How often do you get a new bowling Ball?

[The KingPin]

So some people buy new bowling balls every new season, some every time one comes out. But what about you? Do you wait until your ball seems dead? Or unlucky anymore?

What are your thoughts on when you should buy a new ball?

[JaxBowlingGuy]

ummm i have a habit of buyin every Storm ball that comes out... I am averaging a few balls a month.. some new and some used.. Dont really need them all but they are nice to have "just in case" ha

[BowlnBrat]

ummm i have a habit of buyin every Storm ball that comes out... I am averaging a few balls a month.. some new and some used.. Dont really need them all but they are nice to have "just in case" ha

Must be nice to be able to afford to buy a few new balls a month! I buy one well, when I can afford it really! The last one I bought was the Brunswick Rattler...and I haven't been sorry! It's great on dryer patterns...where as my Tropical Storm is better when the lanes are oilier. It just depends on the conditions of the lanes as to which ball I throw

[Jord_84]

Not often. I keep just enough balls around to cover varying oil conditions. I'll be sad when the Virtual gravity poops out......I love that ball.

[branstew]

I drop hints for christmas and I strat about now, but I have not decided on which to drop hints about ?

[kev3inp]

I get a new one every time I win one. ;) I buy one when I find something I really want. If I wouldn't have won the Rogue I would have bought it. Now I'm researching dry lane balls.

[NoTapNorm]

I've purchased/won 5 in the last year, but only because I was just getting back into the game. There are several I wouldn't mind having, but cant justify the purchase just yet....

[Stormed1]

Because i prefer to tell people this is what that ball does, Rather than this is what (insert company) says it does i tend to do 10-15 year, It is very rare for me to put more than 30-40 games on a ball before it is replace in my bag. I get top dollar out of my personal equipment because they are always in "like new" condition

[Graaille]

Entirely too many, but 99% of them are first drills so I'm not paying full price.

[Strike Domination]

I tend to get a new ball or two each year. I don't think I'd need more than 4-5 on any given day so buying lots of balls is not something I see myself doing.

[gutterball]

Wow i might get one new ball if it don't crack before i die i want never get anymore. LOL

[Stormed1]

Even though i will not start back bowling till around thanksgiving, so far for this season i've picked up a Golden Globe , Global Globe,AMF Clutch,and have a Hype urethane on the way. Break Point Pearl, Lunatic and Sideways soon to follow

[Drano]

I like to get a new ball whenever I feel I need a new one, through a year of bowling I've bought 2 balls and am looking to buy a third, but not sure yet/can't because of money.

[ebowler]

Since January when I resumed bowling after 29 years, I have purchased 3 new balls and had the good fortune of winning 1 (Thank you Bowlingboards.com). The newest ball is the Furious. I got this one for my PBA experience league.

It looks like I will be getting a new ball as conditions require. And as finances will permit

[gparks]

i recently got back in and for starters i got a gently used ebay ball lane1 colbalt bomb it is still my first one out of the bag.then got me a new brunswick wizard the ball just never really worked for me keep it around and try it out sometimes.last month got a used storm dimension from my pro shop (owners personal ball didnt even have to redrill):) now that ball is coming out quicker every week .i also have a hand me down rubberball a ebonite mag 10 (sorry 10 pins:) that ball means the world to me came from my step dad who mentored me since i was 8 yrs old .all 4 were bought this year on a budget.well besides the rubber one. Im hoping santa will bring me a jigsaw im really wanting that one. All this rambling and i didnt even really answer the question lol sorry

[yeehayashi]

I've averaged 1 to 3 new balls a year but I'm going to make a real effort to resist the temptation. I really don't need any new equipment soon; the $$ saved is going to go to lessons instead.

[dpmusic70]

Kevin and I are in the process of purchasing a new ball. We both need a new one to match the lanes where we are presently bowling.

[Iceman]

I usually buy 1 each beginning winter league, necessary or not. just ordered 2 (both solids - refraining from pearl coverstock this year) Ogre Solid and Frankie May Solid - both Visionary. I like to stay with new equipment that others are not using. Visionary has supported me well, as with their membership and deals I get - hard to pass it up.

[The KingPin]

Wow I have not seen you here in awhile

[Iceman]

Wow I have not seen you here in awhile


Yeah, sorry :( Had a lot going on the last 4 - 5 months - kept up on the email newsletters though, glad things are going great here. I did miss posting and chatting - should be a lot to catch up on over the months ahead.

[brian2668]

well i got one in feb and just got one on wed i have a spare ball i have brunswick sworm and i just got a brunswick wild ride and i really like it

[Stormed1]

My Sideways arrived today. So i have 4 waiting ti drill. Sideways,Clutch,Break Point and Global spare.

[123seeyah]

just started to take bowling seriously around 3 months ago and i already bought 3 balls.. planning to buy a 4th one this weekend. i hope that's the last one i'll buy before buying again in a year or two as it is too costly hehe

[Jord_84]

I've added 2 balls to my arsenal in the last 3 years. I'm thinking about sticking my maxim on a house rack(I started picking up 10 pins with my gravity and I'm waaaay more consistent) and selling my ebonite tiger. My t road solid needs to be tinkered with, my former pro shop drilled it all wrong...I never use it. I'd like to get a less aggressive ball to round out my arsenal, and I've got a friend who brought a pro shop into our house. He actually watches you bowl before he makes a suggestion about balls/drilling! I haven't found service like that in a long time!

[Maine Man]

I get one new ball every couple of months during the sseason. I don't bowl in the summer, so I don't get any new equipment between May - September.

[CrazieEddie]

Though I've only been bowling seriously in a league for about 4 years, I've been buying a new ball almost every season since. Sometimes 2 balls the same, but having them drilled differently. I've been trying to figure out the best ball/layout for me. Ever since I bought an Innovative Ball spinner, I've stopped buying balls, since I found it much easier to tweak by resurfacing the ball.

[ehanlon717]

This is my first season back after being out of bowling for nearly 20 years. I began bowling by using a 6 pound ball at the alley. This year, I just bought a new ball to replace my first purchase. The first ball broke, and the new ball is also a 6 pounder. I've only had this new ball for maybe a month, and am ready to move up to an 8. How often do you find you need to move up in ball weight? Also, I'm a 37 year old woman, so this should be taken into consideration. Thanks for your help!

[The Mayor]

ehanlon717, honestly, unless you have a medical issue with your hand/arm/shoulder, there's no reason you should be below 10 pounds. 6 and 8 pounds are for small children. If you purchase a ball and have a qualified pro shop fit your hand, the ball will feel much lighter once it is drilled to fit. You just won't be able to improve your scores with a 6 or 8 pound ball as they are too light and just deflect off of the pins. I'd suggest going to a local pro shop, have them watch you bowl and see what they suggest. The main reason for not throwing that light of a ball is due to the fact that they crack really easily due to the fact that the insides are basically styrofoam. A 10 pound ball won't be nearly as fragile.

[got_a_300]

The Mayor makes a good point the 6lb. and 8lb. balls are really just to light and deflect to easily
and are way to light for an adult to be throwing. We have a lady that is in her late 30's to early
40's that would do good to weigh 95lbs. soaking wet that throws a 14lb. ball and a 13 year old
girl that bowls in the juniors that might weigh in at around 80lbs. that throws a 15lb. ball so like
The Mayor said if you do not have a medical issue with your hand/arm/shoulder then you should
be at least throwing a 10lb. ball anyway.

[JerseyJim]

Usually I get a bowling ball when my arsenal has a hole. I picked up the Critical Theory earlier this season, and then lucked out by winning a Storm Crossroad from this site. These 2 balls will cover 90% of the conditions I normally hit. I do have a number of balls with various layouts that I might trot out for synthetic lanes. I'll find out next season.

[billf]

Well I bought a Victory Road about three years ago? Mutant Cell the year after. This past year I settle a worker's comp claim and have bought Storm Ice, DV8 Hellraiser Revenge (1 pin up, 1 pin down), Reckless, Misfit and two weeks ago a Storm Natural Pearl. I bought that while they were drilling the Nexxus I won here. I still have my Hammer Hawg, Hy-Road, The Rising, Scout and Hot Rod. So I guess that means I get a new ball whenever I can.

[striker12]

well i can say this year in 2012 i am about to have gotten 4 new balls 1 for christmas, 1 from here, 1 that i bought with saved money and the last 1 from a deal and deal wa si get a new ball if i get a hair cut cant walk away from that lol.

the balls 1-freeze, 2-HHR, 3-too reckless, 4-(maby) the nuts pearl or solid

[jaydee]

Beginning of last season I had one. Now, I'm up to about 6, but most of them are used, had to be plugged and redrilled. If I could get 1 new ball per season, I would be happy with that.

[swingset]

I hang on to ones that suit me, heck I am still rolling a red hammer from 1990...and it's still a great ball. I usually buy one a year, to add to the arsenal, or whatever I win.

I've never felt the need to buy a crap load of balls. My game is in between my ears, much more than the ball.

[a0176691]

I'll get a new one as soon as this one breaks!

[Florida Bowler]

Well, let's see. I got my first one 25 years ago. I have since gotten 3 new ones. So I guess it is about every 8 years. I got my last one about 11 years ago, so I think I'm due.

-DJ

[striker12]

got the 900 global the nuts solid, this ball is crazy and it hooks more then my HHR and my HHr is drilled strongers but also my HHR is abit more used and the nuts solid is brand new kinda has a few marks on it.

[LTNINGFan]

Got my first one back in 1979, a Brunswick Black Beauty. Another in the mid 90's, Brunswick Eclipse Reactive, and I will be getting a new one in the next couple weeks I hope. But then again, I haven't been a regular bowler to buy balls more often.

[MinnesotaBowler]

Usually about once every year or two... or whenever one is pretty much dead.

[martinezsam2495]

amazing, haha,
I am in need of my own ball, and I"m wondering for a lefty and hook to the right,
what ball should i get?

[GeorgiaStroker]

There is no such thing as a left handed or right handed ball until it has been drilled. You need a ball that is suited to the lane conditions where you bowl, ball speed and rev rate, etc... The pro shop guy should watch you bowl and make some suggestions based on that. Then he can measure for a proper fit and drill accordingly.

[martinezsam2495]

There is no such thing as a left handed or right handed ball until it has been drilled. You need a ball that is suited to the lane conditions where you bowl, ball speed and rev rate, etc... The pro shop guy should watch you bowl and make some suggestions based on that. Then he can measure for a proper fit and drill accordingly.

hmm, ok if I showed you a video of me bowling, will a critical theory ball be a good choice?

[J Anderson]

hmm, ok if I showed you a video of me bowling, will a critical theory ball be a good choice?

For most people the best first ball is an "entry level" reactive resin ball. This would be a ball with a symmetric core and an older, less aggressive cover stock. This type of ball will be easier for you to control as you learn the basics and develop good habits. I'm not sure where the Critical Theory stands in the RotoGrip lineup. I think their have been a number of threads out here on which balls are good for beginners.

After you develop a solid fundamental game, ( free swing, good timing, proper release and all that other good stuff ), then you can try to talk your dad into getting you a higher end ball. After all, most of us learn to drive in a plain old sedan, no parent is going to trust a teenager with only a learners permit to drive corvette.

[GeorgiaStroker]

hmm, ok if I showed you a video of me bowling, will a critical theory ball be a good choice?

What are the lane conditions whare you bowl? Dry, Oily, medium? The critical theory is a ball designed for medium heavy oil conditions. If the lanes were you bowl are on the drier side and you are bowling a high rev 2 finger style then you might not be able to keep it on the lane. lol. The best way to determine the best ball for you is to look at good bowlers at your local center, mainly the ones that have a similar delivery, ball speed, rev rate as you and see what they are using. If there are no bowler close to your style talk to the pro shop guy and see what he recommends. If he tries to sell you a ball without seeing you bowl first then run, don't walk away. Most of them are very helpful but there are a few that will try to talk you into an expensive ball that you have no business throwing.

[billf]

DV8 Misfit has a symmetrical core and given your speed and rev rate expected from that style would work well from light to medium oil conditions. This ball works well on a typical house shot for several no thumb bowlers I know.

[Tampabaybob]

My last ball was a Brunswick Alpha-Max about a year ago. Prior to that I bought a Brunswick Evil Siege maybe 9 months before that. I also have a BVP Punisher that is a go to ball when the lanes dry out. It's a symmetrical and is very stage and predictable. I also have a couple in the house that I drag out once in a while. One is a Red ZONE. Pulled it out last summer and shot a 300 with it. Bought it used from a guy I used to bowl with for $20 BUCKS ! Nice ball never wears out. Can't complain averaged 217 thais past season. According to what I'm reading, I wish I owned a ball company...LOL.

Bob