Hello everybody,

              Working hard over the summer to get ready for my season. Bowling in 4 leagues and a handful of tournaments. Looking for some advice on what ,if anything, I am missing in my arsenal. I realize I do not currently have a hybrid, but I really am not sure if I need one. PAP 4 1/4 over and 1 1/2 up   16 mph with low track and low revs.

         Current arsenal:  No Rules  -  Dare Devil Trick -  No Rules Pearl -  IQ Tour-  Desert Ops  and a Tropical Storm. Looking at the Hyroad or the Code Red as a hybrid possibility. Problem is I really don't know what ball I would replace if I pull the trigger on a hybrid. Love all 6 of these balls. Always value your opinions. Just switched back to 16 lbs and so far so good. I feel I have 2 balls each to cover the Heavy , Med and Dry conditions. Opinions welcome.  Thanks 

It's easy to get wrapped up in trying to build out arsenals for heavy-light with solids, hybrids, and pearls, and symmetrical and asymmetrical cores, and different differentials and RGs and yadda yadda yadda.

You're bowling 4 leagues and tournaments. Have you run into any situations where you didn't have a ball for the situation? If yes, there's a hole. If no, you're probably fine.

It's easy to get wrapped up in trying to build out arsenals for heavy-light with solids, hybrids, and pearls, and symmetrical and asymmetrical cores, and different differentials and RGs and yadda yadda yadda.

You're bowling 4 leagues and tournaments. Have you run into any situations where you didn't have a ball for the situation? If yes, there's a hole. If no, you're probably fine.

I agree with this, but the one "gap" I can see is the one between the NRP and the IQT. Put something with more diff in there, IE a HyRoad like was mentioned.

The only time I think it's acceptable to bring 6 balls for a house shot is to a house that you're not familiar with.  I bowl in UBA matches in houses that I am not familiar with or only bowl in them once or twice a year, so I see a lot of different house shot conditions.  I'll bring 5 "strike" balls that run the spectrum (strong asymmetrical to weak low diff pearl) and plastic to make sure I've got everything covered. 

However, a league that I'm a member of in one house that I bowl week after week - different story.  Max is 3 not including plastic - and even then, if I haven't found it with 2, it almost always has been a bad night.

The only time I think it's acceptable to bring 6 balls for a house shot is to a house that you're not familiar with.  I bowl in UBA matches in houses that I am not familiar with or only bowl in them once or twice a year, so I see a lot of different house shot conditions.  I'll bring 5 "strike" balls that run the spectrum (strong asymmetrical to weak low diff pearl) and plastic to make sure I've got everything covered. 

However, a league that I'm a member of in one house that I bowl week after week - different story.  Max is 3 not including plastic - and even then, if I haven't found it with 2, it almost always has been a bad night.

I don't particularly care how many balls people bring, so anything is "acceptable" to me I suppose. However, I do agree that bringing more than 2-3 strike balls to a fresh house shot that I bowl on every week usually does more harm than good. There are times where the lanes play weird and I wish I had a ball, but there are many many more times where the lanes play normal and I nonsensically get enamored with a ball I shouldn't even have brought with me.

In the beginning of the season, I'll bring 3 and plastic. By midseason, that's often down to 2 and plastic. That is specifically for fresh shot league, second shift leagues are another animal that tends to require more variation in equipment.

I forgot to mention my polished Blue Angle that is deadly on most of my spares.

What surface do you see on the No Rules on a house shot? 2000 just is too much at the houses I bowl at now.  Bowled on a 47 foot sport pattern tonight and 2000 was not enough. Had to go all the way down to 360 to get any reaction from ball. Thinking about maybe 3000 on a house shot.

Agreed   360 was a huge mistake.  Bowled decent last game with a polished Alpha Crux. Gave me a bit of miss room in, where the No Rules at 360 was gone. Live and learn I guess. I am going to take No Rules and Dare Devil Trick both up to 3000 for my league patterns.  If I bowl on a heavy pattern again, No Rules will go down to 1000. 360 was a bad move by me.