I do clean all of my equipment after every set. I just believe carry is affected by games after time vs a new or newer ball. In other words, I believe that if I get a new Hyper Cell it will carry even better than my current one.
BUT, in addition to oil absorption,
even Roto-Grip has said that the some new coverstocks change their surface with use over as few as 7 games!! After 150 games, your ball is nothing like a new one.
How many of you change your coverstocks at 7 games, I will bet not many. I change my cover when it is necessary. Again I do clean the cover after my sets. I do not think it is worth it to put a lot of $ into a ball that has a ton of games. I would rather get a new one.
Neither do I (fresh the surface at 7 games), but then I rarely use the super-premium balls that have this susceptibility.
I recently did an oil extraction and surface refresh of a teammate's Marvel Pearl. He had 100 games on it and had done nothing to it at all. (Now he cleans it regularly at my recommendation.) I was worried about the dull surface with which he was using it and the new polished surfaced that was the original. But my worry was for nothing; within one game he had adapted to its new ball reaction/ball path and of course, its hitting anf carry power was back to normal, as was his average.
So no matter how many games are on a ball, I'd always recommend an oil extraction and a true resurfacing before getting rid of a ball, unless you're insanely wealthy or a ball rep.
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