I'm guessing most of your traveling arsenals are 5-7 balls.  At least that's what I'm going with ITT.

With a 5-7 ball grouping, what looks are you shooting for?  Do you tend to lean on the strong side and counter with drilling/surface or do you go more blended across the range?

With a 5 ball group (not counting spare ball), I'm going 2 strong, 2 medium, and 1 weaker. 


Example
- Raw hook

- Big core/cover with a length drilling and shine/high grit surface for situations where the mids are still slick, but the heads have gone a bit or when you need to cover some lane and need a big motor.

- Benchmark

- Benchmark w/length of pearl version of benchmark for when heads aren't there for benchmark

- Weaker cover when they get toasty or when you need to play tight and straight.

With a 7 ball lineup I will throw in a urethane for when they are burnt and something rolly for wet/dry or slick and need to play straight.  I'm pretty good at generating length with hand positions/release.

Yeah . . but I'm taking 2 to Nationals, and one is really just to balance out the bag.  I think it depends on tournament format more than anything.  In a long sweeper, yeah I can see the need for more balls, but when you're just bowling 3-6 games at a time, unless you're bowling with complete idiots, I don't see a need for more than 3 personally, but that could just be me. 

I learned last tournament that I bowled that I shouldn't take the condition I am bowling on for granted. I took 4 balls because it was a house shot, and it was told to me that it was a 40 foot house pattern. Sweet. Grabbed my Black Eagle, War Eagle, Hook Solid and Clutch Pearl (strongest to weakest on that day) Didn't think to take anything weaker than the Pearl, because, well, it's a house shot. Pearl ball + puddle in the middle = plenty of mistake room.

WRONG.

The surface had so much friction on the fresh that I was going 18 to 5 with the CP, and the other stuff just checked up too early. I wish I would have brought something weaker to control the side to side motion. That being said, I'll bring whatever I have with me and keep it in the car.

THAT BEING SAID, here is what is in the bag currently.

Heavy Assym - Bank Roll at E pad (1500)
Heavy Symm - Darkness at T pad (4000)
Medium/Heavy Assym - Network at T pad (4000)
Medium/Heavy Symm - Hook Solid at 4000
Medium Assym - Clutch Pearl at 2000 then polish.
Medium Symm - Grip-it at 4000
Medium/light - Hook Hybrid at 2000 then polish

The Darkness, Grip-It and Hook Solid are smooth, the Bank Roll offers a little more pop at the back then the Darkness, Clutch pearl and Network offer more off the friction, and the Hybrid just is clean and readable.