Polish

[shadd]

I'm looking into procuring some materials for doing my own ball maintenance. Does anyone have any thoughts/recommendations on polish?

Thanks!

[RobLV1]

For a light polish, I like the Motiv Powergel Polish. For a medium polish; Storm Step 2, and for a very shiny finish; Powerhouse Factory Finish.

[Stormed1]

At home I have Snake Oil, UFO, Storm #2 and extra shine and Bruswick Royal Shine

[bowl1820]

There are many different polishes and they can have slight differences and everybody has their favorites.

if you look around you can find some combo kits of different products, a good way to try some.

Brunswick Royal Compound and Royal Shine are a good pair. (I currently use these along with Soft Scrub for certain finishes)

Brunswick Royal Compound and Powerhouse Factory Finish would be a good combo too.

[fordman1]

I have heard of car polish being used but you have to make sure it has no WAX so be careful. Most polish made for bowling balls is probably about the same.

[bowl1820]

I have heard of car polish being used but you have to make sure it has no WAX so be careful. Most polish made for bowling balls is probably about the same.

While there are some car products that can be used, what you have to watch out for in them is silicone.

[Amyers]

I have heard of car polish being used but you have to make sure it has no WAX so be careful. Most polish made for bowling balls is probably about the same.

It's not like ball polishes are super expensive. I'm not sure why someone would feel the need to try and substitute a car polish. Not saying some of them wouldn't work but why take the chance of messing your ball up?

[fordman1]

It was a Pro shop that used it and it worked just fine and they saved money.

[RobLV1]

It was a Pro shop that used it and it worked just fine and they saved money.

And I'm sure that there are no Pro Shops out there who would do anything to damage your ball just to save money! LOL

[Tampabaybob]

Last year, Fathers day in fact, I finally broke down and bought a ball spinner from innovative. When you receive it you get Vice Polish, Vice cleaner, Vice compound, and something I had never heard of Vice slip agent. If you've ever shot a ten pin and had your spare ball hook away just at the last second, you've gotta try slip agent. This is a miracle police and it must be like a 8000 grit polish. Trust me, your spare ball will never hook again.

Buying that ball spinner is one of the best investments I ever bought. I know Storm recommends that you resurface after only 60 games, but how many people usually do. I usually do most of my balls, the ones I frequently use about every two months. If you clean your balls at the lanes before or after you bowl, you really only can get then half clean compared to putting them on a spinner. And it takes about the same amount of time.

Anyone who is a serious bowler and wants the most out of their balls should definitely buy one. Also, innovative has a very unusual take on how you should set up your arsenal and they go into great detail about how to do it. It leaves little to the imagination and it's great for the times when oil transition becomes a headache.

The other polishes and cleaners I use are the Brunswick Royal shine (5000) and their compound which is 2500. I've also tried Black magic cleaner which works pretty well.

[mc_runner]

Spinner is my next major bowling purchase. Figure I can get one of those and get more life/flexibility out of balls instead of buying a new one. I can say I've only ever polished a ball in the machines at the bowling alley (which I know isn't the best in any way). Once I get one I'm looking forward to learning all about it

[shadd]

Thanks for the thoughts and recommendations!

That Vise slip agent sounds very interesting!

To stay on the less intimidating side (and relatively inexpensive) of ball maintenance, I think I'm going to get a Smart Star drill operated systems.

[foreverincamo]

I did the same thing as Tampabaybob. Same spinner and same polishes, etc. The Slip Agent is neat stuff. I took my Brunswick Platinum Pearl Ringer from its 500 grit finish all the way to 4000 grit Abralon, then hit it with the Vise Compound, then the polish, and finally the Slip Agent. Ball shines like a mirror.
I used it on a sport shot where the back ends were really fried. That ball went 50 feet before making its left turn, and I shot my only 200+ game of the night.

[Tampabaybob]

I did the same thing as Tampabaybob. Same spinner and same polishes, etc. The Slip Agent is neat stuff. I took my Brunswick Platinum Pearl Ringer from its 500 grit finish all the way to 4000 grit Abralon, then hit it with the Vise Compound, then the polish, and finally the Slip Agent. Ball shines like a mirror.
I used it on a sport shot where the back ends were really fried. That ball went 50 feet before making its left turn, and I shot my only 200+ game of the night.

That Vise "Slip Agent" is really something. One of the guys I bowl with started off the year without a spare ball. After harassing him for over a month, he finally had one drilled out. Well, he really turns the ball hard and probably missed the first 6 or 8 ten pins he through with it. We were practicing one week and I told him to give me the ball, and I polished it with the Slip Agent. Problem solved. Ball went straight as an arrow (into the gutter the first couple of times, because he was waiting for it to hook) but he did finally get the hang of a ball going straight. It's a dream to know the ball "will not hook".

[LOUVIT]

I'd rather move a few boards or flatten the ball instead of trying to aim directly at the pin with a stright ball... then again I'm in a new learning stage. i made all of my 10 pins today wit ha brand new ball. This can all change after a couple of weeks of working with a coach. so much has changed already in a week