I have been bowling for close to 40 years, but two years ago was forced to stop bowling right handed. I have been bowling left-handed for about 18 months. Last season I averaged 184.
My two main balls are a Phaze and a Rocket.
For the last four months or so, I have been having problems with accuracy. I tend to spray shots left or right of the intended target. Sometimes if I am looking at say 7, I can't get within five boards of it. When I do, there are no issues. I can get either one of those balls into the pocket.
I am almost 60. Working with my coach, we have determined that in order to be accurate, I need to slow down my approach and my ball speed. And I need to keep the ball straighter and not try to swing it left.
Doing that, I can throw a ball up 5-6-7 parallel to the lane with a good release and pretty good consistency. The problem is that I can't keep either the Phaze or the Rocket on the left side of the head pin that way. And if I speed up or try to swing the ball, to get either one of those to the pocket, I lose accuracy.
At this point I can throw my polyester spare ball up 4-5 and it will hit the pocket. It's like going back in time to 1978. Of course it deflects a lot and it rarely carries. So my coach is suggesting urethane.
That brings me to my question: Which Urethane? Looking at my spare ball as it heads to the pocket, I would like a ball with a little more snap, but probably not as much as a entry level reactive. I am looking for a nice walk-in-the-park down and in motion.
It seems most of these balls are being pitched for high-rev players or for burned out conditions. Neither of those applies to me. I get a decent amount of revs on the ball (enough to get a plastic ball to the pocket and carry some strikes), and on neither of the house shots I bowl on get beaten up on the left side, ever.
My coach and is a storm guy so he's thinking Pitch Black or Pitch Blue. I've also heard good things about the Fanatic BTU.
Right now I am thinking Pitch Blue for a little more of a check-mark reaction. The other question is whether to go with the pin over the bridge or into the middle of the hand. From ball reaction videos, the reaction I liked best was with the pin in hand.
Anyone have any input?