BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Storm => Topic started by: Deltor on September 17, 2014, 12:29:02 AM
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Hi, I am new to this forum and also new to this game. Currently I had few strike balls on hand already. What I am lacking is a spare ball. I had read around about having plastic ball coverstock and such or UT coverstock.
I'll just want to know.. What should I look out for, for a spare ball?
Does it really must be a plastic ball?
If I really want a UT ball like example Storm Pitch Black or Mix, what should I do to the ball?? Drill for lesser flare? Make it to hook lesser?
I understand that there are also other thread talking about UT vs plastic, but I am so new to this sports that I don't really understand all the terms used. Sorry. So please go easy on technical terms.
Thank you people!!
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Urethane, especially polished, can be a great spare ball option. They are virtually indestructible and will last longer than you will.
Plastic, or polyester, is designed to go straight, but can sometimes get brittle and crack around fingers or thumb holes. Nothing that can't be repaired, but a consideration nonetheless. Many cool colors to choose from.
Incidentally, both covers can "hook" if you get around them, but both can go straight as can be too.
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Thank you for the advise... Any idea if a storm Pitch Black can act as a spare ball as well? If so, how should I get it drilled? I had a friend who has a brand new Pitch Black to give me. Was thinking if I can use it as spare?
Thank you.
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I have used hard rubber with an old pancake core, and i currently use a Polyester. Both are good, either find a bargain price, or find one that makes your eyes happy. Don't expect either to last forever, and practice with them.
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Super Natural did the trick for me. Plastic would be too touchy for me on today's new oil. 10 pin percentage went way up after switching to Super Natural. Also a great 1st shot ball when lanes are flying.
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I just switched to an old urethane from plastic. The plastic was very straight, but the urethane gives just enough reaction to hold/recover from a miss to the outside due to dryer boards out there - actually a little more forgiveness compared to plastic - I like it!
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Any recommended UT balls?? So far from Storm will be Super Natural and Pitch Black. Which one will be a better spare ball?
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I believe a Mix would be a better spare ball. The pitch black is actually fairly strong from what I've seen. If you are just picking between those 2 I'd go supernatural
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Even plastic hooks enough to chop the 6 off of the 10 plating cross alley... As I have seen all too frequently.
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Any recommended UT balls?? So far from Storm will be Super Natural and Pitch Black. Which one will be a better spare ball?
Unless you're speed dominant or you face medium to medium-heavy oil regularly, neither. The SN has too much core and the Pitch Black is too dull (& too expensive).
If you have matched speed & revs or are rev dominant OR if you face lighter to dry oil patterns regularly, you'd be better off with a pancake cored polished pearl urethane like the Storm Mix.
http://www.buddiesproshop.com/p-4434-storm-mix-bowling-ball-redsilver-pearl-urethane.aspx (http://www.buddiesproshop.com/p-4434-storm-mix-bowling-ball-redsilver-pearl-urethane.aspx)
If you are speed dominant or usually see a good deal of oil, The Pitch Black taken to 2000 grit would work. If you're speed dominant you'd probably never have any use for a SN. Then the Mix solid or the pearl is still a better deal as a spare ball.
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Take it for what its worth - my opinion and I could be 1000% off:
The pitch black was designed for short patterns, thus being on the stronger side.
Super Natural more for a cranker (higher rev players) on dry lanes, or someone with a slow ball speed.
The Mix was designed more for the spare/dry lane conditions for middle of the road type players.
Remember - you can adjust surface to help with any of these.
I bought a poly spare ball a couple years ago and wished I would've went urethane instead.
Find a good pro shop and ask them as well.
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I say it really is up to you - how you throw and what you want the ball to do...as in not much at all for plastic or a little bit of something with urethane. I know some folks with really high revs and/or slow speed can get good movement with plastic...
One way to think about it is "how many balls do I want to pack around?". A ball that is only used for spares (plastic), or one I can use for spares and maybe other times (urethane). I have tried both, and currently carry UT as it provides another option when the lanes get dry or severely broken down...and I can flatten out my release enough for 10 pins even when the lanes are dry.
There are other companies with UT balls. Motiv has a couple - the Tank is a fairly "aggressive" one and they have the Arctic Sniper tagged as a spare ball. Both are more $$ than a UT from any other company. Hammer still has the Blue Hammer. Can't recall off hand about anyone else... but if you are getting a Pitch Black, then see what it does for you and go from there. :) You could get it drilled up to be weak and/or add polish.
eBay isn't a bad place to get some equip - I got my Columbia U2 from there and love that ball!
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Thank you for all the advise, I've had other balls in my bag for all the other lane conditions I would expect to face. After consulting the pro shop that I purchase all my balls, he had advise me to go with a simple plastic ball as mention, I have the other balls for all condition.
A big thank you for the community that share so much of your experience with me. BIG THANK YOU!!!
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Remember when you get the ball, PRACTICE will help the most. Learn what you need to look at, and where you need to stand, in order to cover the 10 pin. And if you can get in the habbit/practice of covering all of your single pin spares with your plastic, takes the oil conditions out of play
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Great advice about using the spare ball for most of your spares. If you are bowling strictly on house shots it is less important, but on tournament conditions 4 pins and 7 pins can be as tricky as 10 pins if you try to hook the ball at them. Get comfortable throwing relatively straight at most of your spares and it will help you.
I prefer urethane to plastic, because plastic can sometimes hook, and can also squirt through the oil. Urethane is less likely to squirt in the heads, and can still be made to go relatively straight with only modest adjustments to your release.
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I prefer urethane to plastic, because plastic can sometimes hook, and can also squirt through the oil. Urethane is less likely to squirt in the heads, and can still be made to go relatively straight with only modest adjustments to your release.
Not saying you shouldn't use urethane, but Can't urethane sometimes hook also? even earlier than plastic?
While a polished polyester ball tends to squirt in the oil as it crosses the center part of the lane. Applying some surface like a 2000 abralon surface, will get that under control.
Given if you have to make modest adjustments to your release, to get a urethane ball to go "relatively" straight.
Wouldn't applying the same modest release adjustments to the plastic ball allow it to go just as straight or even straighter?
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Yes, urethane can hook, but it is about predictability, not a little bit of hook. Urethane will always hook a little bit, unless you really try to make it go dead straight. Polyester will sometimes hook, and sometimes go dead straight off the same release. If you are a guy who totally throws rockets at your spares with a super flat hand, it makes little difference which ball you throw. As an old guy who doesn't throw hard at his spares, I like to have a small, and predictable hook on every ball I throw, which I don't get with polyester.
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+1