Has any of you experienced what happened to me over the weekend?

I was playing at a national senior event in the UK and was using a Purple Hammer Pearl Urethane for my spare both right side and left side.

I use 20 for the 10 pin side spares but I use second arrow for left side spares. I actually hook it at left side spares with that ball as I seem to have more room using it that way even on sports shots which is what we were on. Maybe due to me having quite a high rev rate for a senior bowler.

I’d used it all day and when I got to the fourth game we came up against the top team in the event. It’s very common in senior events that it is a very friendly environment and everyone gives high fives. Three frames in and my fives dried up, never bothers me so much I just carried on regardless.

At the end of the game my friend from my team who was scoring said to me that I’d really upset a few of their players by using urethane for my spares down their bowling line.

It was a bit of a shock to me that urethane even for just spare shots is causing controversy.

Anyone else ever experienced this? I thought it was a silly attitude as if I’d have used plastic playing across there line then I’d have pushed even more oil than with urethane, which I wipe before every shot.

Thoughts anyone?

Quote from: star on June 07, 2023, 07:30:12 AM

Has any of you experienced what happened to me over the weekend?

I was playing at a national senior event in the UK and was using a Purple Hammer Pearl Urethane for my spare both right side and left side.

I use 20 for the 10 pin side spares but I use second arrow for left side spares. I actually hook it at left side spares with that ball as I seem to have more room using it that way even on sports shots which is what we were on. Maybe due to me having quite a high rev rate for a senior bowler.

I’d used it all day and when I got to the fourth game we came up against the top team in the event. It’s very common in senior events that it is a very friendly environment and everyone gives high fives. Three frames in and my fives dried up, never bothers me so much I just carried on regardless.

At the end of the game my friend from my team who was scoring said to me that I’d really upset a few of their players by using urethane for my spares down their bowling line.

It was a bit of a shock to me that urethane even for just spare shots is causing controversy.

Anyone else ever experienced this? I thought it was a silly attitude as if I’d have used plastic playing across there line then I’d have pushed even more oil than with urethane, which I wipe before every shot.

Thoughts anyone?

My thought is that they are just butthurt.  You did nothing wrong.  If they cannot understand that is the current state of bowling (especially on a sport shot), then they can just not show up or bowl somewhere else. 

^^^This^^^

Plastic will do the same as good or better then the purple hammer. Go practice sometime and throw a few normal strike shots, then throw 8 to 10 consecutive shots at the 10 pin and now retry the strike shots you started with and see if it hasn't changed.

It doesnt take much with plastic. One senior tour lefty told me as much. He stated that he can alter a line in 8 shots with plastic, and from my personal experience in practice that seems very accurate.

I think it was more the case that I was picking up left hand spares while playing “their” second arrow. I was probably using their strike line to pick up 2 and 4 pins.

Like you say though plastic would do the same sort of thing. Sad the way bowling is going nowadays.

High rev rate means there are more revs to pick up and deposit oil.

A thumb bowler using urethane at spares will not cause carry down.
Even a high rev thumb bowler usually has an altered release for spare shots.

It's the no thumb bowlers shooting at spares. Plastic, Urethane, even a reactive ball that doesn't flare doesn't matter.

I've done the experiment myself. 1 game no thumb spare shooting. Then try bowling a normal game and terrible carry down. But bowl 1 game practice spares with my thumb and no problem with  strike shot.

Everyone is creating some carrydown with spare shooting, but usually it's just too little, and being wiped away by all the strike shots to be of any noticable consequence.