More Silverware than a Wedding Registry

This idea was briefly introduced in the previous post, “You can’t eat soup with a knife.”  We are now going to dive deeply into this subject of choosing what ball to use and when.  Now that we know what shape the ball needs to make on the lane and what factors influence how a ball rolls on that lane, we are ready to learn when to use a specific piece.  We need forks, spoons, and knives!

Categorizing Bowling Balls Given the two primary determining factors of ball motion, let’s discuss briefly how to categorize the equipment.  Essentially, all balls fall on a spectrum from producing little friction to a great deal.  Likewise, a bowling ball can respond to friction very slowly to very quickly.  The surface texture and layout chosen by you and your ball driller will help to manipulate and customize this to fit your game.

What part of the spectrum do you need?  Not all bowlers need to cover the entirety of the spectrum from low friction to high and from slow response to fast. A player that is incredibly rev dominant will not need a ball that creates a great deal of friction or even a ball that responds to friction quickly.  The ratio of revolutions to ball speed is so lopsided toward the revolutions that their game will create the friction on its own and the low ball speed will allow time for a slower response ball to respond.  Conversely, a speed dominant player does not need balls that produce very little hook or respond slowly as their game will not allow these balls to “square” themselves to the pocket. 

Another contributing factor to deciding what you need is determining how diverse the patterns and surfaces upon which you will be bowling are. If you are bowling on very similar patterns and surfaces, not as much equipment is needed to fill out an arsenal as if you are bowling tournaments on competitive patterns and varied surfaces.

Before deciding what your ideal arsenal is, you need to determine where you are on the spectrum with your coach and pro shop operator.  Axis tilt, axis rotation, ball speed, and rev rate will all influence this greatly. 

When to Use a Ball: Now that you know the shape that you need and where on the spectrum you need to fill holes, let’s briefly discuss when to use specific pieces of equipment. 

Fresh Oil/Wet-Dry

On fresh oil and wet/dry patterns the ideal ball to use is a ball that is slower response.  This will minimize the drastic transition that many people see.  Ideally, the bowler will play as shallow angles as possible on this pattern.  Of course, looking at successful bowlers on the highest level, shallow angles are always the most prudent decision, but that is a discussion for another day.  The slow response ball selected needs to simply create the right amount of friction for the ball to stay on line in the front of the lane and roll through the pins continuously.

The Burn!

Bowlers either cherish or lament bowling on a burnt pattern and this is mostly due to the equipment they have in their bag and the method by which they choose to attack a lane naturally.  However, everyone can succeed on the burn if they are deliberate about how they do it. 

On a transitioned pattern, there is often too little oil in the front of the lane to get a bowling ball to glide through it while going straight.  The result is that the bowler is forced to the left.  However, a plus to this is that there is often a “burn spot” down lane at which the bowler can deliver the ball. 

Throwing a slow response ball on this kind of pattern is murder.  The ball, depending on the amount of friction it produces, may make it through the front of the lane, but it will respond so slowly that it will not continue through the pins.  The result is often washouts, 2-4-8-10’s, and nasty splits because of the over/under reaction. 

A ball for this pattern will be matched in the amount of friction necessary, first of all.  Most bowlers know how much friction a ball needs to create on a pattern intrinsically.  However, the ball for this pattern will respond on the fast side of their specific spectrum.  What this means is, the ball for this pattern will be the fastest response in your bag in order to give a smooth hook with continuation.

The balls ideal for this situation are the balls often marketed as “skid/flip” bowling balls.  Of course, they are not going to make a smooth motion on many patterns.  However, given the transition of the pattern and the steeper angles necessary for playing inside, they will make a smooth motion on the lane.

Everything Else

Those are the times to use the opposite ends of your spectrum.  However, you will likely spend most of your bowling on the stuff in the middle.  For these patterns, simply stick with balls in the middle of your spectrum.

Tomorrow we will finish this series by discussing Motiv Bowling balls and where they fit on the spectrum.