Best option to promote length

[bowl1820]

What is UFO?

That's referring to Valentino Bowling's UFO Extender. It's a polish with a slip agent in it.

http://www.valentinobowling.com/products.html

[Jessiewoodard57]

NTB, I had the very same problem with my haywire out of the box. It was suggested on the forum I give it more surface so I took it to 4000 and it still wasn't reacting well to our house shot so I took it to 3000 and polished it with storm react a Shine and I am very pleased with it now. It originally was hitting like a marshmallow and now it hits more like a tank. Hope that helps. I might add its become the first ball out of the bag for me.

[Jessiewoodard57]

Just because you can make a ball work on a specific condition doesn't always mean that it's the best choice.

I agree with Aymers here I have had to retire the Haywire a night or two and when I do I turn to my 2 Fast an older Storm ball that has settled in as my benchmark ball.

[NewToBowling]

NTB, I had the very same problem with my haywire out of the box. It was suggested on the forum I give it more surface so I took it to 4000 and it still wasn't reacting well to our house shot so I took it to 3000 and polished it with storm react a Shine and I am very pleased with it now. It originally was hitting like a marshmallow and now it hits more like a tank. Hope that helps. I might add its become the first ball out of the bag for me.

Good to know. I might follow the same approach

[NewToBowling]

I agree with Aymers here I have had to retire the Haywire a night or two and when I do I turn to my 2 Fast an older Storm ball that has settled in as my benchmark ball.

I have three balls and a spare. My benchmark and ball I'm most comfortable with is my 900 Global Respect. It is rated as higher hook potential but I guess it's worn down a bit and has very smooth controllable action. Works very well at my house. My Unhinged gets used some too but just like the feel of my Respect.

I guess I got the Haywire just to get a new ball. Will work with it but for now it will not be first out of the bag. That belongs to the Respect.

[NewToBowling]

Part of the reason is it looks like the ball is burning up energy way too early. Sometimes it hits the pins with a wimper. And I played 2 open games yesterday and never left so many 8 pins. Perfect pocket shot and 8 pins left standing.

[scottymoney]

Hook potential rating in itself is a made up thing. It is a way of giving a ball a number to justify the cost. Case and point, there is no universal hook potential rating for the industry, although I would find it funny if there was one.

Learning the characteristics of different bowling balls and which respond to friction faster and slower will help you make a better decision. Some things to take into account are RG, coverstock material, and coverstock finish. You can only really change 1 of these, yes you can change a balls RG based on how it is drilled but that is not easily adjusted. The finish can be easily adjusted, but you must also take into account the material in which the cover is made of. Pearls have a faster response to friction, while solids react slower to friction.

Sorry for the rant but there are a lot of factors that go into how and where balls hook. Without knowing these factors a "Low hook potential ball" can actually look like it is hooking more than a "high rated hook potential ball".

[Jessiewoodard57]

Scottymoney... Interesting you would bring this point up. I recently bought a 14# Storm Joyride to replace my 13# Ride. Using the same release on the same lane conditions my JoyRide will cross more boards returning to the pocket the any of my other higher end balls. When that first happened it shocked me. I originally bought it for drier lane conditions but have found myself using it more often and on more lane conditions then I ever figured.

[scottymoney]

Jessie I am going to guess you play on drier lanes but from your signature I see you bowl in a wheel chair? Do you tend to be low speed and rev dominant? Or possibly a lot of axis rotation?

What some people see (they call it "hook") is just a lot of side rotation, when it gets to the dry it ends up going left really quick (like it was kicked) because the direction of the ball is set to go left. This is why most uneducated bowlers think they are hooking the ball a ton. Side rotation has its place and can be used in certain situations but adjusting is much tougher.

A smooth ball reaction with forward roll is best and easier to adjust to the changing lane conditions. I see it every week as I can adjust to the lane as the "old guard side rotation" guys who toss it on the 10 board struggle. They may have a big game but it is always followed by a 140.

[RobLV1]

I think that this might be a good place to start a little bit of a ball review. First of all, it is important to understand that every reactive ball hooks the same amount, depending on the release of the bowler. This is based on the amount of hook being measured in terms of the angle of the change of direction at the point where the ball hooks. If you base your "definition" of hook on the number of boards covered, you need to understand that the amount of boards covered is directly proportionate to how soon the ball hooks, not how much it hooks. Here's the rub: once the ball starts to hook, it has started down the road that will eventually lead to reaching it's maximum energy (roll), and the subsequent loss of energy if it rolls too soon.

With this being said, there are only four factors in any bowling ball that affects how it reacts to the lanes: the core, the layout, the cover material, and the surface texture. That's it. There is no magic involved. Let's take a look at each of these factors.

Core: There are two types of cores in most "strike" balls: symmetrical or asymmetrical. For the most part, symmetrical cores give you a smoother, more controllable reaction, while asymmetrical cores transition more quickly, giving you the impression of a more pronounced hooking motion. There are two numbers that are generally associated with cores, the low RG and the Differential (Diff). The low RG is an actual measurement that gives you an indication of how much a particular ball will resist rolling. The lower the low RG (2.47 is the lowest that is currently allowed by the USBC), the easier the ball will roll, resulting in an earlier motion and a heightened risk of passing maximum power before reaching the pins. The Diff. is the difference between the low RG and the high RG and it is indicative of how quickly the ball transitions. The maximum Diff. allowed by the USBC is 0.060. Contrary to popular belief, the fact that a ball with a higher Diff. will show more flare, this does not mean that it hooks more.

Layout: The layout is nothing more than an indication of where the core is placed in relation to the Positive Axis Point (PAP) of the bowler. The position of the core in relation to the PAP determines the actual low RG and Diff. numbers of the drilled ball. The numbers that are supplied by the manufacturer are for the ball before it is drilled. The layout is not magic, and should be used to "fine tune" a ball's reaction. If you want a ball that "goes long and snaps," buy one that is designed to do that. Don't expect your PSO to take a ball that is designed to roll early and magically drill it to go long and snap; it's not going to happen.

Cover Material: The three types of cover materials are solids, pearls, and hybrids (a mixture of the two). How much of the perceived differences between the three is the direct result of the surface preparation remains to be seen.

Surface: The surface preparation of a bowling ball is by far the easiest to manipulate, and should be utilized as such. The Out of Box Finish (OOB) that comes on the bowling ball is nothing more than the manufacturer's best guess as to what surface will work for the largest number of bowlers. There is nothing sacred about it.

Comments? Questions?