Hey guys,

I have this problem changing balls.  I’ll start off fine, but somewhere down the set my ball starts to lose reaction and carry.  Sometimes moving my feet and target is enough but when I start leaving weak tens and buckets and washouts i usually have to make a ball change.

Is there anyway to see the need for a ball change earlier?  A lot of the time I’ll struggle for a whole game before making the change.  And then pound my head for not adjusting sooner.

Last time I started off fine with a strong solid, moved down to a hybrid and finally after a wasted game switched to a pearl and then had five boards of area and carry.

So any advice of seeing the adjustments sooner would greatly help my score. Tired of going 230, 160 220 etc...

Thanks in advance.

Hey guys,

I have this problem changing balls.  I’ll start off fine, but somewhere down the set my ball starts to lose reaction and carry.  Sometimes moving my feet and target is enough but when I start leaving weak tens and buckets and washouts i usually have to make a ball change.

Is there anyway to see the need for a ball change earlier?  A lot of the time I’ll struggle for a whole game before making the change.  And then pound my head for not adjusting sooner.

Last time I started off fine with a strong solid, moved down to a hybrid and finally after a wasted game switched to a pearl and then had five boards of area and carry.

So any advice of seeing the adjustments sooner would greatly help my score. Tired of going 230, 160 220 etc...

Thanks in advance.

If your first game is usually a sold 230ish then chances are you have a fill shot in the 10th frame.  Use that fill shot at the end of game 1 to experiment with a ball change to see if it works or is at least workable.  Or start frame 1 of game 2 with a mandatory ball change to see if it works.  Easier to recover after a bad 1st frame then late in game 2.

If 230, 160, 220 is the norm, then have a game plan set in stone to make a ball change in frame 1 of game 2. Like SVstar said, try new things and experiment.  Eventually you'll find a strategy that works.

First adjustment should always be a move, not a ball change if you are carrying well to start.  Depending on you style and how the ksnes transition you may need to make a large move or maybe a small one.  Get lined in again then look at a possible ball change.  Conditions change very rapidly in today's environment.  Its not easy, and probably requires some experimentation on your part.

I agree with Bob here.
Also a lot has to do with experience and learning what works under what circumstances. Keep track of what you do when, and in 15 or 20 years , you may begin to feel comfortable a higher percentage of the time. Sorry, it does take time to learn. There is no one formula.

One year at Nationals, I was playing the 5th arrow with mild but dull ball, whose behavior I knew like the back of my hand. Yet I couldn't find a line until almost 2 games later when I found a line going down the FIRST Arrow. Now that's a transition!