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Author Topic: Bowling Ball Quality  (Read 6264 times)

Zanatos1914

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Bowling Ball Quality
« on: March 13, 2013, 04:23:22 PM »
Just wanted to know your thoughts on bowling ball quality...  What I mean is getting the same reaction that you received when you first bought the ball after cleaning a few times... I have noticed the older balls require less maintenance than these oil sockers they are selling ....  Anybody else having the same bad luck or feel alittle cheated after a few months of purchasing a new ball...

I dont want to start dropping a dime on the manufactures but wanted to know your thoughts..
New balls vs Oil balls and quality...
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2013, 04:28:49 PM »
Durability or performance.  Pick which one you want.  Ya can't have both.

Jimmie Johnson doesn't race on all-season tires.
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Zanatos1914

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2013, 04:47:35 PM »
Why not - The old balls did
« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 04:49:38 PM by Zanatos1914 »
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kidlost2000

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2013, 04:49:33 PM »
If the surface is polished, I have had no issues keeping the same performance for long periods of time. If the ball is sanded in any way the performance does not last as long and resurfacing doesn't help as much. After having one of my HP bowling balls really fall off hard after 35 games and resurfacing having no effect I had it baked at the local shop. It was back to original out of box performance and I was extremely pleased.Something to consider.

My Alpha Max and Aura Paranormal are both sanded at box finish. I decided to polish both for wider performance uses but also because it will help slow the oil absorption process I would experience much sooner if I left at the sanded finish. So far it has worked very well. Other wise they would need to be baked much sooner. It is well worth it for the performance it brings back to the bowling ball.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 05:06:50 PM by kidlost2000 »
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2013, 04:50:52 PM »
I'm not sure what you mean by "oil balls".
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Mbosco

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2013, 04:58:09 PM »
Old stuff is definitely more durable.  I do have to disagree with itsallaboutme, though; IF an older ball has the cover strength you want and a real core, it will perform just as good as new products will.  Better, in my opinion, if you factor in not really having to worry about the ball dying.

Not all old equipment will have what you want, though.  I have two Blue Warlocks that are extremely versatile and I can play all night with either of them on almost anything, but I also have a Monster Slay/R for high friction nights that can't stand a pinch of carrydown.
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2013, 05:11:03 PM »
IF the older ball has the cover strength.  If not you need a newer coverstock that is higher performace and less durable.  Again, take your pick.
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charlest

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2013, 07:18:24 PM »
The newer coverstocks are more sensitive to both surface and oil than many of the older resins.

A while back a rep from Roto-Grip was here and said that one of their newest coverstocks needed a refreshing of the surface after SEVEN games!!!

So the new resins absorb oil at a much greater rate and they need surface refreshing sooner. Thus, to maintain performance you need to take care of both facets to get the performance out of them provided to you when they are new.

The good part of older resins is they need less of this care & maintenance BUT THEY STILL NEED MAINTENANCE!!!!! You do not notice the gradual degradation over time. So, if you think your old resins from your old balls still perform NOW as they did when you first got them, You're wishing and hoping.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 07:28:03 PM by charlest »
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Mbosco

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2013, 08:12:34 PM »
Absolutely true.  Hope I didn't imply otherwise.  I've just heard an awful lot of terrible stories about absolute ball death after a fairly low number of games from the super soakers, but I haven't about older stuff.

Quote from: charlest on March 13, 2013, 07:18:24 PM
The good part of older resins is they need less of this care & maintenance BUT THEY STILL NEED MAINTENANCE!!!!! You do not notice the gradual degradation over time. So, if you think your old resins from your old balls still perform NOW as they did when you first got them, You're wishing and hoping.
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charlest

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2013, 08:39:41 PM »
Of course you didn't, to my eyes.

I think the new stuff just needs more maintenance to retain their incredible performance. I have to say, even though I rarely use any balls that are even considered for medium oil, that some of these high performance balls are worth all the extra trouble they are to maintain, in their usability, carry and hitting power. I know many, many people whose averages would be at least 20 pins lower without these balls, maybe more.


Quote from: Mbosco on March 13, 2013, 08:12:34 PM
Absolutely true.  Hope I didn't imply otherwise.  I've just heard an awful lot of terrible stories about absolute ball death after a fairly low number of games from the super soakers, but I haven't about older stuff.

Quote from: charlest on March 13, 2013, 07:18:24 PM
The good part of older resins is they need less of this care & maintenance BUT THEY STILL NEED MAINTENANCE!!!!! You do not notice the gradual degradation over time. So, if you think your old resins from your old balls still perform NOW as they did when you first got them, You're wishing and hoping.
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Jesse James

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2013, 12:52:27 PM »
Just in general observations, the older balls used harder coverstocks. Case in point, my old Zones which I still love. Red Alert, Danger, Demolition and Shock. These balls still operate fairly close to the levels of the times that I first bought them. Having said this, it is also quite a chore to alter their surfaces to the levels that are needed on today's lane oils. It can be done, it is just more difficult to do.

Today's HP balls are much more sensitive; much tackier; much easier to alter, and as such much easier to lose performance strength more quickly. To me this is a sure sign of softer and more elastic polymers, and greater and more severe surface topography with these newer pieces. It is a curse and a blessing rolled into one!

It's kind of like driving a BMW or Mercedes. You love the looks you get when you drive it. You love the performance when you drive it hard.......but you hate the bill when you have to maintain it!
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kidlost2000

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #11 on: March 14, 2013, 02:03:54 PM »
I still say no matter the ball if the surface is sanded it will not maintain its performance as long as if it were polished. Big hook monsters that die for most people all have surface. Those HP bowling balls that are polished, or any of the lower equipment polished requires far less maintenance.

I have had a Power Groove(PK17 from original Zone line) at a 1000 grit, need ball maintenance much sooner then the same ball at box high gloss finish. When the high gloss starts to ware, adding a little polish is literally all that was needed. When the balls is sanded, a fresh resurface doesn't guarantee the same results. It usually helps minimal. The baking process is what brings it back to true form.

There are other factors such as lane surface as well that play a huge part. You never hear people complaining about their Freeze dying on them, but that dull Full Swing is another story.
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…… you can't  add a physics term to a bowling term and expect it to mean something.

itsallaboutme

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2013, 02:38:40 PM »
You just notice the performance loss less in a polished ball as there is less performance to lose.  Any ball that absorbs oil loses performance.
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Mbosco

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2013, 02:51:58 PM »
I would expect a polished ball to absorb less oil at a time, however, which would mean it would lose reaction at a slower rate.  My observation so far has been that highly polished balls barely absorb oil at all.
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kidlost2000

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Re: Bowling Ball Quality
« Reply #14 on: March 14, 2013, 04:27:57 PM »
Quote from: itsallaboutme on March 14, 2013, 02:38:40 PM
You just notice the performance loss less in a polished ball as there is less performance to lose.  Any ball that absorbs oil loses performance.

Polish doesn't mean a lose of performance. There are many high end bowling balls that are polished and have plenty of hook to lose. My Ultimax is a beast of a ball.

After watching some of the vids posted on here from Jayhawk i believe it was, it shows the affects the lanes have on a bowling ball after just one to three games. The lane resurfaces the ball every time you throw it. (at any surface) Polish is another layer the lanes after to go threw to get to the balls surface.
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…… you can't  add a physics term to a bowling term and expect it to mean something.
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