tracy
11-28-2010, 03:32 PM
i am looking into buying another ball. right now i have the prodigy and the diamond back. right now i know they handle on the lanes at different conditions. the question i have is , on the spec sheet,what spec do i look at to see if a ball is aggressive or not aggressive or do i have to look at the weight block and layout?
bowl1820
11-28-2010, 04:22 PM
If your referring to the ball spreadsheet, here's what the number mean.
In the columns marked OIL-MEDIUM-DRY-SPORT, you see S-T-C this refers to Strokers-Tweeners-Crankers. BTM has a ball tester for each category.
(stats on the bowlers can be found in the magazine)
The numbers reflect the opinions of the testers on how the balls reacted on the four different "fresh conditions".
1-3 is below average performance, 4-6 is average performance and 7-9.5 is excellent performance.
So if your a Stroker, a Tweener or a Cranker, you'll look under the listing that match's you. If your not into all the technical aspect's of balls, just stick to these numbers.
As for the other numbers basically its-
Box finish is what the Out of Box (O.O.B.) surface is from the factory.
Hook 1-100 bigger the number the more it hooks.
Backend 1-20 bigger the number the stronger the backend reaction.
Length 1-25 bigger the number the farther it goes down the lane before it reacts.
Torque 1-10 The flippiness of the ball, bigger the number more flippy it is, smaller number the more even at the breakpoint it is.
Diff/Flare 1-10+ -bigger the number more flare.
RG 1-10+ basically lower numbers are more early revving, higher the number the ball revs later.
Load refers to how the particle content of the coverstock on Particle balls.
These numbers are how the BTM rated them and my not be the same as the ball company numbers.
As for which numbers to use, thats up to the user, Different bowlers look for different things.
richc
12-01-2010, 05:09 PM
Good advice from bowl1820. Something else you might also consider is referring to the "Perfect Scale" feature at bowlingball.com. You can narrow your search for a ball to match with given lane conditions and then examine the length potential and the hook potential characteristics select new bowling balls possess.
You can also find recommended manufacturer drilling layouts by using that feature at the website. Check it out and all the best to you!