full ball return- where does spare ball go?

[2handedsniper]

the shelf movement from top to bottom is annoying

[JaxBowlingGuy]

Ball cup under the return... the lower rack on the return... the seating area...

Isn't your strike ball and spare ball the same ball though??

[ep1977]

I leave my spare ball on one of the seats.

[1VegasBowler]

While I do bring 4 for league play and all 7 for tournaments, I only have 2 on the return. My plastic ball stays on the return along with my strike ball.

My plastic ball is for 6, 9 & 10 pins because I don't want to take a chance on accidentally getting any lift from my main ball and missing my spare.

This weekend is especially important because of it being a championship tournament, and today is my last day. I need a 770 series (w/hdcp) to be the leader in my age bracket.

[Blomer]

Agree. Cup under return, empty seat in sitting area, or if next to empty lane, on their return. Never had an issue to ask for support for it.

[bowl1820]

the shelf movement from top to bottom is annoying

"where does spare ball go?"

Since your annoyed by the movement from the top to bottom shelf, you must have a bottom shelf.

So the ball goes there.

But since you are apparently only using one ball, you must be annoyed watching the others move their spare ball.

Why does that annoy you?

[Tony]

Reminds me of the time I told a woman I know that's my spare ball, she asked if I often lost my original ball and needed to use the spare one, or what it was for.....sort of like having a spare room.
Maybe the term should be extra ball.
There are plenty of places to put extra balls, even if you don't have ball returns with a lower rack. If you do have a lower rack, well that's an excellent place to put a ball, unless you have problems getting it out from there, it's probably the best place.

[JasonNJ]

"where does spare ball go?"

Since your annoyed by the movement from the top to bottom shelf, you must have a bottom shelf.

So the ball goes there.

But since you are apparently only using one ball, you must be annoyed watching the others move their spare ball.

Why does that annoy you?

I bet because guys only use one hand when moving the balls from the return to the bottom shelf or vice versa and everyone knows 2 hands are better.

[Mike White]

I bet because guys only use one hand when moving the balls from the return to the bottom shelf or vice versa and everyone knows 2 hands are better.

When I was bowling in a Sport Condition Scratch league, the center had the ball storage area under the ball return.

I was on the left lane, but my spare ball was under the ball return on the right side.

So I reached over the ball return, and to pick up my ball with one hand, I slid my fingers and thumb into the ball, and lifted.

The problem was, I lifted the ball up into the bottom of the ball return, which dislodged the ball from my grip, and it hit the approach with a fairly loud bang.

The guy on the left lane one pair over, who was up on the approach, gave me a look of being rather annoyed by the noise.

My response was... "Hey, I'm new to this bowling thing."

So yes, 2 hands just might be better.

[Aslan]

I miss the bottom shelf. I even like the round tables in the old brunswick centers. I'm more than tired of everyone leaving bowling balls all over the seating area. At least once a night people are dropping them, knocking them off chairs, etc...

For me, it depends on the house and size of the teams. 5-man teams on Tuesday I leave it on the seat. When I bowl Wednesdays/Fridays...it's 4-man teams...so most nights I luck out and am the only 1-2 using a spare ball...so I just leave it on the rack.

It also depends on how many old ladies are in the league. Old ladies will literally do a ball count each time they get to the approach. I'm not kidding. At least 3-4 different times, different old ladies...they walk up, count the balls, and turn around and say, "There are too many balls up here. Who has more than one ball on the return?" They won't throw until someone removes a ball. I bought little planter cups at Home Depot for like 89 cents each...far cheaper than the bowling ball rings...and in houses where space is a premium, I just plop the cup on the floor...set my spare ball there. Other bowlers have seen me use them and asked me where I got them...just the little plastic things that you'd put a house plant in to keep the water from leaking out the bottom.