Looking to buy a new ball and would like some opinions or thoughts.

[BowlingJoe]

Hello, Thanks for stopping in to least see if you can give a few thoughts or pointers on this little situation of mine.

So a little about me, I'm not new to bowling I use to bowl constantly when I was younger. However well years passed and I sorta got away from the sport for a good amount of time and am just now getting back into it. I'm currently throwing a Storm Tropical Breeze that doesn't really fit my hand. Its not my ball just one I borrow so I don't want to get it redrilled. Now I'm not a very big fellow matters fact I'm pretty darn small only weighing in at about a buck twenty so the ball I've using is only 12 pounds. It feels more comfortable than the 14 pounder, so thats what I've gone with thus far. I'm only back into the sport for maybe a month now, I'm averaging about 120's with a 150 high last week, and am wanting to get into leagues this summer.

I throw a strong hook, my ball speeds probably around 12mph or there about, My most common problem is defined by the picture below. Where the ball is hitting the break point and pulling so hard that it either scrapes the head pin or misses it entirely. Not always an issue but it does happen least once in awhile.



So my thought is to get a ball with a little more length to it, something more of a skid flip I believe its called. I've been looking at the Brunswick Ringer, Pyramids Path Rising, and the Storm Punchout. But am open to other suggestions as well, but what I'm not trying to do is spend 200+ on a ball either after drilling and plugs. I do intend to move to a fingertip ball rather than the more conventional one I am using currently, it just feels awkward in my hand. So I'm sure that will help a bundle to just have a properly fitted ball in the first place. Mostly though I just don't want to spend all this money on a ball only to find that it perhaps wasn't the best suited ball for me.

Any thoughts suggestions or idea's are more than appreciated.

Thanks again for reading,
Joe.

[Amyers]

Joe if your hooking to far with a tropical breeze you may be getting to many revs on the ball for where your speed is at most of this will change when you get your new ball fitted. Get any entry it mid level ball you like the looks of the three you listed are good balls Rotogrip outcry and ebonite cyclone are good ones too. When you get your new ball fitted with a proper grip you will find your ball speed will increase and balance you out some.

If you are missing the headpin left like in your diagram the solution is to move your feet and target left

[BowlingJoe]

I am getting quite a lot of revs, a ton really, it probably doesn't help that the ball itself is old, I'm sure the polish worn off, its scratched up, so on so forth. I like the idea of the balls I listed, I guess really what I need to do is have the local proshop guy have a look at my throw and see what he thinks, I've just not managed to catch him when he didn't have a line. Tomorrow hopefully I can and I'll see what he has to say. Issue with me pushing to the left, half the time I feel like i'm in my neighbors lane, I'm sorta bout far left as I'm comfy with. My thought with those balls were the fact that they have a bit better polish than the ball I'm currently using and I think would slip further down the oil before catching, thus bringing the ball closer to the head pin before the break which could solve the issue. Though I don't know if the reactive resin would simply cause it to break harder. Bit new at the whole not using a house ball thing I admit. Thats another good point though, with a proper grip my ball speed should stable out and probably speed up some, cause as is my palm isn't really on the ball all that much and I always feel like i'm fighting it to maintain good grip. I'm hoping the local proshop fellow doesn't have a line tomorrow and he can give some advice too on the subject, but I'd rather not go in blind I suppose.

[Amyers]

Are you throwing two handed or thumbless? I haven't seen too many people get enough to hook the lane with a tropical breeze.

In all reality the balls you have listed will probably hook a little more than the breeze. You can't get much less agressive than a breeze withou going to urathane. The extra polish actually makes a ball hook a little farther a rougher surface will hook sooner but they bleed energy off faster so the total boards moved is usually a little less. Talk to your pro shop operator and have them watch you bowl it could be the extra revs or the reduced speed are because of a bad fit with the house ball

[BowlingJoe]

I've a strange style i guess, its a lot like a two handed throw cept I release my second hand a lot sooner than they do from what I've seen video wise. Its just how I've always thrown even when I was just a kid. I'm thinking part of it might just be how the ball feels in my hand, since I've never used a ball fit to my grip, my new throw could end up being considerably different, tomorrows my biweekly bowling night, usually then and Fridays though that might change a bit come summer. But I'll see if he's willing to come down and have a look before I pick up a new ball. See what he thinks would be best.

From what he and I talked about before he was thinking the Ringer would be the most I'd want to go with, and he said Columbia's Blur ball might be a good pick too. But there were five people behind me at the time and I figured i'd just come back well tomorrow and see if it was a bit slower. Hopefully it is and maybe he can give a better thought on the subject. Nothing else if its packed again I'll try to get some video.

[Amyers]

That makes more sense most two handers struggle with this problem. Get properly fit then your going to need to adjust your style to better match your revs and ball speed. There is a reason why Belmo throws the ball 20 miles an hour it's not just because he can it's what it takes to balance the revs he gets

[BowlingJoe]

Thats a good point, its possible my throw will alter a bit with a more comfortable grip on the ball. Hopefully though I can get it all sorted before the league starts. Tomorrow should go well I think, or I should at least get some better idea's on what the best route is at the very least, might be better off getting a cheaper ball, throwing it see how that does, then moving up from there, then just turn my inexpensive ball into a spare ball down the road.

[ralphs007]

Hi Joe
I've had this ball for over a month now and I couldn't be happier .http://www.bowlingball.com/products/...lue-solid.html
It was recommended by one of the members here and I'm glad I listen to him. I've seen it online for under 80.00 shipped but don't let the price fool you, the ball is awesome.

[BowlingJoe]

The Ringer was one I was looking at, I was more thinking the Burgundy Pearl or Platinum Pearl version over the Royal Blue due to its polish and having a bit more length since my ball wants to break early. But the Royal really isn't far off at all what I had in mind. On paper to me they look like they might just do the trick when fitted properly. Tomorrow I plan to talk to the guy at the shop, see what he thinks and have him take a look at my throw, see what advice he gives and if we're all on the same page I think I'll be buying my new ball tomorrow. Only thing that would delay me is if he maybe throws out some ball options that just seem more like he's after some cash than interested in helping me pick out the right ball. I don't think they're those kinds of people they've always been generous even gave us some extra time this week since my bro's pregnant fiancee was throwing. Seem like good people, so shouldn't be any issue. Hopefully though I get to come home with a new ball or at least have it waiting on me for the next time I stop in which will probably be this friday.

[BowlingJoe]

Here is a slightly crappy video of my throw, it wasn't ment to be in slowmotion, but the phone died shortly after so we didn't get a second one. No less, its a poor throw for me, missed an arrow by a bit, ball bounced, and I hit the head pin pretty flat. But if nothing else it might show a better idea of my ball movement, it actually seemed to have toned down a bit after tweaking my throw some and reading a few things.