How often do you change balls?

[randwool]

I have my old Columbia 300 Game and Wild balls, and I'm curious to know what their recommended replacements are these days. What's the average life span of a ball? I would imagine technology makes them obsolete at some time.

[Graaille]

Welcome to BB from someone less than 30 miles away....

There isn't a true 'recommended' replacement for balls these days, right now the sky's the limit w/like 50-60 different balls out there to choose from. I will say it will depend on how you bowl and whether you liked the reaction your current pieces give you.

As far as longevity is concerned, older balls last longer than newer balls, strange as it may seem. The process used to make new(-er) bowling balls in the 'reactive resin' age means that the balls will continue to cure months and years after they've been made - and as such are more suceptable to cracking and/or the infamous "ball death".

[randwool]

Yes, with all the technology out there, I feel as if I just started a college course mid-term. Lots to catch up on.

[crump582]

What is "ball death"?

[Graaille]

"Ball Death" is a term for when a ball gets oil soaked to the point where it's reaction downlane is compromised - to the point where the ball "dies" and just goes straight instead of hooking at all. Ebonite/Hammer was infamous for that a couple of years ago with a couple of their ball lines, but with proper maintenance of your equipment (wiping down the ball after every shot, cleaning the ball w/an approved cleaner between games and before going home), ball death isn't an eventuality.

[jakester]

Balls wear on wood a lot more than synthetic. Most new covers soak up oil like a sponge so it's very important to really claen your cover right after your finish you last shot. I clean mine right on the lanes before I put them in the bag. Then you need to have you equipment baked or heat cleaned about every 60 or so games...

That being said, then it's all about preference... I prefer to get two or three balls every year, I love to try new stuff...

My two newest balls the Craze and Mania from Morich seem to suit me my house (synthetic) just fine...

[Stormed1]

There is a cycle that occurs in ball development. Manufacturers make balls that hook more and have more agressive surfaces. The proprieters then put out more oil to combat these new balss. So then they manufacture stronger balss and the proprieters put out more oil and so on and so on. As mentioned above you do need to maintain your equipment which besides cleaning and oil extraction also includes refreshing the surface periodically too