I'm planning on buying my first ball soon, I have a couple questions.

[PaulMVR]

I've read that you should use a ball that's 10% of your body weight, I weigh 130, so I suppose that means that I should use a 13 lb ball. Yet I've heard from people that you will be more likely to strike with a heavier ball. I'd say I'm pretty tough for my size, and I could maybe deal with a heavier ball.(if having a fingertip drilled ball will make it less painfull/tiring compared to a standard drill)

Would anyone suggest I should use the heaviest ball I feel comfortable with?

I bowled 4 games yesterday and my arm was killing me by the end of it. I was using house balls, and I tried 14, 16, and 12 lb balls throughout the 4 games while using the 14 lb ball most of the time.

Is is easier on your wrists and arms if using a finger-tip drilled ball?

I felt like my wrists were going to break, but maybe that was because I kept trying to cup my wrists.

If I technically would have an advantage using a heavier ball, then I'd like to get one of those, but I don't know if that's a good idea, and I could see it being a really bad idea.

I've been bowling on occasion since I was little, but I'm thinking of taking it seriously over the long winter.

[bowl1820]

One of the best tips for picking a ball weight was:

With your arm hanging at your side, Hold the ball with your wrist firm (like your making a shot). If you can hold the ball like that for about 10 seconds, that's around the weight you want.

If your using house balls right now, they will feel heavier than a ball fitted to your hand. This is probably why your arm and wrist were killing you, from straining to hold on to the ball.

A properly fitted ball will feel lighter, because you won't have to strain to keep hanging on to it.

Is heavier better?
Well there's a debate about that, at one time most said yes it was better. But now with the new more powerful balls, a lot feel a lighter ball is just as good.

Which is better to start with a conventional grip or a fingertip grip?

Generally a conventional grip is where you would start. It's a little easier to hold onto, you have more control which is good for working on proper technique and accuracy when your starting out.

Now a fingertip grip offers all the options for release style, power, hooking etc.

Myself I started with fingertip and I had never bowled before at the time.

[PaulMVR]

Ok, thanks for the tip, I'll have to try that out. I definitely want to learn to hook the ball well. It's good to know that a ball fit to my hand will feel lighter. I'll get a fingertip grip. When I start something, I like to work my hardest at it. It was the same way with golf, I played it nonstop while practicing almost every day for about half a year, and I'm starting to get a lot better. And now the snow is gonna fall pretty soon here and I want a new hobby, so I plan on taking up bowling for the winter and see how long it takes me to get good. My goal with golf was to go pro and make money, and that is proving to be VERY difficult, since I still haven't been able to shoot under 100. But someone I know thinks I should try bowling, and give that everything I have.. I'm feeling pretty good about this, I think a reasonable goal for the winter is to shoot over 200.. I'm thinking that shouldn't be so hard, but I'm sure staying consistent will be a test.

[bowl1820]

Sounds like a plan. A couple of thing's I would recommend (Others will have different view's on this).

1. Check around for the best Pro-shop in your area to be fitted, you want the best fit you can get to start off. (Now you might have to tweak your grip overtime. to fine tune your hole pitches etc.). A good Pro-shop (just like in golf) can offer a lot more than just equipment.

2.Balls
I suggest getting two balls.

A "plastic" spare ball, this will be for going straight at spares and can double as a dry lane ball if needed. Have it drilled first, try it for a little bit to see how the grip feels and for any problem with the fit and if you need to make any changes. Once your sure of the fit then get the other ball drilled. (also your driller can get your P.A.P. off it, to help in laying out the other ball.)

the other ball would be a good Mid-Performance ball,which would be your main ball for most Mediums/house shots. Ask the proshop what they recommend for your house. (Me I like Roto-Grip best bang for the buck).

3. Get the best shoes you can afford.

[Beech]

Hey I was just like you I thew house balls for my 1st year bowling and now have 5 of my own balls.
If you planning on throwing a hook talk to your pro shop owner he can help you a lot more.
For ball that I recommend is probly the Hammer Road Hawg or a Scout Reactive would probly be good both not expensive balls and are very good I used both when i started to throw a hook.
For weight, you don't always want a 16lb ball because they tend to hit and than go straight through and not get much reaction.
Good luck with ur decidsion.

[poflobo]

Since you stated you weigh 130 lbs., I take it you are fairly young.

Now... just because you know or have seen somebody who is a "cranker", doesn't mean you can necessarily be one. It takes a lot of wrist, forearm and hand strength to cup the ball. Trying to start out that way will usually cause stumbling blocks as you progress. I'm not physically able to "crank it"... never was, never will be.

Try using the strengths that God did give you. Accuracy, timing and a smooth delivery will get you a lot farther at this stage of the game.

IMHO, get you a good entry level ball to learn with and skip the exotic (expensive) balls until you get comfortable and can repeat your approach every time. By then, you should know where you want to go from there. Check out the "Bowling Talk" forum here and maybe some coaching videos on the internet. If you have access to a coach where you are, even better.

And remember... If you have never made a mistake...you haven't learned anything!

[PSBA10]

Bowl1820 says,"Is heavier better? Well there's a debate about that, at one time most said yes it was better. But now with the new more powerful balls, a lot feel a lighter ball is just as good."

This is true up to a point. When you go lighter than I believe 14# most ball manufacturers have to change the core to get the weight down. This affects the pin carry. Not necessarilly the weight, but the different core.

Before buying your ball, check to make sure it has the core you want, or need.

[Stormed1]

If you are young keep in mind thsat you are going to grow so you do not want to go too light. Storm/Roto keep their core shape but alter the density and or overall size in proportion to lighten the core and ball weight. Brunswick uses generic cores in their 12 and 13 lb balls.You need to be sure to get shoes that are specific for right or left hand vs universal. Your pro shop operator can watch you swing the ball and make recomendations on ball weight

[bowl1820]

Bowl1820 says,"Is heavier better? Well there's a debate about that, at one time most said yes it was better. But now with the new more powerful balls, a lot feel a lighter ball is just as good."

This is true up to a point. When you go lighter than I believe 14# most ball manufacturers have to change the core to get the weight down. This affects the pin carry. Not necessarilly the weight, but the different core.

Before buying your ball, check to make sure it has the core you want, or need.

Now we are getting into a technical aspect .

12# and less is where most company's drop the high tech cores and go to a simple core like a pancake or a variation of a pancake weight block.

Now in these lighter balls it's not the different core type that affected the carry. Plenty of high games/series are shot with simple core balls. The core affects how the ball reacts going down the lane. It's more the fact they are lighter and tend to deflect more that's affecting carry.

[PaulMVR]

Ok, thanks for all the suggestions.... oh, and just for the record, I'm 21 and 5' 9'... I'm a skinny dude.