When #s matter ;)

[Jaescrub]

So the Wife, Nomad "guy I gave the ball I won here to" and I Bowled for fun on sat. After about the 5th game of practice we start playing around doing silly releases just to make each other LoL. My wife uses a 10# white dot and 12# arson pearl. I won a Storm Lucid I gave to her she picked a 13# but never had it drilled cuz she says the 12 is kind to heavy she has a 125 avg. well she gets in on the fun and Throws Nomads 15# Illusion perfect throw, speed, nice pin down hook not heavy as she has no revs. Strike1, strike2, strike3, 4th shot lays all but the 10 pin. Now like I said she hates her arson cuz it's to "heavy" to her her throws Both willy nilly and fast! With this 15# it was clean shot after clean shot so is The wife crazy cry babying about to heavy throwing equipment that's too light? And can equipment that's to light make you less accurate? And have less hook?

[billf]

Yes, too light or too heavy can affect accuracy. Less hook....depends on how light. Most companies use pancake cores on lighter balls which does decrease ball reaction.

[got_a_300]

Yep as bill said if the ball is too light it can throw off
accuracy and make you throw the ball too hard and
not get very much hook and it can also deflect more
than a heaver ball would when hitting the pins.

[dnhoffman]

Aye, if it's too light (which btw, I believe most women throw too light of a ball) they'll man-handle it a bit and the accuracy really won't be there.

[Tampabaybob]

Many times when I see a bowler "PULLING" the ball across in front of them, I find out how heavy of a ball they're throwing and try to move them up a pound or two to try the heavier weight. This usually works for "most" people. The heavier weight will usually help stabilize a persons' arm swing. In other words, if they're too strong for the lighter weight ball, they'll have a tendency to pull or push the ball more. Just an added pound or two can help. If your wife was able to throw a 15 #er for a few shots, then I'd say a 12 #er is not too light for her. Have her try a 12 or maybe go up to a light 13 pounder if you can find one that fits her.

[Gunz1911]

I just bought my wife her first ball. Just did a normal plastic pancake ball. Sadly she didn't listen to me and went with a 10# ball cause everything was "too heavy." She does decent with it, averages around 100, but as Tampa said, she pulls the ball across her body almost every other shot. Really should have just told her 12# or no ball and took one for the team!!. But atleast she is having fun. Oh and for the record now that she has thrown it for a few weeks, she realized she should have gone up in weight.

[Jaescrub]

That's the thing her white dot that she uses is only a 10# she likes it cuz she says its light and she can "whip" it down the lane when shooting at a full rack she's some time just willy nilly, now her spare pick ups are good when she has crazy splits wows everyone. Then she has her strike ball a 12# hammer arson pearl she has good looks with it but complains its too heavy and that it dose not hook most of that is her release but I still see her toss it like its nothing. I won a pick your own ball at our local Oil capital tournament thinking my chances are a zero I told her if I won she could pick a ball for her self well I won :/ she picked a storm lucid 13# but our pro shop has held off or drilling it for her cuz he wanted her to work on her release for lil before fall league to give him a better idea of how to drill it up for her. The thing that makes me up set is that's an expensive ball if she "thinks" a 12# is too heavy and uses it rarely I know she will never pick up that 13# so kinda a waste when I could have picked out a sync for myself. I just thought it was crazy to see her use a 15# so well that it made me question the equipment she's using and the affect on her game.

[Perrin]

I've been working on this for years with my wife.

When we started bowling she threw a 12lb ball(135 avg). years passed and I convinced her to go up to 13lb (145).

More years pass and we left the sport for ~7 years. When we come back I tell her I will buy her a new ball but only if she goes to 14lb(150)

We join a have a ball league and both myself and the proshop try to convince her to go to 15lb equipment but no go.

The reason we tried is she wings the 14lb ball at about 20 mph and only 100-150 revs ball doesn't stand much chance to move.

The summer league has gotten her to slow down a little though and changing her grips (from the flat lift grips to normal ovals) has gotten her more revs.

she is now 18-19mph and on her good shots she throws 200-250 revs. ball has a nice arc and a little jump on the backend (amazed she doesn't get more movement out of it since she is now throwing a DV8 HRR

Long story short.... A heavier ball can actually help with control and speed issues but you have to be careful not to go too far or too fast.... and if they don't want to change they won't. I follow the encourage not force approach (Although I did seriously consider ordering the HRR in 15 lb and just telling her it was 14 )

[Hampe]

Yea, a lot of beginners complain that the ball is too heavy because they are trying to whip it down the lane (my wife for example ). You just have to get them to understand that they don't have to "swing" the ball, it will swing itself just from the weight. All they have to do is hold it and release it at the right time. Not all of them get it right away though.....

[billf]

Talk to the pro shop. See if you can trade it for a 14 lbs and not tell your wife. Then hide her other balls for a few weeks. Her speed will be lower but her accuracy and pin action will be way up.