Lastnight at league..

[snugbucco]

well it was league night last night. I'm on a team of 5 everyone on the team seems cool and dont really show that they care if you messed up or bowl bad... BUT last night my own teammate psyched me out, it was disgusting, really. I use a houseball for my spare shots because one I dont own a plastic ball for my spares, and two from my understanding a straight ball is the most consistent when it comes to "ignoring the oil". But this dude grabbed the house ball i was using and threw towards me and said get rid of it... I was about to say when you average over 170 come talk to me... this dude brings a 6 ball bag to league and curves the ball at his spares... I'm greener then grass when it comes to bowling, I thought myself, never even had a friend who enjoyed bowling...

My question and the reason for my post other then venting is. Are house balls "bad" to use during league play with fresh oil?? I understand plastic balls push oil down the lane but the greasy house ball i was using could that of thrown my team mates game off, and the reason why he got kinda upset with me?

But one of my team mates last night gave me a plastic ball.. I'm gonna get it drilled to my hand today.

I have my first lesson with a coach Tuesday... Hope he brings good insight to my game. I'm a wonderful learner, I'm gonna be like a field of corn Tuesday "all ears"

sorry for my rant and insecure question lol. :cool:

[bowl1820]

There's nothing really wrong with using a house ball as a spare ball, if that's all you have. Not knowing the situation when he said "get rid of it".

He might have just wanted you to take it off the ball rack. When you have 5 man teams, there's like 10 balls on the rack. Most ball return racks only hold 10 or 11 balls. Leaving spare balls on there, can cause problems with returning balls and some guys get real worked up if there are 1 or more spare balls on there.

If you use a spare ball, after shooting your spare. Wait for the ball to return and remove it till needed again (a lot of returns have a double decker rack now for the spare balls) as a courtesy.

As for pushing the oil. If you were using it as your strike ball and playing a similar line as him, any affect on him would be minor. But just using it as a spare ball would be meaningless. Now if several people were doing it might be a different story.

[snugbucco]

Thanks for the tips on waiting for the spare ball, I will do that next time and put it down below like I should have been doing. But the ball return wasn't close to full. This was more of him trying to tell me how to bowl. he said, "you always should hook the ball for spare". I see the logic of this if I had multiple pins still up and need some extra pin carry. But oil can be unpredictable last thing i want to do while going for the 10 pin is bite and miss it all together or gutter.. =/.. I see PDW and norm duke and almost all pros throw straight balls for spares.. I just don't get why you would want to abandon a straight ball unless you just want to make it harder and riskier for yourself.

[jimlc2001]

Thank the guy for the plastic ball, and you are correct when it comes to spares...straighter is better.

[striker12]

snug e should of not done that to you he should of asked you ik this cause 1 guy in a league i use to bowl in did it to me i had to use a house baall for my spares cause my spareball was stoling that night i had it on chair and when i was going back to get it for a spare shot it was gone i litterly spend 20mins trying to find the ball and asked everyone soo then i went and grabed a house ball and was just wipping the ball down the lane.

but after every shot i did with it i took it off the rack and put it in my chair and i stayed standing the hole time and one guy on the other team came over to the chair and grabed the ball and he sead put this ball away you dont need it and this guy is a streght bowler and me back then i had a big mouth and i sead stuff that im not going to post on here but probly most of you here just from hearing that sentance u probly know what i sead cause i almost sead everything.

but he shut up put my spareball back after i did something that i should of not done

[Zothen]

First off that guy is an #$%^! I used house balls to pick up spares until i got my own spare ball. Yes house & spare balls do push oil down if theirs oil on the lane. You could also try taking your ring finger out of your ball and throw your ball like a house ball.

I would talk to your teammate and asked why you can't use a house ball for spares and see what he says. If its just to many balls on rack,then you can tell him he could have explained that to you instead of getting pi$$ed off.

Good luck in your league and good scoring!

Zothen

[dgz924s]

The only thing I can see remotely wrong using a house ball is the fit, other than that, drop the ball on his foot and go about your business.

[chrono00]

Thanks for the tips on waiting for the spare ball, I will do that next time and put it down below like I should have been doing. But the ball return wasn't close to full. This was more of him trying to tell me how to bowl. he said, "you always should hook the ball for spare". .

you should have just laughed in his face at this point. like you said he doesn't even average 170? what does he average. cause if it's less than that, he probably shouldn't be trying to give too many people advice

[billf]

This guy obviously had a burr up his a$$ and took it out on you. Next time he says to hook it at all spares tell him you will be sure to let (name any pro you want here) know that even though he's a pro he's doing it all wrong according to (jerk's name here).

As for the coach; write down before hand anything you have questions about. Bring a pen and paper with you and take notes. You would be surprised at what you can forget was said a week later. Good luck

[floridanative772]

That sounds like someone who thinks they know more than anyone. There is nothing wrong with what you were doing. Its not his bowling alley, so until there is a league rule that States you can not use house balls tell him to mind his own business.

[Davec13]

For me personally I have a much higher spare conversion rate throwing a hook. I do have a spare ball, but 9 times out of 10 it stays in my bag. I started out throwing a straight spare ball until one day the lane owner was talking with me and told me the "3,6,9 rule" It's so much easier to keep throwing the same ball and just adjust your feet a few boards for me at least. The only time I really pull out the spare is if I leave a 5,10.

[AngeloPD]

For me personally I have a much higher spare conversion rate throwing a hook. I do have a spare ball, but 9 times out of 10 it stays in my bag. I started out throwing a straight spare ball until one day the lane owner was talking with me and told me the "3,6,9 rule" It's so much easier to keep throwing the same ball and just adjust your feet a few boards for me at least. The only time I really pull out the spare is if I leave a 5,10.

same here, i only use my spare ball if i leave a 10 pin!

[Davec13]

I have enough practice shooting 10 pins that I pick them up around 80% of the time with a hook ball. My straight ball seems to like to tease me and just miss the pin. I also don't know how people shoot the 2,8 or 3,9 throwing a straight ball. If that throw isn't perfect you are gonna miss the back pin. Throwing a hook the rotation brings the ball back to the rear pin.

[chrono00]

I also don't know how people shoot the 2,8 or 3,9 throwing a straight ball. If that throw isn't perfect you are gonna miss the back pin. Throwing a hook the rotation brings the ball back to the rear pin.

i'll hook at the 2, 8. being a righty, i'll ccan usually try to get it to hit the 2 slightly on the left side so that it'll still get the 8.

lot harder to do with the 3,9. I find it easier to throw hard and fast right at the 3 and literally just drive RIGHT through the 3 to get the 9. 15lbs going 20mph at a single pin isn't going to deflect very much, so it'll get the 9 as well. (assuming i hit my mark lol)

[billf]

Since I had my Terror drilled, I've been using that ball for spares also. It's so comfortable, versatile and controllable that I don't even think about it. I know that even without rotating or revving it up, it will move three boards.

As for plastic at the 2-8 or 3-9; for some reason I can easily hook my Ice 3-5 boards depending on speed. Last season I used that ball for the third game of league and would hook it 15-20 boards. But that's real dry by then.

[Hampe]

For me personally I have a much higher spare conversion rate throwing a hook. I do have a spare ball, but 9 times out of 10 it stays in my bag. I started out throwing a straight spare ball until one day the lane owner was talking with me and told me the "3,6,9 rule" It's so much easier to keep throwing the same ball and just adjust your feet a few boards for me at least. The only time I really pull out the spare is if I leave a 5,10.Hooking with the 3-6-9 rule is great if you only play in one alley all the time (or in different but similar alleys), but as soon as you start playing different alleys with different oil patterns/lanes you will be better off with a straight ball for most spares (other than the 2-8 and 3-9). It's hard enough adjusting your strike shot, but if you have to adjust for each spare shot as well it can cost you some pins pretty quick.

There's a good reason why the vast majority of the pros throw a straight shot on spares....

[Davec13]

I still think even playing different alleys and lanes it's a better option for me. Once you know where your strike ball is, it's not hard to adjust off that point and shoot your spare. That's the thing with this game while there are "correct" ways to do things everyone adopts their own style and it still works for them.

[Tampabaybob]

Let's see........the guy comes bowling with a six ball bag.....only averages in the 170's.....and he's giving you crap about using a house ball for spares? REALLY ?

Blow the guy off, because he THINKS he knows what he's talking about, but doesn't. ALL ball will drag some oil down, it doesn't matter what the surface is. Even some of the most aggressive ball will still drag it down.

Tell him to MYOB and learn how to use one or two balls before he starts bringing 6 balls in, because it sure isn't helping him !!!!

Bob