Here it goes everyone.  This is a tough one and I need everyones help.  My wife is getting more and more into bowling and she is wanting a new ball.  I am in a big confusion about what to get her and I am hoping everyone can help me out.

She throws a 13 pound ball and I cannot seem to convince her to go up to 14 pounds so I know this limits the possibility of getting the regular core in some of these balls.

She is very much a stroker.  She gets some revs on the ball, but not a ton.  She has medium to slow ball speed.  Right now she has a white dot that she is very good at picking up spares with and a columbia classic rock that she hates.  It had a very short pin and there wasn't a lot that could be done with the drill.  The ball hooks, but hits the pocket very very flat next to no carry really.

The house we bowl our mixed league in has quite a bit of oil so I was wanting to get her something with a good bit of hook to it, but I want it to also get down the lane due to her slower ball speed.  

I was thinking maybe an x-factor deuce or a freak out or a cherry bomb something like that.  Does anybody have any ideas at all I would appreciate it.
I want to make the best choice as she is starting to get better and I feel like I have set her attitude back with the bad choice of the classic rock.

Thanks in advance everyone.
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I don't really play cards and I am not 79, but it fits together somehow.

Card79,

I would recommend the Mutant or the Inferno.  The Mutant has a modifed core in 3 LBS and not the Morpheous core, but the core in the ball is still great with that coverstcok.  Polishes very nice as well.

the Inferno has the same core down to 12 lbs, good length and a strong move to the pocket but I still like the Mutant.

V/R,
Nicanor

Maybe even the Hot Wire.  The review in Bowling this Month for it was one of the most positive I've ever seen them give for a ball.  It's really ugly, but the biggest thing is getting her to move up to 14, there's a huge difference.
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Forget Kung Fu, I know Ron Bahr!!!

The only difference between youth and adult leagues are that the big boys are allowed to whine.  They're more entertaining anyway.

Because of her slow speed and low revs, I would never get her a ball that flares a lot or a solid. I think a mild pearl with a high RG without a lot of flare and a label drilling, like a 1:00 drilling or even pin over the bridge
and CG in grip center for good length. Her slow speed seems to be the determining factor.

Some possible balls: Too Hot, Big Hit Pearl, Power Groove, Scout/R or Wild.

Anything with surface like a solid or a particle will do just what the Classic ROck does - roll out and provide a dead ball at the pocket for her.  

If she wants 13 lbs, she will not like 14 lbs and may bear a grudge if and when she finds out. Beware a woman scorned!
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"Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it."

Hello, card79!

Here's my female perspective on your dilemma.

I made the switch from 12# to 13# equipment in January of this year, just about a year after taking up the sport. Prior to the switch, I threw Storm and Columbia equipment ... didn't much matter as a beginner. When I saw what my husband could do with a bowling ball after the same amount of practice, I asked our coach why the difference. He explained to me that the cores in the heavier balls are different from the weenies I was throwing.

Before making the switch, I did a ton of research, looking at all the ball companies, and I discovered that Brunswick is the only one that doesn't use modified cores for the lighter weights. I ended up buying a Monster SmashR because the lanes we normally bowl are anywhere from medium to heavily oiled depending on who's running the machine that day. The SmashR has performed beautifully on any condition I've tried, including fried lanes after a weekend of open play/Cosmic crap and no lane care.

Oh, within two weeks of throwing the SmashR, my league average jumped 20+ pins. I recently purchased a Brunswick Inferno to try to step up again. But, had I known about the Monster Bruiser being released, soon, I might have chosen to stay with the Monster line.

Anyway, don't lie to your wife about the ball weight. That's just wrong! If she wants 13# that's what she should get. I started out with a 10# Ultra Hot that my coach said would be too light. He was right, and within a month I had bought the 12# Too Hot. Then I moved to a 12# Icon and improved a little bit. When I felt I was ready, I went for the 13#. Will I go higher? Probably not. I started this sport as a very out of shape 45-year-old. Now I'm in much better shape thanks to becoming hooked on this sport. But I really don't see a need to go heavier.

Right now I'm fifth on the high average for women list in our summer league. By the end of the summer, I'll be higher. And it has a lot less to do with the weight of the ball than with the accuracy I'm gaining. I've tried a 14#, and while it hits slightly harder, the accuracy just isn't there.

I've rambled enough for now. Hope at least a bit of this was helpful.

Deb

First, I would get a 14 and put it in a 13 box.  She is just liek my wife, and she throws a slow ball low revs too.  She loves her Tour Power for Oily lanes, and her Flame(polished) for light to light/dry, and a Poleyester for 10 pins.  She also has a Wild.  Seriously (about the weight) you need to decide if you REALLY believe she CAN throw a 14; if so then go with that in a 13 box.

Dave
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If You Are Not the Lead SAW, All You Get is SAWdust!!

Hey king of the mill--
     I always find your posts informative, so I finally looked at your profile.  I thought I was the king of statistical overload, but I bow to your superior power!

Shiv
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Listening to the monotonous staccato of rain on my desk top