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Author Topic: call me crazy...  (Read 4212 times)

312films

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call me crazy...
« on: December 01, 2010, 12:41:09 PM »
but if you're a decent bowler, do you ever need more than 2 strike balls if you're bowling only house shots? I average around 210 on a ths, and I see tons of lower average bowlers who are sold into the idea that the more balls they own the better they'll be.  To me, it's just counter productive.  Too many variables, plus how often do you see someone make a "ball change" when they don't even know how to make adjustments to their physical game.  I don't mean to rant, I just wish some people would realize that a typical house shot is a typical house, and it never needs more than a couple balls in the bag, no matter what you average.  Not only will it help your game, it will save a fat stack of green to boot.

 

Dan Belcher

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2010, 06:46:51 AM »
A good bowler can score relatively well on a fresh house shot with pretty much anything. Sanded heavy oil ball, urethane, or anything in-between. But a good bowler can also know when to make appropriate ball changes to complement physical adjustments when the shot calls for it. Just because it's a house shot doesn't mean it doesn't drastically change by the end of the night depending on who else is bowling on your lanes. Some nights I stick with one bowling ball and barely move my feet the entire night. Other nights I end up 15 boards left of where I started throwing something highly polished or throwing an entry-level reactive because the lanes have changed so much. (And I'm a stroker, so it's even more drastic a change for someone who really hooks it!) Yeah, I could still hit the pocket and carry a lot of shots with the ball I started with, but I also am going to leave quite a few more corner pins and 4 pins simply because it wouldn't give me the same amount of margin for error that a better match-up ball would give me. That's the difference between walking away with a couple hundred bucks in jackpot money after shooting a 279 versus walking away empty-handed after shooting a 237.

So yes, it's not necessary to just change balls constantly like many people do. (I have a teammate who thinks he's a great bowler, when in fact he's not even close, and he doesn't know anything at all about physical adjustments, so he just switches balls three or four times a night without any thought process behind why he's switching to something else). But I bring four strikes balls plus plastic with me to league simply because I don't know what kind of shot I'll see by the end of the night, and my ball I use to smooth out the backends on a fresh shot probably won't be the right one by the end of the night when I see I'm bowling against a bunch of old men who have their heavy oil balls sanded to 500 and fluff them right up the track area, no matter how much I can adjust my physical game.

baccala8872

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2010, 06:56:40 AM »
I usually  bring 5 balls to league night, mainly because in 2 of the 3 nights per week that I bowl, it's a double shift, and in 2 separate houses.  I see lots of transitions during the night.

Then again, sometimes I'm just lazy and don't want to move my feet
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RealBowler

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2010, 07:22:49 AM »
Define THS.  What is it?  Is your house exactly like mine?  Do you know anything about my house?  I think the notion of a THS is bupkis.  If it isn't, then I want everybody to stop asking questions like what surface, what kind of pins, what type of lane machine, etc.

If it doesn't really matter, then we should all have to use the same equipment.  Pick a weight that is suitable for everybody, maybe 14 or 15 lb and we all use the same ball, and the same drilling.

Sure the answer to your question might be for everybody to take some lessons and learn a bunch of different releases, but I'm guessing that at least 80% of league bowlers don't care.  It's a chance for them to get together with friends, shoot the breeze, maybe drink some beers, and forget about real life for a few hours.

And I can think of several thousand people that appreciate the people that buy multiple balls.  I'm sure your local pro shop is one of them, along with all the employees of the ball companies.  And I only bring that up because during the holiday I found out that one of the local shops where I used to live is closing at the end of year.  He says that people aren't buying equipment and he can't afford to stay in business on the little bit of money he is making.

Now excuse me, I have to go load my 12 bowling balls in the car for league tonight.  I like to switch every couple of frames whether I need to or not.


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Monster Pike

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2010, 09:21:22 AM »
Yeah, what''s wrong with carrying a few extra balls...?  And what''s wrong with having all of them be solids or pearls...?  So What?  

I''ve been struggling w/my pearl equipment, so I''m bringing my VG that I usually (try) start with & if I have to I will "ball down" to my Special Agent, LoL... It is weaker than a VG & I also have it drilled pin 1" above ring cg in line as opposed to my VG drilled pin almost even w/ring cg & MB kicked slightly right...

And sometimes if it''s just one of those nights & bowling like crap, I like to pull out a little used or semi-retired old ball & see what it will do during league...  Change of scenery sort of...
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Edited on 12/2/2010 10:22 AM

Steven

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2010, 09:57:08 AM »
quote:
I think it depends on your goals. If you are happy averaging around 210, then bring only 2 balls and be happy. But I know a lot of bowlers averaging over 230 who bring in 5 - 6 balls and for the most part use at least 3 or more during a 3 game set. They are aware how the shot breaks down and also that the lanes although THS, may not be the same from week to week. Their goal is to average 230 higher every week.


+1

I'll usually bring 5 balls plus a plastic spare with me to league. 90% of the time, I'll end up using the same 2 balls I normally do after seeing a few warmup shots, but you never know. The different ends of the house play different. Based on weather and other variables, sometimes it's oilier than normal, and sometimes drier.

There is nothing wrong with having contingency balls. And I do believe it can be the difference between averaging 220 and 230+.

Monster Pike

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2010, 10:22:29 AM »
quote:
quote:
I think it depends on your goals. If you are happy averaging around 210, then bring only 2 balls and be happy. But I know a lot of bowlers averaging over 230 who bring in 5 - 6 balls and for the most part use at least 3 or more during a 3 game set. They are aware how the shot breaks down and also that the lanes although THS, may not be the same from week to week. Their goal is to average 230 higher every week.


+1

I''ll usually bring 5 balls plus a plastic spare with me to league. 90% of the time, I''ll end up using the same 2 balls I normally do after seeing a few warmup shots, but you never know. The different ends of the house play different. Based on weather and other variables, sometimes it''s oilier than normal, and sometimes drier.

There is nothing wrong with having contingency balls. And I do believe it can be the difference between averaging 220 and 230+.


+2 but only 3 balls... (and not as high avgs. as you "stud" bowlers)
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Edited on 12/2/2010 11:22 AM

Steven

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2010, 10:44:19 AM »
quote:
+2 but only 3 balls... (and not as high avgs. as you "stud" bowlers)


LOL... Definitely no bowling stud here....

At the THS level, you get to a point where you can hit the pocket consistently with almost anything. Then the issue becomes carry. Hook shape and angle of entry become the holy grail for consistently higher scores.

I have versatility in release, angle and speed, but sometimes you ping ten pins and seven pins with a given ball no matter what adjustments you make. That's where having different ball choices becomes key. I'll rarely use more than 2 balls in a set, but there are occasional situations where having another choice can save your bacon. For me, it's worth the extra bother.

Monster Pike

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2010, 10:54:37 AM »
quote:
quote:
+2 but only 3 balls... (and not as high avgs. as you "stud" bowlers)


LOL... Definitely no bowling stud here....

At the THS level, you get to a point where you can hit the pocket consistently with almost anything. Then the issue becomes carry. Hook shape and angle of entry become the holy grail for consistently higher scores.

I have versatility in release, angle and speed, but sometimes you ping ten pins and seven pins with a given ball no matter what adjustments you make. That's where having different ball choices becomes key. I'll rarely use more than 2 balls in a set, but there are occasional situations where having another choice can save your bacon. For me, it's worth the extra bother.


Totally agree.  Not sure why it bothers other bowlers who only use 1 ball...  Like a buddy of mine always says when questioned, "Don't let it bother ya"...
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Russell

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #24 on: December 02, 2010, 11:30:55 AM »
It doesn't bother me...I'm just saying that the good bowlers (the ones that can strike on more than house china) can bowl on THS with whatever is in their hand.  Guys who switch balls non stop in league are good at repeating shots...but there is a lot more to being a good bowler than repeating the same thing over and over again.
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Crash7189

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #25 on: December 02, 2010, 11:58:55 AM »
I was at a Fred Borden Clinic. He said for a house shot you only need 4 balls.
1st ball in your bag is a spare ball. 2nd ball your is your thermometer ball.  The one you use 80% of the time on a house shot,  For med house conditions.
Then one for oil and one for dry. That is all you should need. Fred said if some one comes to a house shot league with 5,6,7 strike balls he said that is a confused bowler.  Plus I bowl with a regional Pro he has 5 regional & 1 National Title. What he does is ball up or down. Once he finds his break point and can carry. He will just change the ball not so much speed or big moves on a house shot it works great for him. On a pba or a sport shot he will move if a ball change does not work. He only brings 4 to a house shot and no more than 8 to a Pro tourney. He is a great bowler. And Fred Borden has forgotten more about bowling then I could ever learn

TWOHAND834

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #26 on: December 02, 2010, 12:43:06 PM »
I have to disagree.  What constitutes a "good" bowler first of all?  A good bowler will not strike with just anything on a THS.  An ELITE bowler, yes.  Good.........not so much.  Give your 230 THS bowler a plastic ball on heavier mediums and I bet more than not he is not shooting average.  I know that is exaggerated a bit but you get the point.  Do I consider myself a good bowler?  Of course I do. Average 230+ on THS and 210 career at USBCs.  Do I shoot "average" if given an extremely weak ball on the conditions we see on Tuesday Nights?  Odds are not in my favor even with my rev rate.  I am not expecting to shoot 700+.  Realistically, I am expecting 650.  

Here is my take:  If you are a stroker type, you can get away with 2 balls on most nights.  Cranker types are more likely to need 3 to 4 balls because their rev rates can hurt them as much as it can help them.  IMO...house shots are just as relative as the averages you have on them.  I say this because house shots differ from house to house.  I bowled in 2 different houses 3-4 years ago and both were on fresh conditions.  I "averaged" 236 in one house and 223 in the other.  To me, 13 sticks is a big number.  Thoughts?
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qstick777

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #27 on: December 02, 2010, 01:29:28 PM »
I usually take 2 balls to league, but have 2 or 3 more in the trunk.  

My spare ball is also my light oil/broken down shot ball.  I'm far more consistent with that ball on spares than I ever was with plastic.  I'll move to this ball when the other ball is just too much.

My other ball in the bag is my benchmark, and maybe it really isn't.  It's the first ball I switched to last year when I moved back to 15lb, and it's been pretty consistent.  I still run into times when it just isn't enough ball, but I'll just fight through it, or use my spare ball and play straighter.  If that doesn't work I move to....

The other 2 in the trunk.  They are whatever 15lb ball I've finally gotten around to plugging and redrilling.  They'll only get brought in to throw during practice, or if I'm really struggling with the other 2 balls.  Face it, if I'm bowling bad with the balls that I know, it isn't going to hurt anything to use a new ball.

The last 1 in the trunk is my old 14lb ball.  It's really just there as a security blanket.


Pinbuster

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Re: call me crazy...
« Reply #28 on: December 02, 2010, 01:39:39 PM »
First off I'm old school and in general feel multiple ball changes in a night are self defeating. I've generally felt someone who comes into league play with 8 or 10 balls is beat before they start.

Not all house shots are created equal and not all houses are equally maintained.

Around here you can pretty much expect the same shot from week to week. So once you find a ball that works you can expect it to work virtually every week.

That being said I carry 3 strike balls and a plastic spare. A couple of medium balls one with an arc shape one with more of a sharp break point. The other ball has a little more surface and rolls earlier in case the lanes are a little oiler that night.

I will use one ball 80+% of the time.

Definition of good bowlers varies. I bowl in the Wichita area so I see lots of national PBA, USBC champions, and top amateur bowlers particularly collegiate bowlers.

Lots of people would say I'm a good bowler but I can't compete with those guys.