How many bowling balls are enough?

[barcar]

I currently have 5 bowling balls and one spare ball.
Just wondering when enough is enough.
I currently have the following:
Storm Frantic
Storm 2Furious
Azo Pro Tactics
Columbia Reaction Rev
Roto Grip Pluto(getting rid of 16lbs now throwing 15lbs)
Roto Grip Crown(spare ball)

I am currently looking to get a Roto Grip Disturbed or a Brunswick Maxxed out, as the lanes are putting out more volume as of late.

[eugene02]

want to know the truth? it's always not enough.. even if you got the same ball, it's still not enough!

[eugene02]

I currently have:
DV8 Hell Raiser Revenge
DV8 Diva
Brunswick NeXXus f(p+r)
Ebonite Pursuit
Storm Sure Fire
Columbia 300 White Dot Polyester
Lane 1 MaxXx Curve (retired)

[e-tank]

have you considered doing a surface change on one of the balls to fit your needs?

[barcar]

I have tweaked the covers on both Storm balls, and re-drilled the Rev.
Only been back in to bowling for the last 5 years, and find myself having new ball envy at times.
I have set my own max of 6 balls at any one time.
By doing that I keep the wife off my back, and it has kept my grown up sons in different balls when I make a change.
I am only a THS 197 average tweener bowler in two leagues and have only tried some local tourneys.
Still need to get back for more coaching to improve my overall game.

[panbanger]

I bowl on a THS at the same alley each week, so I only have 2. I may upgrade after the season is over though. But I still think I'll only bring 2 with me to league.

[barcar]

I have two older balls at home and have a locker at the lanes that I keep my main 3 balls and spare ball in.

[explorer05]

It depends on the person. I take 5 or 6. I bowl Friday nights and in tournaments. Right now I am taking 5 (1 being my spare ball). A few people in our league bring 4-5.

Roto Grip Critical Theory
Roto Grip Berserk
Roto Grip Shatter
Storm Frantic
Soccer Ball Spare Ball

When I go to Nationals in may I will take 6.

Roto Grip Defiant Soul (getting next month)
Roto Grip Critical Theory
Roto Grip Disturbed (getting next month)
Roto Grip Berserk
Roto Grip Shatter
Soccer Ball

[J Anderson]

The answer really depends on the bowler. If I only bowled at one center and always got the fresh THS, I could bowl fairly well with just one ball. If I hadn't spent 30 years throwing the ball dead straight I might need a plastic spare ball. How many do I have? 9. Doesn't help that I never throw anything out. I really only use five of them now. I should probably make lamps or book ends out of the other four.

[Zothen]

It appears you can never have enough bowling balls!

Brunswick neXus & neXXXus and Roto Grip Defiant,Track 919C-Heavy oil
Roto Grip beserk-Medium-Medium Heavy oil
Amf Bullwhip,Columbia 300 VOW and Hammer Epidemic-Medium oil
Track 300C and Roto Grip Shout-Light oil
Brunswick Slingshot-Dry/Light oil/spare

All the balls above can be modified for different conditions except neXus Solid which I can only use on heavy oiled lanes.

Zothen

[barcar]

See that's what I'm saying we all want the latest or greatest, but we still really have a core mix, that we use most often.
You know if I was as good as some of the bowlers that carry the 220+ average, maybe I could tell the difference, but as was stated earlier I still feel I need some coaching to get me over the next hump.

[ecub]

I only have 5 on hand, which includes 1 plastic ball. I had more, but I give my old bowling balls to my pro shop guy. He uses them for high school bowlers who cannot afford a ball. It get brownie points from my pro shop and it helps needy high school kids. So everyone benefits.

[barcar]

Donating the old stuff sounds like a great idea, I will check with my pro shop and see if he has any contacts, that might make use of my old ones.

[eugene02]

have you considered doing a surface change on one of the balls to fit your needs?

honestly, I don't.. because sanding the ball cost the ball to become smaller over time.. (if i'm not wrong) so i try not to change my surface of the ball.. except maybe for full resurfacing back to OTB.. which i've never done so for any balls...

[Purplepotatoe]

Is your question asking how many you carry with you on a normal visit? Or just your total.

I carry 5 to leagues (Defiant Soul/Critical Theory/Epidemic/Fringe/Spareball). Im the type of person who once I replace a ball with something I usually give away the old one.

[ecub]

[quote]=Eugene02]honestly, I don't.. because sanding the ball cost the ball to become smaller over time.. (if i'm not wrong) so i try not to change my surface of the ball.. except maybe for full resurfacing back to OTB.. which i've never done so for any balls... /[quote]

When you resurface, you take off very little. My indicator is when I've already sanded too much and need a new ball is when I no longer see the ball logo. So far, I haven't gone that far. Even though I haven't bought a new ball in the over 5 years, I get a new ball every 2 years or so or if I like the looks of a new one. I worked out a deal with my pro shop guy.

[Hammer]

I only bowl in the same house every year on the typical THS pattern. For me there isn't any need for more balls then two. I have a reactive resin Raw Hammer Anger and a urethane Blue Hammer. I can use the Blue as both a strike ball and a spare ball. The only extra items I buy are a wrist support when needed, bowlers tape, finger inserts when needed and ball resurfacing when needed. I have to admit that I was thinking about maybe the Brunswick Slingshot or the Storm Tropical Breeze because those balls seem to be the kind that would be used on the THS pattern that I bowl on on our league. I don't bowl in tournaments or sport pattern type conditions. I live a very dull bowling life of just THS bowling. That gives me enough fun to keep me happy though. THS bowling isn't always easy though.
I have been bowling 26 years and this year on league night I had a 185 game and a 191 and fell off the cliff with a 121 game. The thought that kept going around in my head was I know that I can bowl better then that. Oh well, that's bowling.

[barcar]

Not really how many you have as much as how many do you really need.
I see so many new balls released and keep wondering if that new piece will be the one that gets me the 300, or 800.
Carrying a 197 average, and would love to be one of the guys that just throws the first few shots in practice and know right away that tonight I need to use X ball.
I have my Azo that I really like to start with and then ball up or down to either the 2furious or Frantic as the night goes on.
On some nights I will end up using all three, and have team mates that only throw one ball.

[BDOG10]

For me I bowl in three different houses where i live and I have 9 balls that I use. Each set is set up for the house to get the best results for me. I have 3 balls (1 spare) 2 reaction balls with layouts to match the lane play for each house. Because the lanes are THS the oil machines are different in each house and the balls react different on each of those lane conditions. So for me you can't have to many balls to give yourself the best chance to score.

[e-tank]

I only throw one usually. I bowl in a 4 man team(on THS) and the lanes never change enough for me to change balls. I just make some adjustments and thats enough.

[barcar]

Bowling in two leagues at the same house, both are 5 man teams, and it seems most of us use the same line, so it changes every few frames.
Thinking it is time to change my line completely and see if I can move away for the rest of cattle.

[Kobra167]

I say the magic number is 4 or 5. One primary for your fresh shot. One weaker one for broken down, light oil, or second series ball. One "OMG, the Laneman messed the lane I don't know what's going on" ball. I prefer to that to a "beginner ball" of sorts. Just go down-and-in playing the track or near gutter. One plastic ball for the spares. If you happen to bowl in more than one house. Then the 5th piece can be something to handle a longer or shorter oil pattern if there is a big difference. That's all you need unless your trying to be a pro.

[barcar]

Kobra I was thinking about the same amount of balls 5-6 and that is what i have been using.
I keep 3 balls, plus a spare ball at the lanes, and have two extras at home along with an pair of shoes, just in case I go out at the last minute to another house.
I am looking at a heavy oil ball and was going to get rid of my oldest/least used ball.

[SmilingBowler]

I have a three ball bag, but I'm considering purchasing an (: .) EBONITE Maxim (spare ball) for States in May.
I have a few older bags that I can use for it when traveling.

My (: .) EBONITE Innovate is my primary.

My (: .) Jacked Raw HAMMER for drier lanes because it goes long before breaking, so it won't cut across the headpin.
My (: .) HAMMER Black Widow when the oil shifts down closer to the pins. Generally this happens in a 3rd game after an earlier league or when open bowling... when the freshest lanes aren't available.

I feel I can control my Innovate in almost any condition, however. I'm really learning how to adjust my step speed, arm speed and release. Most specifically how far I throw it out over the foul line; which is why I practice twice a week.

[greycat]

I have a ball rack that holds 16 balls and its full. I have 3 3 ball bags full and some plastics in cups. I take 7 3 oob 3 with changed surfaces and a spare. If I had to cut down to 3 I'd take numbers 1,3,6 from the bottom list. I broken the list to the most basic to explain.

The changed surfaces I like are
1. 800-1000 sanded solid
2. 3000-4000 sanded pearl
3. 2000 polished hybrid
-----
oob
4. stacked
5. control layout
6. long and strong
7. urethane or plastic with pba plastic ball layout

[billf]

How many? Depends on my mood. There have been league nights I will bring just one, others four. For tournaments I bring most of them. For the City Tournament at my local center I brought 13. Most of my teammates don't have newer equipment and will often use mine when needed. Combine that with not knowing how the patterns or lanes would be that day and I end up with a wall full of balls.

Given second in team event and a first in doubles I made the right choices most of the time. The ball that was playing the best is my least used ball so it was a good thing I brought it with me.

[barcar]

Billf,
How are you transporting so many balls to the lanes?
I have a three ball roller and I leave that at my locker at the lanes.
Don't get me wrong I think it is great that you are able to help out your teammates, but I sure hope you are a younger man with a strong back, cause that is a lot of balls, even for a tourney.