Buying too much ball.................

[Big Daddy]

Description of your Hammer First Blood: RG. 2.48, Perfect Scale 220.8, Flare Potential-high, Differential 0.056, Lane Condition- heavy oil, Pro Performance 10, Coverstock Hybrid Reactive, Surface 500x3/1500 Abralon, Core asymmetric, Mass Bias. Reading the description
of this ball I would say it is too much of a ball for your skill level. This is made for a more experienced bowler with a decent release. You need a fingertip ball with a symmetric core that is entry level performance. A ball like the First Blood is not good for you because it is made for a more skilled bowler. A high performance ball is no good if you do not know how to use it or have the skill to use it. You can use it as a door stop until you develope more skill in your technique.

I agree, I think I'll just bowl with it for now and when I get my "other" ball I'll retire it until I get the skills to use it correctly.

I just looked at the bowlingball.com site and the entry performance balls are pretty cheap. They are under $100.00. A good ball can be the Storm Tropical Breeze Hybrid. It is a symmetric core ball which is easier to control and it will hook with a fingertip drilling. Just because they are cheap does not mean that they are garbage. This kind of ball will be easier to learn the correct technique for the release and to hook the ball which will be a more controlled hook.

Again, I agree, the Tropical Breeze or even the Taboo Spare ball might be a good choice until which time I start to get some reasonable revs. out of it and then I can start to play with the First Blood.

I'm not giving up, I just need a decent game plan and I'll be good.

Thank you all for your input, I'll do you proud, don't worry..

[Aslan]

I A good ball can be the Storm Tropical Breeze.

Why? Is he a woman. Because thats the only bowlers I see throwing a tropical breeze. The one that is pink/purple and smells like birthday cake?? Yeah..

Take a look at these. They are all small steps down, which is what you're looking for, but still good quality.

- Ebonite Warning Sign
- Storm Hy Road Pearl
- Hammer Arson
- Motiv Venom Strike
- RotoGrip Wrecker

Now…I'll preface this by saying I agree with most of the others that you should stick with the First Blood and just make some adjustments…but if you want to make the move down (for now)…I just ordered a 16lb Ebonite Warning Sign on BowlerX.com for $59.95 shipped. I need another ball like Iron Mike needs white hair dye…but at that price shipped?? It can join my closet collection.

Good luck and keep us all informed!!

[J Anderson]

I need another ball like Iron Mike needs white hair dye…but at that price shipped??

How do you know that Mike doesn't artificially color his hair so that he can look as old as he really is?

[Big Daddy]

Well, I bowled a 160 in my second game last night so at least I know I CAN knock pins down with it. The other two games were rather pathetic, it seems I'm less than consistent. That makes me feel a little better. I don't HAVE TO get another ball right away. As finances allow, I'm going to get another ball in the near future but at least it's not and emergent issue as of right now. I did manage to get the slightest hook out of it a couple of times, not enough to be a game changer but it's there.

[Aslan]

I still think the next time you practice...try the "speed thing".

I play with a rather old lady on FRIDAYS (so Bunny doesn't think I'm talking about her) and she throws the ball at what I'd say is the same speed grass grows on a cloudy day. You can actually take a couple sips of your drink waiting for it to get to the pins. And I tell ya what...it hooks!! An old Brunswick Rhino Pro from 1993...a little bit of a helicoptor release...and it'll hook 18-20 boards (over a long, long time).

I only mention it...because I had the same problem (still do to a lesser extent). I saw people with the same ball I was using getting it to hook and mine was essentially straight. And I didn't feel like I was "overthrowing" it. But...once I got some instruction...shorter approach, lower backswing, slower footwork, easier/earlier release...I'll be damned...the ball hooked more.

I didn't see what I was doing wrong until a coach captured it on video. Suddenly I saw crazy stuff I never noticed. Like the fact that at one point during my approach, both my feet were in the air. I was literally "getting air" on my approach. And I always thought I had a normal, between hip level and shoulder level, backswing. Nope...the video showed my ball on the backswing WAY above my head. No wonder I was throwing it so fast...but it didn't feel like "overthrowing"...I was building up immense speed on my approach and immense ball momentum on my backswing. And at 19-20mph...on medium oil lanes even...it's gonna be a challenge to make a ball hook with an average bowler's release.

So...just something to consider. It's not the ball...I know of 3-4 people in the two leagues I play in that use that ball...I've seen it hook quite well. It's a very popular ball in these parts. Good luck!

[Bunny]

160 very nice. I'm glad you're feeling better about your purchase.

Hammer's website lists the FB as a medium oil ball.

http://hammerbowling.com/products/pr...l/first_blood/

I've personally used it on a variety of conditions including fresh oil, med-heavy oil, medium oil, and med-dry oil.


Good luck and good bowling!

[Hammer]

Storm Tropical Breeze Hybrid Black/Cherry is another good entry ball. And they are not for just women like macho Asslan said. Look at the bowlingball.com site and click on the Storm manufacturer. You can look at reviews of each ball and it tells you also what lane condition they are used for. The Crossroad is another good ball to learn a correct technique with.

[Aslan]

Storm Tropical Breeze Hybrid Black/Cherry is another good entry ball. And they are not for just women like macho Asslan said.

1) That spelling of my name is better than "asian" but unfortunately offensive…this is a family website.

2)

[Big Daddy]

1) That spelling of my name is better than "asian" but unfortunately offensive…this is a family website.

2)

Damn! That poor little girl!!

[Hammer]

Yikes! To Aslan, sorry about that. I usually read my post before I let it run. If spelling is wrong somewhere I edit whatever needs to be corrected. My wife needed me for something and was rushing me. I told her I had something more important here to do and she didn't buy it. She said that I could do this anytime. Ah, the joys of being married. Yes dear, I'm coming. No pun intended.