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Thread: new spare ball (or backup ball)

  1. #1
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    Default new spare ball (or backup ball)

    So looking at getting a new ball that will mainly be used for 4, 7, and 8 pins (lefty here). Back in the day on wood lanes and using my Brunswick Cobalt Rhino (urethane) I used it for strikes and usually all spares. Occasionally I would use my Black Beauty for those pins but the majority of the time I would use the Rhino and rarely missed. With the new Black Widow Gold the 7's are very hard. I have been using my right handed Hammer Spike and have got pretty good with it but it is pretty beat up and not the ideal grip for me.

    So far I haven't seen any conditions where I would have to try a different ball but I would like to get something that I could use as a strike ball if I needed to. My old Rhino had a smooth arc the whole length of the lane whereas the BWG rolls fairly straight till the end of the oil then turns hard right. My cross alley 7 pins aren't straight. Not sure I can even throw straight anymore. My 7's will usually get real close to the gutter right before the 7 then hang on so it still does hook. So this ball should still work as a strike ball if need be. Basically a dual purpose ball. I imagine 99.9% of the time I would use my BWG but would like that option.

    So what should I be looking at? Urethane? Plastic? Going to talk to my PSO this week but want some other opinions first.

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by boatman37 View Post
    So looking at getting a new ball that will mainly be used for 4, 7, and 8 pins (lefty here). Back in the day on wood lanes and using my Brunswick Cobalt Rhino (urethane) I used it for strikes and usually all spares. Occasionally I would use my Black Beauty for those pins but the majority of the time I would use the Rhino and rarely missed. With the new Black Widow Gold the 7's are very hard. I have been using my right handed Hammer Spike and have got pretty good with it but it is pretty beat up and not the ideal grip for me.

    So far I haven't seen any conditions where I would have to try a different ball but I would like to get something that I could use as a strike ball if I needed to. My old Rhino had a smooth arc the whole length of the lane whereas the BWG rolls fairly straight till the end of the oil then turns hard right. My cross alley 7 pins aren't straight. Not sure I can even throw straight anymore. My 7's will usually get real close to the gutter right before the 7 then hang on so it still does hook. So this ball should still work as a strike ball if need be. Basically a dual purpose ball. I imagine 99.9% of the time I would use my BWG but would like that option.

    So what should I be looking at? Urethane? Plastic? Going to talk to my PSO this week but want some other opinions first.
    Well for what you want, I would go urethane and either a Purple Hammer or a Storm Pitch Blue. Both are pearlized urethane balls so they give extra length. Also a Storm Mix would be good as well. The Mix is also a pearlized urethane highly polished so it'll act most like a polyester ball but you could hook that as well.

  3. #3
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    Urethane sounds the right way to go if looking to use it as a strike ball in given situations. Many on the market. If you are going to be brand specific, go with that brand. If not, do your research. To me urethane are pretty much alike, just like plastic balls.
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  4. #4
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    Talked to the PSO tonight. He didn't have anything there that was appropriate. He had higher end balls and some 12lb cheaper plastic stuff. So he is going to pick something and order it...lol. Told him to surprise me...lol. 99% of the time it will only be used for 7 pins so just about any ball should work. Just told him nothing with a strong backend. Not sure if I will have it for next week though. He said it should be here Monday (we bowl Tuesday nights)

  5. #5
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    Got the new ball. It's a Brunswick Black Rhino Pearl. Used it for my 7 pins and love it. Missed it once and that was my fault. Made it every other time. Threw it at the pocket once in practice. It hooked a little but not much. Would be good for very dry lanes too. Thumb hole is a little snug so going to have him open it up a little.

    Had a fellow lefty ask me tonight if I wanted his old Brunswick Fanatic. He said I could have it but I don't need it. Same guy I got the Storm Sync off of that I used before I got the Black Widow Gold.

  6. #6

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    The Black Rhino Pearl rates pretty high on potential hook for what I would consider a spare ball to be (being reactive and not Urethane), but if it's working for you it sounds like you made a nice purchase.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by boatman37 View Post
    Got the new ball. It's a Brunswick Black Rhino Pearl. Used it for my 7 pins and love it. Missed it once and that was my fault. Made it every other time. Threw it at the pocket once in practice. It hooked a little but not much. Would be good for very dry lanes too. Thumb hole is a little snug so going to have him open it up a little.

    Had a fellow lefty ask me tonight if I wanted his old Brunswick Fanatic. He said I could have it but I don't need it. Same guy I got the Storm Sync off of that I used before I got the Black Widow Gold.
    The Brunswick Black Rhino Pearl is a reactive ball. Depending on the finish on the ball, I am guessing your PSO changed the surface to a 4000 with polish, I would recommend get a spare only type of ball. I am guessing your lane conditions are very oil (wet) during your bowling play, but on dryer conditions that ball will hook given its coverstock.

    I would recommend getting something similar to these. I have the Brunswick TZone-Indigo as my spare ball. Works great and does not hook really at all especially with the dryer conditions I bowl on. http://www.bowlwithbrunswick.com/balls/polyester-tzone/

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  8. #8
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    I use my regular ball for almost all spares except the 7 pin. Once I get used to the new ball I will also use it for the 4 and/or 8 too. Before I took my 15 year sabatical I had a Brunswick Cobalt Rhino urethane that hooked pretty good and I was able to convert just about any spare (non-splits). I throw cross alley at the 7 pin and the ball rides the ledge if it gets too close to it. My primary ball has too much backend and curves right to the inside of the 7 so really struggle with that. I told the PSO I wanted something that I could also use as a primary if it is really dry so this is what we got. If I need to I will get something else thats a little straighter. Last night it worked great for 7's so we will see how it goes later. It was more of a dual-purpose ball. Going to try to get out Friday afternoon for some practice to see what I can do with it.

  9. #9
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    Got some practice in with this ball today. My main goal was 7 pins but I did try a few pocket shots. Lanes seemed fairly dry. Last time I went on a Friday morning he told me they hadn't been oiled since the previous nights leagues so guessing it was the same today as I was there shortly after they opened.

    Started out throwing at the 7 pin every shot (even after I had already got it on the first ball). If I stand on the 3rd dot from right (one over from center) and throw over the 3rd arrow on the left it works beautifully. I did notice that if I think about the gutter I subconsciously pull the ball and miss to the inside. If I just trust it it rides the edge perfectly. Move slightly left if I am going for the 4 or 8. Tried a few pocket shots and it has a weak arc near the end of the lane but hits good. Not near the bend my Black Widow Gold has but I didn't want that.

    Now for the drilling. Not sure what he did as far as layout but the pin is above the middle finger. The grip is tilted a little. If you draw a line through the pin and COG the middle finger is just about on that line but the thumb is about 1" to the right of that centerline. The pin is about 1" above the middle finger. The COG is about perfectly centered between the fingers and thumb. My track is close to the thumb hole so I would consider it a high track? If you look here at layout 4 medium track (https://www.bowlingball.com/products...tml?drilling=1) this is close to it but you have to reverse it because I am a lefty.

    I did a generic test to find my PAP by marking my track then spinning the ball to get the track even then marked the top. Not very scientific but put a piece of tape there and it was pretty close to centered as the ball went down the lane so it seems pretty close? The pin is a hair over 6" from the PAP.

    With my Black Widow Gold I have yet to see a track. Not sure if it is because the lanes are that dry or if it is because it is a pearl and soaks up the oil?

    Just curious as to what the experts think about this layout? Does what I told him I wanted. Oh, and it says the finish is 500 siaair? Don't know what that is but this ball is high gloss, high shine. I doubt he did anything to the finish. Didn't get much of a chance to talk to him. He got there just as practice was about to start so grabbed the ball then at the end of the night he had a few customers in there so I paid him and left.

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