Managing Your Arsenal

[RobLV1]

About once a year I decide to get rid of all the balls that I rarely use by donating them to a local youth league. This time I am donating ten balls and keeping nine plus my spare ball. As I look at the balls that I am giving away, I find they fit into two categories: those balls that I bought for a specific purpose that didn't, in fact, fill that purpose, and those that I bought just to try something new. As I look at the balls that I am keeping, lined up from most to least aggressive, it occurs to me that if I limit my ball purchases to specific balls to replace balls currently in my arsenal, I might be able to keep a better handle on the balls I have, and save some money to boot. My question is this: how do you manage the balls in your personal arsenal?

[scottymoney]

After a few stupid purchases and wanting something more than needing, I think I am on the right track. My Mindset now is only buying for need and not just because it looks cool or it "hooks" so much. After learning more about ball motion and different ball properties I feel much better about my purchases. Balls I have replaced usually are given to my brother or a few other friends who need something better than that lane ball or old ball their dad dusted off and gave them from the closet.

[jab5325]

I plan to only buy for need/replacement, unless I see a good deal on a closeout or something similar.

If there's a ball I don't use, I'll give it away to someone who can.

[Amyers]

I currently own 7 balls 6 strike balls one spare. Of these I only actively use 4. 2 are balls that I have retired do to use and just haven't gotten rid of, 1 I don't like, of the remaining 4 my Mastermind Einstein and Arson Low Flare get the most use. I've made mistakes in putting my arsenal together too. My Virtual Gravity Pearl and Einstein are closer together than they should be optimally and its a larger gap from the Einstein to the Arson than I would prefer. I would like to get where I have 4 strike balls to cover heavy oil to light and offer different lengths and then switch them out as they age but I've watched this enough to know that there will always be balls that react differently than I expected so it will never be that easy. Buying bowling balls is not plug and play even for someone like me that has some understanding of what the ball are supposed to do.

[vdubtx]

I don't buy balls very often. Will go in spurts, but average maybe 1 per year. Older equipment I have kept, haven't purged any yet.

Bring some out of retirement sometimes to just try on the lanes during practice sessions. Those practice sessions are getting rarer, so they hardly get used any more. I still have some of my original balls I used growing up.

[bubba809]

I used to buy new balls all the time. Not anymore. I finally found a ball that works well with my style (rev rate/axis rotation, approach/release). Have the same drill pattern on two other balls but average considerably lower. The other balls I own have various drill patterns mostly for experimental reasons. Then, instead of buying the "Newest Latest Technology" I went on to Ebay and bought 2 more of the ball I love, both at original cost. They still remain undrilled.

I have given approximately 5 balls to the lanes.

[bowl1820]

At one time I use to buy just because I wanted a new ball.

But now I try to be cost effective and basically only buy for replacement, Then maintain my equipment for the long haul.