Is it the BALL, or the SKILL of the Bowler

[rv driver]

bout 96% bowler, 4% ball

If you consider that "bowler" includes, not only raw bowling ability, but the knowledge and experience to adjust everything for lane conditions, I'd say you're about right.

[RobLV1]

So much depends on the skill level of the bowler. The higher the skill level, the more that having the correct bowling ball in your hand comes into play. The pros depend so much on the advice and imput from the ball reps (as well as the ongoing supply of new bowling balls that they are provided), that it really makes it an unfair situation for the non-pro competitiors. A 160 average bowler will probably not see a difference in bowling balls. A 190+ average bowler will not only see a difference, they will see that the difference will have a huge impact on their averages. Most 220+ bowlers already know the differences.

If you currently use more than one bowling ball, here's a drill for you: Keep track of the percentage of times that you strike on your first shot when you change bowling balls. You should be able to 90% of the time. If you can't, then you need to learn the differences in reaction more fully.

[Amyers]

Rob this doesn't make sense. I think you are little high on your number. The pro's don't even strike 90% of the time on average using the same ball. Why would you be able to strike 90% picking one up cold? If you averaged striking 90% percent of the time you would be averaging over 11 strikes a game. I'm not sure why picking your next ball up off the rack would be magical or we would all switch balls after every shot. I get what your point is that you should be able to throw a good shot as soon as you pick up your number 2 ball not spend 2 or 3 frames trying to find the line but 90% is nuts unless I'm missing something.

[Mike White]

So much depends on the skill level of the bowler. The higher the skill level, the more that having the correct bowling ball in your hand comes into play. The pros depend so much on the advice and imput from the ball reps (as well as the ongoing supply of new bowling balls that they are provided), that it really makes it an unfair situation for the non-pro competitiors. A 160 average bowler will probably not see a difference in bowling balls. A 190+ average bowler will not only see a difference, they will see that the difference will have a huge impact on their averages. Most 220+ bowlers already know the differences.

If you currently use more than one bowling ball, here's a drill for you: Keep track of the percentage of times that you strike on your first shot when you change bowling balls. You should be able to 90% of the time. If you can't, then you need to learn the differences in reaction more fully.

90%??????

Now there is a reasonable expectation..... NOT.

A 220 bowler (with good spare ability) will strike about 55% of the time overall.

[vdubtx]

90%??????

Now there is a reasonable expectation..... NOT.

A 220 bowler (with good spare ability) will strike about 55% of the time overall.

Not to split hairs, but strike percentage would be closer to 60% at 220 average.

[bowl1820]

I get what your point is that you should be able to throw a good shot as soon as you pick up your number 2 ball not spend 2 or 3 frames trying to find the line but 90% is nuts unless I'm missing something.

90%??????
Now there is a reasonable expectation..... NOT.
A 220 bowler (with good spare ability) will strike about 55% of the time overall.

Not to split hairs, but strike percentage would be closer to 60% at 220 average.

Rob's not referring to the strike percentage for the game as a whole, but to the strike percentage related to when you change balls.

That you should know your equipment well enough, so that when you make a ball change. you throw a strike with it the first time you roll it 90% of the time.

Now is 90% high for that? That I can't say. I've seen a lot stats, but haven't seen them related to ball changes.

I'm not sure why picking your next ball up off the rack would be magical or we would all switch balls after every shot.

Nobody advocates changing balls after every shot. But if you see the shot/line changing then making a ball change can help. And like you said you don't want to be fishing around for 2-3 frames looking for the shot.

That's why you should know your equipment so that you'll be able to make the best shot you can after a ball change.

[rv driver]

So much depends on the skill level of the bowler. The higher the skill level, the more that having the correct bowling ball in your hand comes into play. The pros depend so much on the advice and imput from the ball reps (as well as the ongoing supply of new bowling balls that they are provided), that it really makes it an unfair situation for the non-pro competitiors. A 160 average bowler will probably not see a difference in bowling balls. A 190+ average bowler will not only see a difference, they will see that the difference will have a huge impact on their averages. Most 220+ bowlers already know the differences.

If you currently use more than one bowling ball, here's a drill for you: Keep track of the percentage of times that you strike on your first shot when you change bowling balls. You should be able to 90% of the time. If you can't, then you need to learn the differences in reaction more fully.

This makes a lot of sense to me. This is where part of that "96% bowler," where knowledge and experience come into play as to which tool is right for the job, comes in. If he's throwing consistently, and if he knows his ball reactions, a good bowler will throw a very high percentage of strikes the first throw after a ball change.

[Aslan]

Rob's not referring to the strike percentage for the game as a whole, but to the strike percentage related to when you change balls.

Exactly. Rob was making the point that high level bowlers that believe in the arsenal concept should strike 9 out of 10 times when making a ball change on the shot just after making the change.

In other words, and this is a Aslan bowling pet peeve, most bowlers with "arsenals" aren't good enough to justify having them...because many of them make changes for reasons they can't even put into words other than, "That ball isn't striking."

But I agree entirely with Rob on this. I think to truly take advantage of differences in balls, ball manufacturers, and even to a lesser extent ball/drilling specs...you have to have a very consistent game. I'm going to try and work with MWhite on a project where I have 2 balls drilled very differently to see if I can create 2 very different reactions using simply drilling/layout/surface changes. But both Mike and I agree that the biggest "challenge" is whether or not we can accurately see those changes given my below average bowling ability. Rob also made a video in another thread seeing the differences between assymetric and symmetric cores...and we had the discussion...is it that there is no real difference? Or is it that Rob's style/ability doesn't accurately depict the true difference?

I thought a lot about this after going to the coaching seminar last weekend. The instructor said they don't really recommend reactive resin balls or even HOOKING the balls for bowlers until they average about 150. 150!!

Do I agree with that? Well...I see the POINT of it...given the seminar was mainly about youth bowling. I think you want to develop their SKILLS before adding hooking and ball variations. But is that what I'd recommend to an adult?? Probably not. But it IS an illustration of this whole discussion...that ideally...IDEALLY...a person would become accurate and consistent enough with the straight ball...and good enough at shooting spares...THEN you add in hooking the ball...THEN when they get to a very high level you start having arsenals and all that kind of stuff.

[Amyers]

Rob's not referring to the strike percentage for the game as a whole, but to the strike percentage related to when you change balls.

That you should know your equipment well enough, so that when you make a ball change. you throw a strike with it the first time you roll it 90% of the time.

Now is 90% high for that? That I can't say. I've seen a lot stats, but haven't seen them related to ball changes.





Nobody advocates changing balls after every shot. But if you see the shot/line changing then making a ball change can help. And like you said you don't want to be fishing around for 2-3 frames looking for the shot.

That's why you should know your equipment so that you'll be able to make the best shot you can after a ball change.

I wasn't really suggesting you change balls after every shot just saying if you could throw strikes 90% of the time after a change you should. I believe the correct way of looking at this is too minimize the drop in strike percentage between what you normally achieve and your first shot after a ball change and it is going to be a drop not a gain as you are making your first shot with only your knowledge of the differences between your ball and not empirical evidence that you have had over how ever many shots you have played with the other ball before the change. If you are striking at a higher percentage with your first shot after the change you should be changing balls earlier.

[vdubtx]

Rob's not referring to the strike percentage for the game as a whole, but to the strike percentage related to when you change balls.

Yep, I knew that when I responded to Mike White's comment. He is quick to try to correct Rob, so I figured I would correct his "correction" even though it wasn't based on the assumption that Rob pointed out.