Making Effective Ball Change Adjustments (LINK)

[Aslan]

"A" for effort, but it's a lost cause trying to converse with him. He's thinks he is right and will make 1000 word posts to try and make his point no matter what anyone says, even someone like Rob Mautner who is very well respected in the industry.

As the saying goes, "In one ear out the other".

Here I thought I was conceding the point that a spare ball is necessary.

Norm Duke just called and said he "technically" out ranks Rob Mautner and he doesn't throw a spare ball. Write him a letter....tell him he's never going to be a good bowler if he doesn't get with the program!

Very rarely do I miss a makeable spare because the ball reacted more than I thought it would. Usually it's the opposite...I throw it expecting that "little reaction" and I simply targeted too far right. But I'm getting better!

We'll see Hampe. I appreciate you at least being "nice" in your retorts. It's kinda brutal in here when you have a dissenting opinion. But I am taking all this advice in, I really am. And you guys and Rob may be right. I might start throwing that Slingshot and think, "ya know what...this dang ball is costing me 20 friggin pins a game....I'm gonna Ebay me a plastic Columbia WD and finally give in." Might happen. I've, on rare occasions, been known to be wrong in the past. But...for now I'm feeling pretty comfortable using one ball on wood lanes and just varying speeds/releases. To each their own right?

Oh well...at least Norm Duke will still have a beer with me. : (

[RobLV1]

What is with you guys, do you just like to argue? Personally, I don't care if you use a plastic spare ball or not. Using one will will not automatically raise your average, but it will give you a better chance of converting spares. At least on won't miss because the ball did something you weren't expecting it to do, you'll miss because you just threw it badly.

Aslan: One other point: Using balls of different weights is a really BAD idea. It messes with your timing, something that no bowler needs to do. I realize that you are very involved in the game judging by the number of posts that you have entered, but if you want to raise your average, look at what the best bowlers do. Hat's off to anyone who can invent a new clock, but Dude, learn how to tell time first!

[dnhoffman]

Rob: Thank you for sharing and posting here. There are many members that will benefit from your contributions and are eager to listen vice argue. Please don't waste energy on our special needs cases or mistake them for the majority here.

[Aslan]

Rob: Thank you for sharing and posting here. There are many members that will benefit from your contributions and are eager to listen vice argue. Please don't waste energy on our special needs cases or mistake them for the majority here.

Seriously dude…just use the ignore function as Bowl1820 asked you to. Or at least PM me and we can have it out like men. This is getting a little ridiculous.

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I do agree with DHoff that I hope Rob sticks around. I may not agree with everything he believes…but I do read his articles with great interest. Of matter of fact…I'm off to modern-bowling.com to read some more stuff right now. And I don't think Rob is the kinda guy to get scared off by disagreement. If you're an instructor and you have a firm belief in something…I'm sure he's used to defending it.

Cheers.

[Aslan]

Aslan: One other point: Using balls of different weights is a really BAD idea. It messes with your timing, something that no bowler needs to do. I realize that you are very involved in the game judging by the number of posts that you have entered,

Thanks. Yeah, I'm using the 15lb ball on my current lane surface. But probably by March/April it'l be time to retire it. The I'll be throwing just one weight; 16lb. I agree…it isn't good for timing. I don't notice it because I usually only throw the 15lber…but the few times where I venture to other centers (synthetics) and use both…well, I know what ya mean.

And yes, I am a VERY active bowler and a VERY active participant on the boards. It's not always "fun"…and I have more than my fair share of critics…but I've learned a GREAT deal and have improved immensely over the past 5 months. 5 months ago I averaged 121 bowling about twice 6-10 games per year. Now I've participated in two leagues…have bowled about 350 games since August, got coaching, have went to clinics, have raised my average by 20 pins and carry a 163 sanctioned average. And later this month will participate in my first tournament. Still not "happy"…still get frustrated…but even though I may not win a popularity contest on the site (or a free ball)…I'm heading in the right direction (bowling) and having fun doing it!!

Cheers.

[Hampe]

We'll see Hampe.

Yes, you will.....especially when you start traveling to other centers for tournaments, which it sounds like you plan on doing. That was when I realized I needed one. I can't even count the number of spares I missed by a hair and walked off the approach thinking "man, I REALLY should get a plastic spare ball". And when I finally did make the switch last year, I felt like a huge idiot for waiting so long.

[sprocket]

I should probably get a plastic spare ball. I don't have one because I can really straighten the ball out at spares and at the center I bowl I actually prefer a ball that hooks for the ten pin. This is because the outside is very dry and if I do miss towards the gutter the ball may grip and hang on even though I am killing the roll.

My argument FOR a plastic spare ball would be this: When you use your strike ball for spares there is always going to be a tendency to hook most spares on the left and to also try to create area so if you miss left the ball slides into the spare and if you miss right it hooks into it. That's all well and good when you are very familiar with the pattern. Now go to a house where the condition is unfamiliar. You now have to get lined up for strikes AND all spares you will hook the ball at. It increases the chances of missing some spares!

Now, wait, I said I can throw my strike ball straight so why don't I just throw it straight at all spares? Well, because I am mostly bowling at the one house and I want to increase my chances by creating area for spares. Since I don't have a plastic spare ball, I can't talk myself into throwing my strike ball straight at all spares. If I ALWAYS used plastic for spares I would get used to throwing straight at all (or almost all) spares and that would help me in the long run.

[RobLV1]

So much depends on the conditions on which you bowl. I am a firm believer in taking advantage of percentages. Personally, I always use a plastic ball to shoot the ten pin, six pin, or six/ten combination. On a house shot, I will use my strike ball to hook into everything else, with the exception of splits where throwing plastic straight will make the angle smaller and increase the conversion percentage. Now, here's the rub: on sport conditions, I use a plastic ball for everything except double wood conversions, so if I know that I am going to be bowling in a tournament on a sport condition, I will use only plastic for all my non-double wood spares for at least a week before the tournament, just to get comfortable doing it.

[Aslan]

I really don't think we're as different (all of us) as the arguements lead one to believe. Most of us (righties) use a strike ball for left side leaves and hook into it. Most of us use a plastic for right side leaves.

The consensus (Hampe and others) is that plastic balls become more necessary when you go to different houses. And thats true. I use my "back-up" ball on synthetic lanes (other houses) because on heavier oil it goes very, very straight. On my usual house...I don't use a plastic ball because I know the lanes and how my low-hook ball will react. BUT..I also am open-minded to the concept and admit that maybe/probably down the road I might need plug and re-drill my urethane...or just buy a Columbia WD. With my lack of patience...believe me...if I start missing make-able spares solely because I'm being stubborn about a plastic ball....my lack of patience and desire to be better will greatly outweigh my stubbornness.

One thing I think is helpful to keep in mind...when reading about moder bowling or ball changes or plastic ball necesity....is that 70% of league bowlers bowl in ONE house. Most of them only bowl in ONE league in ONE house. These advanced concepts are awesome...and I love reading about them and deciding how to incorporate them into my game...and I am somewhat of an exception in that I like to bowl in different houses for the experience. But it's also fair to warn beginners and bowlers that never leave their THS in their ONE alley...that a lot of this stuff isn't necessary. You don't need a 7-ball arsenal...you shouldn't be making 2-3 ball changes in a series...a plastic ball may or may not be a huge help.

The only thing that frustrates me more than a beginning bowler talking about filling gaps in his/her "arsenal" or seeing a beginning bowler use a plastic ball on EVERY spare leave (even the left)...is seeing a true beginner throwing a house ball and having NO CLUE what they are doing. As I mentioned in my other post...and Rob touched on regarding coaching/teaching...I get SOOO frustrated when I see a beginner struggling because I naturally want to help them have a more enjoyable bowling experience...but I don't know what to tell them...and I don't "want" to offer advice I wasn't asked for...and I doubt my own abilities/advice because I'm not even a 175 average bowler (which these days is nothing).

Quick question on plastic spare ball before I forget. Anyone can answer that might know. I bowl with a lady that is older, throws an old urethane ball, ultra-low speed, virtually no revs, helicoptor release. She struggles MIGHTILY...and I can't emphasize how MIGHTILY....she struggles picking up single 7-pins (she's a lefty). My question about plastic spare balls is...assuming we can't get her to go to a different style or weight or something to help carry that 7-pin more often (which is unlikely...she bought a new ball and hates it and wont use it)...would a PLASTIC ball help? In other words...would a plastic ball hook less than a urethane at an ultra low speed like 8-9mph? Or at that speed will even a plastic ball hook? I feel bad for her because she leaves a 7-pin probably about....5-6 times per game. A lot of splits (she and another guy on our team are tied for the record this year with 6 in one game). Sometimes she gets lucky and leaves the 4-7...so she at least might be able to knock the 4 into the 7. But yeah...our team could probably pick up easily 30 pins per game if we could help her pick up 7-pins. Thanks.

[classygranny]

Aslan, is she consistently missing the 7-pin on the inside or getting to the gutter before the pin? Is she even consistent on the way she misses the pin? These things will help in determining the answer to your question.