anybody use 14lb balls?

[Etrain]

it apears everyone is using 15lbs, im thinking about 15 but wouldnt that affect my speed(slower)

[striker12]

i use to throw 15 then i went down to 14 the heavy the ball is the more speed you will get off it and the less revs cause it takes more too rev the ball but since i have gone down to a 14lb ball i have been able to get more revs and the speed is abit slower cause i use to throw the ball down the lane too fast that it did not have enoph time to react

[TheSheibs]

I use a 14lb ball. I went to it when I recently started to bowl regularly again. It's a good weight for me.

[JaMau24]

I throw two 14 pound balls and one 15 pound ball. However, any new ball I get from this point forward will be 15, and possible even 16.

[The German Shepherd]

I used to throw 16s exclusively, but the new reactive 15lb balls hit as hard as 16s so I stick to those. I would assume tat one could get away with a 14 if you have enough revs but since I top out around 375 revs I don't think I could throw a 14 and carry well.

Jay

[billf]

I have a 14 and six 15lbs. Thinking of getting my next one at 14. My spare ball is 14 and plastic. The speed and revs are both higher with that ball. I'm not worried about carry as I have several 200+ games with my 14lbs plastic ball that only has a pancake core.

[slmrcs]

After a 7 year break, I bought first ball in 10 years. Motiv Sigma tour 14 pounds. Compared to 10 year old 15 lb resin balls, it's blows the deck away. The old stuff would have to weigh 20 pounds to hit as hard as that ball. Maybe 10 years ago more weight meant something (although Mark Williams was performing well with 14 lbs in the 90s - and he was not a high rev cranker at all), but with how strong these ball are, I couldn't imagine any need for more power.

Reason to go up in weight would be if it's more comfortable, or if you have better timing. Not power. The most important factor in power is force of friction, determined by what ball you are using, and quality of ball roll. And I suspect many people would roll much better shots, with less weight.

15 pounds may affect your speed, although that depends on your game. the more relaxed the arm swing is, the more you let gravity work, the less it changes speed, but yes, 14 pounds can go faster and be easier to rev up. More revs is a reason I'm going down to 14, not more speed. What I really love about 14 pounds, is less strain on my hand to support ball, means more relaxed grip, and I can cuppy ball more, so I can make more adjustments.

[billf]

Lots of people get caught up on speed vs revs. I'm rev dominant so of course I want more speed. I've tried the normal stuff and my speed does go up but guess what? So do my revs. So if I throw 15lbs at 18mph and 450 revs at the pins-great. Now if I can get 20mph and 500 revs WITH less strain on my body as a plus; you guessed it, I will at least try it. NEW DV8 Hell Raiser Terror in 14lbs come July 25th!

[Etrain]

Lots of people get caught up on speed vs revs. I'm rev dominant so of course I want more speed. I've tried the normal stuff and my speed does go up but guess what? So do my revs. So if I throw 15lbs at 18mph and 450 revs at the pins-great. Now if I can get 20mph and 500 revs WITH less strain on my body as a plus; you guessed it, I will at least try it. NEW DV8 Hell Raiser Terror in 14lbs come July 25th!

i hope that bll isnt stronger then the hrr ... u can only go strong

[billf]

I'm hoping the Terror is just enough weaker than the Revenge so I can use it during league for at least part of the night. I'm thinking of trying a league with synthetic lanes to see if I can use the Revenge on them.

[Etrain]

I'm hoping the Terror is just enough weaker than the Revenge so I can use it during league for at least part of the night. I'm thinking of trying a league with synthetic lanes to see if I can use the Revenge on them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BkQxmOpSiRE
it appears more tame

[billf]

It's suppose to be more tame, I just hope it's enough. All the Revenge videos showed people using them on THS but I can't get far enough left without lofting 2 feet of gutter cap and that's not the game I like to play.

[kev3inp]

I went from 16 to 14's after my valve operation. I got so tired by the third game my score would really suffer. Been throwing 14's ever since.

[got_a_300]

I have been throwing 14lb ever since I started back last fall after the 12 year
layoff from bowling. I used to exclusively use only 16lb equipment but after
my back injury which ruptured 2 disc's I can only use 14lb or maybe I could
get away with a low 15lb ball now.

I used to be a big cranker with well over 600+ revs and somewhere around the
20+ mph range but now days it is a different story altogether I have had to slow
down on everything. The 14lb balls now days hit just about as hard as my old 16lb
balls did for me so I've not really noticed a big difference in my pin carry maybe just
a little bit of difference but not a whole lot.

[TheSheibs]

I would say that, in my opinion, a 14lb ball is probably a good weight for most bowlers. As for increasing your balls weight, I would say that if you find you can throw the ball faster than you should be throwing it, it's time for an increase in weight. If you get to the point where the balls weight doesn't naturally cause your arm to lock straight, you should increase the weight. So many people think that you have to use the heaviest ball available and throw it as hard as you can. BUT this is simply not true. I have thrown my ball around 12-15mph consistently and am able to get a strike with a ten pound ball. However, I did increase to a 14lb ball because the ball I had was just too light for me which caused all kinds of problems. If a 14lb ball is too light for you then go up in weight. Those who really throw the ball down the lane, 17-20+ mph, will not be bowling for much longer. Look at baseball pitchers, they throw as hard as they can and only play a few seasons in the pros. It is the same with bowling. So you should get a weight that is enough to keep you at a consistent speed that will not cause injury.

[Hampe]

I use 14 simply because that's what I started with when I switched from throwing straight 3 years ago. I used to throw a 16lb plastic ball, but I figured it would be easier to learn to hook with a 14 lb. ball. If I could afford a whole new arsenal, I'd probably switch to 15 now that I've got the hang of it, but I still buy 14 lb balls because I don't want different balls with different weights.

[billf]

Optimal ball speed at the pins is 18-21mph and that's where 99% of all the pro's, male, female and seniors are at speed wise. I guess those guys on the senior tour didn't get the memo that their careers would be short lived due to the speed.

[eugene02]

i got 3 balls.. 1 HRR at 15lb, Maxxx Curve at 14lb and a WD at 14lb also.. i use the Maxxx Curve to pick up some spares which i need to use less rev but more speed...

[TheSheibs]

Optimal ball speed at the pins is 18-21mph and that's where 99% of all the pro's, male, female and seniors are at speed wise. I guess those guys on the senior tour didn't get the memo that their careers would be short lived due to the speed.

I'm not talking about pros who know what they are doing and after all are pros. I'm talking about the fool at local bowling alley who thinks they have to throw the ball as hard as they can every time. The same person who brings the ball back and above their head just to wipe it as hard as they can down the lane. I'm talking about the person who throws at 20+mph every time. that person will not be bowling when they are 60, 70, or 80 due to having shoulder problems. The reason the pros can throw a 14-16lb ball 18-21mph every time isn't because they are throwing it as hard as they can. They average in that range because they have a smooth motion that is the same speed every time and they also have a smooth release. The guy that is going to have shoulder problems brings it back slow, wipes it through and then stops all of a sudden. The pros know to allow their arm to swing a little before stopping their arm. If you watch video of the pros, their arm swings back and forth AFTER they release the ball. It doesn't stop suddenly. BUT how many pros are you aware of who are bowling well into their 80s or even 90s? Also The optimal ball speed at the pins is different for everyone. It depends on the bowler and ball used. I don't believe that you need to have a ball speed of 18-21 to get strikes. I've seen women with a very slow ball speed able to get strikes and score higher than guys with a high ball speed. In conclusion, I believe that ball speed at the pins is irrelevant and is different for everyone. The optimal ball speed is different for everyone. Just because the pros throw 18-21mph does not make it the magic speed range needed to bowl well.

[billf]

Those who really throw the ball down the lane, 17-20+ mph, will not be bowling for much longer.

I took it as it reads, literally anybody who throws those speeds consistently. It's taken me years of practice to get my ball speed down. I have no push away and have cut my back swing down and still get it consistently down above 17mph. Tendon and ligament strength as well as how well the legs are utilized along with arm and leg length all play a factor in natural speed. There are few shoulder injuries no matter the speed, for those with proper form because the legs generate the speed, not the upper body.

[americantrotter]

I don't believe that you need 18-21 mph. It's different strokes for different folks.

I bowl 141bs. I was at 12, then at 13, and now I have all 3 balls I use at 14lbs. Have a platic on the way at 14 too.

[TheSheibs]

for those with proper form because the legs generate the speed, not the upper body.

That's the point. If you have proper form you are not "wiping" the ball down the lanes as hard as you can but letting momentum from your body moving forward and the arm swinging with the ball weight that generates the speed. The point I was trying to make was those who don't have proper form, and throw as hard as they can every time, are more likely to have some kind of shoulder problem than someone who has proper form, and lets the momentum from their body and arm swing propel the ball down the lane at the speed that is good for them. AND you don't need to use a 16 lb ball to do this. You need a ball with a weight that is heavy enough to keep your speed constant but also one that you can maintain correct form throughout all the games you bowl. If you can't bowl more than one game before your arm feels sore, you can't maintain proper form, or you are dropping the ball then you might have a ball that is too heavy for you. Bowling is about being consistent and maintaining proper form, ball speed, and hitting the pocket. If the weight of the ball you are using prevents one of these then you might have to change to a lighter ball, if your ball speed is lower than normal for your style of bowling, or you are constantly dropping the ball at your feet, you feel any soreness or pain in your hand, arm, legs after only a few frames. You would need a heavier ball if you are seeing faster ball speed than normal, you are lofting the ball farther than normal(if your style includes a loft), or the ball is not reacting how it should according to your style of bowling. These are just a few reasons I have seen for needing to change the balls weight. Another that needs to be included is that as we get older we are not capable of holding the same weight as when we were younger so it might be due to age that requires us to change the weight of the ball.

I'm sure I probably missed a reason for changing the weight of the ball so feel free to add them.

[TheSheibs]

This thread is what can happen from throwing the ball as hard as you can. And proves my point.

http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads/9410-Big-Tounament-Hurt-Shoulder

[billf]

I don't believe that you need 18-21 mph. It's different strokes for different folks.

I bowl 141bs. I was at 12, then at 13, and now I have all 3 balls I use at 14lbs. Have a platic on the way at 14 too.

There is a difference though between need and optimum. All the research at ITRC and Kegel have shown that those speeds were optimum for maximum carry/pin fall. The research backs it up BUT what it doesn't say is how the speed causes more flying messengers resulting in bad shots getting either strikes or more than deserved pin count. Pete Weber has the slowest ball speed on tour yet has been successful. That being said, he doesn't get as many head pins taking out the ten as Tommy Jones, Sean Rash or any of the other hard throwers. Even the slight of statue Norm Duke rolls it in the 20s.