Bowling before the days of reactive ball technology

[NewToBowling]

I guess reactive ball technology came in during 80s or 90s?

So before we had all these balls with new technology and cores did bowlers back in the day just bowl with one urethane ball?

Or were there still differences between certain balls and certain manufacturers or were they made to USBC spec and pretty much all the same?

[bowl1820]

I guess reactive ball technology came in during 80s or 90s?

So before we had all these balls with new technology and cores did bowlers back in the day just bowl with one urethane ball?

Or were there still differences between certain balls and certain manufacturers or were they made to USBC spec and pretty much all the same?

Back in the day, Urethane was the new technology and they had different cores and balls like they do today.

Plus they were made to the ABC/USBC spec's used back then.

Before that the new technology was polyester (Plastic) balls. According to Don Johnson They looked at plastic balls back then , like we look resin balls today.

Don Johnson talked about how they snapped into the pocket (which shows how much lane conditions have changed today) and Glenn Allison made the comment back then that plastic carried more garbage hits than rubber. Which is just what was said today about resin balls.

[NewToBowling]

So was it common back in the day to have an "arsenal" like bowlers have today. A 6 roller bag with a ball for each condition they may encounter.

These days it seems like if you don't have at least 3 balls you aren't trying

[bowl1820]

So was it common back in the day to have an "arsenal" like bowlers have today. A 6 roller bag with a ball for each condition they may encounter.

These days it seems like if you don't have at least 3 balls you aren't trying

A arsenal sure Not quite as common as today, but depending on how much you bowled. number of leagues, tournaments etc. I had a 4 ball setup 3 urethanes and plastic ball.

Going back you had guys with a plastic and a rubber ball for a arsenal (and maybe a soaker). Because they acted different.

[RobLV1]

Back in the late 80's, I remember taking two or three balls to league: a couple of urethanes and a plastic. It's interesting to me that all of the focus on the change in bowling technology has to do with the development of reactive resin. Little is said about the introduction of the dynamic cores that are used in balls today. If you ever get the chance to roll an old urethane ball from the eighties next to a modern urethane ball, I think you'll be amazed at what a difference the core makes.

[Amyers]

Back in the late 80's, I remember taking two or three balls to league: a couple of urethanes and a plastic. It's interesting to me that all of the focus on the change in bowling technology has to do with the development of reactive resin. Little is said about the introduction of the dynamic cores that are used in balls today. If you ever get the chance to roll an old urethane ball from the eighties next to a modern urethane ball, I think you'll be amazed at what a difference the core makes.

When I bowled back then I was an oddity at my house I carried both a Faball Blue Pearl Hammer and the Red sanded finish Hammer most people at my home alley only had one ball. I did see some of the bigger tournament guys carrying 3 to 4 balls but not your average league bowler

[RobLV1]

I was lucky to have been taught to bowl by a 70's Tour bowler. Back then, in the eighties, with no cores, everything was about surface preparation, and ball differences were a result of a combination of surface material characteristics and finish. I remember one night where the oil machine had malfunctioned and oiled all the way to the pins. I happened to have an Ebonite Thunderbolt with me that I rarely used, but using it that night, I was high in the house! This is not something that has happened to me a whole lot. LOL

[SRB57]

Back then I would use plastic and rubber. Does anyone remember Manhattan Rubber/Dick Weber 5 star/3 dot? Then I believe in 81 AMF came out with the Black Angle urethane and that started the modern era (At least in my mind). I would carry three balls back then and still got most of them. I used my 1979 Columbia 300 blue dot for a spare ball until just recently when I got the Roto Grip own it. Steve

[got_a_300]

Does anyone remember Manhattan Rubber/Dick Weber 5 star/3 dot? Then I believe in 81 AMF came out with the Black Angle urethane and that started the modern era (At least in my mind).

Oh yes I remember the Manhattan Rubber ball as I had one of them and
I used to shoot a bunch of high scores with it. Back in those days some
of us would rub down the cover with some acetone and talk about hooking
it until we found out it was illegal to do it.

I used to have a AMF Black Angle bought it from a friend he bought it and
then sanded the cover down to 320 grit and bowled about a half game with
it during league and sold it to me for $30.00 and it was still brand new. I took
it and polished it back up and bowled some of my better scores with it never
did get a 300 with it but had a bunch of 279's and 289's with it though.

[fortheloveofbowling]

Before urethane came out in the early 80's usually even pba tour guys would have only 1-2 balls at a tournament. I was listening to an interview with marshall holman one day and he said something that just blew me away. He said there was about a 2 1/2 year stretch in the mid to late 70's when for that entire time is used primarily 1 ball!! Not a certain model and drilled the same type a few different times. It was the SAME BALL!!! What really got me is he recited the serial number of that ball of the top of his head like he was telling you his phone number!! This is 40 years later!! I'm sure in the 50's and 60's guys used the same ball for very long periods of time. Another time i heard Barry Asher talking about bowling at the showboat invitational and his equipment got lost. So instead of getting a ball drilled he BORROWED one from another player and made match play that week! After urethane came out guys started carrying a little more equipment but nothing like all the options today.

Back in the 80's when i started getting serious i would take 3 balls with me to tournaments and no dedicated spare ball. For instance, for a few years my arsenal consisted of a columbia yellow dot, columbia u-dot sanded, and a polished u-dot. Scoring is a lot easier now but managing equipment is much much tougher. That is why the pba allows ball reps to confer with players now. That was a no no years ago but many guys will tell you they have to have that help.