Author Topic: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why? (Read 2882 times)

Neptune66 · « **on:** March 10, 2012, 11:35:16 PM »

Been bowling few years now without inserts, till switching a couple balls back to them today.

Suddenly had more rotation and was throwing with a lot more authority and confidence and trying to remember why on earth I ever stopped using inserts in the first place---i.e. what was I thinking? I remember that I used to make frequent changes in size and style of inserts, and part of the motivation to stop using them being an end to that OCD type behavior. And I also remember that at about the same time I started the "no-inserts" experiment, the house I bowl at most often by coincidence was using less oil. So I noticed a slight loss of rotation, but overall was pleased with the new fit, and no longe rhaving the hassle of inserts to deal with.

Fast Forward to today, and am trying to understand how I could have settled for the kind of bowling I have been doing for the last few years. In other words, I'm curious what other benefits of not using the inserts (besides the expense) would still make it worth while to not use them.

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 11, 2012, 12:15:23 AM »

started with inserts and got influenced by other people and pba not to use them and of course the cost. Aside from taking time to get used to it there was used equipment issues with plugging and using slippery epoxy and had to get the bevel just right. After some long time it started to give me pains in my joints so used a old ball that had inserts and shot well with it and started using grips again.

Neptune66 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 11, 2012, 03:25:17 AM »

Forgot to mention have recently been having a hard time trying to get one ball's drilling matched exactly to another (both without inserts), no matter how talented the pro shop person is. Many times the driller checked the two balls and proclaimed them to be the same, and still I was still having trouble with the "copy" being dropped every so often during the delivery. Without the inserts, the finger holes need to be identical from ball to ball, and until recently---they were. Must have just been lucky.

With the inserts, the two different balls I used today felt identical. And they were bought and drilled a few years apart from each other, by different pro shop drillers.

I have not had any pain issues without the inserts as you have, though. Just frustration in trying to ensure each ball felt like a clone of the others. And of course... lower and less consistent scores.

bhsbigcountry · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2012, 10:44:32 PM »

You may have switched to it a while ago to try a new feel. I went from inserts to with out then back to them. Your hand changes. a problem you may have had with feel is the bevel on the fingers. The pitches and spans can be the same but feel different due to the bevel.

Shawn

Neptune66 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2012, 01:46:04 AM »

Yes. Beveling inconsistencies had/have become part of the problem. I generally preferred minimal bevel, and that seemed to help me hang on to the ball better. And for the first 3-4 years my regular driller was able to drill any ball I brought to him (new, used, older than dirt) and duplicate the others he had done. Almost like the replicator they had on Star Trek.

Then that driller moved away from the lanes I patronize the most and the new pro shop that came in, could only approximate the fit. And lately, even the originall driller ---despite being very concientious and accurate in most every way--- seems unable to achieve the same level of identical twin-ness I am looking for in the balls.

Anyway... among other reasons pulling me back to the inserts, is the desire to regain some consistency from ball to ball. Where that is concerned, the inserts are definitely superior.

In one of the most ironic twists, I went away from the grips because I was constantly changing them by adjusting sizes and styles and even brands. Figured without them, I would have less reason to be making changes all the time. And it worked! For anout 4-5 years, as long as my driller was able to make what felt like exact duplicates going from ball to ball.

But either my ability to communicate what I want has diminished, or the assumptions by the pro-shop people are interfering with my instructions, or .... my hand has changed in some way. All I know is I am returning to the grips for virtually the same reason I stopped using them....the desire for a more consistent fit from ball to ball.

Raydee · « **Reply #5 on:** March 18, 2012, 12:54:55 AM »

I recently went from grips to no grips because of a hand injury. I pulled the tendon in my ring finger and no matter how long I took off when i came back I pulled it again. I had the spans on my balls changed from stretched to relaxed and I still had the problem. I went to no grips because I could get the finger holes much closer and I am able to tape my fingers so I don't pull on the ring finger. The difference is night and day, no more pain when I bowl but now I have a whole new set of problems...like getting the holes just right and having to use BIO-Skin so I can get better grip on my ball. I would love to go back to grips but the worry of injury has stopped me.

Xx 12 X 300 xX · « **Reply #6 on:** March 18, 2012, 01:15:47 AM »

I got rid of the inserts. They wear down too fast, and they never feel the same from ball to ball once they start to wear down on some of the balls you use more often. I would need 100 inserts to change ever single time I felt something different.

Now it's just holes in the ball and a bevel sander for about a second to just tick sharpness that could chip the hole.

I want the ball to just tumble off my hand, with not much on it. The more tumble the better. No need for the extra "hit" from the inserts. If I want more on the ball, I can then increase the finger pressure, without fear of over hitting or up hitting, like you can with inserts. Sometimes with inserts you just catch alittle to much of them, without the inserts that miss hit doesn't seem to cause as drastic change in ball reaction.

Edited by Xx 12 X 300 xX on 3/17/2012 at 11:17 PM

Edited by Xx 12 X 300 xX on 3/18/2012 at 0:55 AM

kidlost2000 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 18, 2012, 05:53:43 AM »

I went away from inserts in 2001ish and I'm never going back. Got a more consistent feel in every ball. Very happy with the results throwing the ball as well. To each their own on preference.

"1 of 1."

BowlingTourney · « **Reply #8 on:** March 18, 2012, 09:07:49 AM »

I have gone insert free for well over 10 years now and have not looked back. I originally switched because my fingers had a tendency to swell the longer a set went and, would sometimes make it hard to get my fingers in the ball. I also would kind of "over hit" the ball when using grips.

All of these issues ceases when switching to no grips. I could easily add and remove tape from my fingers as needed. My roll off my hand was that much smoother and just as powerful. It gave me a whole new level of consistency I have not had in the past.

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 19, 2012, 08:17:34 PM »

When I was starting having issues with no grips about 4 years ago or so I not only got a new ball but wanted a completely different driller well away from town that could examine my hand and see how I can prevent my first joints from swelling so bad. First thing he did on my brand new No Mercy was moving my slug from 0 to 1/8 forward. While that felt nice and still use that pitch now, it was the fingertip drilled he wanted to change also. So he drilled larger, near simi grip holes but instead of 0 degrees he went like 1/4 at least reverse with the fingers. So when I tried the ball getting the tape in my thumb just right it seemed like my thumb and fingers were coming out at the same time. I couldn't get any lift on the ball without palming it. So I tried it for a month, shot poorly in league with it...finally gave up and got the fingers plugged and back to the regular 0 pitch fingers but now had the issues with slippery epoxy which I hate and of course the finger pains. Ball is in my 3 ball bag now though a little beaten up with many games and still with it but got it plugged and had grips placed in it like most of my older balls and have no problems with pain and my swelling went away.

Neptune66 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 21, 2012, 02:14:36 AM »

Since returning to the inserts/grips recently, I have tried to experiment with using the balls that have the inserts and those that don't and make my comparisons. A short...very broad or loose analogy for me would be that without the inserts, I am like a steady hitter in baseball who has a healthy batting average, but doesn't hit a lot of home runs. With the inserts, I'm like a home-run hitter, who strikes out a lot, and only carries a mediocre average, but is a danger to hit the ball out of the park at anytime.

Without the inserts, I was usually in the 180-200 range, and rarely higher or lower. With them, I have already started bowling some better games. At least a couple in the 230's, a 242, and a 266. There have been some stinkers too, but overall, I'll deal with those if I know I am capable of bowling the higher games as well.

Course what motivated me to go back to the inserts was that lately I wasn't even consistent or in the 180-200 range. And then I remembered that 4-5 years ago, when I was still using inserts (of course, I was also 4-5 years younger), I was regularly bowling games in the 230's and 240's and better, and my average was in the high 190's to low 200's. So... I had nothing to lose, and I still may use my "insertless" balls on very dry lane conditions, but feel I have a better chance for success with the balls with the inserts.

Neptune66 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 08, 2012, 06:07:08 PM »

Just a sort of epilogue.

Over the last few weeks I oscillated between switching my entire arsenal back to grips/inserts, and switching all the balls I experimented with, back to no-inserts again.

Finally concluded, that overall I am better off without them, but most importantly decided there was nothing wrong with leaving a few balls with inserts and keeping the majority without them (vs the all or nothing philosophy). Main difference I noticed was with the grips, I had to pay much closer attention to the surface of the ball being used, since they added rotation as well as some speed. With the weaker/lighter balls in my arsenal, that was ok. But with the more aggressive balls, I seemed to not have a good sense of touch with the grips, that I had without them. Was frequently throwing too hard and missing spares and stuff like that.

So now... I have a an additinal weapon with me (either in my locker or bag) in the form of at least one ball on hand with grips. The majority of my arsenal, though, will remain as is... without the grips.

MI 2 AZ · « **Reply #12 on:** April 08, 2012, 06:44:33 PM »

I started going back without inserts a few years ago. If I buy a used ball and it has inserts, then I will just change out and put mine in, but for all new balls that are drilled, they are without inserts. I don't notice much of a difference except maybe more lift with the inserts, but I actually prefer without.

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Author Topic: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why? (Read 2882 times)

Neptune66

stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

BrianCRX90

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Neptune66

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

bhsbigcountry

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Neptune66

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Raydee

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Xx 12 X 300 xX

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

kidlost2000

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

BowlingTourney

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

BrianCRX90

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Neptune66

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

Neptune66

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?

MI 2 AZ

Re: stopped using inserts a few years ago---why?