Ball For Light Oil?

[pearjas]

Hi everyone,
I’m new here and looking forward to interacting with fellow bowlers. I have what I’d consider mostly a ball-related question. I began bowling in the summer of 2003 and by 2006 bowled a 299 and had around a 196 average. I was around this in 2010 when I took a five year break and started bowling again in the summer of 2015 at the same place. Since returning, my average over the last couple of years has been anywhere from around 184-198, which I feel is good, but I feel I am struggling with an issue I didn’t have in the past.
My center has stopped oiling the sides and essentially just has oil in the middle. I am a down and in guy; I try to throw it over the 10 board and just have it go down and in. From the start of the night, I am often high in the pocket. I’ve bought a couple of new balls, hoping to have an easier time keeping the ball off the head pin. Obviously, I’m moving left, throwing it harder, etc. Sometimes I try to angle it around my mark. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I just don’t have a shot that I can confidently hit the pocket with each night like I used to.

The latest ball I purchased is the Storm Hy-Road but I seem to continue to have the same issue. I throw about 14 MPH or so, and I do not have a lot of revs. I know bowling is about adjustments, but it seems like from the start of the night, it feels like what the third game used to feel like.

I have been using the only ball I can consistently hit the pocket with, the Brunswick Fanatic BTU – designed for medium to dry lanes. I see others who throw much slower than I do with much more powerful balls and they manage to keep theirs on the correct side and hot hit high, so I know there is likely some drilling mechanics involved as well… but I’ve stated my goals at the pro shop but I seem to end up with a ball doing the exact same thing regardless.

While I have mixed results with other balls, I seem the most consistent with the Brunswick BTU. I also throw the regular Fanatic (I just move my target a little left). I am most comfortable with down and in though. Based on the BTU, are there any similar balls out there? I have noticed I do not get much pin action with the BTU though, and I leave a lot of corner pins. At least it seems like it anyway. I don't feel like I have to throw 90 MPH when throwing the BTU. Curious to hear what others have to say. It just seems like from the first frame, I am adjusting which is much different than I used to bowl (and it seems different than how I bowl at other centers currently).

[Aslan]

I think you need to put together a better arsenal and you're going to have to move inside of where your comfort zone is. Right now, you have a skid/flip ball (Brunswick Fantic) and two dry oil balls (BTU and Hyroad). If you're hitting high...moving inside and hitting light with the BTU, and there's no carrydown (start of the night bowling on fresh)...then you'd have to ball down even further...but to what?

A 900 Global Boost? Probably the best bet unless you can find a new Ebonite Cyclone or Brunswick Slingshot still around.

A Storm Mix? Never liked it.

A Columbia Scout Reactive? Maybe...if the 900Global Boost is still too much ball.

Surfacing is another possibility...but I don't know much about surfacing urethane..and the Hy Road is already polished. You could take the Hy Road to 3000/Step 3/polish...if you have a spinner and the supplies needed...or want to pay the pro shop to do it every few nights.

I just think...unless we're talking dry as 'heck' conditions...or wood lanes...or an older bowler with injury issues that can't get the ball speed to 12mph...I think getting some stronger, lower RG, surfaced balls...and moving a little inside...getting more angle...I think that's the better way to go...and will probably help with the corner pins.

[Amyers]

Well if I'm looking for a new ball I'd go with a 900 global After Dark Pearl from what your describing. If your struggling playing the track with a Hyroad you might try resurfacing it to 1000 grit finish plus polish might get you some more length to help out. Mostly If the pattern is forcing you to move deeper learn to move deeper very rarely is changing balls to play where we want the best option. We need the ability to play where the lanes want to be played.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Look into the Brunswick Twist or Rhino. The Twist uses a basic weight block and reactive cover where the Rhino uses a slightly more dynamic weight block and the same cover. I have a Twist that I drilled a few months back strictly for drier lanes and when I need to control the back ends. Been working pretty well. One thing to note, I did knock some of the polish off by hand with a 2k pad.

[ALazySavage]

This is going to be a tricky thing to combat, since the track area is where most bowlers feel comfortable and want to play. The comment about other bowlers throwing slower and with more aggressive equipment leads me to a few questions... (a) are they just getting to the pocket or are they getting to the pocket and getting good pin reaction? (b) when you watch you ball motion is the ball hooking really early or is it going down lane and then "snapping" past the headpin?

[Stormed1]

Boost or either After Dark would be good choices. If you want a little stronger then the Shadow Ops

[pearjas]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I know bowling is about making adjustments, it's just so frustrating given I feel like I am fighting from the start of the night, and not after the oil moves/breaks down.

Aslan: You recommended getting a stronger, lower RG, surface ball and moving a bit inside. Do you mean stronger as in hooks harder? I assume moving inside also means moving to my right (I'm right handed). What would be an example of a surface ball? I think this is the one area that I am overlooking is the surface. I am still learning a bit about the different sources. I typically use bowlingball.com as a guide and it doesn't seem like any two balls have the same surface anymore.

ALazySavage: It seems to vary depending on the ball but I can generally control the 'snap' at the end easier than I can an early hooking ball.

I was also considering the Pyramid Path Rising as the specs appear to be similar to the Brunswick BTU. Would this be a bad choice?

[vdubtx]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I know bowling is about making adjustments, it's just so frustrating given I feel like I am fighting from the start of the night, and not after the oil moves/breaks down.

Aslan: You recommended getting a stronger, lower RG, surface ball and moving a bit inside. Do you mean stronger as in hooks harder? I assume moving inside also means moving to my right (I'm right handed). What would be an example of a surface ball? I think this is the one area that I am overlooking is the surface. I am still learning a bit about the different sources. I typically use bowlingball.com as a guide and it doesn't seem like any two balls have the same surface anymore.

ALazySavage: It seems to vary depending on the ball but I can generally control the 'snap' at the end easier than I can an early hooking ball.

I was also considering the Pyramid Path Rising as the specs appear to be similar to the Brunswick BTU. Would this be a bad choice?

Hey there, regarding Aslan's comments, a move inside means for a righty you would move left with both your feet and your target on the lane. If you are normally playing up the 2nd arrow or 10 board, move left and play more in the oil and getting out to about 8-10 as a breakpoint down lane. A "stronger" ball won't necessarily hook harder, it's just where on the lane it will hook. Here is a great video that explains stronger and weaker bowling balls really well.


https://youtu.be/xU6KlP2VRmw

A low RG "stronger" ball with surface would be for instance a Storm Crux Prime. Surfaces for instance at a 2000 or 3000 dull surface.

[pearjas]

Thanks Vdub, that video definitely helped! I guess I should clarify also that I throw the Fanatic BTU and have no problems hitting the pocket. I am keep it on the right side and I am looking for something similar with perhaps more hitting power as it just seems (though it may be my imagination) that I often leave a lot of ten pins with this ball...more than with other balls. That is why I purchased the Storm Hy-Road recently. I kind of thought that might be what I was getting, but so far, it hasn't been anything like the BTU and in fact more like my other balls.

If I could find something similar to the BTU for this shot, I feel like I'd be in business. I am still using the BTU obviously, but I feel having an additional something that is similar could also help. I'm a bit nervous only being able to consistently hit the pocket with the BTU because it's just a type of ball I don't see anyone throwing...and when the BTU is gone, then what? That's kind of what I am trying to figure out. That's why I mentioned the Pyramid Path Rising ball as the specs appear to be similar.

Once we hit game two or three in particular, the BTU hits well. It's just earlier in the night when I am more easily going to leave a split (on a pocket shot) or a ten pin as there is more oil. That again makes me think something similar to the BTU might work but when it comes to surfaces, etc... I am a bit lost.

As far as bowling at other houses, I generally do not have this problem and I feel like I can adjust accordingly if what I have isn't working... it's just the house I bowl in the most that I have this problem!

So it sounds like my options right now are to try to find something similar to the BTU, continue to throw mainly the BTU, or perhaps get a more aggressive ball (Such as the Crux Crime), move left, and also move my target left as well.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

The BTU (Better Than Urethane) is a urethane motion. You’ll want to look at smoother balls and maybe putting some surface on them to blend out their transition.

[pearjas]

Smoother balls would be the "matte" finish type of balls, correct? If I am gathering the information correctly, that should be right. lol.

[bowl1820]

Smoother balls would be the "matte" finish type of balls, correct? If I am gathering the information correctly, that should be right. lol.

For the most part yes.

At the simplest and depending on who you talk too.

Polished balls would be the "smoothest", they would have a very fine surface texture ( A polished, glossy look) and maybe a polish/compound applied.

Dull/Sanded balls would have a coarser texture, more pronounced (visible) sanding lines on the surface.

A matte surface would be basically between the two others. It wouldn't be as coarse looking as the dull/sanded ball but not as shiny as the the polished one. You could see some fine sanding lines, but not as pronounced as the dull and it wouldn't be as "shiny" looking as the polished ball.

A lot depends on the grits used in sanding and the polishes applied. You could have a ball sanded with a coarse grit and then have a polish/compound applied over it, that would give you a matte type surface also.

[ChadBischof]

Swag Holic is a great light oil ball!!

[pearjas]

For the most part yes.

At the simplest and depending on who you talk too.

Polished balls would be the "smoothest", they would have a very fine surface texture ( A polished, glossy look) and maybe a polish/compound applied.

Dull/Sanded balls would have a coarser texture, more pronounced (visible) sanding lines on the surface.

A matte surface would be basically between the two others. It wouldn't be as coarse looking as the dull/sanded ball but not as shiny as the the polished one. You could see some fine sanding lines, but not as pronounced as the dull and it wouldn't be as "shiny" looking as the polished ball.

A lot depends on the grits used in sanding and the polishes applied. You could have a ball sanded with a coarse grit and then have a polish/compound applied over it, that would give you a matte type surface also.

Interesting ;) I appreciate all the information you guys have provided! What's funny is the entire time I've been doing this discussion, I don't think I've bowled once. I had a wedding for last week's league and we're off due to holiday this week. LOL. So I don't even know how I bowl anymore :D

[pearjas]

I guess I just have one more question - to describe the urethane reaction that I mentioned, would it be more length and a later backend? I guess when looking for a finish option, I get "more length and later backend", "strong roll and strong backend", and "earlier roll/even arc". I am thinking it would be the first one to describe the type of ball reaction the BTU would be. It does seem to start to roll early but I get quite a bit of length with it before it breaks toward the pocket.

[ALazySavage]

When urethane is discussed it is usually in an earlier motion/arcing type reaction. Most of the time urethane is used with a lot of surface as a way to "keep the ball in front of you/in play" and to control the backend - rather than create a lot of motion on the backends.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I guess I just have one more question - to describe the urethane reaction that I mentioned, would it be more length and a later backend? I guess when looking for a finish option, I get "more length and later backend", "strong roll and strong backend", and "earlier roll/even arc". I am thinking it would be the first one to describe the type of ball reaction the BTU would be. It does seem to start to roll early but I get quite a bit of length with it before it breaks toward the pocket.

Typical urethane is going to roll very early. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about when urethane should be used in my opinion. I hear it all the time when people say they want a dry lane ball, urethane is almost always mentioned.