The Spare ball debate thread

[bowl1820]

Yeah...I've never understood why people insist on plastic when urethane is equally as straight. : /

Because urethane can still HOOK.

Yes, on most of today's conditions a urethane ball will go pretty straight and you can get away with using it as a spare/dry cond. ball.

But urethane balls can still move a lot unexpectedly when they see friction. Urethane balls were the big hooking balls before resin.

So by using a Polyester ball (plastic) you reduce the possibility of the unexpected movement to the minimum.

[tccstudent]

Can you throw a strong hook monster and make it go straight? Sure but why do you want to.
I used to hate plastic and would throw my strike ball at everything. I was pretty decent picking up a 10 pin with whatever I had in my hand too. But in order for me to pick it up I had to use a different release and I had little miss room. Since I drilled up a plastic ball I can use the same release and mark to pick up the 10 pin. I am able to stand in the same spot as I would to throw a strike and aim just like I was trying to strike the plastic will just keep going straight right to the 10.
Do I still miss sometimes sure who dont.
I have found I am a little more consistent picking up the 10 with a plastic then I was with a reactive ball. While maybe I only make one additional spare a night well that 11 pins added to my total. We have had games recently that were decided by 1 pin so it could be the difference in winning the point or losing the point.

[RobLV1]

My reasoning for using the old Blue Hammer is that a ball that old doesn't have a core. A whole lot of the reason that modern urethane balls hook is because of the core. No core, and little in terms of static imbalances, and the old urethane balls hook very little.

[zdawg]

Can you throw a strong hook monster and make it go straight? Sure but why do you want to.
I used to hate plastic and would throw my strike ball at everything. I was pretty decent picking up a 10 pin with whatever I had in my hand too. But in order for me to pick it up I had to use a different release and I had little miss room. Since I drilled up a plastic ball I can use the same release and mark to pick up the 10 pin. I am able to stand in the same spot as I would to throw a strike and aim just like I was trying to strike the plastic will just keep going straight right to the 10.
Do I still miss sometimes sure who dont.
I have found I am a little more consistent picking up the 10 with a plastic then I was with a reactive ball. While maybe I only make one additional spare a night well that 11 pins added to my total. We have had games recently that were decided by 1 pin so it could be the difference in winning the point or losing the point.

This is the main reason why I will be buying a spare ball at some point in the near future. Most of the time I can throw my weak ball pretty straight, but I have to change my release considerably, and there are times where it still hooks a bit and misses the pin - its particularly frustrating in league play especially when a lot of our games are very close.

[Mike White]

This is the main reason why I will be buying a spare ball at some point in the near future. Most of the time I can throw my weak ball pretty straight, but I have to change my release considerably, and there are times where it still hooks a bit and misses the pin - its particularly frustrating in league play especially when a lot of our games are very close.

Even if you can throw a $200 ball perfectly straight at the corner pin, why would you want to?

A slight mistake into the gutter, and the ball could be damaged to the point it's hard to make strikes with it.

Its much better to throw an inexpensive ball at the spares, and save the expensive balls for strikes, where you shouldn't be near the gutters.

If your spare ball gets messed up, it doesn't effect your ability to throw strikes.

I was practicing on Monday, playing from 15, out to 5, then back to flush in the pocket.

The guy next to me asked if the ball I was using was a Storm Vivid. I handed him my ball and watched the expression on his face when he realized I was using a White Dot. Priceless.

[zdawg]

Even if you can throw a $200 ball perfectly straight at the corner pin, why would you want to?

A slight mistake into the gutter, and the ball could be damaged to the point it's hard to make strikes with it.

Its much better to throw an inexpensive ball at the spares, and save the expensive balls for strikes, where you shouldn't be near the gutters.

If your spare ball gets messed up, it doesn't effect your ability to throw strikes.

I was practicing on Monday, playing from 15, out to 5, then back to flush in the pocket.

The guy next to me asked if the ball I was using was a Storm Vivid. I handed him my ball and watched the expression on his face when he realized I was using a White Dot. Priceless.

Actually I might be up your way in the not so distant future, and since I'm interested in the tri-grip AND a spare ball kill two birds with one stone. I'll let you know

[Aslan]

Even if you can throw a $200 ball perfectly straight at the corner pin, why would you want to?

A slight mistake into the gutter, and the ball could be damaged to the point it's hard to make strikes with it.

I'd never throw a $200 ball.

Besides, what are the odds that I'd gutter and the ball would bounce up and hit the pinsetter and get…………never mind.

[J Anderson]

My reasoning for using the old Blue Hammer is that a ball that old doesn't have a core. A whole lot of the reason that modern urethane balls hook is because of the core. No core, and little in terms of static imbalances, and the old urethane balls hook very little.

I bought a Storm Mix this year to replace my White Dot. As far as I can tell the Mix is the same ball as the Polar Ice but with prettier colors. It has an old fashioned pancake weight block and while it does have some hook there's little danger of it missing the ten to the left.

[tccstudent]

I'd never throw a $200 ball.

Besides, what are the odds that I'd gutter and the ball would bounce up and hit the pinsetter and get…………never mind.

Actually you do you are just patient enough to wait and get them at a huge discount. While some of us want the new freshly released ball that you are going to wait two years to get.

[Mike White]

I bought a Storm Mix this year to replace my White Dot. As far as I can tell the Mix is the same ball as the Polar Ice but with prettier colors. It has an old fashioned pancake weight block and while it does have some hook there's little danger of it missing the ten to the left.

The difference between a Mix and a Polar Ice is the Mix is a Pearl, and the Polar Ice is a Hybrid, where just the blue color has the pearl additive.

I just drilled a Mix to go with my Polar Ice, hopefully the Mix will hook slightly less, but a little more than my plastic ball.

If I don't get the White Dot out away from the oil, it leaves the most pitiful weak 10 pins.

I'm not talking about where the 6 pin lays in the gutter, but doesn't hit the 10.

It's so sad, the 6 pin barely even makes it to the gutter.