Hello all-
I've struggled a bit lately and I think it's more of an ignorance of condition and not matching up than problems with my ability. Lately I feel like my release and timing are as good as they have been in awhile, but I struggle to adjust properly on one of my house shots. It's best described as a severe wet/dry. I didn't listen to some advice about using a ball with some surface because in my mind surface has always meant more hook, or at least early hook/burnup in this kind of shot.
I tried a Totally Defiant, IQ Tour Pearl with mixed results. I'd line up fine for a bit, but then on what I thought were good shots, the ball would hook so sharply and so late that what seemed like a good shot was a big 4, greek church....you get the idea.
I don't have the speed I used to and I have more trouble on synthetics than I do wood fwiw. Since this house changed from wood, my average has dropped around 15 pins - consistent 215-220 for a decade, now 200-205. I'm a tweener, stroker who typically is comfortable standing 2-4 board left of center and playing 8-14 as conditions warrant, at around 14-15mph, 350 rev rate. My best success on this particular shot was after finally listening so some advice and hitting an old DV8 Hell Raiser Revenge with a green scotch-brite. Ball is calm and much easier to manage, even if I miss in either direction. As the lanes transition though and I move my feet left and target inside, it's too soft to play deep with. It's either corner pins or splits of the 2-8-10 variety. If I try to leave my feet in the same place but move my target in and go straighter, the ball reacts earlier as you might expect. Trying the pearl balls at this point is sort of a disaster.
I do have an IQ tour solid, but it's too strong for the dry and too weak for the inside on this pattern. It works better than most of the balls I have, but it still is way too over/under to manage easily. I have a Sync as well, but it's drilled for Reno and just doesn't work on a house shot at all.
This seems like a pure matchup issue, as well as a learning issue - and I think I'm finally learning to stop thinking that a lot of surface is a bad thing on this shot. Help me put a ball in my hands that someone like me can get down the lane but turn with enough backend to carry. IQ Tour Fusion? Marvel S? Zero Gravity? (would prefer something out now
