How To Develop A Good Bowling Ball Arsenal
If you are a highly experienced and talented player, you probably would like to learn how to develop a good bowling ball arsenal built around one or two of your favorite pieces of equipment? Kindly give thought to three important strategies regarding future bowling ball selections:
- Choosing Specific Length & Hook Potential
- Choosing A Coverstock Preparation
- Choosing Layout Patterns
In recent years the leading manufacturers such as
Storm,
Hammer,
Ebonite,
Roto Grip and
Brunswick, and others have placed great emphasis on developing well balanced lines of top performance bowling balls. You can determine
how to develop a good bowling ball arsenal by adding one or more of these fine products to your personal equipment inventory by selecting bowling balls which enhance the range of performance you currently own.
First, it is important to understand that bowling ball length potential is essentially derived from the core design (RG range) of a given ball coupled with specific coverstocks (aggressive to non-aggressive ranges). As example, Owning a ball with a low RG and an extremely aggressive coverstock works best in heavy oil because the ball will read the lane very quickly and pick up a strong roll as it enters the mid-lane. Make sure you have at least one ball set-up for heavy oil conditions. Aggressive coverstocks prevent over-skid and enable you to combat very heavy oil conditions. For heavy oil and a strong back-end reaction, use a low RG ball with a high differential rating.The opposite holds true for dry lane conditions.
Using a ball with a stiff or pearl coverstock coupled with a high RG and a long length potential rating matches best for very dry lanes. Make sure you have one ball set-up for dry lane conditions. If you are seeking a ball to recover sharply from the break point to the pocket on dry lanes, a high Differential of RG rated ball will work best. Also on dry lanes, you may use a high RG ball with a low differential rating, a lesser hook potential combination, which will works best when you do not wish for the ball to react abruptly at the break point but rather react smoothly with no sudden pull toward the pocket.
Of course, a medium RG ball with a medium rated differential is a great choice to read any lane condition and will always give you a dependable ball reaction. When you need your ball to read the mid-lane well and arc smoothly and continuously from the break point to the pocket, make sure you own a medium RG ball with a medium to a high differential rating.
Now you have three bowling balls with which to match with heavy oil, medium oil, and dry conditions. Next, choose spare ball to round out a four ball arsenal. If you prefer to use a polyester or a mild reacting urethane ball to roll at corner pin spares, then make sure you have one in your bowling bag. Why risk missing a corner pin spare carelessly because the ball reacts too abruptly when reaching the dry back ends of the lanes? Why have to throw the ball much faster than you can realistically control just to convert a corner pin spare? Own a spare ball.
With the bases covered with a four ball arsenal, you may next add a ball(s) which will fit between existing ball reactions. Finding the right ball to mix well with your other equipment can be tricky, however. Many top players choose to remain with the same bowling ball manufacturer so they can compare both hook potential ratings and length potential ratings and not duplicate a ball and a reaction which they already own. This is certainly the case with the pro bowlers we see on television, most all of whom are under contract with a manufacturer to use a specific brand of equipment. The strategy of remaining with the same manufacturer can be effective.
If you wish to integrate other makes and models of bowling balls into your arsenal, however, then it helps to consult a pro shop expert or even watch some of our videos of the latest balls in the market here at
bowlingball.com to assist in the ball selection process. Matching the surface texture and layout pattern for a given ball and using the right choice in length and hook potential ratings is the objective. Research the bowling ball technical data provided by the manufacturers to give yourself a good chance at selecting the best next ball.
Most top players today own six or eight, or perhaps even a greater number, of bowling balls. An eight ball arsenal is an excellent strategy because it will allow you to have balls for the extreme oil conditions ready for use and also have balls set-up for conditions less extreme.
Make sure you develop a surface preparation strategy so your equipment is ready to match to known lane conditions when needed. Experimentation is necessary to achieve the right surface strategies which work best for your game. The drill pattern and the length and hook potential ratings a given ball possesses are not enough by themselves. You must make sure you experiment with ball surface strategies as well.
Consult the manufacturer's recommended drilling patterns before arbitrarily drilling your new bowling ball. One layout pattern for a high-rev player will not necessarily produce the desired ball motion for a player with less rev-rate. Begin with the end in mind. Choose a layout pattern which matches best to your rev-rate and produces the length and hook potential influencing factors you seek for given lane conditions.
The science involved in developing an effective bowling ball arsenal is greater now than ever. Do not be lazy, do your research before investing in your next bowling ball so your money is spent wisely.
Our “Perfect Scale®” rating feature is also useful and provides comparisons of the latest bowling balls in today’s market against our sophisticated rating scale system. The “Perfect Scale®” can be easily accessed from our home page by clicking on the button and then browsing the information provided at the “Perfect Scale®.”
bowlingball.com has created our own hook rating system using a method for indicating a ball’s hook potential and a way for consumer’s to compare bowling balls made by the leading manufacturers. Our goal is to simply make it easier for you to compare products and feel confident in your purchase selection process. We hope these tips help.
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