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Author Topic: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?  (Read 3496 times)

MSC2471

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what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« on: June 09, 2006, 07:45:56 AM »
Here's a question for all of you to ponder. I bowl in a trios summer sport league in a synthetic (Brunswick Anvilane) house. They put out 5 different patterns that rotate in and out every week. They range from 30' low volume to a 50' medium-high volume flat pattern and ranges in between. So far I've found that due too less traffic on my side of the lane (being a lefty) the longer patterns require that I need to burn a little spot on the lane for friction while the right handers (through their sheer numbers) can burn a spot to play from quicker during their practice time before league starts. I'm thinking of taking one of my heavy oilers that I don't use as much (Track Rule) and taking it down to about 220 grit, but my pro shop guy suggested taking it down to 180 grit. Any preferences in one surface adjustment versus the other? Do you think it matters much whether you use an early rolling ball versus one that will go longer when trying to burn a spot?

Suggestions are welcome... seem to be bowling well so far in this league, averaging 183.44 after seeing 3 patterns this summer.

Matt
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charlest

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2006, 06:19:36 PM »
Anything less than 400 grit is unethical, immoral, destructive, self-defeating and should be illegal, in my opinion.

Besides it doesn't depend on the grit, but on the friction of the coverstock.  SOme covers are more grippy at 1000 grit than others are 100 grit. Find a ball (cover PLUS core) that works for you.

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Strider

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2006, 09:51:32 PM »
Charlest, I believe he means to take a really dull to burn a spot to throw to in practice, then a "normal" ball for when the scores count, kind of what the PBA guys do.  I think the biggest factor is throwing the same exact line so you dry out a defined area, not merely scatter the oil around.

I do agree with your post however.  Although it's legal, I'm not fond of the practice.

I've had better luck staying behind the ball and just rolling it when they get really juiced.  Trying to hook a ball on really heavy oil is an exercise in futility.  I also bowl tournaments about once a month that rotate between the PBA patterns and the major championship sport shots.  I learned that my 1000 grit WMB (rolled) is more effective than my 400 grit Angle Evolution Tour (high load particle) when I try to hook it.  It flared a ton, but didn't hook much, and certainly didn't finish or carry well.
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TheDude

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2006, 09:57:35 PM »
Take a strong covered ball and a strong core and move deep inside. play something like 20 to 10( at the farthest) with an Epic Battle or Passion.
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charlest

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2006, 05:34:12 AM »
quote:
Charlest, I believe he means to take a really dull to burn a spot to throw to in practice, then a "normal" ball for when the scores count, kind of what the PBA guys do.  I think the biggest factor is throwing the same exact line so you dry out a defined area, not merely scatter the oil around.
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My opinion of that practice is the same: unethical, & immoral, but then what's right no longer matters in this world, only what wins the MONEY!
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MSC2471

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2006, 07:53:10 AM »
Ok- I know it's unethical and immoral, but herein lies the frustration. The second week of the league we were bowling on a 50' supposedly flat pattern. I went through the 3 games trying various lines with my Animal and RoboRule, the Animal is at 400 grit and the RoboRule in box conditions. I couldn't get either ball to bend a board, whether I was playing frozen rope off the gutter or inside of 4th arrow with a small swing- even straight up 15 or 16 would take out the 2-4 combination. Meanwhile the right handers were able to take Paradigms off the 5 board and put together 3-4 baggers.... that's the frustration I'm talking about. I was the high lefty that night with a 508 while a couple of right handers were able to pull together 610-638 on a supposed 50' flat shot.

Under normal circumstances I wouldn't do this- but if the playing field isn't fair (and they only test a couple of pairs a week to make sure it's sport compliant) I may have to bring that type of ball to get some friction to throw to. I would only use this ball in practice and then bring out a normal ball as Strider stated.

Matt
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dizzyfugu

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2006, 08:10:00 AM »
I would not go under 400 grit. At some point of "grainyness", the ball's contact surface becomes smaller than a higher grit and you achieve the opposite of what you desire. Additionally, a low grit ball might be very vulnerable to nicks, wear and tear, especially soft stuff and particle balls. You might have to sand the ball after a few games to keep up performance (if it works at all, see above), and this will IMHO not work well for long.

The ball with the coarsest surface in my arsenal is a Blade Particle with about 800 grit. I rarely make use of it, but it is drilled strong (stacked leverage) and I do not play very fast (about 14,5 mph).
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Strider

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2006, 12:11:10 PM »
You have to take the bad with the good.  It will even itself out on the short light patterns when the right handers have to play 5th arrow or deeper right away and you'll still be in your comfort zone.  There are plenty of guys like myself that aren't good at the new "drift left, open the shoulders, apply 70+ degrees of axis rotation, and shoot the ball from the gutter cap" game that many of the young strappers learn right away.  As a right hander, I'll take the heavy stuff over the burnt shot that some people excel in.  Like I said before, a decent oiler ROLLED will give you enough hook and hit to be effective.
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Strapper_Squared

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2006, 12:35:01 PM »
quote:
I couldn't get either ball to bend a board, whether I was playing frozen rope off the gutter or inside of 4th arrow with a small swing- even straight up 15 or 16 would take out the 2-4 combination. Meanwhile the right handers were able to take Paradigms off the 5 board and put together 3-4 baggers.... that's the frustration I'm talking about.


And on the 30' pattern?  Your 400 grit animal is coming back with oil rings on it, while everything on the right side is hooking at the foul line?  I have to agree with Strider on this one...  With that being said, go ahead and try something dull for shots in practice, it couldn't hurt.  I'm not 100% sure you would see a huge difference, unless there were either multiple lefties on the pair with the same idea or you have 30 minutes of practice...  But even a little should help some (especially towards the end of the set).

Good luck..

S^2
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Nails

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2006, 06:55:58 AM »
I wonder what Brian Voss would say on the subject?  
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CoachJim

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2006, 07:45:52 AM »
The shot is'nt 50' at least on the right side if they are bringing the ball back from the 5 board. at 50' the break point should be no wider than the 15 board. This means that you don't want to put the ball out any wider than 15 and if you are going to "burn" a hole in the pattern you would be best suited to do it playing straight up 14 that way if you get the ball wide it will turn back. If you try to burn a hole in the pattern up the gutter you are still asking the ball to come from too steep of an angle to either get to the pocket or carry.

The problem most lefties have on long flat patterns is they have to play deep inside away from the comfort area of the gutter. The idea of a sport league is to learn to play the lanes and not to worry about score so much, if the shot isn't the same on the right side as it is on the left, then just be happy they are putting down a sport shot for your half of the lane and use this as an expencive practice session only not as expencive as a tournament would be.
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MSC2471

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2006, 01:17:51 PM »
I guess I should clarify that I'm not against playing different parts of the lane. I just got back a few weeks ago from the Lilac tournament where in the doubles/singles house I had to play 3rd arrow to maybe second arrow at the breakpoint, and in another house where the first 12 boards were out of bounds for teams I had to play inside of fourth arrow and get the ball to 15 at the breakpoint. I grew up playing down and in around second arrow, bowled in college where I had to learn to play off the gutter and deep inside depending on the house.

This discussion got me to talking with pro shop driller so we came up with a few possibilities to think about, thanks to all the replies so far and keep them coming. I'm going to take the Rule down to about 360 grit and then take my Slash up to 1000 with a slight polish for the inside shots...

I'll keep you updated.

Matt
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stanski

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Re: what should your lowest surface ball be for sport league?
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2006, 12:14:11 AM »
Personally, I would just square up and throw dead at the pocket. Its going to be rough going, but wasting time in practice trying to burn a spot it just too difficult to pull off imo. Why not try a ball stronger than a slash? There are a lot of strong balls out on the market that would work for that shot (centaur amb particle, epx t1, brunswick goliath, etc.). I just think it is so difficult to actually burn up a line successfully and then switch back to a normal line: the pros can do it because they have more warmup time than normal leagues.

If you are intent on doing this, take the ball down to 220. Even if its just a mental thing, i think 220 would work slightly better than 360. Just my opinion though...
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