Favorite ball and why?

[BigDawg70]

I bowl in a traveling league and we bowl 6 games. I almost never go without at least one oldie but goodie in the bag. It's normally a blue Cuda/c, pearl Beast or my Speed Zone.
If you notice, a lot of companies bring back these older cores dressed differently and call them "new". Brunswick even advertises that the new Blast Zone is the old Phantom core.

[presence1960]

used older balls in league

I used the older balls in league Sunday and there was really no noticeable difference in performance or scoring. Shot 570 with the typical first game being my worst (168), second 213 and 189 last game. my downfall the last game wasn't the Combat Zone as I was in the pocket 10 of 11 shots. The problem was I missed 3 single pin spares. No excuse for that especially since I use a plastic ball and go straight at them.

The combat zone hit pretty hard and moved as many boards as my Ebonite Big One. The difference is how the boards were covered. The Big One is laid out with the pin 3/4" above my ring finger, cg about 1 1/4" from center of grip with a small weight hole about 5" from center of grip. This ball covers most of its boards down the lane. The combat zone is drilled leverage with a weight hole 9" from center of grip. Gets mediocre length but flips way earlier than the big one.

I will continue my experiment the rest of the summer to test my theory that the "hype" about these newer balls and their increased hook potential is really unnecessary. I also have an Ebonite Cougar and Storm Lightning in mint condition which I will work into the mix.

The guys in my league can't believe this 10 year old equipment hits and hooks like it does. I told them my theory about equipment which if kept from tracking up can last a long, long time. As a matter of fact the Combat Zone has over 800 games on it and has 2 sanctioned 300 games. The serial numbers are still deep on the coverstock. I never let it track up. At the first hint of a track I wet sand it. I do this for all my balls. They all look great. This is the benefit of owning a Jayhawk spinner. I used to drill so I have the knowledge and experience behind me. I just think we are being sucked in by these ball manufacturers. If we all could increase the life of our balls they would be down big time in sales. I believe that's why this "hype" about hook and performance really exists. It is just a very slick but pervasive marketing strategy. I used to buy 4-5 balls per season until I discovered that the balls I already have can be kept in top performing condition with routine maintenance of the coverstock which includes but not limited to wet sanding at first sign of track, cleaning after every use (before balls go back into bag) and periodic wet sanding to clean and open pores.

Comments and opinions welcomed.

[presence1960]

progress report on using older balls

Today I used my old balls again in league. In practice I threw a newer ball (Ebonite Big One) and a 10 year old Combat Zone. After a few deliveries with the Big One it quickly went into the bag as the lanes were hooking. In practice I settled into a groove with the Zone playing deep. But by the middle of the first game that line was no longer holding. tried moving feet and target deeper but ball was way to aggressive. Rolled a 166 first game. Second game pulled the Storm Lightning out of the bag. Stayed with the deep line, but this ball isn't as aggressive as the Zone so I had a decent shot. Rolled 226 and 214 the last 2 games.

So far I have used the older balls and have noticed NO difference in scoring or hitting power compared to the newer balls out today. It is getting to be a running joke in the league as to what ball I will pull out of the archives next. I still have a few such as the Storm Fire, Champions Pearl Warhawk and Ebonite Cougar.

If I can continue to score as usual I will have to conclude that my theory is indeed correct. That these newer balls with their "increased" hook potential and advanced cores are for the average bowler bowling on a house shot absolutely unnecessary. If that is true all one has to do is properly maintain their coverstock and get multiple years of productive use out of their equipment. I have always said that this hype about "hook potential" and hitting power is nothing more than a slick but pervasive marketing strategy by the ball manufacturers. The truth is in the pudding. I am scoring just as well as the other bowlers in my league and my balls are hitting the pins just as hard as their newer equipment. So why should I buy 2-3 balls every season when I can properly maintain the ones I already have?

[explorer05]

I would have to say I have 4 favorites that I use all of the time 1 is retired and the others I still use and they are:

AMF Nighthawk Torque threw my first 300 with that ball retired (16lbs now bowl 15lbs)

Dynothane Element ZR40 threw my second 300 excellent ball in medium oil with excellent carry

G-Force the best oil ball I have ever thrown

Ebonite Total NV best ball on medium to heavy with a wicked backend.

[thunderfoot]

my 2 cents on best ball

Obviously, this is very subjective and dependent on very many variables. However, the Raw Hammer series (Doom, Toxic and Pain) are all I'm carrying currently. (+ the required plastic ball)

I'm an old fart averaging hi 70's/low 80's with basically one hand position - straight up behind the ball. Something about the raw hammer core likes me - I've shot more 600's in the past 5 months since switching to this series than I had in the last five years. TOXIC is my goto ball.

FWIW
PS: Presence: When I encounter heavy oil, I still occasionally drag out the COUGAR

[presence1960]

the experiment continues

Sunday 8/12 I used the Cougar all 3 games. Shot well the first 2 games, then I died in the 3rd game. Shot 246, 236, 151. I have to say this: when bowling on a house shot a "new" ball is not necessary. Of course my 10 year old balls look "new" because I am meticulous about coverstock maintenance. But the fact is that these older balls hit and score just as well as the new balls out today when bowling on THS.

My point: It is not necessary to buy 2-4 balls every year. All one has to do is properly maintain the coverstock to get prolonged quality use from the balls you currently have. Another observation is that a new ball has never made that big of a difference in my average.

Conclusion: All this "hype" about increased traction and hook potential is just that "hype". It amounts to nothing more than a slick, but pervasive marketing strategy to get you and I to buy balls like crazy. For the vast majority of bowlers like us who bowl on a house shot this "hype" is totally unneccessary. We bowl on a house shot, we don't have the release or the rev rates of the pros who we see throwing this same equipment. Because of this we get duped into believing that these balls will react like that for us. I am not against buying new balls as I have 2, but I only buy a new ball when necessary. That is when one ball is done or if a ball I have I just don't like. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!

[TenPin]

I also did some of my own testing and found some interesting things out. I used my plastic ball (the one I use for my spare shooting) then went to my hyped up bowling ball. Here are my findings.

I shot 190-183-199 for a 572. I had 10 strikes, 19 spares, and 2 opens. I do believe with a little more practice I could get it to a 200 average.

Then I went to my hyped up ball. In this set I shot 222-215-238 for a 675. I had 21 strikes, 11 spares, and 1 open.

Conclusion: Todays technology, even revamped as it may be, is better than past technology for the most part. If technology was not advancing, averages wouldn't be getting higher than I have seen in years past (that being more 200+ averages).

Yes I give in to the fact technology today can only help as much as you can put to use. You still have to have more than a general knowledge of the game (normally) and the accuracy to put said technology to use, which means lots of practice. But that would go hand in hand with anything you use on the lanes.

[presence1960]

re: technology

Steve:

That is one big gap in technology, way more than what i am talking about. You went from a plastic 3 piece pancake weight block ball to a new resin or particle 2 piece ball. That is a very huge jump.

I was talking about 10 year old resin 2 piece equipment compared to todays resin & particle 2 piece balls. More specifically I was talking about how with proper coverstock maintenance an older resin or particle 2 piece ball will perform just as well as todays new balls on The House Shot. In my case I was talking about a Brunswick Combat Zone, Storm Lightning, Storm Fire, Ebonite Cougar and Brunswick Blue Zone Pro (one of the first particle balls). Compared to todays equipment these are ancient, but on The House shot they hit and score just as well as todays equipment. Compared to your spare ball these are light years ahead of your plastic 3 piece spare ball.

But nevertheless your findings are still interesting. In the end it all comes down to skill and accuracy. A good bowler will score with any equipment. A unskilled bowler will not score even with the best equipment, even though the ball may hook a little more. Todays equipment is very advanced, but you still must possess the skill to take advantage of the technology, at least until the ball with a remote control guidance unit comes out.

[litefrozen]

If you want to talk old balls still working. I still have a origional Urethane Burgandy Hammer and a Black Offset tour hammer. they are just as good as when I first got them.

[TenPin]

Rob, Bob, or is it just Robert:

Thats was my intention, to create a large gap in technology. One's abilities, knowledge, and other intangbles not to be discounted, are the things needed to be a good bowler. The fact remains, technology today can put you 20-30 pins or more on the next guy, not just abilities necessarily.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, that it really doesn't matter what you use, it's how you use it, past or present. Just that present technology offers you so much more. Also, I think everyone here knows that if you take care of your bowling equipment, not just bowling ball(s), your equipment should or will last 10 years or more. Most of your 190+ bowlers should know this, just if you want an advantage, stay current.

Now if I remember correctly, the question in the this post originally was about new bowling balls and what everyones favorite was currently (meaning todays bowling balls not past ones). Personally, I would really like to see this post return to the original question and maybe we can start an old school thread on bowling balls? Because I'm also quite curious myself what others are using today.

BigDawg70
"I'm going to be buying some new equipment before fall leagues start and just thought I'd get some opinions of the newer stuff out there. I've always been a fan of Brunswick and Lane #1 but I'm looking to try something different. So if guys have a favorite ball, I'd like to hear about it."

[kinkaid7477]

i like my silverstreak b/c it doesn't overhook and it hits like a truck

[presence1960]

Re: Tenpin

Bob will be fine....

[TenPin]

LOL . Nice to meet ya Bob.

[presence1960]

conclusion

Well my summer league is over. I used my old equipment most of the time. I noticed no difference in hook or hitting power compared to newer balls. I was competitive with everyone else in the league. Had a 299 game, 708 series and every week but one bowled over my average.

My "old" brunswick Combat Zone, Storm Lightning, Storm Fire, Ebonite Cougar & Champions Pearl Warhawk fared just as well as my "new" Ebonite Big One, Brunswick Absolute Inferno & Ebonite XXcel (particle).

The conclusions I draw from my experiment are : 1) For the average bowler who is bowling on The House Shot it is not necessary to have "new" equipment to hook, hit with power & score. 2) If one is meticulous about proper coverstock maintenance a "new" ball will last for years and maintain most, if not all of its hook potential. 3) 1 & 2 above prove beyond a doubt that all this "hype" from the ball manufacturers about more hook and more traction is for the bowler bowling on the house shot- just that : unnecessary hype. If one was bowling in the PBA and or sport conditions then it would be necessary to have the increased traction and hook potential due to the oil in those patterns that one will never experience bowling on a house shot. I have never bought a ball that increased my yearly average substantially. Save yourself some money if you bowl on the house shot: take extreme care of your equipment and don't believe the hype!

P.S. By the way I used to be a 4-5 ball a year addict until I discovered the truth about maintaining my own equipment. Never again!

[jhays]

I tried Visionary (Wizard), Ebonite (Don't remember), Storm (Jolt, Tropical Storm), Hammer (Black Widow) within the last 2 years. I used to be a "looker on the lanes" rather than scorer. Out of the balls above, I stuck with my Tropical Storm - Pin above finger tips for longer and less aggressive on backend. I still come out of the ball quick, but I have more room for error with this ball. It's only 14 lbs - but maintaining a 221 avg after 4 weeks tells me it's hitting pocket hard and taking out the trusting 10 pin.