Friction

[RobLV1]

Someone I bowl with has been going through this. They bought a super strong asymmetrical solid ball, and a lower/mid level symmetrical pearl. Both have the same layout. I am getting really tired of hearing the same comment each week. "How is it that the supposedly less hooking pearl ball hooks more than the stronger solid ball? It makes no sense!!" At one point I looked at them and said "The pearl is reacting faster off the dry. It is hooking later, not more." They looked at me like I had 2 heads, and just said "No. It is hooking more." I just walked away.

One of the most confusing things about modern bowling is how we define hook. Traditionally, hook has been measured by the number of boards being covered from the letdown point, out to the breakpoint and back to the pocket. The problem with this is that a ball that hooks earlier will cover more boards than balls that hook later. This is why bowlers generally believe that one ball hooks more than another. If, however, you measure hook by the angle of the change of direction, you will see that within the same category of balls (reactive resin, for instance), the change of the angle of direction is totally dependent on the bowlers release. Just understanding and accepting that fact, will do more to help league bowlers to raise their averages than anything else I can think of!

[J Anderson]

On that note Rob...have you or anyone else heard anything about a bowling pin shortage? I ask cause a girl my wife works with bowls in a league at a crappy place and she said the carry has been horrible cause they can't get new pins. It could just be that this place hasn't replaced their pins in forever since I don't think any of their leagues are sanctioned there

On Sunday I was bowling in a tournament at Amity Lanes and overheard someone saying that they have been trying to get new pins for months and were wondering how Nutmeg bowl managed to get a new set.

[Phonetek]

I waited months for new pins at the last place. Here we seem to get what we need faster. I think there is definitely some priority based distribution involved. A larger center with more important stuff going on vs the beer league open bowl type centers.

There is also the "Who you know" and for how long thing too. In addition to who has the money vs who's scraping to get by. There is definitely a shortage but who gets what in when has a lot of politics involved at this time until things get caught up.

[RobLV1]

I find it very interesting that the my main premise for starting this thread, the FACT that one ball does not hook more than another ball, has been virtually ignored and was replaced by bowling centers' inability to get new pins. It kinda seems to me that examining our fascination with trying to improve our bowling by buying new bowling balls, something that we can control, is less important than something that we cannot control.

[Phonetek]

I find it very interesting that the my main premise for starting this thread, the FACT that one ball does not hook more than another ball, has been virtually ignored and was replaced by bowling centers' inability to get new pins.

BOATMAN DID IT! All his fault this time! See what you did now Boaty, Dad's mad! Good thing you're recovering from surgery or you'd be in trooooouble!

In all fairness regarding the original subject, Sport shots seem to be the main reason for buying a bunch of bowling balls. In addition to lane transition that begins extremely fast. The days of bringing one ball or two and adapting are gone.

The hard part is figuring out what to buy to use on x pattern then what to switch to when x pattern changes. Since the transition happens either from carry down or absorbing (two different things) there is no way to know what to use until you know which has happened.

Marketing on bowling balls is very confusing, at least to me. What was believed in the old days regarding balls has evolved where the same thing has a different meaning today.

Back in the day the term "friction" was used to describe tension between two players not bowling ball reaction. It was all about "hook" which now seems to be more appropriately mention when talking about what's on the end of a fishing line.

It's no wonder it's confusing what to buy, what not to, what to use and what not to for the lament. It's just not easy to understand anymore because it's not black and white.

On THS, you can get away with just about any bad choice, any ball and not get punished all that much. On sport, it will make you or break you.

[classygranny]

The 5000 surface would work on either Tropical Storm and should probably be put on both. How is the TS drilled to go longer?

So hoping for some help here. Decided this made a lot of sense to me. Tonight I went to resurface the Tropical Storm, and now I'm in a dilemma.

1. My instructions don't show how to do a 5000 surface. Would I follow the 4000 and then just add the 5000? Or are there different steps? I think my "cheat sheet" is from Storm.

2. I also realized that I have no 5000 pads so I need to order. In the meantime, I surfaced to a 4000. How much difference should I see between the 4000 and 5000?

Also, in answer to the drill, I will tell you what little I know. My PAP is 5 3/8" over and 1/2-1" up (I don't have the exact up figure recorded and so this is to my best memory-I know it wasn't much). I am right handed. Rev rate is 125 and speed averages at 11.

The pink TS has the pin 2" above the fingers and 1/2" right of the center.
The purple TS has the pin 2-1/2" above the fingers and 1-1/2" right of the center.

Thanks!

[RobLV1]

classygranny: There are no rules. Try using a used 4000 pad; it should be very similar to 5000. This is bowling; try different things until something makes YOU happy. LOL

Phonetek: I don't know, I see dozens of league bowlers loading up on bowling balls for a house shot. Today I get to bowl against a high speed bowler who believes that he needs LOTS of friction to get his ball to hook, so he puts a 500 surface on everything!

[boatman37]

classygranny: There are no rules. Try using a used 4000 pad; it should be very similar to 5000. This is bowling; try different things until something makes YOU happy. LOL

Phonetek: I don't know, I see dozens of league bowlers loading up on bowling balls for a house shot. Today I get to bowl against a high speed bowler who believes that he needs LOTS of friction to get his ball to hook, so he puts a 500 surface on everything!

Exactly what I mentioned earler Rob. When I returned from my hiatus and used to wood lanes and pancake blocked urethanes I assumed I need the most friction I could find to get the ball to hook, whether the friction came from the lanes or from the ball, I felt I needed that friction to get hook so I feel it's moer of an inexperience thing.

[Ryster]

Motiv offers the following guide for getting a 5000 grit finish:

500 grit for 15 seconds per section, then
1000 grit for 15 seconds per section, then
2000 grit for 15 seconds per section, then
polish for 30 seconds per section

[Ryster]

classygranny: There are no rules. Try using a used 4000 pad; it should be very similar to 5000. This is bowling; try different things until something makes YOU happy. LOL

Phonetek: I don't know, I see dozens of league bowlers loading up on bowling balls for a house shot. Today I get to bowl against a high speed bowler who believes that he needs LOTS of friction to get his ball to hook, so he puts a 500 surface on everything!

We have people here that take 6-9 balls with them for a house shot. That seems like a recipe for confusion and disaster. I take 4 balls, 3 performance and 1 plastic. I usually end up using just 1 of the performance balls and the plastic ball for spares.

There are also those bowlers that seem to be members of the "ball of the week" club. They get EVERY new ball that comes out. I don't know how they afford it, but I guess if that is what they want to spend their money on more power to them.

We still have the people that throw dull equipment during warm ups to quickly create a track area and then switch to a polished solid/hybrid or pearl when competition starts. Kind of an old school approach I suppose, but seems like overkill for house shots.