Open Bowling on DRY Lanes!! Should I go to my plastic ball on them?

[AZBowla]

OK, yesterday when I went open bowling the lanes were so bone dry that I was wiping my ball off maybe 3 times per game, if that. Seems kind of overkill to be throwing a reactive ball in those conditions, even though my Marauder does well on just about every condition I've used it on. The problem I'm having though is consistency. It seems to be hitting light much of the time when I hit the pocket, resulting in a 7 or 10 left standing. I'm wondering if the dry lane conditions are just sucking the energy out of that ball on those shots. I know I released it wrong when it goes through the nose or I hit brooklyn but when I hit the pocket and 75% of the time I leave a 7 or 10 pin standing because the ball was only going 13mph, that's just annoying, especially when I can throw my 10 year old cyclone at the same spot and get the carry I need because it's going 15-16 mph. I'm kinda like "well, why did I buy this new ball?"

I recently won the plastic custom OTB ball here (thanks again Bowling Boards, for the awesome prize!) and I'm wondering if I should just use it as my main ball when bowling on such bone-dry lanes. That way I save the reactive ball for leagues where it'll actually do some good. I haven't had the funds to drill it yet, that'll come in a couple weeks, but I'm thinking I might want to use this ball for open bowling unless it comes back with a bunch of oil on it, plus that will save my reactive ball's surface and extend the life of it. Thoughts?

[Zothen]

I would use the plastic and save your Marauder for oil. Sounds like your Marauder is burning out by the time it hits the pins. I have a Roto Grip Shout that was purposely drilled for dry-very dry conditions.

Zothen

[striker12]

i would use a plastic ball or a entry lvl ball and if they where burned out practice on something that your need ot work on like your arm swing,balance,arrproach like that kind of stuff.

[AZBowla]

Hi Zothen and Striker,

That's kind of what I was thinking too. It's kinda funny to see everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing at all the latest hook monsters the manufacturers are turning out (I do this too) yet most of the time when we go to the lanes to throw our latest acquisitions around, it turns out the lane conditions are actually detrimental to using that kind of ball. As much fun as it would be to pull a DV8 Nightmare out of my bag and watch all the other bowlers go "OMG, that's the SICKEST BALL EVAH!" I'd much rather put up a high score than spend the night fighting with the ball because the lane is way too dry for it.

I would like to add a heavy oil ball to my arsenal one day, but for now, I think I'll be set with my plastic ball for open bowling and my Marauder for league night and the rare occasion that the bowling alley actually has some oil on the lanes during open bowling.

[10-in-the-pit]

yeah, you really should match the ball to the lane conditions. if it's dry, you don't want to use an aggressive ball or anything like that because the dry lanes will give you all the friction you need.

[billf]

There is another aspect of using a plastic ball drilled to go straight that many over look. Rev, speed and axis rotation control. The following link wasn't shot on dry but definitely helps with accuracy, consistency and control. My form has improved so don't laugh. This was just a couple of months after I got my sight back.
http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/9622-Storm-Ice-reaction-video