frustration) trying to second guess equipment choices on the fly and wading and jumping through a sea of bowling bags in the middle of a block trying to retrieve that one "magic" ball (or so you believe).

As dynamic and challenging as the game can be today (at the sport levels), I sometimes
pine for those "good old days", when we had to make do with only one ball (because there were no choices like today). And contrary to a rather popular perception, we were not confined to the second arrow either. We often faced conditions that forced us to play the channel on one lane and fallback on the other lane. And you had to do it with one ball, only.

 
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avabob

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Re: Ball choices
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2018, 11:54:29 AM »
If you can't play everywhere from the gutter to 4th arrow you have no business needing a bunch of equipment.  I change equipment looking for carry after I find where the lanes need to be played for my style.  Too many people try to find the ball that will let them play in their comfort rather than moving on the lane.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2018, 11:56:26 AM by avabob »
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