anybody use 14lb balls?

[americantrotter]

I don't believe that you need 18-21 mph. It's different strokes for different folks.

I bowl 141bs. I was at 12, then at 13, and now I have all 3 balls I use at 14lbs. Have a platic on the way at 14 too.

[TheSheibs]

for those with proper form because the legs generate the speed, not the upper body.

That's the point. If you have proper form you are not "wiping" the ball down the lanes as hard as you can but letting momentum from your body moving forward and the arm swinging with the ball weight that generates the speed. The point I was trying to make was those who don't have proper form, and throw as hard as they can every time, are more likely to have some kind of shoulder problem than someone who has proper form, and lets the momentum from their body and arm swing propel the ball down the lane at the speed that is good for them. AND you don't need to use a 16 lb ball to do this. You need a ball with a weight that is heavy enough to keep your speed constant but also one that you can maintain correct form throughout all the games you bowl. If you can't bowl more than one game before your arm feels sore, you can't maintain proper form, or you are dropping the ball then you might have a ball that is too heavy for you. Bowling is about being consistent and maintaining proper form, ball speed, and hitting the pocket. If the weight of the ball you are using prevents one of these then you might have to change to a lighter ball, if your ball speed is lower than normal for your style of bowling, or you are constantly dropping the ball at your feet, you feel any soreness or pain in your hand, arm, legs after only a few frames. You would need a heavier ball if you are seeing faster ball speed than normal, you are lofting the ball farther than normal(if your style includes a loft), or the ball is not reacting how it should according to your style of bowling. These are just a few reasons I have seen for needing to change the balls weight. Another that needs to be included is that as we get older we are not capable of holding the same weight as when we were younger so it might be due to age that requires us to change the weight of the ball.

I'm sure I probably missed a reason for changing the weight of the ball so feel free to add them.

[TheSheibs]

This thread is what can happen from throwing the ball as hard as you can. And proves my point.

http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads...-Hurt-Shoulder

[billf]

I don't believe that you need 18-21 mph. It's different strokes for different folks.

I bowl 141bs. I was at 12, then at 13, and now I have all 3 balls I use at 14lbs. Have a platic on the way at 14 too.

There is a difference though between need and optimum. All the research at ITRC and Kegel have shown that those speeds were optimum for maximum carry/pin fall. The research backs it up BUT what it doesn't say is how the speed causes more flying messengers resulting in bad shots getting either strikes or more than deserved pin count. Pete Weber has the slowest ball speed on tour yet has been successful. That being said, he doesn't get as many head pins taking out the ten as Tommy Jones, Sean Rash or any of the other hard throwers. Even the slight of statue Norm Duke rolls it in the 20s.