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Author Topic: Ball death myth  (Read 5083 times)

Pinbuster

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Ball death myth
« on: November 18, 2004, 10:48:04 PM »
Seems like everybody talks about ball death but I just have not experienced it myself.  

I have never had a ball that I quit using because I felt it quit hooking enough.

I’ve had balls (original X-Calibur, Red Pulses) I quit using because I resurfaced them so many times the labels were gone and the pinsetter had trouble picking them up.

But I have never had trouble getting the ball to hook so I have never been into getting the real hook monsters either.

I feel 80% of ball death is really I want a new ball fever in the bowler.


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TheBowlingKid25

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #16 on: November 19, 2004, 12:32:57 PM »
I dont care what ANYONE says, I 100% believe in ball death. Now to me, your statement is VERY broad, so it seems. Take a particle ball, and throw it for 200 games and not clean it, THEN if its still the same, you can tell me ball death does not happen. Mind you, you said it does not happen, in general. Most people (hopefully we're all smart enough to do it) clean their stuff after bowling, but even with that, the balls still die, it just takes longer.
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And why would I "saw" pins in half, THATS A WASTE OF PINS!
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nicolekidman

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #17 on: November 19, 2004, 12:53:16 PM »
Ball Death DOES EXIST

For Robert Smith types it happens after 50-100 games
For Butch Soper types it happens after the Earth Explodes
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Brickguy221

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2004, 03:00:04 PM »
quote:
"Effective" life of a bowling ball is 200-250 games max with a proper maintenance. Note the quotations "effective"! That is a scientific fact, not only experience.
Coverstocks do ware out.

Burack, try telling that and convincing that to my 10 year old Forrest Green Quantum of which I have already posted above that is is still as much alive today as it was 10 years ago. I don't know the exact games on it, but I can tell you it is way over 1000-1200 games.
 
quote:
Nothing grabs the lane and hits better than a new ball. Period. Time after time bowlers will report shooting some of their highest games and series after getting a new ball. The new ball did not make them suddenly become better bowlers, it just grabbed the lane and hit the pins harder thus giving more carry.

 

Bones, I am not in agreement with you here. Sure, I've shot some good games out of the box like others have, but I attribute it to being very-very attentive, being very-very cautious and very-very hard concentration on the new ball a person just received. More so than every day league shooting. If anything, I've had to let my balls sort of get broke in before shooting my higher scores, especially on puralized balls.
 
quote:
Ball Death DOES EXIST

Nicolekidman, PROVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Brickguy221

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #19 on: November 19, 2004, 03:52:18 PM »
quote:
So if this isn't ball death, please tell me what it is.  

Quite possibly, a change in lane conditions. Also a change in your release, and etc. Until I learned to read the lanes a bit, when I went to practice or what ever and my ball wouldn't move I thought it must be that the lanes were too wet. Then I would get out a more aggresive ball and get same results. Finally I found out that that if lanes are very dry or very wet, a ball can go down the lanes without making a move at all and all the while, a person will think the ball has died and gone to "H".
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Edited on 11/19/2004 4:52 PM
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Brickguy221

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2004, 06:53:13 PM »
All Ems, I must admit that I am really not qualified to help you with this problem. All I can tell you is from my personal experience and that is, with proper ball maintenance, I have never had a ball die on me. However with my experence and believing that Ball Death is a myth, I could be wrong, but I simply feel it is something else. How about the cover? Does it needed buffed a bit? Are both of these balls drilled the same?
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a_ak57

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2004, 06:56:52 PM »
quote:
with proper ball maintenance, I have never had a ball die on me.
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Retired and bowling on Fixed Income

Well that is probably why!  If you take care of your stuff it won't die.  But if you bowl a few thousand games and don't even touch it, don't you think it would be effected?
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Brickguy221

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #22 on: November 19, 2004, 07:18:39 PM »
quote:
Well that is probably why! If you take care of your stuff it won't die. But if you bowl a few thousand games and don't even touch it, don't you think it would be effected?
 

Yes, it would be effected with thousands of games and no maintenance. That is exactly the point I have been trying to get across to some of these myth belivers posting under this topic.
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a_ak57

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #23 on: November 19, 2004, 07:53:09 PM »
Am i missing something here?  I thought you were implying that balls never died?  Or were you just saying they don't die after 100 games and cleaning?

I confused.
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Strider

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #24 on: November 19, 2004, 08:52:13 PM »
I should be able to answer this better by Monday or Tuesday.  My favorite ball (Nighthawk M2) has a ton of games (>1000) on it, and doesn't seem to hook as much or hit as well as it used to.  It also seems somewhat erratic.  Some days, it seems good, others it seems tired and worn out.  About half of the labels are visible, and it has been pretty well maintained.  Resurfaces have been with a Haus machine, and it even took a visit to the Hook Again Chamber.

I have two NIB M2's in my closet just for when this one is dead.  I took one to the proshop to be drilled identical.  I plan to throw them side by side to see how similar or different they are.  I'll write back with my findings.  If the new one out performs the old one on the same lane condition, I will believe in ball death.  I still have my doubts about the 50-100 game "death".  Too many people throw way too strong a ball on light oil conditions.  Particles are often abused in this way.
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Phillip Marlowe

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #25 on: November 19, 2004, 09:28:11 PM »
Really folks, chemically...nah, I'm going to largely stay out of this one.  I do know this: all the manufacturers think reactive balls lose substantial "reaction" over the life of the ball.
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TappaKegga

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #26 on: November 21, 2004, 10:41:15 AM »
Strider--please let me know how the Hook Again Chamber turns out; I have been interested in giving this system a shot (just as general ball maintanence once in awhile) in addition to my regular ball cleaning with a Simple Green/alcohol combo.  I found the Hook Again system for just under $30 at bowlingball.com I believe.  Thanks,  Kevin
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icetink

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #27 on: November 21, 2004, 03:31:44 PM »
The Hook Again works great (in conjunction with a resurface)!

Be sure to leave it in there for 96h instead of the 24h Ebonite states.  This allows more time for the pores to be unclogged for a deeper and more thorough cleaning.  

Hook Again is a GREAT product!

For best results, be sure to resurface after using the Hook Again!
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Strider

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #28 on: November 21, 2004, 07:02:16 PM »
Tappakegga - I already used the Hook Again Chamber a few months back.  I noticed a bit more backend than before the treatment, but nothing earth shattering.  The chamber probably has more effect when a ball is really worn out.  When the performance has just dropped a bit from a ton of games, the chamber is probably of limited value.  Pearls typically don't absorb a lot of oil or wear out the same way a very aggressive solid resin or particle ball does.

I should have time to pick up my new M2 and throw it and the old one side by side Monday.
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icetink

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #29 on: November 21, 2004, 10:31:16 PM »
For me, the main difference between a ball with 300+games with a very worn out track area versus the same ball that has been treated in the Hook Again system and has been resurfaced, is quite jaw dropping.  

My Phenom does soak up a lot of oil so the treatment chamber has likely helped a lot.  The ball's hook is back to that of out of the box, and pin carry is back to being unbelievable.  The ball finishes through the pins much better now.
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TappaKegga

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Re: Ball death myth
« Reply #30 on: November 22, 2004, 12:29:50 PM »
Thanks for the replies.  I thought the Ebonite Tech article was an interesting spin on this subject, stating that is was the plasticizers not the oil.  For $30 what could it hurt I guess.
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