BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: pears on January 11, 2017, 05:26:47 PM
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I have a general question for everybody......... I picked up league bowling again after about an 8 or so year vacation. I am wondering what your thoughts are on having a spare ball. I have personally never had one, I always used the ball I showed up with to strike with, to also spare with. I recently won a bowling.com monthly drawing for the Code Black. My current roller is the Snap Lock and also a lighter weight phaze (which I wont use). My question is what would you do if you were in my position. Do you take and drill the code black for another strike ball, or do you sell it and get a spare ball? I really dont want/have a need for an arsenal of balls at the lanes other than, why not.
This is not a hidden brag post. Im just wondering what fellow bowlers thoughts would be. Thanks in advance
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If you don't feel a spare ball would help you then I don't see a need for one.
I personally would sell it as I feel the Snap Lock and Code Black are too close to warrant having both just for leagues
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If you don't feel a spare ball would help you then I don't see a need for one.
I personally would sell it as I feel the Snap Lock and Code Black are too close to warrant having both just for leagues
Thats kind of what I was thinking, but was also wondering if there was any real advantage to having a spare ball, most in my league seem to have one. I guess another option would he to just not have the Code Black drilled.
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I don't know, the Snap Lock and Code Black do have fairly different reactions. Despite it's name the Snap Lock has a smoother, more rounded/early shape while the Code Black is later and more angular. Would be an even more pronounced difference if the Snap Lock had some surface added.
To sell the Code Black and buy a spare ball with some of the cash coming back wouldn't be an awful idea, although I would just keep it. Get rid of the Phaze you don't use if anything.
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I don't know, the Snap Lock and Code Black do have fairly different reactions. Despite it's name the Snap Lock has a smoother, more rounded/early shape while the Code Black is later and more angular. Would be an even more pronounced difference if the Snap Lock had some surface added.
To sell the Code Black and buy a spare ball with some of the cash coming back wouldn't be an awful idea, although I would just keep it. Get rid of the Phaze you don't use if anything.
I did have the snap lock hit with a 4k grit finish. Plays exactly how I need it to now.
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Drill the Code Black, its later and more angular than the Snap Lock. Keep those two and then sell the Phaze you don't use and buy a urethane ball. Use the urethane ball for spares and bowling on short patterns if you ever do. Even if you don't, the urethane isn't a bad addition with the option to play double duty and should last longer than plastic.
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Advantages of a spare ball, preferably plastic: 1. it will go straighter than a reactive resin ball, making it easier to make the ten pin (whether or not you change your hand position to make it go almost dead straight); 2. after you've learned how to make all your spares except double wood with the plastic ball you can go to other houses and use the same shot, perhaps with a little adjustment, to make the same spares. Now, you decide. -- JohnP
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After years of fighting it I switched this season to using plastic on all my spares with few exceptions. One of the reasons was because of bowling on sport patterns and the other because of bowling nationals this coming season.
Wish I had done this sooner. Spare percentage has gone up because of this change. Ive added plenty of practice to make the transition as short as possible.
It is an easy way to almost completely take the lane conditions out of play for spares.
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Great info and opinions here. Really seems to be a do I/dont I need. I have never carried a spare ball with me but have noticed how many do use them and I wondered if there was a real advantage to having one. Thanks for the advice and opinions.
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I would like to second JohnP's and ignitebowling's posts and also add that using a plastic ball for spares will save wear and tear on your strike ball. Maybe not as important as what they posted, but with ball prices what they are, it may be a small matter to consider. I've seen many balls bounce back out of the gutter when thrown at the corner pin and come back with damage. I would rather have that on a cheap plastic ball than on my strike ball.
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I would like to second JohnP's and ignitebowling's posts and also add that using a plastic ball for spares will save wear and tear on your strike ball. Maybe not as important as what they posted, but with ball prices what they are, it may be a small matter to consider. I've seen many balls bounce back out of the gutter when thrown at the corner pin and come back with damage. I would rather have that on a cheap plastic ball than on my strike ball.
Yup, this is one of my reasons for using a designated spare ball. The main one being what ignite outlined in his post. But the less you throw your "strike" balls the longer they will last and the less maintenance that needs to be done on them.
For what it's worth if you do decide to get a spare ball I would recommend a Mix instead of a polyester. Doesn't hook any more than something like a White Dot or TZone, and the pearl/urethane coverstock is way more durable. Doesn't really cost a whole lot more either.
Still wouldn't sell the Code Black for one though. The latter is too good of a ball to get rid of NIB in my opinion unless you're making a really nice profit on it.
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Great info and opinions here. Really seems to be a do I/dont I need. I have never carried a spare ball with me but have noticed how many do use them and I wondered if there was a real advantage to having one. Thanks for the advice and opinions.
There's the factor of using a strike ball (they're getting more and more expensive PLUS they need more and more maintenance to perform consistently) for a spare ball.
The more you use it, the more maintenance it requires in both de-oiling and in surface maintenance. Throwing it cross alley at many spares, it rolls over and absorbs more oil than when just used as strike ball. Many of these heavy oil balls are sheer oil vacuums.
Surface is always more worry than de-oiling. Using the strike ball for 30 frames is possibly as many as 60 times plus warm-ups per league session. That's a lot of use. You'll have to refresh the surface after every session, instead of may be after every 2 - 3 sessions.
With plastic or urethane, you virtually never have to worry about how or where to throw it. Forcing the strike ball to go straight is not always as easy.
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I too agree with getting a plastic spare ball.
Just adding. I know it really doesn't matter but with a plastic ball you actually have a choice of color and design with it. I paid a little more for mine. I bought a Golden Globe. Really like it.
I saw someone the other throwing some kind of spiral design. The ball really stood out going down the lane.
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I was someone that never wanted to "waste" the spot in the bag for a plastic ball; in the sport league I am in or in a tournament I always felt that I was going to leave a ball at home that I "should" have had to make room for plastic.
My spare shooting was decent to good; but the bane of my existence was 10 tens. no matter how flat my hand was, how much forward roll I put on the ball, and any other adjustment there was always going to be those misses where the reactive/strike ball would hook at the back and miss the 10 pin.
By switching to plastic, I have the same way to play my spares across all the sport patterns I see in league and any other pattern I might see in tournaments. if you are going to remaining bowling I would say get a plastic ball for spares.
Getting plastic doesn't mean you need to sell the Code Black; but then again I am a recovering ball-aholic
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A lot of you are suggesting a plastic or urethane ball. In my original post I had mentioned that I have a Phaze also and that I wont use it. I say that because it is a pound lighter than my Snap Lock and I throw the ball rather than roll it. I have seen a few posts on here that the Phaze isn't that great of a ball. Rather than try to sell the Phaze, and since its drilled for me anyway, would it be stupid on my part to have it heavily polished and just use that as a spare ball?
I realize I can do whatever I want with my equipment, but I also value others opinions.
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A lot of you are suggesting a plastic or urethane ball. In my original post I had mentioned that I have a Phaze also and that I wont use it. I say that because it is a pound lighter than my Snap Lock and I throw the ball rather than roll it. I have seen a few posts on here that the Phaze isn't that great of a ball. Rather than try to sell the Phaze, and since its drilled for me anyway, would it be stupid on my part to have it heavily polished and just use that as a spare ball?
I realize I can do whatever I want with my equipment, but I also value others opinions.
Sooner or later you are going to a hit a condition that is really fried or find yourself on a very short pattern. No amount of polish is not going to give you the length you need for the corner pin (even if the ball is a pound lighter). Why take the chance? Plastic ball is cheap. It will help preserve your high end equipment. There are a lot of pros.
It seems like you have made up your mind, so just polish the Phaze and use it as a spare. No problem.
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A lot of you are suggesting a plastic or urethane ball. In my original post I had mentioned that I have a Phaze also and that I wont use it. I say that because it is a pound lighter than my Snap Lock and I throw the ball rather than roll it. I have seen a few posts on here that the Phaze isn't that great of a ball. Rather than try to sell the Phaze, and since its drilled for me anyway, would it be stupid on my part to have it heavily polished and just use that as a spare ball?
I realize I can do whatever I want with my equipment, but I also value others opinions.
Sooner or later you are going to a hit a condition that is really fried or find yourself on a very short pattern. No amount of polish is not going to give you the length you need for the corner pin (even if the ball is a pound lighter). Why take the chance? Plastic ball is cheap. It will help preserve your high end equipment. There are a lot of pros.
+1
I am speed dominant and found a way to hook polished-non-flaring urethane on a short sport pattern while shooting 7 pins - less than a week later I solved that problem and was using plastic.
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I'd go with a polished Storm Mix, pearl urethane with a pancake weight block. It'll hold up better than plastic though it'll cost a few more dollars.
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A lot of you are suggesting a plastic or urethane ball. In my original post I had mentioned that I have a Phaze also and that I wont use it. I say that because it is a pound lighter than my Snap Lock and I throw the ball rather than roll it. I have seen a few posts on here that the Phaze isn't that great of a ball. Rather than try to sell the Phaze, and since its drilled for me anyway, would it be stupid on my part to have it heavily polished and just use that as a spare ball?
I realize I can do whatever I want with my equipment, but I also value others opinions.
Sooner or later you are going to a hit a condition that is really fried or find yourself on a very short pattern. No amount of polish is not going to give you the length you need for the corner pin (even if the ball is a pound lighter). Why take the chance? Plastic ball is cheap. It will help preserve your high end equipment. There are a lot of pros.
It seems like you have made up your mind, so just polish the Phaze and use it as a spare. No problem.
I wouldn't go as far as saying that I've made my mind up. Just a question of why not use what I already have on hand. I have come to the conclusion though, that when it comes to the Phaze, I either let it collect dust in my basement or pretty much give it away.
I will say that there is a lot of great feed back given in this thread, thank you. I need to get myself a proper spare ball and be done with it.
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I'd go with a polished Storm Mix, pearl urethane with a pancake weight block. It'll hold up better than plastic though it'll cost a few more dollars.
The difference is around $10 between a Mix and a Maxim. I would go the urethane route and call it a day. For me, I can get several years from a urethane and maybe 2 from plastic.
Depending on the condition of the Phaze and the drilling, you may be able to get something in return for it at the pro shop. Might help reduce the overall cost of the spare ball.
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Take the Code Black, sell the Phaze, and get a spare ball. Go with a Mix for your spare ball, will last longer than a plastic ball. Even a minor upgrade like a Mix is still very cheap.
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For me I could not score as well without a plastic spare ball. I use my Plastic spare ball for the 10, 9, 6 & 3 on the Right, and the 4, 7 or 8 on the left. If I have a head pin, a 5 pin I use my strike ball down my strike path, If I have a bucket, or a sleeper on the left, I use my strike ball but go for the Brooklyn.
With the exception of the 10 pin I use the 10 board arrow, and for the 10 pin I use the 15 board arrow. Keeps things simple...
The best advise is to have a system, either make one up for yourself, OR use a tried and true system for getting those spares.
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I'd go with a polished Storm Mix, pearl urethane with a pancake weight block. It'll hold up better than plastic though it'll cost a few more dollars.
The difference is around $10 between a Mix and a Maxim. I would go the urethane route and call it a day. For me, I can get several years from a urethane and maybe 2 from plastic.
Depending on the condition of the Phaze and the drilling, you may be able to get something in return for it at the pro shop. Might help reduce the overall cost of the spare ball.
Good advice. There are bowler exceptions who use plastic and have it last forever. If you're not one of the lucky few, go with Urethane. I like the Mix because it reacts almost the same as plastic.