Do you need a lot of balls for THS patterns?

[Hammer]

According to ROBLV1 the answer is no. As far as I'm concerned I agree with that. I have used three balls only for a long time. The balls I have now are a Raw Hammer orange/black with a 1500 surface and a urethane Blue Hammer that I don't usually surface and a Columbia plastic ball. All of the balls are 14#. I have been bowling at this center for a long time. So I know how each ball reacts on what the pattern is giving me that day of league bowling. I am fine with staying with just these three ball. My newest one in the Raw Hammer hybrid reactive that I bought a couple months ago. Believe it or not the Raw Hammer replaced my Columbia yellow dot that I bought in 1978. I had it sitting in the closet and decided to try it at league and it worked great. It was 15# and I wanted to drop to a 14# ball because of a slight wrist problem.

The OOB surface on the Raw Hammer was 2000. After I wore that out I decided to put a 1500 surface on it. That matched great with my speed and rev rate. Depending on the pattern sometimes I have to play kind of straight up the boards and other times on can stand with the arch of my slide foot on board 30 throwing out to board 10. There are times when I can use my Blue Hammer for my first ball and the Raw Hammer for picking up pins that I left from the five pin to the ten pin. My plastic ball is used for going after seven pins. I am left handed by the way, So new balls are fine and sometimes you just want a new ball like any bowler.

My Blue Hammer I haven't surfaced it in a long time and I like it that way. I know how it works for me for certain things that I use it for and see no reason to change it. The only one I surface is the Raw Hammer and it always gets a 1500 surface. So for me the three balls that I have are fine and I see no reason to get anymore balls. I know how the ones I have work in our house and I see no reason to change anything other then the surface on the Raw Hammer when it needs it.

[SRB57]

For me on a THS I don't need a lot of different equipment. I recently found my best layout for me and have used it on the last 2 balls I drilled a Roto Grip Gem and Idle Helios. I can use the gem on the fresh and have to get out of it in the second game typically and go to the helios which works. So once you find the best layout and ball choice just execute. I have never use the modern urethane balls yet but see a lot of them being used and may experiment with one. I used a lot of urethane in the 80's and 90's starting with the original black angle. On a house shot it's getting the ball to go through the pins and knowing when to move or change balls during transition. Steve

[Trex]

I started Bowling in 1969 at age 7. From 1969 to 1996 all I ever used was an old black beauty rubber bowling ball & an AMF all star, & an AMF Pro roll classic. I eventually got a galaxy 300 soft polyester bowling ball that i used until 1996. In 1997 I bought my first reactive bowling ball which was a Columbia Boss Pearl. Off of a 150 average with plastic & rubber, I began using the reactive bowling ball and started shooting much higher scores. My previous high game with rubber bowling balls was 278. After getting the reactive bowling balls my 2nd being the original Track Triton Elite, I bowled and won a few tournaments. I eventually bowled my first 300 with a Brunswick Rhino Pro teal. I still have that bowling ball and it still works just fine as long as i keep the surface up.

How ever I did begin to invest into bowling equipment after I stopped smoking due to cancer. I then started spending the money I once used for tobacco on buying bowling balls. Over the next 25 years I would spend in total over $45000 on bowling balls...Testing bowling balls & layouts from every ball company to see what works best for me on THS & Sport shots.

Then the sport shots got tougher & tougher until now I sit with too much invested into bowling equipment that is no longer effective due to the ever changing oil and oil pattern design. Due to this fact, I simply am about to retire from bowling as it is time to give it up when i can no longer get a reactive ball too hook much less anything else.

[Phonetek]

I agree with Rob, why would you need a lot of balls for THS? Your benchmark ball on fresh oil and one maybe two for when the pattern breaks down. It's not going to vary much week to week so why vary the balls? If they work they work.

People who bring two 3 ball totes to THS crack me up. They apparently love to spend money and spend more time fidgeting with balls than they do actually bowling. They generally stink anyway then blame the ball or the lanes.

Sport shot, completely different animal all together. It seems you can never be fully prepared no matter how many balls you bring.

[SRB57]

I agree with Rob, why would you need a lot of balls for THS? Your benchmark ball on fresh oil and one maybe two for when the pattern breaks down. It's not going to vary much week to week so why vary the balls? If they work they work.

People who bring two 3 ball totes to THS crack me up. They apparently love to spend money and spend more time fidgeting with balls than they do actually bowling. They generally stink anyway then blame the ball or the lanes.

Sport shot, completely different animal all together. It seems you can never be fully prepared no matter how many balls you bring.

There are some that drag in two 3 ball rollers then the backpack with shoes and stuff for our THS which has changed the last few weeks without a league bowling ahead of us. I bring in 4 balls and that is confusing enough plus I don't know how they get both bags in in the winter when there is snow on the ground.

On a positive note last night was the last night for my league and finished the season with a 30 clean 730 set and the front ten the last game before a wrap 10 stopped me for a 289 so I was happy. Steve

[Phonetek]

There are some that drag in two 3 ball rollers then the backpack with shoes and stuff for our THS which has changed the last few weeks without a league bowling ahead of us. I bring in 4 balls and that is confusing enough plus I don't know how they get both bags in in the winter when there is snow on the ground.

On a positive note last night was the last night for my league and finished the season with a 30 clean 730 set and the front ten the last game before a wrap 10 stopped me for a 289 so I was happy. Steve

The rollers do make a mess with the snow for sure. We frequently announce to leave them on the carpet away from the settee area because the snow clogs in the wheels and melts all over the floor. Of course we get ignored more often than not.

The guys with backpacks usually have the totes because they don't have shoe or accessory pockets, they only hold balls. The only upside to those is they stack well for storage on a bus and in the paddock area. Basically they are good for travel especially for the college kids and likely the pros. The backpack is for shoes and accessories.

I personally like the standup 3 ball rollers. It pulls easy, holds everything and I have the elastic thing for the handle to hold 4th ball. That's all I ever need. My son has two totes and I hate dragging them in the center, the feel much heavier to me and when I put them down I feel like I'm dragging my knuckles like a gorilla. Plus they flip over easy when you're pulling them.

My son is young and strong, he can deal with that. I'll keep my roller lol.

More on topic, I guess if there has a drastic change to your house shot bringing a 4th ball isn't a biggie. I'm a little surpassed you don't get fresh oil before you bowl though. Especially if it's a certified league. Usually it's in the league contact.

All our leagues get fresh oil as well as a breakdown pair set aside plus a buffer pair between open bowl. Not all centers have enough lanes for that luxury though. Fresh oil is a must.

[SRB57]

The rollers do make a mess with the snow for sure. We frequently announce to leave them on the carpet away from the settee area because the snow clogs in the wheels and melts all over the floor. Of course we get ignored more often than not.

The guys with backpacks usually have the totes because they don't have shoe or accessory pockets, they only hold balls. The only upside to those is they stack well for storage on a bus and in the paddock area. Basically they are good for travel especially for the college kids and likely the pros. The backpack is for shoes and accessories.

I personally like the standup 3 ball rollers. It pulls easy, holds everything and I have the elastic thing for the handle to hold 4th ball. That's all I ever need. My son has two totes and I hate dragging them in the center, the feel much heavier to me and when I put them down I feel like I'm dragging my knuckles like a gorilla. Plus they flip over easy when you're pulling them.

My son is young and strong, he can deal with that. I'll keep my roller lol.

More on topic, I guess if there has a drastic change to your house shot bringing a 4th ball isn't a biggie. I'm a little surpassed you don't get fresh oil before you bowl though. Especially if it's a certified league. Usually it's in the league contact.

All our leagues get fresh oil as well as a breakdown pair set aside plus a buffer pair between open bowl. Not all centers have enough lanes for that luxury though. Fresh oil is a must.

There is fresh oil just seems like there is less volume as there was before. The house takes very good care of the league bowlers and am not complaining just a observation on my part. I could be wrong but just seems I am starting deeper than I was during the earlier part of the season. Steve

[NewToBowling]

I'm still using my Rotogrip Haywire on league night.

[Phonetek]

There is fresh oil just seems like there is less volume as there was before. The house takes very good care of the league bowlers and am not complaining just a observation on my part. I could be wrong but just seems I am starting deeper than I was during the earlier part of the season. Steve

Being that it's spring, humidity and warmer temperature could be playing a factor. I'm not sure where you are from Steve but it could be why you have to play deeper than usual? Just a guess.

[boatman37]

So can someone elaborate on this? I have never really noticed a difference but I texted my buddy the other night telling him how bad I bowled the 2nd set of games for first night of summer league and his response was that you can't use the same ball in summer league? Yeah I know humidity, etc but have never really noticed much difference. Either way my 2nd set issues were caused by no oil on the lanes for whatever reason, wasn't me...this time...lol