Need advice/opinions on which ball I should get...

[noeymc]

my pro shop both in my city love dv8 and they only hear good things about them

[kx90]

Thanks to all for the info thus far, I really appreciate the help.

Another thing I've been trying to make a decision on is the weight. My Rhino was 16lbs., my Hammer is 16lbs. I was thinking about going with a 14lb. ball this time for a few reasons the most important would be due to my back issues (lumbar surgery, neck surgery which they replaced a couple discs in my neck with titanium hardware, etc.). So when I decided to start bowling again a month or so ago I was deathly afraid that A) I wouldn't be able to do it and B) I would hurt myself doing it. Luckily neither of those have been answered "Yes." to this point, amazingly enough bowling does not bother my lower back much at all which doesn't seem to make sense but I'm going with it.

Anywho, would a 14-15lb. ball be a disadvantage versus a 16lb. ball?

Also to answer billf's RPM point in post #7: I've never had the RPM's actually measured on any of the balls I've thrown but, if I had to guess I would probably say it would be somewhere between 300-350.

I think whichever I decide to get I will probably buy from bowlingball.com and have it drilled somewhere locally.

[Zothen]

Kx90-I was just as puzzled! I have had low back problems as well and I had my neck fused at C6 & 7 @ T2 back in 2008. I attribute not having back or neck problems to my trainer who is helping me strengthen my core.

Zothen

[Zothen]

Wont let me edit! I forgot to mention I started with 14lbs and now i'm using 15lbs.

Zothen

[billf]

With today's balls there is not advantage, or very little, to a 16 pound ball over a 14 or 15 pound ball. http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip14.htm great read by Ron Clifton

[75lockwood]

Anywho, would a 14-15lb. ball be a disadvantage versus a 16lb. ball?

Absolutely not! You should always select a weight that is right for you, if 16 is to heavy don't use it. The idea is that you want enough force to get good pin action, if you can throw let's say 16mph with 15 but only 12mph with 16, then you actually loose force and as such pin carry.

Don't get caught up in the crap that 16 is the only good weight!

[75lockwood]

Wont let me edit! I forgot to mention I started with 14lbs and now i'm using 15lbs.

Zothen

With today's balls there is not advantage, or very little, to a 16 pound ball over a 14 or 15 pound ball. http://www.bowl4fun.com/ron/tip14.htm great read by Ron Clifton

Curse you both! I just spent 10 min typing that out on a tablet and you posted before me! Lol

[kx90]

So after reading billf's link about lighter weight balls I do believe I will be buying a 14lb ball. Leaning towards the DV8 HellRaiser Terror.

Kx90-I was just as puzzled! I have had low back problems as well and I had my neck fused at C6 & 7 @ T2 back in 2008. I attribute not having back or neck problems to my trainer who is helping me strengthen my core.

Zothen

I've had a discectomy+laminectomy on my lumbar L5/S1 disc and vertabrae; my C4-C5 and C5-C6 discs in my neck were removed and replaced with very expensive metal.

I still have nerve damage in my lumbar that effects my left side mostly, my neck is the same but I'm about 3 years removed from the surgery and I no longer get constant pain and numbness in my left arm+hand. Most of the neck issues are local to the neck now and mostly on the left side. I figure at this point whatever problems I'm having are probably permanent and won't get better if any but will get worse the older I get (36y/o right now). This was all due to a car accident about 7.5 years ago.

I've had to quit playing hockey and basketball and can't play any other contact sports. Doc doesn't even want me getting on ice skates even just to skate around. So I tried golfing again and while I can do it, it does sometime cause some pain flare ups that last for a few days after hitting a round. Now that I finally tried bowling I can't believe it doesn't give me much grief at all, I just find that amazing.

[Zothen]

My neck doctor was'nt happy I tried to snowboard,since I should up last yr complaining of severe neck pain and tingling. MRI & x-rays showed a crack in my neck where I had my neck fused together. So i'll just stick to skiing! Also my discs are showing sings of degenerating(wear down to nothing)and bone spurs the size of a baby parrot beak up & down my neck. I have just been diagnosed with the start of arthritis & degenaration of discs in the lower lumbar and tailbone. I will keep doing what i'm doing til I can't do it anymore!

Zothen