BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: L3nn0n on November 21, 2014, 11:16:06 AM
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I'm asking because I have a Brunswick wicked Siege that I've been using for 3 years, 3 times a week between leagues and practice. Someone told me that you can usually bowl about 300 games. I clean the ball everytime I finish my bowling session and I try to keep it in room temperatures and I have taken the ball to been resurfaced a couple of times. Any thoughts?
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As long as it isn't cracked, a bowling ball can last for well past 300 games. Reaction may dwindle a bit over time, but it can still work.
A buddy of mine had close to 2000 games on his Roto Grip Cell. He finally had to throw it in the trash over the Summer because it split in two.
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Sounds like you are managing to maintain your ball very well. The main thing is in the past 3 years oils have changed and so has equipment technology. If you are happy with the results you get from using this ball then continue. If you are looking to perhaps increase your hooking capabilities then a newer ball would be the answer.
Personally I would talk with a professional in a pro shop, one that has a good reputation in your area. You can find out who by asking some of the better players.
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As long as it isn't cracked, a bowling ball can last for well past 300 games. Reaction may dwindle a bit over time, but it can still work.
A buddy of mine had close to 2000 games on his Roto Grip Cell. He finally had to throw it in the trash over the Summer because it split in two.
No it is not cracked, but it has the typical tear and wear after 3 years of use. The reaction is not the same though, so I was thinking of getting the ball a difference surface, maybe going to 1500 or 1000 to see if that helps in the backend so it can hook as it was before.
2000 games??? Oh my god, that is a loooong lifespan! I would like to retire my ball for that reason! I never seen a ball split in two! lol
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Sounds like you are managing to maintain your ball very well. The main thing is in the past 3 years oils have changed and so has equipment technology. If you are happy with the results you get from using this ball then continue. If you are looking to perhaps increase your hooking capabilities then a newer ball would be the answer.
Personally I would talk with a professional in a pro shop, one that has a good reputation in your area. You can find out who by asking some of the better players.
Yeah, I try to take care of my equipment... The thing is that I've been noticing that the ball is not hooking as it was before, and it doesn't seem like the problem could be me or the lanes because the same happens in the other bowling alley where I bowl, so I was thinking about replacing it or maybe change the surface of the ball, but since the ball is 3 years old and with more than 400 games on it, it might be that the ball is dying, which I don't want to because I love that ball! (Was my first high performance ball)
So the pro shop guy can tell me if I should replace it or not? Do they have the tools to diagnose is there something wrong with the ball?
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There is no diagnostic tool, but that is "old" technology compared to the "new" balls. It would not hurt to have the ball put through the "revivor" to remove the soaked in oil, and a resurface to regain some more hook. But a newer ball will probably give you more than that even.
A good pro shop will be best to talk to in order to determine what you need. Hopefully they could see you bowl a few frames to see your speed, rev rate, and then see your track on the ball better. Thus they can also drill it accordingly.
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"Old Technology" is BS especially if you are just bowling on house shots. Heck, Storm has been making the Hy-Road for SIX years now!
Anyway, bowling balls lose reaction, that's a fact. Lane shine, oil absorption, etc...
Baking it in a revivor and a resurface would probably help get some of the reaction back, but it will never be the same as a new ball.
My suggestion, if money is not an issue, buy a new ball but keep the old one for dryer conditions. Nothing beats that new ball reaction!
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A bowling ball lasts until you have a bad night and throw it down the street.
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There is no diagnostic tool, but that is "old" technology compared to the "new" balls. It would not hurt to have the ball put through the "revivor" to remove the soaked in oil, and a resurface to regain some more hook. But a newer ball will probably give you more than that even.
A good pro shop will be best to talk to in order to determine what you need. Hopefully they could see you bowl a few frames to see your speed, rev rate, and then see your track on the ball better. Thus they can also drill it accordingly.
Got you! Yeah, I'm gonna give it a try and take it to the pro shop so they can remove the oil and see if it regain some of the hook that the ball has before. Thankfully I have nothing but compliments for my local shop, the guy is really nice and he seems to really care about his customers, so I'm gonna do that and I'll let you know what happens! Thanks for your help! I appreciate it!
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"Old Technology" is BS especially if you are just bowling on house shots. Heck, Storm has been making the Hy-Road for SIX years now!
Anyway, bowling balls lose reaction, that's a fact. Lane shine, oil absorption, etc...
Baking it in a revivor and a resurface would probably help get some of the reaction back, but it will never be the same as a new ball.
My suggestion, if money is not an issue, buy a new ball but keep the old one for dryer conditions. Nothing beats that new ball reaction!
Yeah I bowl on house shots 90% of the time, I'm about to start bowling on opens and tournaments but also with house shots or sport shots.
The thing is, I also have the curiosity of trying a new ball, and since this one is getting older it seems like the perfect excuse to buy a new one! I'm gonna try to clean the old one in a pro shop to see if it improves a little bit, but I'm also considering buying a new ball, something that can be my number one ball. I asked in another topic what ball would be the best of the options I have, so, wish me luck!
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If balls only lasted 300 games then we'd all be broke with a closet full of old bowling balls. As long as you regularly maintenance the ball and take good care of it then it will last as long as you want it... until it cracks in half and then you cry.
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If balls only lasted 300 games then we'd all be broke with a closet full of old bowling balls. As long as you regularly maintenance the ball and take good care of it then it will last as long as you want it... until it cracks in half and then you cry.
And the bowling ball manufacturers would not be able to make any money and probably drive them out of business.
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If balls only lasted 300 games then we'd all be broke with a closet full of old bowling balls. As long as you regularly maintenance the ball and take good care of it then it will last as long as you want it... until it cracks in half and then you cry.
But obviously the ball start to lose its hook capabilities and reaction even if you take care of it right? I'm not saying that I want to throw my ball away, I still want to use it because it is such a versatile ball, but I noticed a decrease on its reaction lately, regardless if is the first or the thrid game on my league.
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If balls only lasted 300 games then we'd all be broke with a closet full of old bowling balls. As long as you regularly maintenance the ball and take good care of it then it will last as long as you want it... until it cracks in half and then you cry.
But obviously the ball start to lose its hook capabilities and reaction even if you take care of it right? I'm not saying that I want to throw my ball away, I still want to use it because it is such a versatile ball, but I noticed a decrease on its reaction lately, regardless if is the first or the thrid game on my league.
Remember "lose its reaction" is a relative term, not an absolute one.
Balls lose a small portion of their reaction, WHEN you take care of them: clean them, do oil extractions and do refreshing of the surface AND re-surfacing, when these are appropriate.
Sometimes, depending on the ball and it's coverstock, your rev rate, the surface you're bowling upon and several other factors, the time increments required can be a lot smaller than you might think.
In addition, being cheap won't help you.
- Do the service when it's required NOT when you fell like or you have the extra $10 or so laying idle in hour pocket.
- Know when you have gotten the maximum service from your ball.
- Recognize when you or the conditions have changed and it's not the ball's fault.
- Buy a backup IF you really love that ball but also realize that 5 or 10 years down the road that ball might not perform the same way as the prevailing conditions allowed it to 10 years ago.
- Buy a new ball when you have to or when you need to.
- Remember you "buy a ball reaction; you don't buy a ball."
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If balls only lasted 300 games then we'd all be broke with a closet full of old bowling balls. As long as you regularly maintenance the ball and take good care of it then it will last as long as you want it... until it cracks in half and then you cry.
But obviously the ball start to lose its hook capabilities and reaction even if you take care of it right? I'm not saying that I want to throw my ball away, I still want to use it because it is such a versatile ball, but I noticed a decrease on its reaction lately, regardless if is the first or the thrid game on my league.
Remember "lose its reaction" is a relative term, not an absolute one.
Balls lose a small portion of their reaction, WHEN you take care of them: clean them, do oil extractions and do refreshing of the surface AND re-surfacing, when these are appropriate.
Sometimes, depending on the ball and it's coverstock, your rev rate, the surface you're bowling upon and several other factors, the time increments required can be a lot smaller than you might think.
In addition, being cheap won't help you.
- Do the service when it's required NOT when you fell like or you have the extra $10 or so laying idle in hour pocket.
- Know when you have gotten the maximum service from your ball.
- Recognize when you or the conditions have changed and it's not the ball's fault.
- Buy a backup IF you really love that ball but also realize that 5 or 10 years down the road that ball might not perform the same way as the prevailing conditions allowed it to 10 years ago.
- Buy a new ball when you have to or when you need to.
- Remember you "buy a ball reaction; you don't buy a ball."
I clean the balls after every bowling session, I never leave my bag with my balls in the garage or in the trunk of my car and every 40 to 50 games I take them to my pro shop to have them cleaned and resurfaced, so I think I'm being everything but cheap.
- How I'm gonna know when is required? I will know when I fell like the ball needs service, isn't it?
- I don't understand the term "maximum service" what do you mean?
- I always try to see how my ball reacts on practice and during the game to see if it's me or if its the ball or the lane conditions...
- I know it, that's why I'm asking how long does a ball last, because I don't want to get rid of it yet.
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A bowling ball lasts until you have a bad night and throw it down the street.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Best Reply of all ;) 8) ;D
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ive used balls effectively for 1000+ games....as long as you properly maintain it and rejuvenate/resurface when neccessary the ball will last on a house shot for the better part of 10 years. i still use one of my blue vibes....7 year old technology still averaging almost 230 on the house shot. with all the free friction on those things is hard to find a ball to not work as long as its not too strong. its a lot easier to make a ball work if its too weak for the pattern than then making a ball thats too strong to work.
on sport patterns the ball is a bit more sensitive but still has an effective place in my bag.
its all about what the ball is designed for/what cover they have. super strong balls lose reaction a whole lot faster than more medium or weak balls. something like a black widow solid or virtual gravity which were intended for heavy oil are more medium or medium heavy balls today while blue vibes and furiouses which were medium light/medium balls are still medium balls today on THS
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There is no cut and dry explanation for the question you have. Depending on many factors, a ball can die quickly, or last for years.
Different oils have different effects on different balls. Also, the amount of oil you bowl on can have an effect as well. Then, add in your personal cleaning regimen for the ball, and you start to get an idea of all the factors involved.
I have seen the same type ball, owned by two separate bowlers, have significantly shorter lifespans because of these factors.
That being said, I have only seen ONE ball that has actually "died" completely and would not hook anymore, so it does happen. I was even somewhat successful at bringing it back to life, but had to use some extreme, "nothing left to lose", not recommended techniques to do it.
Long story short, how long does a bowling ball last? As long as you can find some condition to use it on, no matter what that condition is.
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There is no cut and dry explanation for the question you have. Depending on many factors, a ball can die quickly, or last for years.
Different oils have different effects on different balls. Also, the amount of oil you bowl on can have an effect as well. Then, add in your personal cleaning regimen for the ball, and you start to get an idea of all the factors involved.
I have seen the same type ball, owned by two separate bowlers, have significantly shorter lifespans because of these factors.
That being said, I have only seen ONE ball that has actually "died" completely and would not hook anymore, so it does happen. I was even somewhat successful at bringing it back to life, but had to use some extreme, "nothing left to lose", not recommended techniques to do it.
Long story short, how long does a bowling ball last? As long as you can find some condition to use it on, no matter what that condition is.
Fortunately I've been very careful with my equipment from the day one I use them, so I guess I can stop worrying about my old ball... Tomorrow I have my first open/tournament and I'm looking forward to use my "old" one on that sport shot. I took it today to the pro shop and it looks almost as good as new! Wish me luck! 8) ;D
ive used balls effectively for 1000+ games....as long as you properly maintain it and rejuvenate/resurface when neccessary the ball will last on a house shot for the better part of 10 years. i still use one of my blue vibes....7 year old technology still averaging almost 230 on the house shot. with all the free friction on those things is hard to find a ball to not work as long as its not too strong. its a lot easier to make a ball work if its too weak for the pattern than then making a ball thats too strong to work.
on sport patterns the ball is a bit more sensitive but still has an effective place in my bag.
its all about what the ball is designed for/what cover they have. super strong balls lose reaction a whole lot faster than more medium or weak balls. something like a black widow solid or virtual gravity which were intended for heavy oil are more medium or medium heavy balls today while blue vibes and furiouses which were medium light/medium balls are still medium balls today on THS
Got it. Thank you so much for explaining that to me. I thought all the balls lose their reaction at the same pace, regardless if is a strong or a weak ball. The Wicked Siege is not as strong as my strongest ball (Aura Paranormal) so I guess I'm safe for at least, another 500 games or so? hehe ;)
Thanks for your help!
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I clean the balls after every bowling session, I never leave my bag with my balls in the garage or in the trunk of my car and every 40 to 50 games I take them to my pro shop to have them cleaned and resurfaced, so I think I'm being everything but cheap.
- How I'm gonna know when is required? I will know when I fell like the ball needs service, isn't it?
- I don't understand the term "maximum service" what do you mean?
- I always try to see how my ball reacts on practice and during the game to see if it's me or if its the ball or the lane conditions...
- I know it, that's why I'm asking how long does a ball last, because I don't want to get rid of it yet.
By "Maximum service", I mean you've gotten all the ball has to give. Best way to tell is when the ball has had the surface refreshed and has had an oil extraction and its performance was restored to some useful degree. You have to know that changing lane and oil conditions are not the reasons for the lack of restored performance.
The type of ball cleaner can have a lot to do with how well the ball is maintained. It should be as strong as possible, not just any one off the shelf. It should be able to readily remove oil shine (rings embedded into the track area that seem like polish but are actually wear covered by oil. There aren't a lot of cleaners that can easily remove this type of "dirt". (LMB International ball cleaner, Hook-It and Clean and Dull are 3 that will do this properly. FYI "Clean and Dull" does not dull a ball.)
Periods of time for refreshing a surface vary wildly with the the actual coverstock, the bowler's rev rate and ball speed, the lane surface and the amount of oil he's bowling on.
Polished balls usually need refreshing every 12 - 25 games. It varies with rev rate, lane surface, etc.
Dull or matte finished balls vary in their time frame. All are changed by use. Some coverstocks are affected quicker than others. You need to be observant of the track area AND the ball's performance. Finer (higher grit number) surfaces, like 4000, usually need to be refreshed more often than duller balls, like 1000 or 1500 grit. It varies again from 6 games to 20 games.
Both polished and dull balls need to be resurfaced from scratch about every 50 games more or less. If a ball's finish is 500/1000/2000/4000, then a resurface needs to start with the base grit, 500 and work it's way up to 4000 grit. If it's 500/2000, then the same applies. If the ball is polished, it needs to be sanded from scratch say 500 grit, taken to the appropriate base grit, before polish is applied. The polished should be applied to the same degree as it was when the bowler started using it.
Oil extraction: again, The bowler needs to watch the ball's surface and the ball's reaction over time. These days, some of these strong coverstocks (Storm, Roto-Grip) are major oil suckers. They may need oil extraction in 25 games. Some covers absorb oil slower (Brunswick, Lane Masters) and may need oil extraction after 50 - 75 games or more.
The better you clean the ball IMMEDIATELY after every use (before putting it in the bag) the longer it will last between oil extractions.
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A ball will probably stay round enough to be used forever. You could still use Manhatten rubber balls if you wanted to, some still do as spare balls.
Even old resin equipment is still usable and scoreable on THS. You will have to move towards the dry and play the lanes differently but you can still score.
Human nature is to want something new plus to get maximum performance from a ball it needs either a new coverstock or to have the coverstock refreshed.
As stated before a maintained ball will last hundreds if not thousands of games.
I've had balls I loved before and used well over a thousand games but I resurfaced the ball 3 or 4 times. I finally quit using it when I couldn't read the serial numbers anymore.
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Based on many of the FS posts, "less than 5 games"...
Scott
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I clean the balls after every bowling session, I never leave my bag with my balls in the garage or in the trunk of my car and every 40 to 50 games I take them to my pro shop to have them cleaned and resurfaced, so I think I'm being everything but cheap.
- How I'm gonna know when is required? I will know when I fell like the ball needs service, isn't it?
- I don't understand the term "maximum service" what do you mean?
- I always try to see how my ball reacts on practice and during the game to see if it's me or if its the ball or the lane conditions...
- I know it, that's why I'm asking how long does a ball last, because I don't want to get rid of it yet.
By "Maximum service", I mean you've gotten all the ball has to give. Best way to tell is when the ball has had the surface refreshed and has had an oil extraction and its performance was restored to some useful degree. You have to know that changing lane and oil conditions are not the reasons for the lack of restored performance.
The type of ball cleaner can have a lot to do with how well the ball is maintained. It should be as strong as possible, not just any one off the shelf. It should be able to readily remove oil shine (rings embedded into the track area that seem like polish but are actually wear covered by oil. There aren't a lot of cleaners that can easily remove this type of "dirt". (LMB International ball cleaner, Hook-It and Clean and Dull are 3 that will do this properly. FYI "Clean and Dull" does not dull a ball.)
Periods of time for refreshing a surface vary wildly with the the actual coverstock, the bowler's rev rate and ball speed, the lane surface and the amount of oil he's bowling on.
Polished balls usually need refreshing every 12 - 25 games. It varies with rev rate, lane surface, etc.
Dull or matte finished balls vary in their time frame. All are changed by use. Some coverstocks are affected quicker than others. You need to be observant of the track area AND the ball's performance. Finer (higher grit number) surfaces, like 4000, usually need to be refreshed more often than duller balls, like 1000 or 1500 grit. It varies again from 6 games to 20 games.
Both polished and dull balls need to be resurfaced from scratch about every 50 games more or less. If a ball's finish is 500/1000/2000/4000, then a resurface needs to start with the base grit, 500 and work it's way up to 4000 grit. If it's 500/2000, then the same applies. If the ball is polished, it needs to be sanded from scratch say 500 grit, taken to the appropriate base grit, before polish is applied. The polished should be applied to the same degree as it was when the bowler started using it.
Oil extraction: again, The bowler needs to watch the ball's surface and the ball's reaction over time. These days, some of these strong coverstocks (Storm, Roto-Grip) are major oil suckers. They may need oil extraction in 25 games. Some covers absorb oil slower (Brunswick, Lane Masters) and may need oil extraction after 50 - 75 games or more.
The better you clean the ball IMMEDIATELY after every use (before putting it in the bag) the longer it will last between oil extractions.
My god! Thanks for your answer... I might need to print it out so I can remember how often should I go to the pro shop for oil extraction, resurface, etc...
I thought it was about every 50 games or so when I had to take them to service, but I've been noticing that my older ball lose its polish and its reaction faster than my newer balls, not to mention the dull one I have, which soaks oil like crazy!
Thanks again for the info, noted and printed ;D ;D ;D
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A ball will probably stay round enough to be used forever. You could still use Manhatten rubber balls if you wanted to, some still do as spare balls. ...
Funny you should say that, Bob.
There's a guy in my Tuesday Men's handicap who uses and has used for as long as anyone has known him, an ACE rubber ball. Nothing would ever convince him to buy a new ball when this one is still usable. And he is not an old man, per se. maybe 65 or so.
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There is no sure answer to the question. The reason is that modern balls gain their friction coefficient from both the abrasiveness of the shell, and chemical additives ( resin ). Over time, the abrasiveness of the shell can change, although it is possible to restore it to some degree. At the same time urethane shells absorb oil that interacts with the resin to reduce the chemical friction. De oiling, no matter what procedure is used is problematic in restoring the chemical friction to box condition.
The reason it is hard to tell how soon a ball will die is that there is an abundance of friction available on most house shots, so that even when chemical friction decreases a ball may still react well if you play the pattern correctly. Tournament patterns can be another matter, where the advantage of chemical friction is more important due to no built in swing area to the outside part of the lane
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A ball lasts until something makes it unfit to be thrown, a big chunk out of it, a crack all the way around it, etc. The reaction may degrade, but it is still usable if only as a spare ball. -- JohnP
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I clean the balls after every bowling session, I never leave my bag with my balls in the garage or in the trunk of my car and every 40 to 50 games I take them to my pro shop to have them cleaned and resurfaced, so I think I'm being everything but cheap.
- How I'm gonna know when is required? I will know when I fell like the ball needs service, isn't it?
- I don't understand the term "maximum service" what do you mean?
- I always try to see how my ball reacts on practice and during the game to see if it's me or if its the ball or the lane conditions...
- I know it, that's why I'm asking how long does a ball last, because I don't want to get rid of it yet.
By "Maximum service", I mean you've gotten all the ball has to give. Best way to tell is when the ball has had the surface refreshed and has had an oil extraction and its performance was restored to some useful degree. You have to know that changing lane and oil conditions are not the reasons for the lack of restored performance.
The type of ball cleaner can have a lot to do with how well the ball is maintained. It should be as strong as possible, not just any one off the shelf. It should be able to readily remove oil shine (rings embedded into the track area that seem like polish but are actually wear covered by oil. There aren't a lot of cleaners that can easily remove this type of "dirt". (LMB International ball cleaner, Hook-It and Clean and Dull are 3 that will do this properly. FYI "Clean and Dull" does not dull a ball.)
Periods of time for refreshing a surface vary wildly with the the actual coverstock, the bowler's rev rate and ball speed, the lane surface and the amount of oil he's bowling on.
Polished balls usually need refreshing every 12 - 25 games. It varies with rev rate, lane surface, etc.
Dull or matte finished balls vary in their time frame. All are changed by use. Some coverstocks are affected quicker than others. You need to be observant of the track area AND the ball's performance. Finer (higher grit number) surfaces, like 4000, usually need to be refreshed more often than duller balls, like 1000 or 1500 grit. It varies again from 6 games to 20 games.
Both polished and dull balls need to be resurfaced from scratch about every 50 games more or less. If a ball's finish is 500/1000/2000/4000, then a resurface needs to start with the base grit, 500 and work it's way up to 4000 grit. If it's 500/2000, then the same applies. If the ball is polished, it needs to be sanded from scratch say 500 grit, taken to the appropriate base grit, before polish is applied. The polished should be applied to the same degree as it was when the bowler started using it.
Oil extraction: again, The bowler needs to watch the ball's surface and the ball's reaction over time. These days, some of these strong coverstocks (Storm, Roto-Grip) are major oil suckers. They may need oil extraction in 25 games. Some covers absorb oil slower (Brunswick, Lane Masters) and may need oil extraction after 50 - 75 games or more.
The better you clean the ball IMMEDIATELY after every use (before putting it in the bag) the longer it will last between oil extractions.
My god! Thanks for your answer... I might need to print it out so I can remember how often should I go to the pro shop for oil extraction, resurface, etc...
I thought it was about every 50 games or so when I had to take them to service, but I've been noticing that my older ball lose its polish and its reaction faster than my newer balls, not to mention the dull one I have, which soaks oil like crazy!
Thanks again for the info, noted and printed ;D ;D ;D
And this is a great reason to get a spinner and develop a method to de-oil yourself. Definitely saves money in the long run.
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Listen to what Charlest has to say. Probably the only person over the years that I have gotten knowledgeable advise and guidance from.
My own experince,I have a Storm Trauma Recovery has has well past 600 games accumulated,and is 12 years old. On tougher conditions I can pull it outta the bag and it still performs good.I am a stickler about mainting a ball and with this being a particle ball,it requires a little more attention.
CIAO!