i have read so many posts and even talked to people using this ball with great success that i am trully perplexed. I have polished it had it redrilled to move everything left 2 inches,shot it at 2000 and now its at 1000 and for the life of me i cant get it to work on anything but the driest conditions.
   Last night they put out a pretty good amont of oil in leagues and most people struggled with the shot. I was trying to use the nm and no matter where i tried to use it from it wouldnt face the pocket. off the gutter straight up 17 standing on 25 swing it out to 15 from 20 ,you name it i tried it and i mean it did nothing. I shot 140 with it. i usually use it for 7 pins and if i wasnt dead on it wouldnt move a board. I only throw about 14 or 15 mph on a good day and i know i was only throwing it about 12 last night.Switching between it and my battle i finally found a line with the battle but the nm got bagged after the first game.
    The real kicker about last night was after league . I picked up my epic and shot a decent game after the shot broke down so i was waiting to see the pot results and someone mentioned they were getting a nm drilled. I said save your money and almost got into a fight with a guy who was saying how great the ball was and how much score he was putting up with it ,how it hooked so much and this and that and i am like,Huh.Then he showed me his ball and it looked like he had polished it it was so oil soaked. he used it all night and shot pretty good with a high game of 261 with cap. Our drills are similar except his pin is under the fingers and mine is above ,(both are right of fingers).
     I used it tonight on a burnt up shot and it worked like it should have worked last night . I was playing the same line with it tonight that i played with my epic last night and if i was too fast it was a washout. I was also using a polished power groove tonight and it was out hooking the nm but 3 to 5 boards. Ok i know the nm was burning up . I didnt say it wasnt hooking i said the power groove was hooking more. Last night the nm wasnt hooking. So what gives. what am I doing so wrong with this ball. Any advice any suggestions or should i just follow my first mine and polish it again and use it for my twn pins.
--------------------
my style, the art of bowling without bowling

320 I will disagree aboutyh the "low tracker' statement. My wife is a low tracker and she can swing this ball like no other she has ever owned.

I know what the bag says, but I disagree with it and drilled hers up #2 with the pin just above ring finger and heart to the right of thumb about 1 1/2 in. and she loves it. This might not be for everyone but she has uped her average and has not had many nights that somewhere in her set she doesn't get a 200. Might not sound impressive to you but it's good for her.

I keep her NM at 4000, clean after each game and Clean N Dull after each set.
--------------------
az guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
www.rlbowlerspro.com


Looking for treasures ? Take a look at my wife's ebay store http://www.ebaystores.com/Pitas-Place?refid=store

It certainly is starting out in that love it or hate it mode for me. When the cover is fresh, I love it. However, when the ball shines up, which happened to me after just 6 games (and I cleaned the ball after each 3-game set), I sort of hate it.

I'm thinking that the key to my happiness will simply be to hit it with fresh 4000 Abralon before each set. If I don't, the thing gets as glossy as a black Pure Hammer in to time flat. This ball is going to end up being more high maintenance than my old Granite Gargoyle!
--------------------
I've only bowled 300, but I've benched 345

http://members.bowl.com/FindAMember/memberView.aspx?mp=519&ms=9130&s=2006-2007

toomanytenpins,    What is the pin to PAP distance? You say you moved every thing left and the pin is still right of your ring? If so then you are too close to your PAP if you are a low tracker. A low tracker 4 1/2 over and less than that will have a pin just to right of bridge centerline (above or below) or even above or below the middle finger to be the required 4 to 5" pin to PAP distance.....irregardless of the pictures in the drill sheet. I know this is confusing by Hammers pictures, but their directions are clear about keeping pin to PAP above 4. If you look at the low tracker layout...#8    it even shows the pin under middle finger. Pin under is better for spinner releases as it needs to get an earlier read, as well as pin positions that are bad for you when right of ring( which work great for higher track players. ) I drilled  one #8 for a low track lefty and he loves it ...pin under middle and heart in track below thumb. My pin under ring NoMercy at 1000 abralon ( my PAP is 4 7/8 over and 7/8 up) is 4" from PAP and heart in track is a beast on oil. Once I lose the oil and can't chase it in deeper the ball starts to not recover, as all dull aggressive balls will do without enough oil. If your Power groove is hooking more with its high rg shiny cover and mild core, then your NoMercy with a dull surface a too close a pin to PAP( 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 ) is definitely burning up and loosing energy. It was probably burning up the previous night also. When shiny and weak out hooks your dull and powerful, you are burning up and quitting. Is it the ball that has died....I think not. It is hard to tell sometimes by the ball motion on the lane, but trust me, when I start to leave a flat ten, I check the ball when it returns and check the amount of oil (or lack of) on the ball. If I don't have some decent rings it is time to move in deeper to catch some oil, or time to put him away and go to something longer and weaker covered. I know it is frustrating, but I truly feel the ball is too dull for you, but if you shine it and play direct up the outside it will probably still read too earl with its low pin to PAP distance. As you are forced to swing it it burns up. Just my opinion and experience, Al

Too, this may just not be the ball for you.  Like I said before, friends of mine(good bowlers) had no luck with theirs.

I'm not sure why this ball doesn't work for some bowlers?

It's a real shame that some don't get to see how great this ball really is.  For me it's awesome!  Of course it has to be used on the correct patterns but for the most part I have shot some really big games with it.  I like it becuase it's a strong but controllable reaction.  Plus it does flat out crush the pins.
--------------------
NFC champion Chicago Bears!

Edited on 2/21/2007 9:09 AM

I had the same problem with my no mercy... I had it at box, 2000, then 1000 and later on hit it with a green scotch brite pad. I finally decided to give the ball a hot water bath and it made a huge difference. I never realized a ball could soak up so much oil. Now i have the NM back to 2000 and it is an arcing machine. The NM is a ball that will show you no mercy if you don't keep her clean =P
--------------------
My Arsenal... (PAP is 5 3/4" over and 1" up... Right handed)
- Hammer No Mercy (Layout #1, Sanded to 2000 abralon)
- Ebonite Total NV (Pin 4 1/2 from PAP above fingers, MB at 60 degrees)
- Storm T-Road Pearl (Pin 5" from PAP below ring finger CG below pin slightly kicked out to the right)
- Ebonite Primal Instinct (Pin appx 3" from PAP below fingers, MB at 90 degrees)
- Columbia300 The Beast (Pin 4 1/2" from PAP, CG in the center of grip)
- Columbia300 White Dot - (Label with a small amount of neg. side weight)