My ball isn't grabbing the lane

[Ball99999]

My modern marvel is a heavy oil ball but on a fresh ths and after a few games its still just not making a big move. I really want to arc it but right now it's more or less going straighter and drifting left, my speed is 14-16mph and have probably a 230/240 rev rate. I suck at bowling but it still should be grabbing the lane at some point and moving. Would changing the surface to a much lower grit help? I don't want to get a more hooking ball if I can help it

[noeymc]

depends on where your throwing it whats your mark

[Ball99999]

For arcing i try second arrow. If I try to get it on the outside it goes in the gutter or misses right so I have to move right and play straighter.

Now I have my balls a bath last night so could that have an effect?

[noeymc]

try playing close to the 13 board you want to play on the eage of the oil with the ball make adjustments 2/1 2 feet 1 board or 4 feet 2 board till you find the pocket thats how i start my day every time i walk into a ally as for the hooking it might be drilled to go long then cut


also check what type of core is in it

[Zothen]

How many games do you have on the Marvel? If over 50-100 it might be time to have the pro shop remove the oil. Taking the ball down to 1000 will give it more grip or you could try going up 5 board.

Zothen

[Ball99999]

How many games do you have on the Marvel? If over 50-100 it might be time to have the pro shop remove the oil. Taking the ball down to 1000 will give it more grip or you could try going up 5 board.

Zothen

It is basically 6 weeks old so I'd say probably 40 games just a guess. But I give my balls hot baths and get oil out a lot.

[Zothen]

Before adjusting surface try this first. Take 1 step forward from where your standing,this will cause you to take small steps and with a nice even armswing throw your ball over your mark and see if this helps. The idea is to slow your ball down to 10-12mph giving your ball time to build up friction so when it hits the dry it will hopefully hook.

Zothen

[Ball99999]

Before adjusting surface try this first. Take 1 step forward from where your standing,this will cause you to take small steps and with a nice even armswing throw your ball over your mark and see if this helps. The idea is to slow your ball down to 10-12mph giving your ball time to build up friction so when it hits the dry it will hopefully hook.

Zothen

I am pretty close as it is, it feels like anything less than 15mph is too slow. I just don't have a lot of revs.
I guess what I'm saying I wouldn't want to sacrifice kinetic energy for a bigger right to left hook.

[The German Shepherd]

When you give your Marvel it's bath do you use a good de-greasing detergent like DAWN? That stuff works great. Also, do you use a good oil-removing ball cleaner like "Hook-It?" For example, when I throw my Defiant, I clean it with a Simple Green/91% ISO a couple of times WHILE I am bowling (keeps the surface cleaner and gets rid of belt marks that invariable show up). After bowling, I go over the ball with "Hook It" to help clean the oil out of the ball surface. When my Defiant gets that oily shine on it (the Defiant is a dull covered ball) I will break out my MOTIVE POWER GEL SCUFF and go over the ball's surface with that. Even with all of this, I give them a hot (120 degrees) water bath with Dawn detergent every month. Never leave you ball submerged in the hot water for more than 20 minutes at a time and be sure to place it in the water with the finger holes DOWN. After a Dawn bath, make sure to rinse the cover off thoroughly...

Jay

[Zothen]

Ball9999-I dont have a lot of revs(about 250)either,but,bowling in a Sport league I have found that slower is better in heavy oil. You already stated that your ball is going straight,so what do you have to lose by trying to slow the ball speed down? I would also try standing on 15-17 board and throwing the ball up 3-5 board with and without speed reduction and see if that will get ball to hook. I would also suggest taking the surface to 1000!

Zothen

[Gmjmma]

I was told by my proshop that brunswick and dv8 being basicly the same burn up energy on a ths so they are not gonna give you the same arc or hook as they would a heavy tournament pattern. Did you try to maybe polish it or take it to 3000 or 4000 it wouldnt be as inclined to burn up half way down the lane. I polished my terror and its not burning up half as much

[Bahshay]

My modern marvel is a heavy oil ball but on a fresh ths and after a few games its still just not making a big move. I really want to arc it but right now it's more or less going straighter and drifting left, my speed is 14-16mph and have probably a 230/240 rev rate. I suck at bowling but it still should be grabbing the lane at some point and moving. Would changing the surface to a much lower grit help? I don't want to get a more hooking ball if I can help it

Where is your speed measured? Is that speed shown on the monitor?

If so, you are a little bit speed dominant (due mostly to your low rev rate). Due to that and the fresh oil, I'm going to guess that the ball is simply struggling to turn the corner on the lane conditions you are bowling on. Add surface.

[Ball99999]

Where is your speed measured? Is that speed shown on the monitor?

If so, you are a little bit speed dominant (due mostly to your low rev rate). Due to that and the fresh oil, I'm going to guess that the ball is simply struggling to turn the corner on the lane conditions you are bowling on. Add surface.

Speed on monitor is usually 14-15mph. Sometimes higher if I hold the ball higher so I can adjust it. When I throw my spare/straight ball it usually reads ~16mph.

What I'd like to know is, is this just the nature of this particular ball or are all "heavy oil" balls like this?
Why do people talk about really hooking balls like the hell raiser revenge etc, is it because they all have high rev rates?

[kmf]

What I'd like to know is, is this just the nature of this particular ball or are all "heavy oil" balls like this?
Why do people talk about really hooking balls like the hell raiser revenge etc, is it because they all have high rev rates?

Axis tilt and axis rotation play a bigger role in the big hook than revs but they do help. The good revs will get it to the dry but when it grabs the direction it will go next is determined by the axis rotation. A 90* rotation will turn hard left (for a righty) while a 45* rotation will turn but half as sharp. Tilt comes into play as it contributes to flare. The more you can have a clean part of the ball touch the lane each revolution the greater the friction created, hence more grab to hook.

[Bahshay]

Speed on monitor is usually 14-15mph. Sometimes higher if I hold the ball higher so I can adjust it. When I throw my spare/straight ball it usually reads ~16mph.

What I'd like to know is, is this just the nature of this particular ball or are all "heavy oil" balls like this?
Why do people talk about really hooking balls like the hell raiser revenge etc, is it because they all have high rev rates?

Any rev rate can make a ball hook, whats more important is how your rev rate matches your speed. You are fairly speed dominant (again, most because of your low rev rate). That isn't necessarily an issue, in fact its an advantage on drier/shorter patterns. For example, up until this year, Eugene McCune was dominating the PBA Cheetah Championships by basically pointing it from the corner at 20+ MPH. However, it does mean adjustments need to be made on heavy oil patterns.

You have two options:
1. Play a different line. If you are playing straight up the second arrow, your ball might not be touching dry boards until the very end of the lane. Try playing up the first arrow and see if your hook improves.
2. If playing that close to the gutter worries you, add surface to the ball until it is generating enough friction to hook for you on these conditions.

Since you are speed-dominant, in the future, I'd look at asymmetric equipment for heavy oil. Asymmetric equipment transitions faster in the hook phase, which becomes even more important when you are speed dominant on heavy oil. In the meantime, don't be scared to change the surface on your bowling balls to match the lane conditions. However, if you change the surface, make sure you keep up on it. The friction will grind the surface back up after only a few games.

To answer your second question, hook monster oil balls hook more on heavy oil for everybody compared to weaker balls, regardless of rev rate. (Disclaimer: this isn't true on dry lanes.) However, surface, lane conditions, drilling layout, and the bowler's release will all play a part in how much hook that will actually be.