Please help me understand the building of my arsenal

[classygranny]

I know this site is inundated with posts of "what ball should I buy". Hear me out please, this is different.

I want to understand how to go about selecting my own arsenal - but rest assured it will only be done with the approval of my trusty PSO. I truly want to know ahead of time what and why I think I should be buying what I am buying as well as understanding the ball differences and when/where to use them.

I have read many articles, posts on here and as much as I want to do this on my own, I just can't get there. So here goes:

I want to "build" a 3 ball arsenal (I already have a plastic spare ball). I have a low speed (14mph), a low rev rate (about 200), a low axis tilt and a low axis rotation. I think I need a heavy oil ball that has more of a back-end reaction; probably asymmetrical (more for my night league) and a medium oil ball with a continuous arc motion, also asymmetrical (for my morning league) and a ball that goes long (symmetrical) for times when we might experience a drier lane condition.

I started with Ron's article "The Spaces Between" and would think that the RGs I should consider would be 2.48; 2.54 and 2.56.

That's as far as I've gotten. Where do I go next? How do I match the differentials and cover stocks with the RGs?

Thanks!

[J Anderson]

Why are you asking about building an arsenal?
From your signiture you obviously have one already. Is this "repeal and replace"?

[classygranny]

John, sort of....long story short. I've added a second RG Defiant Soul with the pin-down, added a Paradox, my original Defiant Soul is dying no matter how much oil extraction is done, and my Brawler has cracked all the way around. I've had one of my RGs replugged and drilled with a shorter span and different pitches and once I decide what feel I like the best, I want to start over with an arsenal that makes sense to me. It seems to me that everything I use now is too similar to give me enough variation.

Or maybe it's that female part of me saying...time to move the furniture around! I have to buy new bowling balls because my husband REFUSES to move the furniture. LOL

[J Anderson]

So basically, your existing arsenal is kaput. Did one of the balls match up well with either league?

Ball specs are one of those things where I probably know just enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be really helpful. I would start with the ball that seemed to be the best match for one of your leagues. Since you said they all seem too similar, I assume that neither of the other ones is a good match for the other league. Using the best match-up, I would ask the PSO for a ball that's very similar. The I would ask for recommendations for the other two lane conditions that you expect.

Having an excellent PSO, I've never really worried about lay-outs, RGs, or coverstocks. I just say,"I need to replace ball X" or "I want something that fits between balls Y and Z". Of course, I've never tried to set up an entire arsenal all at once, so good luck.

[classygranny]

Thanks John. I will rely heavily on my PSO. I was just hoping I could understand more of what goes into the thinking of creating a good working arsenal before I go see him. I can't go til mid-month due to my work load and I wanted to have some ideas in mind before I go.

As far as the original arsenal, I really like the Defiant Soul. It seems to handle the over/under situations that we sometimes encounter bowling with seniors and lower skilled handicap leagues. The Paradox usually plays great for a game if there aren't a lot of similar lines being played. It tends to need de-oiling quite frequently.

[RobLV1]

With a 14 mph ball speed, a 2.48 RG will probably be too low for you to get much use out of. My own speed is about 15, and the only ball under 2.50 that I can use occasionally is a Storm Phaze II, and I let the lane shine stay on the OOB finish to get it down the lane. With just three balls, I think you might start higher and end higher in terms of RG. You are not going to see much difference between 2.54 and 2.56, unless you use drastically different surfaces to separate them. My current arsenal includes the Storm Code Black (2.51), Timeless (2.57), and Brunswick Fanatic BTU (2.61) with a 3000 abralon surface. The Code Black and the Timeless work very well together as they both utilize the R2S cover material. On a house shot, I usually start with the BTU and play the oil line with everyone else. When it starts to break down, I make a big jump to the left and switch to the Code Black. When I've reached the end of my comfort zone in terms of moving in, I will ball down to the Timeless which will usually get me to the end of the four game set.

[classygranny]

With a 14 mph ball speed, a 2.48 RG will probably be too low for you to get much use out of. My own speed is about 15, and the only ball under 2.50 that I can use occasionally is a Storm Phaze II, and I let the lane shine stay on the OOB finish to get it down the lane. With just three balls, I think you might start higher and end higher in terms of RG. You are not going to see much difference between 2.54 and 2.56, unless you use drastically different surfaces to separate them. My current arsenal includes the Storm Code Black (2.51), Timeless (2.57), and Brunswick Fanatic BTU (2.61) with a 3000 abralon surface. The Code Black and the Timeless work very well together as they both utilize the R2S cover material. On a house shot, I usually start with the BTU and play the oil line with everyone else. When it starts to break down, I make a big jump to the left and switch to the Code Black. When I've reached the end of my comfort zone in terms of moving in, I will ball down to the Timeless which will usually get me to the end of the four game set.

Ok, so I start higher in the RG - where do I go from there? What comes next?

[RobLV1]

In terms of differentials, I have found that unless you have a whole lot of axis rotation and revs, differential really doesn't mean a heck of a lot. Consider anything over 0.055 as too high as it will cause earlier hook. Look for most differentials between 0.040 and 0.054 that will give you a good clean hooking reaction. You might look for one ball with a very low differential (my Fanatic BTU has a differential of 0.030, and I get very little flare to go with my very little hand (LOL). As for coverstocks, I have found that the main differences between them are from manufacturer to manufacturer, and the surface that is put on them. I probably won't win any friends among ball manufacturers, but I truly believe that the differences between solids, pearls, and hybrids come almost entirely from the surfaces. It's not a coincidence that most solids come with some surface, pearls come polished, and hybrids come with a lighter polish. The difference between cover material formulas, however, are very real. There are three elements that determine the properties of cover materials: coefficient of friction (COF) in oil, COF on dry, and oil absorption. The COF's are really on a scale that weighs one way or the other. In other words, the higher the COF in oil, the more the ball will read the oil in the midlane, but the less violently it will react to the dry. This is why adding surface or polishing will affect how the ball reacts to different parts of the lane. In terms of oil absorption, different covers have different amounts, but we are never told for the simple reason that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the higher the level of oil absorption, the faster the ball is going to die. If you stick to one or two favorite layouts, aren't afraid to alter your surfaces, and stick to one or two manufacturers, you should have no problem basing your arsenal around the range of RG's that you have selected. Make sense?

[Tony]

How does the volume of oil on the particular lanes interact with the RG of the ball, seems like I recall being told that a lower RG ball would be most effective when playing in heavier oil and as the lane conditions / line dry's up you would move to a med RG ball than finally to a high RG ball. It sounded that that was also what you described in your own ball selection.
You also seem to be saying that med to lower speed bowlers should not utilize a low RG ball ? Is there some sort of a matrix where you can dial in the variable factors of your physical game plus the lane conditions to arrive at some preferred ball specifications.

[bowl1820]

If it's any help here is the set up for a classic players arsenal.

Ball #1
Would be a reactive (Solid) ball with a lower RG and High differential.

This would mainly be for heavier oil conditions. But it could also be used when you move deep inside and want something to turn the corner.

Ball#2
Would be a reactive (solid or Hybrid) ball with a medium to low RG and lower differential

This would be your benchmark/medium conditions ball, mostly likely the first ball out of the bag. (Probably the one you'll use the most.)

Ball#3
Would be a reactive pearl, with a medium to high RG and medium differential.

This would be for your medium to dry conditions.

Ball#4
Would be a Polyester (Plastic) ball, Mainly for spare shooting.

A Optional ball would be a Reactive/Urethane ball with a High RG and Low differential for the dry conditions.

You should probably stick with Symmetricals balls which would give you a smooth, controllable ball motion.

If you want to slip a asymmetrical in, it would be for ball #1.

Asymmetricals are more angular and would be good if you want to move inside and you want something stronger at turning the corner.

Surfaces you would adjust as needed, Layouts I'd talk to the PSO, he is more familiar with the conditions there and how you bowl and could make better suggestions.

You might want to look at this video:

How many balls do I need for success?