PBA Pros: Wiping ball and fingertip inserts

[NewToBowling]

Just off the top of my head it looks like it's 50/50 on wiping ball. I do it but honestly it's probably only out of habit and routine. The ones off the top of my head that wipe their balls are Belmonte and Mika. I'm sure there are others but honestly it doesn't look very common. I'm only judging on TV finals on ESPN.

Same with fingertip inserts. You would think it is 90% usage but I'm guessing it is a bit lower than that that use inserts. Locally I see almost every ball uses inserts.

[fordman1]

The guy who won last Sunday was using a scuff pad

[NewToBowling]

Or was it the new Master WipeIt pad?

[fokai73]

The guy who won last Sunday was using a scuff pad

Illegal to use anything that changes surface during play.

I use a Genesis Pure Pad

[Hot_pocket]

There are probably more that wipe there balls. I'm not 100% sure, but i do believe it can effect your ball motion if you don't. I know it will effect ball performance overtime but they don't care they get new ones and the unreleased pieces to throw.

[NewToBowling]

Yeah, pros probably don't care because they get their balls for free and probably change out every time a new ball is released.

[vdubtx]

The guy who won last Sunday was using a scuff pad
Not a scuff pad.


Or was it the new Master WipeIt pad?

Yes, was this. Or the Storm "Shammy" version which is same thing.

[fordman1]

I'm pretty sure pro's can sand any time and just the track if they want. Not the same as USBC.

[bowl1820]

I'm pretty sure pro's can sand any time and just the track if they want. Not the same as USBC.

Nope against PBA rules too.

PBA Rule book:
11.7.2 Altering the Surface of a Ball.
If the surface friction of the ball is altered by sanding or polishing, the entire surface of the ball must be sanded or polished in a uniform manner.

a. A player may not alter the surface of a ball in any way during any round in which he or she is
competing including any position round.

b. Each match during a championship round finals shall be considered a separate round.

[shadd]

The guy who won last Sunday was using a scuff pad


Speaking of last Sundays show, I literally laughed out loud when one of the guys went Brooklyn. I get embarrassed when I do that, and I'm a hack, I can just imagine how embarrassed he was.

[NewToBowling]

Speaking of last Sundays show, I literally laughed out loud when one of the guys went Brooklyn. I get embarrassed when I do that, and I'm a hack, I can just imagine how embarrassed he was.

Mehh. I say take it and don't apologize. You win some and you lose some. Brooklyns make up for those 10 pins :)

[SAbowler]

Mehh. I say take it and don't apologize. You win some and you lose some. Brooklyns make up for those 10 pins :)

My thoughts exactly! Ya gotta take the breaks & good luck when you get the chance because there will always be plenty of smash 10's or pocket 7-10's to make up for. :)

[fordman1]

1820 has that always been a rule? Or did it come about after the bowlers got so many free balls? Is there a rule about how many balls they have access to during the tour. or show?

[RobLV1]

My thoughts exactly! Ya gotta take the breaks & good luck when you get the chance because there will always be plenty of smash 10's or pocket 7-10's to make up for. :)

I hate to burst your bubble, but ten pin leaves and pocket seven-tens are not bad luck. They are the result of playing the wrong line, throwing the wrong ball, or just poor execution. The modern house bowler loves to believe that when he gets the ball to the pocket, he deserves a strike, but that just isn't the case.

[RobLV1]

1820 has that always been a rule? Or did it come about after the bowlers got so many free balls? Is there a rule about how many balls they have access to during the tour. or show?

There is usually a limit to the number of balls that players can store in the paddock. At the Senior Open where I've bowled several times, it was eight allowed at a time. This is easy to get around, as players will often rotate out balls from a stock that they keep in their hotel rooms. Once players make match play, there is no limit to how many balls they have with them.

[bowl1820]

1820 has that always been a rule? Or did it come about after the bowlers got so many free balls?
I can't say if it's always been a rule, I know some of the Pba rules were changed a few years back.

I doubt any changes to alter balls had anything to do with the number of "Free balls" they got.


Is there a rule about how many balls they have access to during the tour. or show?

I can't say for sure (I'm not in the Pba) and different tournaments can have different rules specific to just that tournament.

But looking at the Rule book, they have a rule limiting the number of balls for certain things.

Here are the rules in the book, make of them what you will.

5.4 Bowling Balls. Loose bowling balls will not be permitted in the locker room. Single ball boxes
and case boxes may be used with the owner's name clearly visible on the box.
5.4.1 PBA Tour.
a. PBA Pro Tournament Qualifier (PTQ). A maximum of nine (9) bowling balls per competitor will
be allowed in the locker room for all PBA PTQ competitors. Any PBA PTQ participant who fails
to qualify (with the exception of the three (3) standbys), must remove his or her equipment from
the locker room within one (1) hour after the final PTQ standings are posted.
b. Open Field Tournaments. A maximum of nine (9) bowling balls per competitor will be allowed
in the locker room for all competitors during all qualifying rounds of both standard and open
field events.
c. Match Play Finalists. Players advancing to match play will be allowed an unlimited number of
bowling balls in the locker room.

5.4.2 PBA50 Tour and Regional Tour.
a. Tournament Participants. A maximum of nine (9) bowling balls per competitor will be allowed
in the locker room for all PBA50 Tour and Regional Tour events.
b. Match Play Finalists. Players advancing to match play during any PBA50 Tour event will be
allowed an unlimited number of bowling balls in the locker room.

17.18 Bowling Balls in the Bowlers' Area. A maximum of nine (9) bowling balls per competitor will be
allowed in the bowlers' area during all PBA Tour events. Bowling equipment must remain with the
competitor while moving from pair to pair. Unattended equipment will be removed from the bowlers’ area
and a penalty assessed.

[Hot_pocket]

I hate to burst your bubble, but ten pin leaves and pocket seven-tens are not bad luck. They are the result of playing the wrong line, throwing the wrong ball, or just poor execution. The modern house bowler loves to believe that when he gets the ball to the pocket, he deserves a strike, but that just isn't the case.

This is true but a bad rack will also cause you to leave things you shouldnt.

[RobLV1]

This is true but a bad rack will also cause you to leave things you shouldnt.

Which is why an examination of every rack should be part of every serious bowler's routine. The USBC allows unlimited re-racks, but bowlers rarely take advantage of them.

[Aslan]

I hate to burst your bubble, but ten pin leaves and pocket seven-tens are not bad luck. They are the result of playing the wrong line, throwing the wrong ball, or just poor execution. The modern house bowler loves to believe that when he gets the ball to the pocket, he deserves a strike, but that just isn't the case.

I agree with Rob...but will say I was pretty annoyed Wednesday when I threw a great shot, seemed like a perfect line, not only hit the pocket but just seemed to destroy the pin rack and exited perfectly between the 8 and 9 pin....left me a 6-10. I could take that shot 49 more times and strike 46. All I could tell is that somehow the 3-pin went back...hit the 9-pin...then the 3-pin bounced up over the 6-pin and rolled into the gutter. The 6-pin wiggled a little...but I rarely hit the pocket with that much power and leave more than one pin.

Could have been a racking issue. Our team was hitting pocket and leaving weird stuff. I think I left two 9-pins...which I rarely ever leave...much less twice in a series...much less on pocket or near-pocket hits.

And yes, I think I chopped the 10-pin off. Hardest part about leaving spares is then you gotta pick em up. :(

[billf]

When you get free balls whenever you want then the wiping is merely part of the per-shot routine which is important.
As for inserts, it's a personal thing. I want to try no inerts myself but not too sure how smart that would be with my arthritis.