Dickens didn't have pro shop operators in mind when he wrote
'Great Expectations'... but he could have.
By Mike Riggins
--Pat Roberts, Ithaca, N.Y.
Pat, you need to understand that bowling balls are not produced with artificial intelligence; they will not do what you want them to, only what you let them do. At your average, I would guess that your physical game is not as strong or precise as those of the bowlers you wish to emulate. League oil patterns are generally applied with greater amounts of oil inside. The "wall" is usually set up around the second arrow. With your skill level, you should probably play up the second arrow or outside to let the lane and pattern "help" your ball to th pocket. If you want to play deeper, plan on lots of practice with a good USBC ciach to work on developing a stronger release, more consistency and the ability to play this line. Also understand that the vast multitude of pro shop operators cater to all skill levels of bowlers. Truth be know, the better league bowlers can score well with almost any ball as they can "read" the pattern and have the release strength and skill to repeat shots. I am quite sure your shop folks are laying out the ball for your desired reaction, but you control about 80% or more of what happens. A ball drilled to play long, inside, and tip up late cannot deliver if the user releases it inconsistently and can't hit th same target consistently. Playing up the boards inside the oil line requires accuracy and repetitive ball speed and release. To do all this, you may need to invest in some on-lane time with a coach/instructor. I am sure you will see improvement in your skills with the tuning of your game by a coach and some practice time.
I have a Power Groove and a Tropical Storm. Both had the pin drilled at 1:30 for more hook. They didn't hooklike I wanted, so the pro shop sanded them with a burgandy scotch brite pad. They jook even less now. Were they sanded wrong, or do I need to sand them rougher.
--Gilbert Rathman, Pheonix, Ariz.
The Two balls you use are very similar in reaction potential and recommended pattern usage. These are among a slew of entry-level performance balls that will deliver length and control for power players, match well to lighter/drier patterns, and are great choices for the step from polyester to performance.
Item One: If you bowl on a late shift or lighter patterns, these balls should perform for you.
Item Two: If the balls we're drilled based on a ball with your track wear on it, the drilling should have been applied to complement your rack and release. A drill based on your track, grip and positive axis point will allow the ball to "work" for your game. When someone tells me the pin was drilled at 1:30 my first question is, "What time was the rest of the ball drilled?" If your tack is that of a full-roller, a "1:30 pin" will not maximize ball reaction potention, can diminish performance and may cause the track to roll over the grip holes. If you are a low-track player or spinner, a 1:30 pin would place the core assembly in a "dead" position and basically take any performance "help" from the core out of the picture. If you have one of the multitude of power tracks, the core assembly may be in a position to offer some help. A pin drilled at 1:30 with a shift for some side weight will not produce true performance potential from your ball.
Item Three: Ball Surface is probably the most important facot in ball reaction today. Your bowling balls use a mellow cover stock and both a pearlized. Sanding/scuffing will not increase the hook very much, and if you are playing on a typical league pattern, sanding will produce less reaction. This loss of reaction is a result of the ball surface "biting" the lane too soon. The early friction will cause the ball to roll sooner and lose energy sooner. When a ball arrives at the expected break point, its axis rotation is gone and the core has nothing left to help the ball turn the corner. This is a hard point to get across; sanding will result in an earlier roll, but less hook onthe big end, without enough oil up front. On the flip side, polishing will result in a stronger move on the big end provided there is enough "dry" there. in a nut shell, your ball needs to be checked by a reputable pro shop, and if the pin is close to a position to work for your track, the ball should be smoothed and polished for back-end potential. You also might want to learn to play the outer part of the lane to let the oil pattern deliver some help in giuding your equipment to the pocket.
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