What grade of Abralon for this situation?

[axslinger]

Recently I was lamenting on how messed up the pattern is where I bowl, in Tempe, AZ. I was getting next to no hook with my Hammer Absolut Curve.

Last night I had it sanded with 2000 Abralon then went and threw it. Whoa! I went from one evil to another. Throwing my normal shot, it was curving and taking out the 7 pin!

I spent 4 games trying to adjust, trying to find a line a I could play and it just ain't happening; I couldn't find a consistent, reliable shot. So, my question is, do I go back to box finish or should I go another grade or two finer? Are there other, finer grades that would be somewhere between box finish and Abralon 2000? Or, could I just throw it on one of those ball polishers for a few minutes?

Thanks!

[bubba809]

polish that bit*h! Then try 3000 or 4000 with and with out polish. That's what great about surface changes...you'll find one that works for you.

**I just read that the Abolute Curve is 500/1500 w/polish. Surprising you got NO hook with this surface. Or maybe your lanes were drier.

I would try 500/1000 w/polish.

[axslinger]

polish that bit*h! Then try 3000 or 4000 with and with out polish. That's what great about surface changes...you'll find one that works for you.

**I just read that the Abolute Curve is 500/1500 w/polish

I would try 500/1000 w/polish.

By "polish it" I assume you mean in a house polisher? Or should I have the pro shop do it? I was thinking of doing a light polish where it is right now, then go from there. Would that be good place to start?

As far as getting no hook, you have to understand this center. I've been doing a little research and have been told they don't properly strip the heads. They water down the solution and the pads are worn out. Any other house and this ball hooks great. Others have also complained about the condition of the lanes. Since I'm gonna be on a league here, I might as well adjust the surface so it's at least a little better and I can get some kind of pocket angle.

[bubba809]

I have a spinner and in my opinion that is 100x better than any house machine or doing this by hand. Yes, the pro shop would do this and you can explain to them exactly what your ball is doing so they can recommend a good surface.

[foreverincamo]

Axeslinger, you can usually buy whatever polish the manufacturer uses when they polish the ball. Those box-styled house polishing machines aren't worth a dang. You can always take your ball to a pro shop and have them polish it. Most places have several brands on hand. The polish helps the ball retain its energy, go further downlane, and then make its move.

[axslinger]

I'll just go to the pro shop and let them polish it based on what it's doing and what it was doing before the refinish. Thanks for all of your input. :)

[Mike White]

By "polish it" I assume you mean in a house polisher? Or should I have the pro shop do it? I was thinking of doing a light polish where it is right now, then go from there. Would that be good place to start?

As far as getting no hook, you have to understand this center. I've been doing a little research and have been told they don't properly strip the heads. They water down the solution and the pads are worn out. Any other house and this ball hooks great. Others have also complained about the condition of the lanes. Since I'm gonna be on a league here, I might as well adjust the surface so it's at least a little better and I can get some kind of pocket angle.

Under the assumption that your research is discovering the truth, why bowl there?

You are just rewarding their **** poor maintenance with your business.

[RobLV1]

As Mike alluded to, what makes you so certain that the difference in ball reaction is a result of changing the surface rather than the result of a different lane condition that you had for the past couple of weeks? Try this: start with the ball at 1000/4000 in practice. Bring a 2000 and a 3000 abralon pad with you. If it is not hooking enough, go over the 4000 with the 2000. If it now hooks too much, go over the 2000 with the 3000. It is not ideal, but it's certainly a good way to start, and IMHO a better option than polish.

[axslinger]

Ok, to clairify, I am certain that the issue is due to the lane condition. I bowl there because it's close to home and cheap. The other AMF house nearby kicked out all of their leagues. They want to go the "party place/corporate event" route. If I want to bowl without paying an arm and a leg, I'm kind of stuck here. I am simply trying to do what I can to make my ball usable at this house...at least until this short league is done.

I'm having a hard time understanding how polishing/not polishing comes into play. If I'm reading this right, 4000 without polish is going to be more reactive than 1500 with polish, correct? Doesn't polishing negate the affect of the grade of abralon you're using? If you "rough it up" with abralon then polish it out with polish, what is the point? Or doesn't polishing completely smooth it out?

[RobLV1]

Polish/surface is how you control the reaction in the friction/oil. Polish reacts harder in friction, surface gives you more read in the oil. The problem with polish is that it is much more likely to give you an over/under reaction. Personally, I think you are better off with a finer abralon than with polish. Just my opinion.

[Stormed1]

+1 to Rob's comments. I have taken many a polished ball to 4000 to mellow out the over/under

[MICHAEL]

+1 to Rob's comments. I have taken many a polished ball to 4000 to mellow out the over/under


hummmm I have had most of my high games, and series with polished ball? Only non polished is the Hyper-Cell 500/2000, its given me some good games also! Not sure about the over, under reactions with polish in MY CASE. Both of my perfect games last year were with polished balls.
One was a symmetrical, IQ pearl, the other with a asymmetrical ball the Virtual Gravity Nanno, that had been pluged onece. If a ball is very erratic with polish you don't throw two perfect games???

I think polish has its place, and a lot has to do with the lanes, and bowlers style! Experiment with both,,, Iceman still likes polish!

One of the best items you can get in regards to bowling is a spinner! Then learn how to use it! It will not only save you a lot of money, but its
a Fricken blast experimenting with ball surfaces!

[axslinger]

As Mike alluded to, what makes you so certain that the difference in ball reaction is a result of changing the surface rather than the result of a different lane condition that you had for the past couple of weeks? Try this: start with the ball at 1000/4000 in practice. Bring a 2000 and a 3000 abralon pad with you. If it is not hooking enough, go over the 4000 with the 2000. If it now hooks too much, go over the 2000 with the 3000. It is not ideal, but it's certainly a good way to start, and IMHO a better option than polish.

I took the ball in and had them do a 1000/4000 finish on it as Rob suggested. Took it and bowled with it. In short, it is behaving almost identical to the box finish I started with, which is okay. I managed to eek out a 138 and 2-156 games. Not exactly what I am capable of but at least I got the over-reaction issue taken care of. I'm still not really getting any flip on the front end; just a slow, lazy hook of just a few boards. Again, about what I started with. I'm okay with that as I'm learning something here.

So now my question is, if I buff this thing by hand with a 3000, what is the process for doing that? Since it's not done by a machine and isn't exact, will that be an issue or doesn't it have to be exact?

[RobLV1]

I took the ball in and had them do a 1000/4000 finish on it as Rob suggested. Took it and bowled with it. In short, it is behaving almost identical to the box finish I started with, which is okay. I managed to eek out a 138 and 2-156 games. Not exactly what I am capable of but at least I got the over-reaction issue taken care of. I'm still not really getting any flip on the front end; just a slow, lazy hook of just a few boards. Again, about what I started with. I'm okay with that as I'm learning something here.

So now my question is, if I buff this thing by hand with a 3000, what is the process for doing that? Since it's not done by a machine and isn't exact, will that be an issue or doesn't it have to be exact?

No, it doesn't have to be exact. You can either just go over the entire ball using medium pressure in a circular motion, or you can try to do it like the pros do which is to hold the pad in the palm of your hand supporting the weight of the ball, and rotate the ball with the opposite hand, perpendicular to the track. The only USBC stipulation is that the entire surface of the ball must be the same in terms of texture.

[cdolce18]

Hi all-

Been bowling for a long time- new to this site.

I just took my polished freeze hybrid down to 4000 because it had too much skid. The ball is more predictable and the over/under has been reduced. I find that polish and I don't mix well for the most part- I tend to remove polish and use a 3000 or 4000 Abralon to create a similar but more controllable ball motion.

I personally don't prefer resurfacing a ball by hand- the results can be inconsistent. I bit the bullet and bought a ball spinner at the beginning of the summer and it has been awesome. I have been able to dial my entire arsenal in based on the lane conditions I normally see and my scores have been much more consistent.

[axslinger]

Hi all-

Been bowling for a long time- new to this site.

I just took my polished freeze hybrid down to 4000 because it had too much skid. The ball is more predictable and the over/under has been reduced. I find that polish and I don't mix well for the most part- I tend to remove polish and use a 3000 or 4000 Abralon to create a similar but more controllable ball motion.

I personally don't prefer resurfacing a ball by hand- the results can be inconsistent. I bit the bullet and bought a ball spinner at the beginning of the summer and it has been awesome. I have been able to dial my entire arsenal in based on the lane conditions I normally see and my scores have been much more consistent.

Sounds like you're a low-rev/stroker? I think I'll hit this thing with 3000 and hopefully the ball won't go back to over-reacting. My GF is giving me "that look" and thinks I'm obsessing.

[cdolce18]

Sounds like you're a low-rev/stroker? I think I'll hit this thing with 3000 and hopefully the ball won't go back to over-reacting. My GF is giving me "that look" and thinks I'm obsessing.

I'm a tweener with medium-medium high revs. When I resurface I generally keep the same surface for at least 3 or 4 bowling sessions because sometimes lane conditions can vary from day to day. If I were you I would keep the 4000 for a little while and play different lines. Experiment with it. Then if the ball is still coming in weak try going to 3000.

[RobLV1]

I'm a tweener with medium-medium high revs. When I resurface I generally keep the same surface for at least 3 or 4 bowling sessions because sometimes lane conditions can vary from day to day. If I were you I would keep the 4000 for a little while and play different lines. Experiment with it. Then if the ball is still coming in weak try going to 3000.

I agree about a ball spinner, but there is nothing like "tweaking" the surface by hand at the beginning of bowling to accommodate week to week differences, or pair to pair differences. Playing different lines goes without saying, however, surface changes are not designed to get to the pocket (that's a function of finding the right line), but increasing carry once you get there.

[cdolce18]

I agree about a ball spinner, but there is nothing like "tweaking" the surface by hand at the beginning of bowling to accommodate week to week differences, or pair to pair differences. Playing different lines goes without saying, however, surface changes are not designed to get to the pocket (that's a function of finding the right line), but increasing carry once you get there.

I agree with you. I guess the only reason I don't make the adjustments before league is because I know what I'm up against each week as I bowl on a fresh shot in one of my leagues. I definitely bring some abralon pads with me when bowling in a tourney.