Author Topic: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares? (Read 4528 times)

FBM357 · « **on:** September 22, 2004, 07:22:37 AM »

It appears a very large percentage of bowlers use plastic balls for spares. How many of you can actually use your 'main' ball as a spare ball by simply altering the position of your wrist? Why not do it more often? (other than added wear and tear on the your main ball)

I've always used my first ball for spares as well. Lately I've been thinking about using plastic, but fear the habit of using my first ball would cause errant shots with the plastic. Big adjustment? What are you thoughts?

Vernon
--------------------
Caring people make a difference!!! All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing

loose5682 · « **Reply #16 on:** September 22, 2004, 07:29:01 PM »

As a result of bowling in college for 4 years, I learned how to flatten the ball out so I would be able to bring one more "strike ball" with to tournaments instead of having to waste a spot with a plastic ball (we had a 4 ball maximum at all tournaments). That being said, I also do throw hard and straight at ALL of my spares (including double wood and buckets) and have found that I am rather successful at shooting my spares. However, I do kick the speed up a bit (strike ball avg. about 15 mph, spare shots avg. about 20, can get up to 22.5) to take the lane condition out of play!
--------------------
Andrew Loose
"King of Them All"
"Evolutionary. Revolutionary."

charlest · « **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2004, 07:38:04 PM »

quote:
For the average house bowler who will not bowl only bowls on ths', there is no need for a spare ball unless you want to save wear on your ball. --------------------
stanski

You must bowl in a house where the lane machine is perfectly maintained by experts and the lane people take perfect care of each and every lane, and every lane is re-oiled perfectly be fore every league, no matter which day and no matter what time they bowl.

Either that or you're the world's best bowler.

I'd love to live and bowl in such a perfect world.

In my world, I use a Blue Dot to make spares. In one house I have thrown that Blue Dot for a 4 pin, being right handed, by throwing directly at the 2 pin and having it hook 2-3 boards into the 4 pin. I have, in this same house, thrown that ball, and watched as the ball hooked into the gutter 5 feet in front of the 7 pin.

I try to throw my Blue Dot as straight as possible, with maybe a 2+ board hook, as normal. As demonstrated above, I do have to be careful at times.

--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."

MSC2471 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2004, 07:51:44 PM »

Based on my spare shooting this season in one of my houses, I know that before I get another resin or particle ball I need to get a spare ball pronto. This particular house is very inconsistent and on one lane you may have the ball turn on the back and another lane playing the same line watch the ball skate forever straight...

I seem to see a correlation between my yellow dot days and spare shooting versus the current days and my spare shooting- I've probably lost 10% through the years...

Matt

stanski · « **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2004, 07:57:05 PM »

Charlest, what i am saying is that for the average house hack, switching to plastic can sometimes hurt their game. A lot of times they don't understand all the technical aspects of the game, and a plastic ball i have actually seen people averaging 180, getting a plastic ball, and a year later, booking 170. now granted this is not a science experiment and other variables are involved, but the plastic ball might have played into this drop off.

I don't know, but i just don't see the need for an average house bowler to spend the extra 70 bux on something not necessary. If they want to take there game to the next level, sure, but if they are out there for fun and want to improve a little without much effort, i just don't feel it will benifit them.
--------------------
stanski

Edited on 9/22/2004 7:49 PM

FBM357 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 22, 2004, 09:37:29 PM »

Would a polished urethane ball do? like a pearl hammer for instance Would it yield the same results (actually similar) as a plastic?
--------------------
Caring people make a difference!!! All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing

Edited on 9/22/2004 9:30 PM

charlest · « **Reply #21 on:** September 22, 2004, 09:53:18 PM »

quote:
Charlest, what i am saying is that for the average house hack, switching to plastic can sometimes hurt their game. A lot of times they don't understand all the technical aspects of the game, and a plastic ball i have actually seen people averaging 180, getting a plastic ball, and a year later, booking 170. now granted this is not a science experiment and other variables are involved, but the plastic ball might have played into this drop off.

Ok, this is a little different from what I suspected was the basis of the suggetsion. I know Vernon a little, FBM357, and I think I knew where he was coming from, and it wasn;t the 170-180 bowler, but the 190-195 bowler trying to get to 210-ish.

quote:

I don't know, but i just don't see the need for an average house bowler to spend the extra 70 bux on something not necessary. If they want to take there game to the next level, sure, but if they are out there for fun and want to improve a little without much effort, i just don't feel it will benifit them.
--------------------
stanski

In that aspect, the fun bowler, I'd agree with you, 110%. But for Vernon and the rest of us trying to get significantly better (where you are, with the averages you posted in your profile) I think a plastic ball for spares is almost an essential step upwards. Didn't mean to make fun of your "prefect" world, but I do wish some of my houses were 1/2 as consistent as yours seem to be.

--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."

charlest · « **Reply #22 on:** September 22, 2004, 10:00:26 PM »

quote:
Would a polished urethane ball do? like a pearl hammer for instance Would it yield the same results (actually similar) as a plastic?
--------------------

It may; it all depends, in my personal opinion, on how you throw it AND on how fast you throw it. If you already have one such on hand, then I'd suggest that you experiment with it to see how well it works for you. If you do not have one, then I would not suggest getting one just to try it.

Vernon,

If you recall from when we practiced together, that although I throw my Blue Dot similarly to my strike ball, I do tend to take a lot of fingers out of it. Recently I have gone back and forth from a flat release to one similar to my strike release but, as I described above, with a lot less fingers/hand. I used to throw the Blue DOt VERY flat. Recently my spare percentage has suffered, so I am contemplating going back to a flat release. Life changes.
--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."

FBM357 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 22, 2004, 10:15:22 PM »

quote:
quote:
Would a polished urethane ball do? like a pearl hammer for instance Would it yield the same results (actually similar) as a plastic?
--------------------

It may; it all depends, in my personal opinion, on how you throw it AND on how fast you throw it. If you already have one such on hand, then I'd suggest that you experiment with it to see how well it works for you. If you do not have one, then I would not suggest getting one just to try it.

Vernon,

If you recall from when we practiced together, that although I throw my Blue Dot similarly to my strike ball, I do tend to take a lot of fingers out of it. Recently I have gone back and forth from a flat release to one similar to my strike release but, as I described above, with a lot less fingers/hand. I used to throw the Blue DOt VERY flat. Recently my spare percentage has suffered, so I am contemplating going back to a flat release. Life changes.

Hey Jeff!

I haven't thrown my 'retired' pearl hammer, but thought with todays' conditions, urethane would react like plastic to a very large degree. All my spare shots are 2-4 mph faster than my strike ball as you witnessed, I'm capable of hitting a 10 pin with my Onslaught

So, I'm contemplating using plastic or simply my urethane. I'll practice and see how it goes.

Vernon
--------------------
Caring people make a difference!!! All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing

Rodan · « **Reply #24 on:** September 22, 2004, 10:59:48 PM »

I switched to plastic 1 year ago for all my single pin leaves and double corner pin leaves. With 3 pins or more and on certain other splits & leaves I prefer to roll my regular first ball. I have improved my average by 10+ pins during this time and I believe it is due to the plastic. As a bonus, the plastic does save wear and tear on your primary ball, especially when you bowl on tough wood lanes like we have here. Also, you don't have to wait for your strike ball to return to bowl your spare - pick up the plastic and you're ready to roll! No time to 'think' about it and mess up!
I am a stroker-type player and I do throw the plastic with more of an arm-to-the-ceiling type release, whereas I throw my strike ball more down and into the lane. It has taken me a while to make that adjustment but it has been well worth it for me. I practically never miss a single pin spare now (except for the 10 of course). Yes, you have to be accurate on hitting your target, but the changing lane conditions will never cause you to miss! (You only have yourself to blame then - LOL)

Rod A.

stanski · « **Reply #25 on:** September 22, 2004, 11:15:21 PM »

quote:

I think a plastic ball for spares is almost an essential step upwards. Didn't mean to make fun of your "prefect" world, but I do wish some of my houses were 1/2 as consistent as yours seem to be.

--------------------
"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."

Ya charlest, actually my house is extremely consistent day in and day out. I don't know how they do it, but i can go in there any day with my flash point, stand 2 boards right of the middle dot, and as long as a keep it within 1 board either way of the 8 board at the arrow, i have a good chance of striking. The lanes are extremely blocked, maybe i just see it more now from experiencing tougher conditions though.

Now in my game, when i switched to plastic while averaging 185, this significantly improved my spare game on all my spares. It's just so much easier for me to be able to aim at the shadow of the pins and know the ball is going to go straight as long as i don't rev the ball up. I'm just offering the suggestion that it might not be worth it for many bowlers out there to switch. It takes a good while to get the same feel in your spare ball as strike ball, and takes a good while to get used to looking at spares different. For someone wanting to improve 5 or 10 pins on a ths, get a spare ball. For those who really don't care about the extra 5 or ten pins, don't get one. It's as simple as that.

Now, with all that said, For those wanting to gain anywhere from 10-30 pins on a sport type condition, get a spare ball. I could not believe the fact that the first time i bowled on a sport condition, i had LESS area throwing my strike ball at a washout than my spare ball. I thought it was pretty good that i threw everything but washouts and buckets with my spare ball, but i have now found that i can only throw my strike ball consistently at buckets on a sport shot. It's amazing what a tough pattern can show you in your game.

It showed me that even though im averaging 220 on a ths, i need to improve my spares and accuracy just to average 180! this was a shocker to me, and i still look forward to any chance i get to bowl on sport type shots, or tough house patterns. (not many opportunities to bowl on these for juniors, and all the houses in my area either put down a wall or put down a crappy ths and charge 3 bux a game for practice, which i'm just not going to pay).
--------------------
stanski

Edited on 9/22/2004 11:07 PM

Edited on 9/22/2004 11:13 PM

Hammer3003 · « **Reply #26 on:** September 22, 2004, 11:28:45 PM »

I have gone both with and with out. I choose to use a spare ball for one reason. So I do not waste surface on my ball.
--------------------
Bowl To Win!!!

luvmykings · « **Reply #27 on:** September 26, 2004, 11:17:01 PM »

I guess it gets down to what your preference is. I myself tried one with my 7 pin(I'm left handed) It did not work. Now I only use my main ball as my spare ball. I'm currently averaging 206. So I feel I don't need a spare ball. It seems that a lot of bowlers are more comfortable with a spare ball. One person claims he would rather pay $30 for a spare ball than use his strike ball and pay $150 to have it replaced due to having it worn out. If he knew proper maintenance the balls can last for a long time.
--------------------

Just Stormin' through!

RSalas · « **Reply #28 on:** September 26, 2004, 11:43:02 PM »

quote:
I'd rather crack out a $30 plastic ball than a $150 high-tech ball.

...like on Thursday night. In the second game, I used my plastic ball to cover a 10 pin. Between frames, one of my teammates pointed at my ball, and waved me to the ball return. Turns out the machine took a chunk out of my spare ball, about the size of a small dinner roll, in the grip area near the thumbhole. The chunk included the sides of the thumb pilot where my insert was glued, so it fell out as well.

So I had to use my strike ball for spares for the remainder of the evening. Needless to say, I did everything I could to avoid leaving any more 10s on that lane.

I wonder if this means I'll need to start carrying *two* plastic balls with me to league. One for spares, and one spare.

--------------------
Horrid in Doubles, torrid in Singles...
...that's The Curse of Dusty.

greenefam · « **Reply #29 on:** September 26, 2004, 11:46:43 PM »

I throw a plastic ball at almost every spare with the exception of spares with sleepers. Lane conditions barely alter the plastic ball's trajectory.

LuckyLefty · « **Reply #30 on:** September 27, 2004, 12:02:56 AM »

Recently my spare ball was in the shop on the mend.

It is a very pretty white dot very shiny and very skiddy!

So I started using house balls.

Those brightly colored AMF things that I'm not even sure what surface they are.

But they are not shiny, they are not skiddy but they do go straight.

I like the not skiddy part on slippery synthetics.

What are these balls?

I think I like the skiddy white dot on wood but on synthetic I want to get one of these roll straigt babies?

REgards,

Luckylefty

Author Topic: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares? (Read 4528 times)

FBM357

Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

loose5682

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

charlest

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

MSC2471

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

stanski

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

FBM357

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

charlest

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

charlest

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

FBM357

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

Rodan

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

stanski

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

Hammer3003

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

luvmykings

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

RSalas

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

greenefam

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?

LuckyLefty

Re: Is a plastic ball really necessary for spares?