How common is it that a trip to the local lanes damages your ball?

[ccbehrens]

So, I am fairly new and I am just getting my first ball for hooking. I have been using a plastic ball for about 6 months and there are two local lanes that we go to and are owned by the same company. I won't name them. My spouse has a blue Hammer and I have a cheapo Tzone at the moment. His ball got some nicks and surface marks over the past 6 months bowling league and learning. It was pretty noticable, but I figured that it might be because his was a "performance urythane", but I don't bowl as often since I don't bowl in that league with him. Recently, I noticed mine got a few small gouges in it as well. Both lanes seem well kept, but a few of the lanes at both places seem to struggle with balls getting stuck. Is this just normal or is it that they are a little lax on the maintenance side of things? Should I just expect that the balls will get messed up over time?

[panbanger]

It's way more common than it should be. I've seen balls replaced at the center's expense due to damage from the returns, also balls resurfaced at the center's expense if the damage is somewhat minor. Alert the staff about what's happening when you notice it. They may not realize what's going on.

[fokai73]

I don't worry too much with nicks and scratches on bowling balls. if I did, I'd leave them up on the shelf. But divots and gouges, and depending on their depth and length is a different story. If the there is a Proshop inside the bowling alley, which seems to be less common nowadays, they can surface or repair the damage. A friend had her ball chewed up and Bowlmor replaced it, they ordered her a new ball and it was shipped to the center. No proshop available. I don't know about the drilling services though..

[KYDave]

Like my PSO says small nicks and scratches are like a door ding on a new car. It sucks, but it doesn't effect how the door opens and closes.

I am a little picky about it, depending on how deep it is, especially if it is in my track. My DD got a series of nicks in a ring and told them right away. Shop fixed it for free and can't even tell.

Also had a chip taken out of my thumb slug and shop replaced that for free as well

Poor maintenance will often increase the odds of it happening, but unfortunately it is bound to get a little battle damage from time to time. Let them know right away, then determine if it is severe enough to warrant repair/resurface

[ChuckR]

Nicks and Gouges are one thing. Friends of mine bowl in a league in Las Vegas at a different house than the three of us bowl. I asked if she had gotten a new ball. The answer was the other house gave her the new ball. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND HER BALL. They looked for 2 weeks after the incident and couldn't locate it. Chewing up a ball is on thing, but chewing it up and NOT spitting it out is another.

[1VegasBowler]

Unfortunately, getting nicked up is going to happen, and unless it's in my track area or if its significant enough anywhere else on the ball, I let it go.

Of the couple of times a ball has had to be repaired, I've never had an issue with the house getting it fixed.

[manke]

Now that is funny, never heard of a house loosing your ball.

[JasonNJ]

I don't understand how a ball could be lost?

[J Anderson]

I don't understand how a ball could be lost?

I've only seen it happen once. The went off the ball return underneath the lanes. The mechanic came and took the covers off between the gutters and did a quick check and couldn't find it. I'm not sure if they ever did.

[ccbehrens]

I've only seen it happen once. The went off the ball return underneath the lanes. The mechanic came and took the covers off between the gutters and did a quick check and couldn't find it. I'm not sure if they ever did.

Wow! Thanks for the story.

As for the nicks, no they aren't bad, however my spouse's ball got stuck once and when it can back I guess you would call it had a divot in the surface if I understand the meaning, where a fairly oval large bandaid shaped scrape could be seen where it was taken off of the surface of the cover stock making it not longer perfectly round in that spot.