How often do you get a new ball?

[Blomer]

Fairly new to bowling, about a year and a half. Just curious how often you get a new ball and when. When I started in Sept/October of 2013. I bought my first ball. Then this past summer I bought 3, a spare ball, Optimus and Hy Road solid. Now in 2015 I won one on here and then bought one Friday when I got the one I won drilled. I'll probably be set for a while, but maybe not. I think my arsenal is pretty solid but just maybe something will catch my eye. On the other hand, I see guys in my league bowl with balls they have had for years.

[jab5325]

Once I build my arsenal back up, I plan to buy a new one every 3-4 years--that's what I always did previously. I'm buying more now because I need to build it back up.

There are guys in my league who get at least 1-2 balls per year, and there's others who still use old Columbia White Dots and the original Blue Hammers.

My tournament partner averages 210 with a 10-year old Ebonite, and two years ago, he averaged 221 with the same ball.

[vdubtx]

For me, it depends on how many games I am putting on the balls and how they are reacting on the lanes after a certain point where neither a de-oil or a resurface will bring it back to life. Have had several balls go dead before. I can usually squeeze 400-600 games from a ball since I keep up with cleaning and touching up surfaces pretty regularly. Hadn't been able to touch up surfaces too much in the past 8 months living in temporary housing and then finally moving into a new home and dealing with getting stuff situated etc. Soon though will be able to get back to a regimen of touching surface up every few weeks at home.

[Amyers]

A lot of this depends on how much you bowl and what kind of bowling you do. If you are just a once a week bowler in a single house you could get by with two regular balls and a spare ball and keep them for years and never be at a disadvantage. If you bowl in multiple houses and multiple times a week that number you need goes up. If you are going to bowl competitively in tournaments and competitions that number goes up again. I can realistically see having 10 balls for a big tournament bowler, for the guys that bowl in a couple of different houses 4-6 would most likely do, lastly for the once a week guy 1-2 is perfectly adequate.

As far as how often to replace it varies from type of ball to how often you use it. To be honest most of us who are really into the game have more balls and go through them faster than we have to but the new shiny ones on the shelves always look so nice :rolleyes:. I have a lot of friends who have 20 plus balls, I'm not there yet but my whole family bowls wife and 2 daughters I'm getting ready to build a rack in my garage to hold them.

[RobLV1]

There are three basic reasons for buying a new bowling ball: to replace something that has worn out, to take advantage of new technology, or just because you want to try something different. Once you get a basic understanding of the components of modern balls, you can easily tell if a ball embraces some new technology or not. If you are using a ball that is seven or eight years old, it is safe to say that a new ball will have some technological advances. If you want to replace a ball that has worked for you in the past with something similar, if you do your homework, you can usually do it easily.

An example: One of the most popular balls that Storm has made in the past several years is the Frantic. It was mid-range ball featuring the Hybrid R2S cover material, and a symmetrical core with a low rg of 2.53 and a differential of .044. If you loved your Frantic, but it has lost some of its former glory, a little research will show you that the new Storm Rocket utilizes the same Hybrid R2S cover material, and though the symmetrical core is slightly different, the low rg of 2.54 and differential of .046 are very similar.

Take the time to learn the basics of bowling balls and I think that you will find that you will make fewer purchases that are much more effective.

[foreverincamo]

Sometimes it's just fun to try a new ball....Or 6. Told my wife I'm getting the Rhino Gold Vintage. She just sighed. Too funny

[swingset]

Agree it's very subjective, but for me bowling 2 or 3 nights a week I tend to retire a ball every year or so, add another about the same schedule. At any given time, I have 8-9 floating around including a couple spare balls.

I buy a lot of NOS balls of ebay or gently used ones, as it's a good way to build or keep an arsenal going without spending too much, I don't think balls have changed in any significant way in the last 10 years...so newer is mostly about color & name to me.

[rv driver]

Agree it's very subjective, but for me bowling 2 or 3 nights a week I tend to retire a ball every year or so, add another about the same schedule. At any given time, I have 8-9 floating around including a couple spare balls.

I buy a lot of NOS balls of ebay or gently used ones, as it's a good way to build or keep an arsenal going without spending too much, I don't think balls have changed in any significant way in the last 10 years...so newer is mostly about color & name to me.
My PSO rolled his eyes and stated that, for most bowlers, it's all about color and brand; that most bowlers will never realize the subtle performance differences between balls.

[jab5325]

Sometimes it's just fun to try a new ball....Or 6. Told my wife I'm getting the Rhino Gold Vintage. She just sighed. Too funny

I've made a deal with my wife: For every dollar I spend on bowling balls/equipment, she can spend an equal amount on shoes.

[Aslan]

I buy a lot of NOS balls of ebay or gently used ones, as it's a good way to build or keep an arsenal going without spending too much,
I've seen no real advantage in buying used. Most balls on Ebay cost at least $30 and another $25 to ship. Thats $55 for a used ball...minimum. More popular balls you could pay closer to $75 + $25 shipping. Comparatively, you can get first quality, brand NIB balls that were released last year for like $79 with free shipping.


I don't think balls have changed in any significant way in the last 10 years...so newer is mostly about color & name to me.
My PSO rolled his eyes and stated that, for most bowlers, it's all about color and brand; that most bowlers will never realize the subtle performance differences between balls.

Agreed and agreed.


One of the most popular balls that Storm has made in the past several years is the Frantic. It was mid-range ball featuring the Hybrid R2S cover material, and a symmetrical core with a low rg of 2.53 and a differential of .044. If you loved your Frantic, but it has lost some of its former glory, a little research will show you that the new Storm Rocket utilizes the same Hybrid R2S cover material, and though the symmetrical core is slightly different, the low rg of 2.54 and differential of .046 are very similar.
Interesting. I didn't know the Frantic was one of their more popular releases. But, now that I think about it...I bought mine at the tail end of it's popularity.


For me, it depends on how many games I am putting on the balls and how they are reacting on the lanes after a certain point where neither a de-oil or a resurface will bring it back to life. Have had several balls go dead before. I can usually squeeze 400-600 games from a ball since I keep up with cleaning and touching up surfaces pretty regularly.

Agreed. I simply make my decisions based on games. It's difficult with my low rev release to tell when a ball has "died" so I just start an arsenal from scratch at X # of games and then when I've hit Y # of games I do a wholesale switch. I've only retired one ball, and that was my Storm Frantic after bowling about 1000 games. The problem is; once you become an "arsenal bowler"...not all those games are using that particular ball. I probably only bowled about 300 games with the Frantic over that 1000 games of bowling. Vdub's # of 400-600 is probably a good estimate...but if you have an "arsenal"...then you might extend that out a bit to take into account that you're not ALWAYS throwing that one ball.

I plan to replace my current arsenal when my game count hits roughly 2000 games. I think last I checked I was at somewhere in the high 1600s. As to actual games on each ball....currently:

Bullet Train: 109
Rhythm: 378+
Slingshot: 160+
Encounter (A): 113
Encounter (N): 137

If everything works out perfectly, by the time I hit 2000...each ball will have 400-600 games on it. However I'm skeptical that the Encounters will reach 400. Thus far they just haven't really worked out. And starting in November I switched systems so I now progress differently through the balls than I used to...which is going to add many more games to the Bullet Train and Rhythm than it will to the Encounters and Slingshot. My rev rate just isn't high enough right now to really get much use out of the Pearls (Encounters and Slingshot). On dry conditions, they work very well, but I don't see dry conditions very often.

All that being said....I've heard 400-600 games or 1 year as benchmarks. But as was stated below, I've also seen quite a few guys throwing VIBES and VIVIDS...throwing 600+ series...and they probably won't get a new ball until their's either gets stolen or cracks.

[SRB57]

I will typically buy a new ball for a condition I see a lot. The lanes I bowl on lately are on the dry side so got a low end reactive resin which still seems to hook a lot. When I was bowling 3-4 nights a week would buy one a season unless the lanes changed. Steve

[Stormed1]

For me it's rare for a ball to reach 50 games. I tend to replace them sooner as I like to be able to tell my customers that this is what it does vs this is what ( insert company name ) says it does

[larry mc]

every month or so

[NewToBowling]

I am surprised by some of the responses here. Some once a year or after 50 games?

I just purchased my first ball this year so seeing these responses gives me pause

[vdubtx]

I am surprised by some of the responses here. Some once a year or after 50 games?

I just purchased my first ball this year so seeing these responses gives me pause

50 games is extreme, but to Stromed1's defense, I believe he is either a pro shop owner or works in a pro shop and wants first hand knowledge of what the balls do for him not what the ball companies out out there in the ball videos etc. For him, it is a selling tool.

[jab5325]

Don't let it give you pause.

My advice for your first ball is to focus on getting your timing, release, swing, slide, etc. right before you think about buying another ball. Depending on how often you're able to practice, this process might take a month, 3 months, 6 months, or a year or so.

Once you've got all of that sorted out, then start thinking about other balls. It's never too early to learn about ball technology (i.e. what types work with what lane condition, PAP, etc.)....but to me, in your situation, it's way too early to worry about when it's a good time to buy a new ball.

[Aslan]

I am surprised by some of the responses here. Some once a year or after 50 games?

I just purchased my first ball this year so seeing these responses gives me pause

Like VDub said...thats an extreme...and Stormed1 isn't stopping using a ball because it wore out after 50 games...it's still got a lot of life at 50 games.

I could never switch out a ball after 50 games. I bowl about 64 games a month on average. And the downside to switching balls...is it can interrupt the progress you are making in improving your game. All the sudden you have a ball that is doing "weird" things...and then you're messing with your release or changing something to adjust.

Like jab mentioned...it's better to start out with something mid-range (Tropical Breeze, Forza, Wrecker, Outcry) or low end (Cyclone, Strike King, Freeze) and get your GAME consistent...before introducing stronger equipment. This is especially true with balls that have assymetric cores...where the consensus opinion is that a small variation in technique can be magnified.

I am struggling with that myself. I have two Encounters, my only assymetric balls in my arsenal; and honestly I struggle a great deal throwing them. I "believe" this is because my release is just too inconsistent to really take advantage of that technology.

Symmetric Core Balls: Average = 166.55, 32% strike rate.
Assymetric Core Balls: Average = 163.84, 30% strike rate.

[NewToBowling]

Yep, I'm very raw so no intention of getting new ball. My wrist strength is a lot better now. I don't struggle to keep my hand behind the ball anymore

[Ryan1700]

I take care of mine religiously. Cleaning at the lanes before they go in the bag with monster tac in in my little spray bottle, then AT LEAST once a week by hand with Powerhouse energizer and most of the time Powerhouse Factory Finish. On the ball spinner at the PS once every two weeks or so with the same and a sanding about once a month-ish. Really extends the life. So on the original question I buy bowling balls like I buy fishing lures. When I go to bowlingball.com and see one that makes me go "ohhhhhh", I usually end up buying it and then trying to figure out how to drill it to fit in my bag someway or another. My name is Ryan, and I'm an addict.

[jab5325]

Yep, I'm very raw so no intention of getting new ball. My wrist strength is a lot better now. I don't struggle to keep my hand behind the ball anymore

Sounds like you're making really good progress.

It's never too early to start learning about ball technology. The equipment used today is so vastly improved over that of 10 years ago. There a lot of posters on this board (RobLV1, etc.) who are phenomenal resources about today's equipment. Continue to work on your game while learning more about lane conditions, and ball technology.

Once you get comfortable with what you're currently working with, you'll then have enough knowledge to make well-informed purchases about your first true arsenal. Make sure you find a good pro shop who will take the time to watch you throw and recommend a ball to fit "you". Don't get your heart set on one brand or ball at first--keep your mind open, and then find other "weapons" to complement each other in your arsenal.

[Ryster]

I am in the process of refreshing my arsenal. The stuff I am replacing is just over 2 years old. I had 5 new balls stockpiled that I picked up really cheap on eBay or on closeout online.

I tend to retire balls after the lane damage gets too unsightly. For some reason, my stuff tends to get tons of cuts, gouges, scrapes, gashes, etc. I rarely ever put a ball in the gutter, so I don't know why it happens. My teammates never have such issues. In any event, once the ball looks like it has been constantly rolled down a gravel road it gets replaced.

There have been a couple of balls that I bought that didn't work for me, I just chalked them up as a loss and threw them away (after trying multiple different surface preps to tune them.) My 900Global Network and Columbia Encounter fell into that category.

Just like others have said, I clean my stuff at the end of bowling before packing up to leave. I use Monster Tac as well. Great stuff!

My arsenal should be totally refreshed by the end of this month. Once I am confident that everything is going to work out, I will throw away my old, beat up stuff. I expect the new stuff to go another 2-3 years and then I will start refreshing again.

There are only so many technology advancements that can be made with core and coverstock combinations. That's why I buy closeout stuff. I get current tech for a fraction of the price of new, and get to try a variety of different brands. I never would have tried Radical or DV8 otherwise, and really ended up liking their products. I also picked up a Lane#1 ball, new, for $60 (the only way I would ever be able to justify buying one.) Motiv is the only brand I haven't tried, so I actively "hunt" for Motiv bargains :)

[NewToBowling]

Sounds like you're making really good progress.

It's never too early to start learning about ball technology. The equipment used today is so vastly improved over that of 10 years ago. There a lot of posters on this board (RobLV1, etc.) who are phenomenal resources about today's equipment. Continue to work on your game while learning more about lane conditions, and ball technology.

Once you get comfortable with what you're currently working with, you'll then have enough knowledge to make well-informed purchases about your first true arsenal. Make sure you find a good pro shop who will take the time to watch you throw and recommend a ball to fit "you". Don't get your heart set on one brand or ball at first--keep your mind open, and then find other "weapons" to complement each other in your arsenal.

Yeah, even when you think you got it every lane plays differently so you have to be able to adjust. Just the other day the alley we went to had bone dry lanes. Literally there was no oil. We bowled for two hours and balls never needed wiping. Still bone dry. Balls were hooking like crazy, this on an Ebonite Cyclone. Of course not really good enough to start tweaking relaase but adjusted enough with lane position and targets to be ok. And with it being bone dry I guess the balls couldn't maintain speed so not much pin carry.

Then we went to another place last night with plenty of oil and ball reacted like I expected it to.

[larry mc]

i get new ones because its a hobby of mine , i like to see what each ball does and so on , i quit drinking and smoking so i feel its a healthy hobby and i like it , do i need all these balls , no but im not hurting anyone and its fun

[Stormed1]

You're correct in your assumption as to why I srill balls so often. I have been a driller for 30+ years. As a result like to give my customers first hand knowledge of how a ball reacts. I also like to throw the brands that not everyone and their brother throws such as 900 Global & Motiv. I have sold many of those balls just from people seeing my ball reaction with them

[rv driver]

i get new ones because its a hobby of mine , i like to see what each ball does and so on , i quit drinking and smoking so i feel its a healthy hobby and i like it , do i need all these balls , no but im not hurting anyone and its fun
I like this.

[jab5325]

I like this.

Yes, kudos to you, Larry.

[larry mc]

Yes, kudos to you, Larry.

thank u 2 both of u king folks

[Jaescrub]

I get a new one for every 5 i win and give away ;)