Other people grabbing your bowling ball

[NewToBowling]

Happened first time yesterday. Open play with another group on same set of lanes. There were 5 of them and 3 of us so plenty of balls on the return. She grabbed my wifes ball first (I guess she just assumed they were all house balls). Than grabbed mine her second frame. I calmly "yelled" to her while she was on the approach. She didn't hear me and tossed it anyways. Her friend came over and explained the situation to her. She just had a sheepish "sorry" look and apologized. No biggie since it seemed to be her first time bowling.

I guess my blue Roto Grip Unhinged looks like a house ball. No crazy multi colored pattern.

Of course one of the main reasons of getting your own ball is that nobody else's crusty fingers go into those holes

[DukeDi]

This happened to me yesterday. I walked away from my pair of lanes for 5 minutes and I return to find them looking at my Equipment. One of them even was attempting bring one to his lane. They tried to cover it up by asking. "Are these yours?"

[Amyers]

I have had a lot people come over and look at my balls but I've never had anyone actually throw one

[LyalC52]

just pick up your ball
lick it
problem solved

[Amyers]

just pick up your ball
lick it
problem solved

Yummy lane oil

[mc_runner]

I think it happened maybe once or twice when I first started bowling, when it was a fun cosmic bowling or something out with friends. If I recall I mentioned something after it happened once or twice and they just apologized and then asked about the ball.

If practicing I try to avoid cosmic/packed times, and if I do go ever now I'll just bring an old ball and have fun (so I don't really care if anyone touches it). I've let subs use my balls before in league, basically my thinking is as long as someone isn't physically taking it and throwing it on the ground or something I don't mind a whole lot. Plus, with fingertip inserts they usually won't be able to throw it too well. Then again I'm pretty easy going with most things, I can see how it could really make someone angry

[John Anderson]

I have red grips in my old red/black Ebonite bash so that pretty much keeps everybody away from thinking it's a house ball. Plus, I have pretty small fingers so that makes it hard for other people to even consider using mine.

[bobforsaken]

I've had it happen to me.. I tried to be nice about it.. We want to encourage bowlers to fall in love with the sport. However I was kind of surprised... Did they really think my ball with a thumb slug, finger inserts, and a label "OPTIMUS" was a house ball? even if it was, I wouldn't just assume to grab any house ball from the ball return that someone is sharing. I would ask if they were using it before assuming I can just take it an throw it, if for no other reason than forcing them to wait for the ball they are using to come back after I chucked it in the gutter.

[Aslan]

I actually would love it if someone picked up one of mine and threw it.

1) Mine are 16lbs, 3 of the 6 drilled tri-grip, and drilled fingertip for a guy with very large hands. My hope would be that they'd pick it up and drop it on their foot and then I could laugh at them in a biblically inappropriate way.

2) If by some miracle it fits them and they can throw it...and they like it...those balls are < 100 games from retirement so make an offer!!

It happens most often with my spare ball because it's just a house glow ball so it looks like a house ball. But, it's 16lbs drilled fingertip so they usually just try to pick it up and nearly drop it and go, "Ughh...this one is too heavy" and they move on.

[J Anderson]

I actually would love it if someone picked up one of mine and threw it.

1) Mine are 16lbs, 3 of the 6 drilled tri-grip, and drilled fingertip for a guy with very large hands. My hope would be that they'd pick it up and drop it on their foot and then I could laugh at them in a biblically inappropriate way.

2) If by some miracle it fits them and they can throw it...and they like it...those balls are < 100 games from retirement so make an offer!!

It happens most often with my spare ball because it's just a house glow ball so it looks like a house ball. But, it's 16lbs drilled fingertip so they usually just try to pick it up and nearly drop it and go, "Ughh...this one is too heavy" and they move on.

So your arsenal is like my first car, a 6 cylinder manual shift Granada without power steering or air conditioning. No one ever asked to borrow it a second time.