If you like drilling balls and have the funds to do so, have at it. The avg league bowler prob doesn’t NEED more than 4. I’m a firm believer in the better you get, the less balls you need.

finding the pocket is easy and only requires a couple balls. carrying on the other hand is my problem and why i bring 5 balls to league. maybe its a lefty thing but i have more than several nights a year that ill go through everything i bring and shoot 630 and miss the pocket 4 times all night. but once you find the matchup you should only need to bring a triple bag and strike away

On THS I like to have 3 ball motions available, depending on what I'm seeing:

1. Flip
2. Control solid with some bite up front
3. Weak pearl that goes long and arcs slowly

Right now the Kinetic Emerald, IQ Tour, and Tundra fill these slots.  Will there be a night this season where I may want something else in my hand?  Sure, but I would bet it won't be often.

When I started the good bowlers carried a double tote to league.  Now the good bowlers roll a triple tote.  That hasn't changed that much.  What has changed is the guys that used to average 195 used to carry a double tote are now the guys that average 215 and roll 2 triple rollers in thinking the ball is what is going to get them to 230. 

If I can't get it done with 2 or 3 balls, I'm not likely getting it done with 4 or more. I do own a ton of balls, but I'm not dragging a bunch to league. I also keep balls in my PSO's shop since it is at the house where I bowl most. I just take what I plan to use to the lanes and try to avoid going in there to get more.

Meanwhile, my PSO will drag out 7-9 balls and throw many of them in practice. He generally averages in the 225-240 range. It works for him. He always asks me why I'm not going to such and such ball. Gets "mad" sometimes when I leave a certain ball at home. In the end, it's just league. I'm taking it serious enough, but I'm also there for the fun of it. I don't need to throw 5+ balls in practice either. I know what they should do.

>One of our centers lets kids do the oiler

Dafuq?  Smack that proprietor upside the head.  Still totally agree 3 balls for league tops except maybe on the first night if haven't bowled that league before.

The proprietor is a cheap a$$ bastard. They also are the ones that do the pin setter maintenance, and in return they break too much.

I take 5 to every league. Why? One is my spare ball and it's in a single ball tote(and I'm too lazy to change it out). The other four go because I have a four ball roller, I make sure the one I need for that league is in the bag, the others? See my pitiful excuse about my spare ball.