As stated by many experts, ball surface has the most effect on ball motion.
Which after much research, this seems to be the case. Then why does the USBC not allow surface changes during competition? Pads are available to everyone and the time to change the surface is about as long as changing a piece of tape.
Thanks
Bob

Really two issues here.  My original point pertained to throwing extremely dull surfaces that wear out the lane surface prematurely.  I felt the same way about particle equipment when it was in vogue.  My other point was that on almost any house shot I have seen, including those with a total puddle in the middle there is really no benefit from throwing super dull surfaces. All you do is blow the heads up and force everyone to loop the ball even wider around the oil.  Learning to square up and get the ball into a roll is much more effective than blowing up the pattern be it a house shot or long tournament pattern. 

Look at how the guys play the badger on the show.  With the exception of the guy who tried to force everyone into lofting the gutter cap a couple of years ago, the best bowlers play pretty straight with moderate surfaces on super long patterns.

I know some of this comes from teams at nationals trying to quickly burn some bump into the pattern to their advantage.  I have no problem with the tactic, I just believe equipment should be tamed down enough so that such a tactic isn't quickly beneficial.  Probably too much of a purist am I, but I feel that the game is better if players have to learn how to play the pattern that is put out rather than blowing it up in no time in to something they prefer. 

Again too many wanting to place so much precedence to what they see on TV....bowl in the real world not one you want to...reality vs perception is a huge battle

If you are a speed dominant bowler surface is going to be a big benefit to you. Surface doesn't have to be on the biggest hooking ball in your bag. It could be surface on a lower/mid performance ball.

If you are rev dominant and with the dry outsides and possibly drier backends having some surface will help keep the ball from duck hooking down lane when it meets friction. 1000 grit isn't a ton of surface. It is also more versatile then you think depending on the line and the bowler.

Applying logic based on the bowler and the reaction you see on the lane is more important then regurgitating what some guy online said about there is no need for bowlers to use surface when bowling on THS...........only hacks do that. Makes a great bumper sticker.

If you are a speed dominant bowler surface is going to be a big benefit to you. Surface doesn't have to be on the biggest hooking ball in your bag. It could be surface on a lower/mid performance ball.

If you are rev dominant and with the dry outsides and possibly drier backends having some surface will help keep the ball from duck hooking down lane when it meets friction. 1000 grit isn't a ton of surface. It is also more versatile then you think depending on the line and the bowler.

Applying logic based on the bowler and the reaction you see on the lane is more important then regurgitating what some guy online said about there is no need for bowlers to use surface when bowling on THS...........only hacks do that. Makes a great bumper sticker.

You can't seem to make a post without slipping in some kind of insult of innuendo. All I said was that lower grit balls are not necessary to score well on what most of us know as a THS. It doesn't mean that some bowlers can't get away with it, or use low grits in an attempt to mask flaws in their game. It's just not necessary.
 
I don't need a lecture from you on surfaces and their appropriate place. I have a bowling workshop where I stock and use almost every type of abrasive (pads and liquid abrasives) in existence. I do multiple PBA and sport tournaments a year, and I'll apply on my spinner any surface from 500-4000 that I think is needed to be successful.   
 
But PBA/Sport patterns are not THS's. People really over think what they need to be successful on a house shot. There is a reason why it's been said that almost all balls look the same on a fresh THS. It's because it's true. Given this, I'll go with a higher grit equipment that won't blow up the lane and force me to make ball changes half way through the set.
 
So go ahead and fuss over weather you should have 500/1000 vs. 500/3000 on any given night at your local house. Whatever floats your boat.

Quote from: kidlost2000 on September 09, 2015, 01:23:48 PM

If you are a speed dominant bowler surface is going to be a big benefit to you. Surface doesn't have to be on the biggest hooking ball in your bag. It could be surface on a lower/mid performance ball.

If you are rev dominant and with the dry outsides and possibly drier backends having some surface will help keep the ball from duck hooking down lane when it meets friction. 1000 grit isn't a ton of surface. It is also more versatile then you think depending on the line and the bowler.

Applying logic based on the bowler and the reaction you see on the lane is more important then regurgitating what some guy online said about there is no need for bowlers to use surface when bowling on THS...........only hacks do that. Makes a great bumper sticker.

You can't seem to make a post without slipping in some kind of insult of innuendo. All I said was that lower grit balls are not necessary to score well on what most of us know as a THS. It doesn't mean that some bowlers can't get away with it, or use low grits in an attempt to mask flaws in their game. It's just not necessary.
 
I don't need a lecture from you on surfaces and their appropriate place. I have a bowling workshop where I stock and use almost every type of abrasive (pads and liquid abrasives) in existence. I do multiple PBA and sport tournaments a year, and I'll apply on my spinner any surface from 500-4000 that I think is needed to be successful.   
 
But PBA/Sport patterns are not THS's. People really over think what they need to be successful on a house shot. There is a reason why it's been said that almost all balls look the same on a fresh THS. It's because it's true. Given this, I'll go with a higher grit equipment that won't blow up the lane and force me to make ball changes half way through the set.
 
So go ahead and fuss over weather you should have 500/1000 vs. 500/3000 on any given night at your local house. Whatever floats your boat.

You know what works for you,  but lower grit can't work for others?  Lower grit is "blowing up" the shot for others? 

Assumptions. Depending on the Bowler, the ball,  and their line surface can be a huge necessity. Just because they aren't bouncing it off the wall and using less grit doesn't mean they are doing something wrong.

When you say bowlers can use lower grits and get away with it or mask flaws that's you putting everyone into a group based off a condition they are bowling.

So bowlers with some surface are playing the pattern wrong. They must be wrong. Doesn't matter how well it works for them,  they should ball down and move to the friction.

And your opinion is yours but a person chooses how they wish to attack a condition...not by what a piece of paper tells them this is the problem with bowling...too many telling others how they should play a condition...

There are some good posts here.  I stand with those who would prefer that bowlers learn to read their ball reaction and adjust accordingly; not just left or right, but speed also.

Bowling at higher levels, simply put, is learning how to manage friction. 

Friction too late is a challenge because the ball cannot get past the "skid" phase soon enough to create optimum entry angle, etc. for that bowler.

Conversely, friction too early creates the "weak" hit because the ball has used too much energy too soon. 

Speed is also very individualized.  A guy with more side roll can roll it slower with success more effectively than the one with more forward roll.  This too is somewhat dependent on lane condition and where each bowler finds adequate friction. 

With all the variables in today's game: Lane surfaces, oil patterns, oil volumes, the 500 various balls available, not to mention the 500 different things the bowlers do to the ball (faster speed, slowing it down, more tilt, less tilt, more forward roll, less forward roll which part of the lane they attack, and so on...) it becomes essential that in order to excel you need to understand (your) ball motion and how to adjust that motion.  This doesn't happen overnight, or from a class taken, but usually over many years of experience.

Sadly, we live in a world where "knowledge" is at our fingertips, or within relatively few key strokes.  However wisdom (applied knowledge) cannot be obtained in seconds or minutes.  Whew...