Do You have a Bowling Ball Strategy?

[RobLV1]

If you take more than one strike ball when you bowl, do you have a bowling ball strategy? I am beginning a new article for BTM, and would like a little help. It will be much appreciated.

1. If you have more bowling balls than you take with you when you bowl, how do you decide what balls to take?
2. How many balls do you take with you?
3. How do you decide which ball with which to start?
4. When it's time to make a ball change, what determines the change you make?
5. When you decide to buy a new bowling ball, what criteria do you use to make your choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rob Mautner

[epiepenburg]

1. Not an issue for me, everything I own (in sig) comes with me.
2. 4 (1 is plastic spare ball)
3. Last year I just had my Ruckus and Thug. The Thug obviously would hook way more and would require me to stand 4-6 boards left of where I would play with the Ruckus. I would use practice time to determine which ball to start the actual game with. Also watching how others are playing the lane would determine if I should use the Ruckus and play right of most, or if the others are playing a line that is close I would go Thug and play a line at would allow me to keep moving left to stay in the oil a little.
4. typically i make the change when one ball starts over hooking I would switch. I've got my ruckus pin up, so it reads the lane earlier, the thug is pin down and can read the lane farther down.
5. When I buy a new ball, it's either to replace a ball that doesn't work anymore or fit my game anymore. I bought my thug corrupt to replace my thug, however I had it drilled a little different so I would be more useful in heavy oil conditions. So basically I buy a ball that I feel meets my needs and fills a gap that I currently can't support in my arsenal.

[jlwonderley]

1. If you have more bowling balls than you take with you when you bowl, how do you decide what balls to take?
I have two balls only, one of which is a discarded ball that needs to be re-drilled. Occasionally throw that one two-handed.

2. How many balls do you take with you?
Two

3. How do you decide which ball with which to start?
Well it's not really a decision.

4. When it's time to make a ball change, what determines the change you make?
N/A

5. When you decide to buy a new bowling ball, what criteria do you use to make your choice?
I would get whatever I think I'd need most I guess. Whether it's more or less aggressive cover, RG value, symmetric/asymmetric, oob finish.

[Stormed1]

1. I take into account the characteristics of the center., such as lane surface and patTern.
2. I take 5. Four plus a urethane spare ball which doubles as my strike ball when they get "toasted".
3. I start practice with my "benchmark" ball and choose based on that balls reaction
4. I watch my ball motion and also what pin or pins I am leaving. Ball motion determines what direction I need to go with my equipment. Most nights in the center I bowl in on Monday and Wednesday I will ball down as moving left and balling up is not really a viable option. Where I bowl on Fridays you can go either was, ball up or down as there is a higher volume of oil so moving left and balling up is a viable option
5. I look at ball motion,reg,diff,int diff if asymetrIc. I also choose depending on the spot in my arsenal I wish to fill

[J Anderson]

1. If you have more bowling balls than you take with you when you bowl, how do you decide what balls to take?
90% of my bowling is at my local center so I tend to take the same ones all the time. If I'm planning to bowl lefty I will bring a second lefty ball.

2. How many balls do you take with you?
Four; a Storm Mix for spare shooting, a Storm VG Nano, (due to be replaced), two Storm HyRoads, one drilled for each hand.

3. How do you decide which ball with which to start?
Right handed I start with the VG Nano and it's basically habit. The Nano was my strike ball, the only thing else in the bag was a White dot or the Mix. Left-handed I start with the HyRoad, mainly because I know I can shoot seven pins with it.

4. When it's time to make a ball change, what determines the change you make?
If I can't find a descent line to the pocket I'll change part way through the 1st game. I'll switch later if I can't make an adjustment to keep the ball from rolling out too soon.

5. When you decide to buy a new bowling ball, what criteria do you use to make your choice?
a. Do I really need one?
b. Is it close to the performance/reaction of the ball being replaced.
c. Does it fill a gap for a condition I'm likely to encounter.
d. How much will it cost.
e. Recommendations from Tim and Chris at Buddies Pro Shop.

[Tony]

1. If you have more bowling balls than you take with you when you bowl, how do you decide what balls to take?
90% of my bowling is at my local center so I tend to take the same ones all the time. If I'm planning to bowl lefty I will bring a second lefty ball.

2. How many balls do you take with you?
Four; a Storm Mix for spare shooting, a Storm VG Nano, (due to be replaced), two Storm HyRoads, one drilled for each hand.

3. How do you decide which ball with which to start?
Right handed I start with the VG Nano and it's basically habit. The Nano was my strike ball, the only thing else in the bag was a White dot or the Mix. Left-handed I start with the HyRoad, mainly because I know I can shoot seven pins with it.

4. When it's time to make a ball change, what determines the change you make?
If I can't find a descent line to the pocket I'll change part way through the 1st game. I'll switch later if I can't make an adjustment to keep the ball from rolling out too soon.

5. When you decide to buy a new bowling ball, what criteria do you use to make your choice?
a. Do I really need one?
b. Is it close to the performance/reaction of the ball being replaced.
c. Does it fill a gap for a condition I'm likely to encounter.
d. How much will it cost.
e. Recommendations from Tim and Chris at Buddies Pro Shop.

I once bowled lefty for a season and 1/2 while my right arm healed from multiple surgeries, but I am curious why you would switch back and forth....and under what circumstance is that legal? I had to get permission from the league and establish another average, they told me I couldn't bowl any right handed until I let them know and was approved to swicth back.

[billf]

1. I answer a few basic questions. House shot or sport shot. Which pattern. Lane surface, location and expected ambient temperature.

2. Depends on the answers to question 1. Normal league night is 3 including my spare ball

3. On any pattern I start where I can play as straight as possible so that means a more even reading ball (Motiv Venom Panic).

4. Carry determines when to change for me. Every shot seems to look the same so seems the easiest way for me to tell. Now the carry isn't necessarily mine either.

5. I would like to say RG and Diff. but those specs don't tell the whole story. If I see a gap, just want to try a certain ball or layout are the usual reasons. As an example I am drilling a Cyclone tomorrow to try out a RICO layout. Why that ball? It was on sale, NIB for $40. So for less than $43 I can see what this layout has a chance to do for me. Finding a cheap ball with a pin distance half of my span did take a few days.

[J Anderson]

I once bowled lefty for a season and 1/2 while my right arm healed from multiple surgeries, but I am curious why you would switch back and forth....and under what circumstance is that legal? I had to get permission from the league and establish another average, they told me I couldn't bowl any right handed until I let them know and was approved to swicth back.

It's legal to bowl right handed in one league and left handed in another. I also tend to warm up alternating right and left handed shots, since I know of no rules against doing so. I feel that I am better balanced when i warm up this way.

[Tony]

It's legal to bowl right handed in one league and left handed in another. I also tend to warm up alternating right and left handed shots, since I know of no rules against doing so. I feel that I am better balanced when i warm up this way.

I see, my average was about 10 pins lower left handed but I was pretty sure if I had continued doing it a while longer that I could get it a little closer.
I've rarely run across someone who did what I did but I had never run across someone that bowled left in one league and right in another, how do your averages compare ?

[bobforsaken]

If you take more than one strike ball when you bowl, do you have a bowling ball strategy? I am beginning a new article for BTM, and would like a little help. It will be much appreciated.

1. If you have more bowling balls than you take with you when you bowl, how do you decide what balls to take?
2. How many balls do you take with you?
3. How do you decide which ball with which to start?
4. When it's time to make a ball change, what determines the change you make?
5. When you decide to buy a new bowling ball, what criteria do you use to make your choice?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rob Mautner

This is exactly the thought that has been occupying my mind of late.. So I'm looking forward to your article.

1) I'll bring the same balls everywhere unless I'm working on testing a surface or comparing two balls. The bigger question is what surfaces will I bring of the same balls to give me a wide range If I don't know what I'm getting into, or a few tailored surfaces close together to give me a good ball change adjustment. (example, May set Optimus and Marvel Pearl with different surfaces because I know they are so close OOB)
2) I want to carry 4... But since my bags are a 3 ball and 2 ball I carry 5. Thug Unruly (2000), IQ Fusion (4000), Marvel Pearl (1500Polish), Hyroad (4000), Tropical Breeze (1500Polish). To a typical League night or Practice session.
3) I always want to be throwing the Marvel Pearl. It has the best hold when I miss inside and great recovery if I miss outside. Unfortunately if My speed is a bit slow and the back ends are sharp its split monster. So typically I'll start with the IQ Fusion which requires I'm a bit more precise but is a bit easier to control with sharp back ends or over under condition, then move to the marvel when there is a bit more carry down or if the back ends are less sharp.
4) I switch the the Thug Unruly when the outsides are toasted and the oil requires me to move very deep or a more direct line with less angle through the front, since the carry on the unruly is unbelievable even on a light hit. The hyroad is my ball when I lose pocket and start going over-under. its about a 3/2 move right from the Marvel and blends out the lane when I get in trouble. The marvel and IQ play well of of each other when I move left 1 and 1 or 2 and 1 as my line dries out. If I'm in the Marvel Pearl and hit weak after a move, I'll switch to the IQ for a few shots until it starts going High.. then switch back to the Marvel Pearl
5) I'm flush with balls for now.. at is it I have a Optimus basically sitting on the bench except for practices and a Hyroad Pearl which stays in my locker for those days I stop buy without any equipment on hand. .. But looking at my arsenal I need something between the Hyroad and Tropical Breeze (Ride?). OR possibly a Urethane or a symmetrical solid. I'll buy one when I find a deal on Ebay for one of those balls, but more likely I'll run into a condition where I wish I had a ball (like a Urethane or Symmetric solid) and then obsess about it until I buy it.

One last thing.. for anyone thinking what I carry with me is overkill... I believe in giving myself the best chance no matter if its a league night or a practice. So if I carry my tropical breeze with me 20 times and never use it, I'd rather do that than hurt my team by not having it the one time I need it.