Need a ball? Know your game first - Bowling Clinic

Bowling Digest, June, 2002 by Bill Spigner

* Is there anyone who grades and tests all balls and publishes the results? It is a science to learn and read between the lines on the write-ups from the ball manufacturers. I have been looking for a new ball, and discerning the truth is tough. Referring me to a PBA shop is not an easy option, because there isn't one in the area, and even if I drove to one, the pro won't know my style. If there was a good report on bowling balls, it would help me.

There is no single report that tests all the balls that are released. There are some people who test many of the balls that come out and write magazine reviews on them. Competent people do the reviews, and the information they give is good. Yet as with any review, it's a guide; it's still difficult to make a decision whether the ball is right for you based only on a ball review. The performance of a ball can vary a lot from bowler to bowler.

Picking out a new ball isn't getting any easier. There are a few things you need to know before you seek advice on what to get.

First, think about where you want the ball to fit in relation to the current equipment you have. With that in mind, decide on the cover stock you want. You can choose from a variety of urethane balls, which are divided into three types: particle urethane resin, resin, and urethane. Although the base material for the cover stock of all the high-performance balls made today is urethane, the bowling terms used for the different types of urethane are used to describe the type of ball.

The particle balls are the earliest-rolling balls and are made with different loads of particles. A heavy-load particle ball will roll the earliest, whereas a light load particle will roll later. Particle balls give you control and power. They are designed to roll in the oil without over-hooking in dry conditions.

The resin balls also vary from very aggressive resin urethanes to less aggressive reactive resin urethanes. The resin balls slide in oil and hook in dry conditions--that's why they are called reactives. Use these types of balls when you need length and back-end performance.

The traditional urethanes come in a few varieties today. Urethane balls are used mostly on dry lanes and on conditions where control without power is needed.

Regardless of what the balls are billed to do, the only thing that matters is what a particular type can do for you. The reaction you get out of a ball greatly depends on your ball speed, rotation, revolutions, and the lane conditions. You need to be armed with information about the balls, but just as important--if not more important--you need to know how you are throwing the ball in order to make an intelligent decision on purchasing a ball.

Develop a good understanding of your own game, then rely on the ball reviews of the manufacturers to help you make a selection. Manufacturers are very good at comparing the different models of their equipment against each other.

It's a bit difficult to cross over from one company to another for comparisons, but not impossible. For example, when a company rates its ball as its most-hooking ball, this means the ball is quicker to start its hooking action than all of the company's other offerings.

Sometimes because of lane conditions, a high-performance ball that is rated to hook the least will outhook the ball that is rated to hook the most. This happens when the hooking ball grabs the lane too soon and loses rotation very early. This ball will straighten out quickly and look like it's going straight. The ball that rolls the longest and is rated to hook the least may get down the lane and lose its rotation much later, allowing the ball to hook more at the back end. You'll see this ball hooking down the lane, while the hooking ball breaks so early it's difficult to see.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is to have an understanding of what's happening with your own ball. Many times bowlers will come into my pro shop and want a ball that hooks more. But when I get an opportunity to see them throw their ball, they need just the opposite. Their release may put very little side roll on the ball, and their ball loses rotation very early. They think their ball isn't hooking, when in reality it has used up its hook so early they can't see it.

When trying to decide on a ball to purchase, consider a type of ball and drilling that will give you the breakpoint you want and the type of move you want the ball to make.

* I am 32 years old and have been bowling for 28 years. I've thrown many balls: rubber, plastic, urethane, and the now-popular resin balls. There is one ball that I like very much, the Columbia Messenger TII Pearl. I throw a 16-pound version drilled stacked-leverage for a right hand. I like this ball so much I was thinking about buying another one, but drilling it differently (a little tamer). What drill pattern would you recommend? I already have a Purple Monster drilled to hook early. Should I go label?

With the stacked-leverage drilling, you have a ball that will-flare a lot with a very strong move at your breakpoint. The Messenger TII Pearl, by its very nature, is designed to go long and finish hard. You also have a particle ball, the Purple Monster, which will roll earlier and have a smoother reaction on the lane.