Author Topic: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling) (Read 1298 times)

trash heap · « **on:** April 02, 2009, 05:16:27 AM »

Basically that is the question.

Which ball is better for a lighter condition:

A Ball with a Weak Cover or

A ball with a Strong Cover (but has low flare drilling)?

northface28 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2009, 01:18:57 PM »

Cover is paramount, with that being said, the weaker cover will get down the lane better majority of the time.
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16 Fever

Jesse James · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2009, 01:36:20 PM »

This is a great question!

It is one that I have been fiddling with all season. I have had success with both. It seems to be more about:

1. Carry percentage.
2. Efficient use of the track area
3. Bowler's skill in recognizing where to play vs. where to stay away from

I have bowled oustanding games with a sanded Apex Agression, drilled very weak.
But the secret was playing just inside of the main track area and keeping up my speed. I have also had outstanding games with a Shock & Awe drilled very weak as well. With the S&A I played in the track area.

On the other hand, I've put up some real nice numbers with my Hornet drilled 4x4, as long as I stayed IN the track area.

Just from a confidence and "feel" standpoint, I think I would go with the strong cover, weak drilling, since that seems to make me less prone to over/under when I hit those spotty conditions.

But I guess it's a trial and error thing, where you do it, and stay with what is most comfortable to you, personally.
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Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, but it still holds the universe together.

Some days you're the bug some days you're the windshield.

tc300 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2009, 10:47:11 PM »

in most cases with me, it the drilling....

sdbowler · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2009, 04:32:55 AM »

It can also be different from bowler to bowler as well as ball to ball. There are some balls with a strong cover that have not liked a weaker drill pattern on them.
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Kyle

achilles · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:12:03 AM »

Well I just got a ball with a weak cover and put a weak drilling on it and I love it! I cant wait to see it on dry conditions and everyone is swinging the ball while Im staying around 5-10. Great length and still good hit. Just my 2 cents.

dizzyfugu · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:32:23 AM »

I'd look at the complete package of the ball, but IMO it does not make sense to use a strong cover ball on light conditions and "killing" it through a weak setup and other tricks like polish. The ball will still be very aggressive and respond easily to friction - a battle you can avoid with "less" ball in the first place.

That said, I'd look at the cover/core/surface prep package of a ball. even with a stronger cover, a high RG ball can still be an effective option to push it down the lane. On the other side, a weak cover ball paired with a low RG core can get you into over/under trouble because the ball will deliver ist energy upon friction quickly. A higher RG core will be more stable.
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DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

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gojr1815 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2009, 06:04:58 AM »

At least with me I don't know why you would buy a strong ball then tone it down. I have always had better luck drilling a weak ball stronger. It also saves the wallet. I just don't have much luck finding the oil to throw the high powered equipment.
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Why Jr Why

dizzyfugu · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2009, 06:49:17 AM »

quote:
At least with me I don't know why you would buy a strong ball then tone it down. I have always had better luck drilling a weak ball stronger. It also saves the wallet. I just don't have much luck finding the oil to throw the high powered equipment.

Second that.
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Jorge300 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2009, 09:52:40 AM »

This is a question I wrestle with as well. I have tried both and been successful with both. I think it really is a question of bowler preference and where you feel comfortable throwing it. So I guess I second what Jesse James said.

And those that ask why buy a stronger ball and drill it weak. The answer is simple. The weak drill will allow it to get down the lane, but the stronger cover will allow it to recover better then a weaker cover. A weak cover bal, even with a strong drilling, will have trouble with carry down, just not enough cover to cut through it. So even if you hit the pocket, you leave 10's, flat or maybe solid. Also, those of us with higher ball speeds, can use the strong/cover weak drillings to play deeper then we can with the weak cover balls, which is sometimes an advantage when the majority of people are playing the track. There are many times where the strong cover/weak drilling ball is the ball of choice, don't dismiss it so easily or question it so strongly.
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Jorge300

Bill Thomas · « **Reply #10 on:** April 03, 2009, 03:21:49 PM »

can someone explain/give an example of a weak drilling?

Jay · « **Reply #11 on:** April 03, 2009, 03:53:59 PM »

I believe weak drillings are in the ball park of 5 1/4" or more from your PAP. Thoughts?

I'm also starting to think stronger covers with weaker drillings and weaker covers with stronger drillings are a good way to go because it cuts down on over/under in my opinion. When it comes to really scorched lanes I'm not sure whether it's worth it to drill a weak ball weak just for that or if it's better just to use plastic/urethane.

Dan Belcher · « **Reply #12 on:** April 03, 2009, 05:01:06 PM »

quote:
This is a question I wrestle with as well. I have tried both and been successful with both. I think it really is a question of bowler preference and where you feel comfortable throwing it. So I guess I second what Jesse James said.

And those that ask why buy a stronger ball and drill it weak. The answer is simple. The weak drill will allow it to get down the lane, but the stronger cover will allow it to recover better then a weaker cover. A weak cover bal, even with a strong drilling, will have trouble with carry down, just not enough cover to cut through it. So even if you hit the pocket, you leave 10's, flat or maybe solid. Also, those of us with higher ball speeds, can use the strong/cover weak drillings to play deeper then we can with the weak cover balls, which is sometimes an advantage when the majority of people are playing the track. There are many times where the strong cover/weak drilling ball is the ball of choice, don't dismiss it so easily or question it so strongly.
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Jorge300

Exactly. I'd like to go a little more in depth on this point.

For anything except an outright flood, why WOULD you want to take a strong ball and drill it strong? You're not going to save any energy for the back part of the lane if you throw a 3 3/8" or 4" pin to PAP layout on it on medium to medium-heavy conditions. You're just covering more area on the lane itself, which doesn't really serve much purpose (unless you really need to go inside-out around a goofy oil pattern).

Take advantage of the stronger coverstock to give you traction in the midlane without hooking a bunch there. The weaker layout will retain energy for the backend, allowing you to stick with one ball longer before it starts burning up in the front part of the lane. When you do this, the ball will be smoother and more predictable, handle carrydown well, be less prone to burning up as the shot dries up, and you won't need to move as much when the lanes start to change (you can camp out in one spot longer, and you can stand further right while still getting good entry angle, which is a plus for trying to avoid nasty splits and washouts!). Once the ball stops getting down the lane well, you need to shell down to something cleaner through the fronts.

Conversely, drilling a weak ball weak will only be useful on very light oil conditions. The lack of flare combined with a weak cover will result in too little traction in oil, too much traction in dry (over/under hell), lack of traction in carrydown, etc. Drilling a weak ball stronger will let you get more midlane, which is again key to good ball reaction.

Ball "strength" is a grossly misunderstood aspect of bowling. It's all about getting the ball to use its energy in the correct spot of the lane, NOT about how much it hooks or how strong it is. You should really have a mix of strong/strong, strong/weak, weak/strong, and weak/weak balls in your bag if you plan on encountering the full range of conditions. For example, I believe a moderately-strong-drilled Dimension (OOB), a weakly drilled Second Dimension (with a little more surface than the high-gloss box finish), a moderate strength drilled Hy-Road (OOB), a moderately-strong drilled Street Rod Pearl (OOB), and a plastic ball would cover you on pretty much 90-95% of the conditions you'll ever see.

Author Topic: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling) (Read 1298 times)

trash heap

Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

northface28

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

Jesse James

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

tc300

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

sdbowler

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

achilles

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

dizzyfugu

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

gojr1815

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

dizzyfugu

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

Jorge300

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

Bill Thomas

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

Jay

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)

Dan Belcher

Re: Weaker Cover vs. Stronger Cover (with Weak drilling)