Soaking bowling ball question

[Vince805]

So about a week ago i got my ball rejuvenated to see if i could bring it back to life. WELL if seemed to have the opposite affect. I have gotten advice from a member of this forum that i'm going to try tonight. But what i didnt mention is that a day or 2 prior to this (which probably not a smart idea) I tried soaking the ball in hot soapy water. And again in just hot water to clean it off. Man was there alot of oil,grim, i dont know what on there. But what im wondering is if i got water in the holes while it was soaking for a total time of like 45min+ would that mess up the balls core or anything and cause it not to hook barely at all like it did last week. or performance in anyway.

[75lockwood]

There is no reason it should, you say that you noticed a lot of oil coming out, its best to plug the holes to keep water out but not to big of a deal. how hot was the water? if it reached/exceeded 130f it could cause damage...

[Vince805]

There is no reason it should, you say that you noticed a lot of oil coming out, its best to plug the holes to keep water out but not to big of a deal. how hot was the water? if it reached/exceeded 130f it could cause damage...

Yeah, there was quite a bit of oil that came out. or atleast i think it was oil. You could see it while it was under the water and when you take it out it felt oily and used a while towel. when i was done it was black and a yellow color on towel. I did check the temp because someone tole me that the max should be 120f so i got the water to 117f

[noeymc]

i was always told not to do this

[bowl1820]

i was always told not to do this

The Dawn and hot water bath is considered one of the safest ways to deep clean a ball and remove oil. You don't have to do it all the time, just when the performance starts dropping off.

[noeymc]

The Dawn and hot water bath is considered one of the safest ways to deep clean a ball and remove oil. You don't have to do it all the time, just when the performance starts dropping off.

it starts around 1:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VAg7FI6Axo&feature=relmfu

[bowl1820]

It's all a matter of who you ask, if you don't want to do it don't.

Here is from MoRich Bowling:
A GOOD METHOD

In the event your Pro Shop does not have a Revivor Oven, your next best approach is to simply give it a "Hot Water Bath." Though the process is easy, don't rush the steps! So here we go...

Have the ball wet sanded to about 400-grit to open the cover's pores.
Fill a tub or bucket with hot tap water so that it just covers the submerged ball.
Dip the ball in the water and when you remove it notice how the water is being repelled by the oil.
Squirt about 2-3 teaspoons of Dawn dish detergent (the foamy version lathers and extracts dirt and grime the best) on the ball cover and literally massage it into the coverstock.
Place the ball back in the water and let it set for a few minutes.
Rub the surface while under water with a clean towel.
Remove the ball from the soapy water and rinse it with hot water.
Rinse the tub (or bucket) clean and refill it with hot water (no soap).
Place the ball back in the water and rub it again with a clean cloth. You will probably notice that a soapy film will appear in the water. This is residue that was trapped in the coverstock (much like the oil and dirt was) and the cloth is helping to remove it from the surface.
Repeat steps 5 through 9 until no soapy residue remains, This make 2 or 3 times to achieve, depending upon the amount of soap that was used. You don't want to use too much soap, but you need enough to cut through the oil and dirt.
After the soap has been completely removed from the coverstock, towel dry it, and allow the ball to further air dry at room temperature.
Have the ball wet sanded with 400-grit paper and then follow the steps to bring it back to its factory finish as described in our resurfacing section.

[billf]

I've done it a few hundred times, don't plug the holes and have yet to have a single issue. I even baked my balls in the oven once at 170f and the only problem was the oven smoked from the oil when my wife went to bake later in the week.

[75lockwood]

I've done it a few hundred times, don't plug the holes and have yet to have a single issue. I even baked my balls in the oven once at 170f and the only problem was the oven smoked from the oil when my wife went to bake later in the week.

170? i think that might be a little high there bill...

[billf]

That was before I found out the rejuvenators were limited to 130. It was a guess. At least I didn't think it was a cake and set it to 350

[75lockwood]

That was before I found out the rejuvenators were limited to 130. It was a guess. At least I didn't think it was a cake and set it to 350

Lol, i can just imagine now, you put the ball in, come back 10 minutes later to a nice egg shaped ball (crack included)

[noeymc]

It's all a matter of who you ask, if you don't want to do it don't.

Here is from MoRich Bowling:
A GOOD METHOD

In the event your Pro Shop does not have a Revivor Oven, your next best approach is to simply give it a "Hot Water Bath." Though the process is easy, don't rush the steps! So here we go...

Have the ball wet sanded to about 400-grit to open the cover's pores.
Fill a tub or bucket with hot tap water so that it just covers the submerged ball.
Dip the ball in the water and when you remove it notice how the water is being repelled by the oil.
Squirt about 2-3 teaspoons of Dawn dish detergent (the foamy version lathers and extracts dirt and grime the best) on the ball cover and literally massage it into the coverstock.
Place the ball back in the water and let it set for a few minutes.
Rub the surface while under water with a clean towel.
Remove the ball from the soapy water and rinse it with hot water.
Rinse the tub (or bucket) clean and refill it with hot water (no soap).
Place the ball back in the water and rub it again with a clean cloth. You will probably notice that a soapy film will appear in the water. This is residue that was trapped in the coverstock (much like the oil and dirt was) and the cloth is helping to remove it from the surface.
Repeat steps 5 through 9 until no soapy residue remains, This make 2 or 3 times to achieve, depending upon the amount of soap that was used. You don't want to use too much soap, but you need enough to cut through the oil and dirt.
After the soap has been completely removed from the coverstock, towel dry it, and allow the ball to further air dry at room temperature.
Have the ball wet sanded with 400-grit paper and then follow the steps to bring it back to its factory finish as described in our resurfacing section.

i wasn't trying to argue or nothing i could have went more in to detail about my concerns

[75lockwood]

i wasn't trying to argue or nothing i could have went more in to detail about my concerns

Yea, imo any company/proshop would say the same and that is that homebrew cleaning methods are stupid, dangerous, etc. not necessarily because they are but because they want to sell your their products. (good business moves)


No offense to bowlingball.com, great site!

[Vince805]

It's all a matter of who you ask, if you don't want to do it don't.

Here is from MoRich Bowling:
A GOOD METHOD

In the event your Pro Shop does not have a Revivor Oven, your next best approach is to simply give it a "Hot Water Bath." Though the process is easy, don't rush the steps! So here we go...

Have the ball wet sanded to about 400-grit to open the cover's pores.
Fill a tub or bucket with hot tap water so that it just covers the submerged ball.
Dip the ball in the water and when you remove it notice how the water is being repelled by the oil.
Squirt about 2-3 teaspoons of Dawn dish detergent (the foamy version lathers and extracts dirt and grime the best) on the ball cover and literally massage it into the coverstock.
Place the ball back in the water and let it set for a few minutes.
Rub the surface while under water with a clean towel.
Remove the ball from the soapy water and rinse it with hot water.
Rinse the tub (or bucket) clean and refill it with hot water (no soap).
Place the ball back in the water and rub it again with a clean cloth. You will probably notice that a soapy film will appear in the water. This is residue that was trapped in the coverstock (much like the oil and dirt was) and the cloth is helping to remove it from the surface.
Repeat steps 5 through 9 until no soapy residue remains, This make 2 or 3 times to achieve, depending upon the amount of soap that was used. You don't want to use too much soap, but you need enough to cut through the oil and dirt.
After the soap has been completely removed from the coverstock, towel dry it, and allow the ball to further air dry at room temperature.
Have the ball wet sanded with 400-grit paper and then follow the steps to bring it back to its factory finish as described in our resurfacing section.

Thanks alot im gonna have to try this next time.

[Vince805]

I bowled last night and it seemed to be reacting better then it has lately. maybe hooking just a tad to much seeing i left the 10 6 times in game 1 lol. made a move up a bit on approach and no more 10 pin....My next question was gonna be how often would you use the soak method but you guys already answered that for me. way ahead of me i see :) thanks. thanks for all the quick replies also. i was trying to get quick answers before i had to go. If i had more time i would of replied sooner. You guys are amazing.

[75lockwood]

I bowled last night and it seemed to be reacting better then it has lately. maybe hooking just a tad to much seeing i left the 10 6 times in game 1 lol. made a move up a bit on approach and no more 10 pin....My next question was gonna be how often would you use the soak method but you guys already answered that for me. way ahead of me i see :) thanks. thanks for all the quick replies also. i was trying to get quick answers before i had to go. If i had more time i would of replied sooner. You guys are amazing.

A great opportunity to practice 10 pins!

how many of them did you manage to spare?

[Vince805]

A great opportunity to practice 10 pins!

how many of them did you manage to spare?

I actually managed to pick them all up lol. I dont have a problem picking up the 10. BUT funny thing is my trouble pin is the 7 and im right handed. I dont know \why

[75lockwood]

I actually managed to pick them all up lol. I dont have a problem picking up the 10. BUT funny thing is my trouble pin is the 7 and im right handed. I dont know \why

Lol Nice! as for the 7 pins, i normal just move 12 boards left and shoot the same target, works well.

[Vince805]

Lol Nice! as for the 7 pins, i normal just move 12 boards left and shoot the same target, works well.

LOL thanks. i tried standing far right and shooting it like i do the 10(but standing far left) and throwing it straight at it with lots of speed but with no success. i'd go like 2/10 picking up the 7 and i can get the 10 everytime! As of this league ive tried a new method which works 90% of the time so far. stand FAR left almost lining up with the gutter and throwing it out using the idk what you call it,cupping 2 finger method with tons of revs way across the ane and watch it come straight back and take out the 7. works well on 4-7 spare too :-)

[J Anderson]

I actually managed to pick them all up lol. I dont have a problem picking up the 10. BUT funny thing is my trouble pin is the 7 and im right handed. I dont know \why

You're not alone. You'd be surprised at how many people have trouble with the 'easy' corner pin.

[UBowling]

I just always think of a bowling ball as a giant hard sponge. It will soak up anything you put on it. I don't think a ball needs to go into the rejuvenator until about 40 games and it will get a ton of the oil out of the ball. I would recommend a resurface right after that. A Bowling ball is only good for about 100-150 games imo. At that point you should really replace it, either with a used one with less games or a completely new one. Personally, I go through a lot of bowling balls and sell them before they ever need to be rejuvenated.

Once a ball loses its initial reaction from the factory surface, it can never be brought back the same as it was. The factory surface is something you only get when a ball is brand new. Some guys will change the surface before ever throwing it so they can duplicate the surface later on. So I would recommend the solution offered up by the MoRich resource and if that doesn't work, definitely consider replacing the ball.

[bowl1820]

A Bowling ball is only good for about 100-150 games imo.

So they are only good for one season, if you only bowl on one league and don't practice much ?

[UBowling]

When I attended the Silver Coaching Conference at the ITRC in Arlington a couple years ago, that was the information they gave to us. A bowling ball will have a completely different reaction and basically "die" somewhere between 100 to 150 games. So if you only use one ball, then yeah it would only last you about one season. You may be able to extend the life of a bowling ball by wiping it with a micro fiber towel after each shot and making sure to clean it after each set bowled.

With the way I see these coverstocks soak up oil these days, I kind of think 100 games is a conservative number. Seems like you would be rolling over a layer of oil after like 30 games, lol.

[75lockwood]

When I attended the Silver Coaching Conference at the ITRC in Arlington a couple years ago, that was the information they gave to us. A bowling ball will have a completely different reaction and basically "die" somewhere between 100 to 150 games. So if you only use one ball, then yeah it would only last you about one season. You may be able to extend the life of a bowling ball by wiping it with a micro fiber towel after each shot and making sure to clean it after each set bowled.

With the way I see these coverstocks soak up oil these days, I kind of think 100 games is a conservative number. Seems like you would be rolling over a layer of oil after like 30 games, lol.

This may be true for the person looking to get a PBA title, but for the run of the mill every day bowler, you can get way more use out of a ball, so what your ball doesn't have the exact reaction that it did when you bought it who cares? a good bowler can throw a great game regardless of the equipment!

My ball has seen about 8-900 games, and it still works fine :p

[panbanger]

I may actually try this soak the ball in warm soapy water thing. When I use the TacUp on my Misfit I see a bunch of oil on the towel when I'm done, but it would be interesting to see how my ball reacts after one of these "deep" cleanings. I didn't really have a consistent form when I first got the ball, so maybe a deep cleaning would get bring a bit more hook out of it?

[GoodGorilla]

100-150? That's about how many games I got on my ball right now, and am looking for a first deep cleaning. I spoke with an experienced bowler tonight who told me to put corks in the holes. I wonder if he took the finger grips out. They are glued in there?

[75lockwood]

100-150? That's about how many games I got on my ball right now, and am looking for a first deep cleaning. I spoke with an experienced bowler tonight who told me to put corks in the holes. I wonder if he took the finger grips out. They are glued in there?

The grips are Glued in, corking may be a good idea, but it's not the end of the world, i simply keep the holes facing down to hold an air pocket. i would advice against trying to remove the finger grips, its doable but not something you should try the first time without someone who knows what there doing/has a grip extractor.

[Gmjmma]

I soak mine every 100 games for 15 min with dawn and it has always seemed to work

[billf]

A Bowling ball is only good for about 100-150 games imo.


I'm going to show this to my wife. Proof that I need a new ball every week. LMAO, just goes to show that even at the silver level there are people who don't know what preventative maintenance will get you. My Victory Road has over 3,000 games on it and only hooks 1.5 boards less than when new. My Terror only has about 900 games on it and still looks like the same reaction as when new. I did have one Revenge crack at the bridge after 5 frames and the other Revenge did the same after 12 games. The new Revenge only has 73 games. The Nexxus may be dead, not sure, but it does have over 2400 games on it.

[75lockwood]

I'm going to show this to my wife. Proof that I need a new ball every week. LMAO, just goes to show that even at the silver level there are people who don't know what preventative maintenance will get you. My Victory Road has over 3,000 games on it and only hooks 1.5 boards less than when new. My Terror only has about 900 games on it and still looks like the same reaction as when new. I did have one Revenge crack at the bridge after 5 frames and the other Revenge did the same after 12 games. The new Revenge only has 73 games. The Nexxus may be dead, not sure, but it does have over 2400 games on it.

Wow, can you imagine if you had replaced every 150 games? a ball cost's what? $150-$200? so 42 balls = about $8.5k...... I don't think anyone can afford that.

[bowl1820]

Wow, can you imagine if you had replaced every 150 games? a ball cost's what? $150-$200? so 42 balls = about $8.5k...... I don't think anyone can afford that.

Yeah it would cost a lot, but the pro shop would love you! and just think if had to get switch grips for all those.

[75lockwood]

Yeah it would cost a lot, but the pro shop would love you! and just think if had to get switch grips for all those.

at that point i would think the pro shop would give you a personal number lol. Switch grips would definitely make changing so much a lot easier........

[panbanger]

Well I just rubbed my Misfit down with Ajax (liquid detergent, not the powder they make lol) then rinsed it off with warm water in the sink. Then dried it off real good then rubbed it with alcohol. When it was done it felt like I could have palmed the thing like a basketball if my hand were big enough. Unfortunately I cant get to an alley until Sunday. Def. looks and feels cleaner than my normal TacUp routine though.

[75lockwood]

Well I just rubbed my Misfit down with Ajax (liquid detergent, not the powder they make lol) then rinsed it off with warm water in the sink. Then dried it off real good then rubbed it with alcohol. When it was done it felt like I could have palmed the thing like a basketball if my hand were big enough. Unfortunately I cant get to an alley until Sunday. Def. looks and feels cleaner than my normal TacUp routine though.


Just one note, the idea of the deep cleaning is to heat the ball up right though to work the oil out, if you want to get the oil deep inside you will need to let the ball soak to allow it to absorb more heat.

[GoodGorilla]

Just one note, the idea of the deep cleaning is to heat the ball up right though to work the oil out, if you want to get the oil deep inside you will need to let the ball soak to allow it to absorb more heat. How hot about? Just warm? Or just warm enough it wont hurt your hand?

[75lockwood]

How hot about? Just warm? Or just warm enough it wont hurt your hand?

130f is the highest that manufacturers recommend, but my personal limit is 110-115 just to stay on the safe side.

but hey, if your like bill, just throw it in the oven at 170f LOL

[UBowling]

Holy Crap! 3000 games with one ball and 2400 games with another? The Victory Road came out about a year and a half ago so you would have to be averaging like 5 full games every day with it! I bowl a lot, but I don't average 5 games a day period, much less with one ball. I use two sometimes three balls per game. Usually two, one for strikes, one for spares. But I doubt there is a night of league where I don't throw at least three different balls.

Preventative maintenance definitely makes a big difference. For me, I usually don't bother with it as I am usually getting rid of a ball and moving on to another after about 40-50 games with it. As a matter of fact I have a Storm Frantic and a Brunswick Lethal Revolver that I have had for less than 6 months and both are getting replaced when I receive my Motiv 2Cruel and Venom this week. I have probably only thrown the lethal revolver about 30-40 games maybe. I have thrown the Frantic more than anything because it is good for spares and that only has 65 games on it (Bowl Sheet 2 iPhone app helps me keep track).

[panbanger]

Just one note, the idea of the deep cleaning is to heat the ball up right though to work the oil out, if you want to get the oil deep inside you will need to let the ball soak to allow it to absorb more heat.

Good tip, thanks!

[75lockwood]

Holy Crap! 3000 games with one ball and 2400 games with another? The Victory Road came out about a year and a half ago so you would have to be averaging like 5 full games every day with it! I bowl a lot, but I don't average 5 games a day period, much less with one ball. I use two sometimes three balls per game. Usually two, one for strikes, one for spares. But I doubt there is a night of league where I don't throw at least three different balls.

Preventative maintenance definitely makes a big difference. For me, I usually don't bother with it as I am usually getting rid of a ball and moving on to another after about 40-50 games with it. As a matter of fact I have a Storm Frantic and a Brunswick Lethal Revolver that I have had for less than 6 months and both are getting replaced when I receive my Motiv 2Cruel and Venom this week. I have probably only thrown the lethal revolver about 30-40 games maybe. I have thrown the Frantic more than anything because it is good for spares and that only has 65 games on it (Bowl Sheet 2 iPhone app helps me keep track).

what do you do with all these old balls? wanna ship them to Canada? LOL

also, bill spends all day every saturday at the bowling ally, he said before that he average's about 30-40 games each Saturday alone! Thats wild bill for you.

[bowl1820]

For me, I usually don't bother with it as I am usually getting rid of a ball and moving on to another after about 40-50 games with it.

There's the thing the majority of bowler's don't have that option to go through ball's like they are on the pro tour or work at/hooked up at the pro shop.

While a ball might not work at a optimum like new level at a 100 or 150 games. That doesn't make it dead and worthless.

[Kudu22]

I wish I could get away with buying a ball that often. I bought 8 balls in 7 months (not all for me) and I am so deep in the dog house. I am trying to figure out how I can get that new Storm gold IQ ball with out causing my wife claiming OCD to my doctor. I like butter scotch and that has to be worth 5 pins. I am a creature of habit and making changes on the lane just doesn't feel right with a given ball I learned what it does. My Deep Purple Taboo is the first ball I can't figure out even though I love it and hate it. Maybe I just need a new one.:)

[GoodGorilla]

My balls probably have 250+ games on them. I've been bowling probably 20 to 40 games a week for the past 7 months. Several people have suggested that I get some new balls, but I feel that I don't need them because I my technique is more important to me right now. That's why I got some new Dexter SST8s instead of a ball.

[GoodGorilla]

I wish I could get away with buying a ball that often. I bought 8 balls in 7 months (not all for me) and I am so deep in the dog house. I am trying to figure out how I can get that new Storm gold IQ ball with out causing my wife claiming OCD to my doctor. I like butter scotch and that has to be worth 5 pins. I am a creature of habit and making changes on the lane just doesn't feel right with a given ball I learned what it does. My Deep Purple Taboo is the first ball I can't figure out even though I love it and hate it. Maybe I just need a new one.:)

I have an IQ. It's a good ball and all, but I think a different ball would have been better. Like the Brunswick f(p + ?)

[UBowling]

My balls probably have 250+ games on them. I've been bowling probably 20 to 40 games a week for the past 7 months. Several people have suggested that I get some new balls, but I feel that I don't need them because I my technique is more important to me right now. That's why I got some new Dexter SST8s instead of a ball.

I highly recommend making sure your shoe situation is 100% before anything else so wise choice going with the SST8s, I myself just ordered a new pair last week, they are taking forever to get here though!

Bowling balls aren't going to make you score better, they are more of the right tool for the right job when you have a good arsenal. The goal is to find the right ball on an oil condition that will give you the most room for error. It is kind of like golf, you want a nice driver off the tee when you are on a par 5, you wouldn't use a 9 Iron just because you really like it. So you always focus more on mechanics and try to improve your physical game, but a different ball can make everything a little bit easier for yourself on certain oil patterns. Sometimes that is a new ball, sometimes that is getting a used ball from a buddy, and sometimes it is just changing the surface on the ball that you are currently using. Each situation is unique.

[UBowling]

I wish I could get away with buying a ball that often. I bought 8 balls in 7 months (not all for me) and I am so deep in the dog house. I am trying to figure out how I can get that new Storm gold IQ ball with out causing my wife claiming OCD to my doctor. I like butter scotch and that has to be worth 5 pins. I am a creature of habit and making changes on the lane just doesn't feel right with a given ball I learned what it does. My Deep Purple Taboo is the first ball I can't figure out even though I love it and hate it. Maybe I just need a new one.:)

Maybe you can sell 2 or 3 of them and get the new one when it comes out!

[GoodGorilla]

I'm soaking my balls right now. I did the steps a little different What I did:
1. rinse ball down, then apply 2-3 spoons of dawn soap.
2. massage the soap into the ball.
3. Fill up sink with 110F water.
4. After sink is full, rub ball down with a towel while submerged every 5 min or so.
5. Drain water after 20-30 min.
6. Rinse ball off and let dry.

The first ball is done, and my God it drained out a crap load of oil. It's like a new ball now. My other ball is soaking.

[75lockwood]

I'm soaking my balls right now. I did the steps a little different What I did:
1. rinse ball down, then apply 2-3 spoons of dawn soap.
2. massage the soap into the ball.
3. Fill up sink with 110F water.
4. After sink is full, rub ball down with a towel while submerged every 5 min or so.
5. Drain water after 20-30 min.
6. Rinse ball off and let dry.

The first ball is done, and my God it drained out a crap load of oil. It's like a new ball now. My other ball is soaking.

Looks good, make sure you give them a while to dry, have the holes pointed down (but not resting on them) so they can drain.

let us know how they do on the lanes ( i predict a lot more hook)

[Vince805]

I wish i could get a new ball every 250 games too!!!! I only have one ball and if i had to guess how many games its been used for id say and im probably really low with this number but id say 800 easily! But man thanks for all the replies. i been real busy and haven't gotten a chance to look in days! I missed out on alot lol.

[billf]

I will admit, the more games on a ball, the more often it needs a deep cleaning. Instead of 60-70 like most manufacturers recommend, I end up doing them 30-40 once the games pile up.

[Vince805]

You're not alone. You'd be surprised at how many people have trouble with the 'easy' corner pin.

Really? im shocked. My best friend cant pick up the 10 to save his life lol. but gets the 7 everytime. And i thought it was just me

[75lockwood]

Really? im shocked. My best friend cant pick up the 10 to save his life lol. but gets the 7 everytime. And i thought it was just me

try moving right 12 boards and shooting the same target, works for me :p

[Mike White]

It is kind of like golf, you want a nice driver off the tee when you are on a par 5, you wouldn't use a 9 Iron just because you really like it.

If you have seen me hit a driver you would understand why I would tee off with a 9 iron.

[Vince805]

I will admit, the more games on a ball, the more often it needs a deep cleaning. Instead of 60-70 like most manufacturers recommend, I end up doing them 30-40 once the games pile up.

I think im going to have to start keeping track and doing that.

[Vince805]

try moving right 12 boards and shooting the same target, works for me :p

I will have to try that if this cupping/2 finger method ever fails on me lol. So far so good. I would try to shoot like like i do the 10 standing on the other side on the lane and either in gutters lil more then half way down the lane(sad i no) or it looks like im shooting the 4 pin if it stays on the lane.

[J Anderson]

Really? im shocked. My best friend cant pick up the 10 to save his life lol. but gets the 7 everytime. And i thought it was just me

With me I think the problem is that I've practiced making the ten pin a lot more than I've practiced the 7. I also think that some of us have a bit more focus when faced with a tough shot and don't focus as well on the so-called easy spares.

[GoodGorilla]

Looks good, make sure you give them a while to dry, have the holes pointed down (but not resting on them) so they can drain.

let us know how they do on the lanes ( i predict a lot more hook)

I probably shouldn't have, but all I did was dry them well with a dry towel, and put them in my bag.

[75lockwood]

I probably shouldn't have, but all I did was dry them well with a dry towel, and put them in my bag.

take a peek at them, when i last had water in the wholes i dried them good and went to bed, when i woke up there was a little puddle....

[Vince805]

With me I think the problem is that I've practiced making the ten pin a lot more than I've practiced the 7. I also think that some of us have a bit more focus when faced with a tough shot and don't focus as well on the so-called easy spares.

You have a really good point there. Its not often that i leave the 7 so it makes it harder to pick up whereas i leave the 10 alot more ofter. If i ever leave any pin standing its usually the to pin (if i get a 9)

[panbanger]

Well I'm a believer in the soak your ball method! I was getting a good 3-4 more boards of movement tonight after having washed my ball a few days ago. Very pleased with the results :D

[GoodGorilla]

take a peek at them, when i last had water in the wholes i dried them good and went to bed, when i woke up there was a little puddle....

I used them the next day. They reacted 100 percent better. Like that other guy said, somewhere around 3-4 boards difference. I also put rubber stoppers in the holes before soaking, got them at Ace hardware.

[HughScot]

Several months ago I contacted both Ebonite and Hammer and they both came back and said to soak in very hot water for 10 to 15 minutes with a little dawn. They didn't like the dishwasher or stove ideas. I keep my thumb hole plugged.
(yes Ebonite owns Hammer)

[GeoLes]

..... I even baked my balls in the oven once at 170f and the only problem was the oven smoked from the oil when my wife went to bake later in the week.

And you say this is not a problem?? My wife would have my carcass buied under the dog house.

[GoodGorilla]

Do I have to drain my urathane ball? It feels a little slick.