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Thread: Understanding Modern Bowling Balls

  1. #1

    Default Understanding Modern Bowling Balls

    It seems that we have a new group of "newbies" on the site, and from time to time in the past, I have started a thread to help these bowlers demystify modern bowling balls. If there is interest in doing this again, please let me know by posting below.

    Introduction-

    There is nothing mysterious about modern bowling balls. There are four elements that determine ball reaction: core, layout, cover material, and surface. Once you learn to control these four elements, you will never again have to ask "what bowling ball should I buy."

  2. #2
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    You and Bowl1820 have certainly helped me understand those 4 elements since joining here in Jan. I was clueless. The knowledge is valuable. Although I've only purchased one ball thus far armed with that knowledge, I'm grateful to say the least. I know I can feel more confident in my future choices being good ones.

    Since you started the post as you traditionally did Rob, you should again take the honors of once again elaborating on those four elements for the new comers so they can benefit as I did.
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

  3. #3
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    When I returned to bowling after a 30 year layoff, I had no idea how the game & equipment had changed. Once I was hooked, I started reading Bowling This Month (discontinued print edition) and got hooked on Rob’s writings. When/While BTM closed (until the digital edition was born) I was looking for more of Rob’s work and came across the forum BowlingIntel, now also deceased. Rob’s thread there on modern equipment grew quite long, but sadly was lost with the demise of bowlingintel. I learned a great deal from the thread and him and it really inspired me to continue to learn which I do to this day. Rob’s website, which also contained a lot of his work, is also now closed, I believe. I do hope this thread takes off, like the bowlingintel one did, there is so much to learn, and so many differing opinions. Bowlingchat forum has very much to offer too

  4. #4
    Member LowDown's Avatar
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    I for one would like this. I bowled a lot in the 80's and there really wasn't much to it I had an AMF Cobra and an Ebonite Gyro II (still have both). When I first started back I just went with what my PSO suggested (Massive Damage, C-System AlphaMax, plastic, and I still use my AMF Cobra as a Urethane option). I'm looking to move down to 15 pound equipment and this time around I would really like to have a better understanding of what I'm buying and why I need it (not that I think my PSO did me wrong). I get the basics of bowling ball motion it's just understanding things like RG, Flare, layouts and how they relate to the motion of the ball on the lane based on the conditions....It is so much more complex than I remember.

  5. #5

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    I'm always up for learning. When I was learning photography it took me a bit to understand everything until I thought of it as an equation. The get a good exposure you need to have the proper ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. If you change say the shutter speed to something faster then you would need to compensate by changing either the ISO or aperture to get the proper exposure. Of course all these changes have other affects on the photo (depth of focus, graininess, etc) but once I thought of it that way it made it much more easier for to come up with the shot I was looking for.

    With bowling I just don't know enough yet to know what shot I'm looking for. I'm starting to understand what the different cores, surfaces, layouts, etc will do. Just not sure what it is that would fit me best. With digital photography I can take thousands of pictures to mess around with different settings and learn them. In bowling I've only ever thrown one ball that wasn't plastic.

  6. #6

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    I am all for learning about modern equipment. I am getting back into the sport after a long layoff and I am getting close to picking up a new ball. My last ball was an Ebonite Tiger, but I no longer have it. I picked up a TZone just to start with and to use as a spare ball. Now that we're getting closer to fall leagues, I need to figure out what is going to work best for me.
    -Dave

    In the bag: DynoThane Vendetta, PBS Planet Earth, Brunswick TZone

  7. #7

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    I'm happy to hear that there is some interest. Unfortunately, I am recovering from neck surgery, so I will have to keep my typing sessions short.

    First, let me say that most of the misconceptions about modern bowling balls are a direct result of knowledge that bowlers acquired during the 70's and 80's. Unfortunately, most everything has changed since then, but bowlers still want to hang on to their beliefs rather than to open themselves up to new ideas. Unfortunately, this also goes for many PSO's who are adamant about their long standing beliefs. A good example of this is the concept that pin up balls go longer. They did back then because the only thing that affected ball motion was the static weights. Finger weight made the ball go longer. Today, with balls with dynamic cores, pin up balls don't go longer, they are simply more angular. Pin down balls don't roll earlier, they are simply more banana shaped than hockey stick shaped.

    I've been thinking about ways of further simplifying this little tutorial, and it occurs to me that the four elements mentioned at the beginning of this thread can be further condensed into two related elements: core/layout, and cover material/surface. While it has long been said that cover/surface accounts for 75% of ball reaction (totally true), it is also the only thing about the ball that can be changed once the ball is purchased and drilled. With that being said, I think that it is pretty obvious that the core should be the first consideration when deciding on buying a bowling ball....

    More later.

  8. #8
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    Definitely interested. When I left bowling around 2002 most bowlers bought a ball and kept it for 10 years. I had a Brunswick Cobalt Rhino I bought in the early 90's and was still using it when I quit and I was one of the highest average bowlers in my league. My first ball when I came back in January was a used Storm Sync and it was a world of difference. That was when I realized how much things had changed. Now thinking about trying a different surface on my Hammer Black Widow Gold. Just bought a new Brunswick Kingpin and it is way different than the BWG. Years ago it seemed no matter what I used it reacted about the same.
    Arsenal "15# Global Eternity Pi-45x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Xponent-60x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Zen Soul-60x4.5x40" "15# Roto Grip Idol Helios-90 x 2.25 x 45" "15# 900 Global Altered Reality-50x3.625x30" "15# Brunswick Uppercut-80x3.625x35" "15# Brunswick Igniter-70x5.5x35" "15# Raw Hammer Pearl 45x5.75x40" "15# Brunswick T-Zone"
    Rev Rate about 270 @ about 15.5 MPH at the pins* High Game: 290 - High Series: 733. PAP: 5 1/8"x1" up; tilt 20*, rotation 75*. YTD highs - 290-733
    Oh, and LEFTY!!!

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by boatman37 View Post
    Years ago it seemed no matter what I used it reacted about the same.
    More like years ago no matter what we used DIDN'T react the same! LOL

  10. #10
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    How do you decide what layout is the best matchup to the core? Is this where it gets complicated and the bowlers attributes come into play in addition to the pattern they want to use it on?
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

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