All right this is something that's starting to get to me now.

I will admit that I have used medium load particle balls on fresh THS. Also a low load (Golden Nugget). Now in the past month I have begun to get much more confident in my game, mainly because I ditched the wrist brace. I will just quickly say that it was good for starting out with and trying to get the right feeling down for releasing the ball and what not. I went through an adjustment period with getting an idea for throwing the ball without. Essentially my game is becoming much more versatile because I can play straight up 5 or 10 if needed or I can throw a huge hook. Ultimately I can change releases much easier when need be.

What does this have to do with particle balls you're probably thinking.

With the improvement in my game I'm starting to use balls that are not these big hooking particle balls. The most aggressive ball I am throwing right now is the Track Xception. Haven't needed to throw the other stuff I have. (Balls are in profile) I'm watching people throw hook monsters like the BVP Goliath or the Track Animal on light oil lanes and I'm left wondering why they are. What the heck do people need to throw these things for? There is absolutely no use for them whatsoever. I'm starting to wonder if people really have any idea what some of these balls are intended to do on the lane and how they shouldn't be used on medium oil at best conditions (my house). I understand maybe if there is carrydown, but I feel if you can change your release to get the ball into an earlier end over end roll with a resin ball like say the Xception that's not a heavy oiler ball, the carrydown shouldn't be a major problem. It's usually a quick adjustment for the most part except in the case of heavy carrydown. Instead these people just continue sucking off the oil on the lane and continue using the particle balls. Then they wonder why they keep beaking it right through the nose.

Tonight was a prime example one person was using the Ultimate Inferno (Not Particle, but still a heavy oil ball regardless. If the speed dropped just a little, the ball went right through the middle. Me, I just continued moving deeper with the Xception and kept on striking. End result, 236-235-248 for a 719 series. The next closest series on my pair was 660 and the guy was using plastic for all 3 games. But the people who use these heavy oilers act bewildered when they can't control it on the lanes.

I wish people would actually research balls before buying them, or at least learn to adjust somewhat. Might be a meaningless rant but it's been bugging me for a couple of weeks now.
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Somewhere in the far distant future Lane #1's slogan will be..."Lane #1, out-carrying Storm for over 50 years!"

David,

I agree, people do NOT research what ball, for them, is best. I've see people who did no research, just took what others said and went with that. I'll look at someone's delivery, the ball reaction ( here we only have one house) and when they ask, i'll try to suggest 2-4 balls that will fit, in my opinion. BUT...I always show and explain that each ball will not do the same with each bowler.

We have some in the league that feel they are pro material, HAVE to have the biggest hook, highest score, most balls in the house, you get the picture, and when one is not working for them, it's the lanes, or the people 3 lanes over who just went nuts when one of the guys made a tough spare, always something to blame for the wrong ball on that condition.

We do have one guy, he'll pull out his White Dot in a second, if nothing else works for him, that night and he's good enough to have a pretty good night, he is the exception. I think most people want to look like the "pros" and then wonder why the game is not there on a given night. Not everyone needs, or can handle , a huge hook ( i know I can't), so live within your game. Try other things, but play within yourself and don't try to be a Walter Ray, or anyone else but themselves.

My 2 cents are up.
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AZ Guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
www.rlbowlerspro.com

Being left handed I face this everytime I'm bowling with other left handers. They pull out their Goliaths, Animals, Raging Infernos, Big Bullys,(you get the idea) on the driest conditions and I'm constantly asking myself why? You cannot blame a lot the bowlers in a lot of these cases because that is what they see on TV ( They see the pros like Robert Smith and Pete Weber hook the lane and they want to be able to do that no matter what) and that is what drillers have to deal and try to give them. The other side of the spectrum is that beginners like to see their ball HOOOOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is like an addiction to see the ball move from one end of the lane to the other. These types of bowlers are often what we call HSB's ( House Shot Bowlers ) They only bowl when they know the outsides are open and their big pieces are going to hook end to end. They have yet to realize that bowling is all about the control of yourself and equipment and if you cannot control your equipment then it throws off your approach and your read of the reaction. A lot of bowlers have no choice; example I have seen many 190+ avg. HSB's bring 4-7 pieces to league and it's all high friction equipment, yet they avg. 140-50-and 60 on any other condition because the condition is designed to take the big hook out of the equation.
The biggest ball i've been throwing over the past month is a Red Fuze drilled with a good midlane and controlled backend. I like to throw particles on drier conditions but they are weak hooking particles: balls like the Super Scamp, Scamp, Polished Sparkle Predator(drilled weak). I don't see how these bowlers can get their balls to hook with the burnout factor and all.
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I'D QUIT BOWLING BUT THEN I'D REALLY HAVE NO LIFE.

good point excaliber. spoken like a true bowler.
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I'D QUIT BOWLING BUT THEN I'D REALLY HAVE NO LIFE.

There are to many variables to take into account to make an acurate judgement.
Most of the comments that have been made so far are from experienced bowlers
(180-200..). You have spent time learning the game developing your release and learning how to play the game. A lot of the people that you bowl with in a league who have 130-160 even 170 averages haven't developed there game to that level. They buy a ball because like some of you have mentioned because somebody told them that its the most hooking ball out there or because of the color or price. The house that I bowl in has such dry backends i've used plastice,urethane and now a monster bruiser drilled weak. Some people just don't know any better and don't put in the time to find out. I'm sure it better in high average leagues or scratch leagues.