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Author Topic: How do you bowl with a Urethane  (Read 12942 times)

Zanatos1914

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How do you bowl with a Urethane
« on: December 14, 2009, 12:36:20 PM »
I have this small problem and I just realize that I dont know how to bowl with a old urethane balls..  I have old hammer urethane and have trouble with using this ball..  Most balls with weight blocks I can spin and watch them come back but this ball moves less than my plastic and my normal release is spinning the ball and watching for the break point..  

There is no break point or I guess I am over powering the ball...

Are urethanes just point and release balls because there is no real weight block?
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six pack

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2009, 08:53:23 PM »
I''ll try to answer this the best I can.my black hammer is one of the smoothest balls I''ve owned,hooks the whole lane from foul line to pin deck. you don''t really play a break point so much with a ball like this.just line up and shoot is all it takes to score well with a urethane,probably why some bowlers like urethane is it takes alot of lane play out of the equation. when I throw urethane you have to revert back to old school bowling,add some loft to your release and point it some.
BTW the old hammers and many others have a weight block in them.

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REVerse

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2009, 09:16:21 PM »
Stay behind it. Lots of forward roll. (At least for me)
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dougb

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2009, 09:16:46 PM »
In my experience, if you expect urethane to hook a lot you're in for a disappointment.  But it definitely hooks more than plastic, especially the old ones with weight blocks like the Hammers.  My urethane lends itself very well to a more down-and-in shot or the outside line.

Many of the old Hammer balls I've seen are drilled very weak (pin and cg in a vertical line at 12 o'clock) and work better as spare balls.  How is yours laid out?
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No Revs00300

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2009, 09:30:38 PM »
When I throw urethane I have to play the front part of the lane. It's just the opposite with resin, I need to play the break point or back of the lane. I am not saying this is right or wrong, but that's how I do it.
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asdfg68plus1

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2009, 07:30:15 PM »
The only urethane ball I have is a Jade Quantum, and despite being urethane, that ball hooks a good bit.  I think it's partly because of the core, and partly because it's "proactive urethane" but I don't know how big a difference that makes.
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charlest

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2009, 08:10:33 PM »
quote:
The only urethane ball I have is a Jade Quantum, and despite being urethane, that ball hooks a good bit.  I think it's partly because of the core, and partly because it's "proactive urethane" but I don't know how big a difference that makes.


The Jade Quantum, as far as I know, is not a urethane. It is a solid resin ball with particles embedded in it.

"Reactive urethane" was Brunswick's term for resin balls.
"Reactive resin" is also "reactive urethane" is resin.

"Proactive urethane" was Brunswick's term for particle balls, resin balls with particles embedded in the resin for added traction.

These are/were just terms or jargon used to confuse the unwary.

FYI Visionary was the only company of which I am aware that also embedded particle into urethane balls: Black Scorcher had particles embedded in a solid urethane. The Purple Ice Executioner had particles embedded into a pealrized urethane.



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dizzyfugu

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2009, 07:55:07 AM »
I can confirm that an "old school" urethane plays a bit different than a modern resin ball. I have a Blue Hammer, with a "classic" label setup - very smooth. Ball is at 1.000 grit wet sanded (I assume that''''s what it was OOB in its days), and what really makes it "different" is the little traction the cover has. For me, most of its friction comes through the surface prep, and the rolly/early breaking label setup.

It reaction is very mild and arcing. As mentioned before, due to the label setup it breaks early, so its breakpoint shape is very even. Best line for me is between 1st and 2nd arrow straight down, with gradual adjustments to hold the line. Only on REALLY dry lanes I can swing it, and - miracle of miracles - it does NOT burn up!

What''s astonishing, though, is that the ball works this way on a very wide range of conditions - from almost bone dry to real mediums and even more. And when it hits, it is either a loud shattering of pins (I suppose it is its massive and hard construction) with a good strike, or just permanent 9 pins with varying single leaves. It has for me relatively little room for error, no room for recovery for shots that went too close to the gutter (washouts galore). But it is great for drying lanes/heads and as a training tool.

Overall I''d rate it more versatile than many modern balls. It is really different from a typical reactive from today. I can see/feel with it what made a "good bowler" in the early 90ies
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Edited on 12/17/2009 2:07 AM
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Zanatos1914

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2009, 10:15:31 AM »
Thanks for all the input because I was having trouble reading this old ball because is very different than even my plastic.

I have trouble with dry mid lanes because of my style of bowling but it seems everybody who is a cranker has the same problem...

Will adjust the cover stock and polish the ball to help get it down the lane and hopefull it will drive to the pocket....

Thanks again...
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dougb

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2009, 12:46:08 PM »
quote:
I can confirm that an "old school" urethane plays a bit different than a modern resin ball. I have a Blue Hammer, with a "classic" label setup - very smooth. Ball is at 1.000 grit wet sanded (I assume that's what it was OOB in its days), and what really makes it "different" is the little traction the cover has. For me, most of its friction comes through the surface prep.
It reaction is very mild and arcing. Due to the label setup it breaks early, so its breakpoint shape is very even. Best line for me ist between 1st and 2nd arrow straight down, with gradual adjustments to hold the line.

What's astonishing, though, is that the ball works this way on a very wide range of conditions - from almost dry to real mediums and more. And when it hits, it is either a loud shattering of pins (I suppose it is its massive and hard construction) with a good strike, or just permanent 9 pins with varying single leaves. It has for me relatively little room for error, no room for recovery for shots that went too close to the gutter (washouts). But it is great for dry lanes and as a training tool.

Overall I'd rate it more versatile than many modern balls. It is really different from a typical reactive from today. I can see/feel with it what made a "food bowler" in the early 90ies


I also have a label-drilled Blue Hammer and Dizzyfugu captures it perfectly.  It really is a fun ball to play with and very versatile... much different than any of my reactive equipment.
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OddBalls

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2009, 12:49:51 PM »
Short oil patterns is where I find these ball shine..

No crazy u-turns off the dry, but a  nice smooth hook
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Juggernaut

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2009, 01:11:10 PM »
quote:
I have this small problem and I just realize that I dont know how to bowl with a old urethane balls..  I have old hammer urethane and have trouble with using this ball..  Most balls with weight blocks I can spin and watch them come back but this ball moves less than my plastic and my normal release is spinning the ball and watching for the break point..  

There is no break point or I guess I am over powering the ball...

Are urethanes just point and release balls because there is no real weight block?
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I Am The 3 Fingers Nightmare


  You know how to throw a ball, but you don't know how to roll a ball. Back when the older urethanes were predominant, spinning the ball was absolute death to the reaction.

  To be effective with an older urethane, you will either have to have BONE DRY lanes with your current release, or you'll have to modify your release to generate more roll and less skid.

  Before reactive resin and gyroscopic weight blocks, you had to generate much of the roll with your hand release. That's why guys from the old days (like ME) tend to complain that modern balls are too "easy" to hook and roll because the ball does much of that for you.

  The old urethanes are still good, just not nearly as aggressive as some of todays modern coverstocks, and need a little help from either the bowler or the lane conditions.
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lenstanles703

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2009, 01:36:26 PM »
The old urethane balls had much more surface than todays balls. Sand it to 220 or 320 grit and it will hook.
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mainzer

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2009, 03:24:15 PM »
I move out more, go straighter up the boards maybe just a small swing. Also Slow my ball speed down make sure my hand is more behind it, seems like if you get around them to much it has a hard time reacting.

It is a different style of bowling all together from Reactive to Urethane.
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dougb

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Re: How do you bowl with a Urethane
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2009, 06:46:37 PM »
quote:
On todays longer heavier patterns it will only be useful when you can square up and play closer to the gutter.


This is exactly where my urethane shines.  I love watching Norm Duke and Walter Ray play down-and-in the deep outside.  Maybe someday I'll be able to do that with reactive resin balls like them... in the mean time I'll use my urethane for that line.
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