win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: Urethane for spares  (Read 9114 times)

thewhiz

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 389
Urethane for spares
« on: February 18, 2020, 02:29:07 PM »
I notice some pros use urethane for spares.  When they throw it at their spares they throw it hard and take their hand out of it and it goes straight.  Why dont they just use their reactive balls for spares if they are gonna do that.

 

keegan.mier

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 132
Re: Urethane for spares
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2020, 02:44:29 PM »
Possibly to keep their reaction the same, one shot won’t cause much difference but over the course of a tournament you will notice a change in ball reaction. Either through lane shine or oil absorption. It could also just be the friction and dynamics factor. Reactive will grab the lane a little more downlane, and the core could cause more movement even with minimal hand

St. Croix

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 644
Re: Urethane for spares
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2020, 12:05:46 AM »
Why dont they just use their reactive balls for spares if they are gonna do that.

Kris Prather does just that; he does not have a spare ball. Prather uses his reactive ball and flattens his wrist. He is one of the better spare shooters on tour. I have not seen him miss a ten pin in the many games that he has bowled on television. The commentators said that Norm Duke also uses his strike ball for spare shooting.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2020, 08:46:36 AM by St. Croix »
"I spent half of my money on women, gambling, and booze. I wasted the other half."

W.C. Fields

bowling_rebel

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 159
Re: Urethane for spares
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2020, 12:33:02 AM »
Unless you bowl on a sport shot, you don't know how much the house shot helps with spare shooting.

As a rightly, going for 10 pin, on a houses shot, it's hard to throw it into the gutter. Pull the ball a little and again, the oil saves the shot.

For this reason, I actually thing a weak reactive or urethane may often be better than plastic on house shot.

On a sport shot, you have to be a lot more accurate to hit that 10 pin. Then you also have to have a spare game that will work on 45 feet of oil, or 32, plus won't change when the lanes become toast.

At that point, someone has to be damn good at flattening out their wrist to be that accurate with reactive on so many different conditions.

Some urethane's won't hook at all  unless you have some hand. I used to use  a Supernatural for spares. Pitch black on other hand, may want to roll at your feet if the heads are dry. I don't think there is any advantage using that for spares over reactive.

What I think it really comes down to is having one less ball to carry. And if going to a tournament putting that plastic spare ball in your bag may mean you have less one less reactive to choose from.

However, when it really come down to it, plastic will always be best. Which is why almost all pros, use it for spares, or Storm Mix, which is hard urethane and pretty much equal to plastic in hook potential.


ScooterMcKyle

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Urethane for spares
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2020, 10:17:48 PM »
I use urethane for 10 pins unless the lanes are really over/under then I'll use it for more spares to keep the reaction down but still grab the lane more than plastic

BeerLeague

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 426
Re: Urethane for spares
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2020, 08:08:13 AM »
I notice some pros use urethane for spares.  When they throw it at their spares they throw it hard and take their hand out of it and it goes straight.  Why dont they just use their reactive balls for spares if they are gonna do that.

On long patterns, that's fine.  On short patterns, if you happen to get on the side of the ball, it can hook away from the spare.  I think half of it is marketing, with the ads on the spare balls.  If you can stay behind it and throw it 20mph +, you don't need a spare ball.