Ball Report
-
Hi fellas,
Thought it might be fun to report on what your balls have been doing on the lanes. Be it new ones, old ones, whatever. I'm sure all us fellow bowlers are interested to know. I know I am. Alright. All that said and done, I'll start by introducing my personal "specs".
Style: Hook bowler, the more the merrier
Ball speed: Medium fast-ish (medium being Chuan and fast being Jae, Dinghua being rocket)
Axis rotation: Close to maximum
Revs: medium
Master eye: Left, gotta aim 3.5 boards to the right of the board I wish to hit
-------------------------------------------
Went out to Changi last night. Friend was kind enough to lend me his last frame for a warm up shot.
Whipped out my Adrenaline (15 lb 3 oz, label leverage with small axis hole for earlier roll, smacked with Ebonite Particle Polish) and on the lanes I went!
I started by standing on about 22 and throwing to 14 at the arrows. Within 4 shots I realised the Adrenaline was too much for the lane I was playing. It had good head oil, but the lanes were dryer in the middle and carrydown was mild. The ball would and begin it's left charge too early.The edges were dry, so we had an "immunity to right gutter". Unless I threw a real deep inside line I knew I had to put some oomph on it to REACH the breakpoint to ensure at least a pocket hit. But hey, I want the ball to HOOK. I'm in it for the ego-boost. Stubbornness did not pay off. A few brooklyns and greek churches later, I looked up. 135. Save it for soupier midlanes, I felt.
Time to bring out the Dynasty (Label leverage <-- surprise!! I drill that on practically every piece of mine). One fling of it, I knew it. It was almost the original Trimax in different colours! Only better! WIth head oil this baby could sail through LONG before making the hard left when the drys came into the view. However, this ball refused to read the dry in the midlane (unlike the black Matrix) but instead managed to hold till the backend. Had a bit of over/under tendencies with this one, though. Tried 2 frames playing a deep line, it would hold well and make the turn, but the hook's not continous and deflects. Found the line early, stood on 21 and aimed at 8 (ball crosses about 11-12) all the way out to about the 7 board, makes the turn and just smoothly eliminates the pins. Got in the groove and finished with 216.
Ego took over. Out came the Adrenaline again. Now confident that I'd warmed up and game 1 was a fluke, I stood way out on 31 and aimed the ball to go over 17 at the arrows to break at 4-5. Boy it was beautiful. Tends to leave weird spares if hit light, but the half pocket hits that normally leave a 10 wasn't there.
Finished the night with 135, 216, 182, 194.
--------------------------------------------
Dynasty: Carries excellent on high hits, deflects too much on light hits. Half-pocket hits leaves many pin 10s. Has a skid-hook-set motion. I believe this ball will NOT handle carrydown, but will negotiate through anything from light to light-medium in the heads to the midlanes. More forgiving than the original, but still overreacts a little in the dry.
Adrenaline: Needs a small helping of head oil and at least med midlanes, but skids well for a low load particle/aggressive reactive combo. Powers up and arc-snaps impressively. This baby will handle anything between light medium to med heavy oils, with up to med carrydown. Best to hit light and half-pocket with this. Hitting slightly too high normally leaves you splits or a stone 9. -
I have a left master eye too! Perhaps that's why my accuracy is rock-bottom. :p
-
Yo! Glad to see another lefty-eyed person.
It's not a problem, just have to aim a bit "righter" than normal. Even right master eyed people hit slightly left of where they aim. Just that lefty eyes worse. Errr please not for southpaws, please reverse.
You see, the angle from your eye to the spot you aim and the angle of your armswing to the spot are always different, after all.
Much easier to demonstrate with a picture, but sorry can't do it here. Hopefully you can picture what I am talking about.
[This message has been edited by prataman (edited 24 March 2002).] -
Hey,my left eye oso my master eye.maybe that's why i tend to throw diagonally too. unless use eye patch to close the right eye??
-
Speaking abt master eye, my left eye is my master eye too. I guess that's why my shots tend to be diagonal and i try to "corect" it by thowing out, hoping that the ball will snap back in.
Speaking abt ball, Currently i only have columbia power surge and columbia game. the power surge is drilled for early snap and is good for patchy lanes or lanes that allow me to hook early. thus i usually use that ball as my benchmark ball to see if i need to change ball or change line.
second ball is columbia game(black). Drilled for normal hook but with a lot oil at the heads. SInce its a particle ball, i noramlly use it when the front is oily or when the lane sare freshly oiled. learn this thru the hard way. throw my game ball on medium lanes and got 4x8-pin splits in a row.
I dun have that many balls, so i have been using this 2 ball for the past 1 year and it has been successful for me. But does anyone here know of a more forgiving ball? My current 2 balls isn't very forgiving though... -
I have a right master eye, but i hit about 2 or 3 boards right of wherever i'm aiming.
Unless i move my feet TOO much left, have a problem with projecting the ball out to the right. -
hmmm i am a left master eye too. except that my balls hit about 2boards to the left. either my accuracy is really down there... or i am a freak.
-
how to tell which is the master eye? Been taught in the army before, but I forgotton about it.
Btw, I aim with both eyes open, ball tends to hit about 2 boards to the left.
------------------
High games to all, always! -
chuanish!!!!!!!!Originally posted by chuanish:I have a right master eye, but i hit about 2 or 3 boards right of wherever i'm aiming.
Unless i move my feet TOO much left, have a problem with projecting the ball out to the right.
long time no see u guys man....hows the league coming along?
me?dun aks ald i semi retiring ald lah kena tennis elbow the other time so now resting my bowling hand think my ball gona hav a lot of small spideys coming out man.....so the start of this thread is like very the interesting wif our dearest prataman forever promoting his skills in ball reactions hahaha(no offence mate but if u ask mi now how to bowl i tell u that lakers are not looking bery well this year better hahaha)
anyways a very interesting thread to start out wif till u guys start talking about left/right master eye..wich is making mi blur....so when is anyone of u getting the EYE BALL?
see ya haf fun
good game and high scores
rdgs,
j -
Deamon
lanes that allow me to hook early
when you say that, you mean lanes with less than heavy oiling, right? (i.e., lanes which hook - medium oil) I initially thought that you meant dry lanes, but then the ball with the early roll drilling will roll out too early. Please clarify.
You need a more forgiving ball? you seem good enough to deal with a small target area with consistency. Lots of people will vouch for that!
Seriously, the power surge is the decendent of the origianl blue surge, which was itself a hook monster. Although both surges were reactive, the MICA loading in the coverstock made their reaction (and bite) closer to those of particles. In fact, the power surge was the ball before the black Chaos (essentially the Game + a Ti core). So, what you have is essentially two balls that are very similar in reaction to each other, in spite of the fact of the cover difference. Because of these cover differences, they will react differently on some surfaces, but for the most, they should be the same - differences will probably be due to drilling than ball.
Sorry about the loooong post
But i get carried away.
Ok, i think you need a non-hook monster ball. Pearlised would be a good start for expanding your arsenal. Get a mid RG pearlised ball, and i'd recommend a length drilling. Label laverage if you need flare. I don't think you need it though - your track is already quite high. That should allow you to open the lanes up when it gets favourable or drier. Hope this helps.
------------------
Always remember: It's easier to spare from a channelball than a split. -
Oops think i got u misunderstood. Well i jus mean that the power surge break early so it give me an earlier snap action. I drill it to tackle carry-down condition and for lanes that are somewhat middle to a little heavier oiling. What u see me on classic the other day is that i reduce my speed so that it won't snap so much.
Last sun afternoon i was at silver-bowl for an alunmi tourny. There was a tourny in the morning, so naturally the lanes are that of little oil and some carry down. I deploy a faster speed and throwing at the 11th board to get a hockey stick kind of snap action.So if u were there last sun, u would have seen a different me. sadly i was unplaced in that tourny cos there were many good bowlers there.
As for the game, it was drilled to tackle heavy oil. So whenever the front heads has lots of oil, i'll use that ball. It works better than my original chaos cos it "bite" into the heavy oil better. Perhaps this is due to increased loading of the particles in the game ball.
I was mentioning abt forgiving ball. Well 1 such ball i suppose will be the messenger titantium pearl(gold colour). I withness a bowler throwing 3boards right of his target and 2 boards left of his target and it still goes into the pocket. perhaps oiling play a part, but that ball really allow u to have more "hold" area.
Other ball i can think of will be storm el nino warth and maybe super power pearl? Is hammer ball generally forgiving? I think some ebonite balls are rather forgiving too. what do u think, Prataman?
[This message has been edited by Deamon (edited 27 March 2002).] -
The messenger Ti is supposed to be a very good ball. But as usual, the usual answers surface: on any given lane condition/bowler style combination, anyone can have hold area. Conversely, the same ball in the hands of another or on a different lane might force a tight line.
All being said and done, there are some balls out there that retain a large proportion of their 'advertised' capabilities over a wider range of conditions. Messenger Ti (solid/pearl); Super power (solid/pearl); Eraser, etcetera...
Of course, this is only a guide. Bowler style plays a more than big part in keeping all those predictions accurate. Coverstock preparation factors too.
And the Game is exactly the same as the black Chaos. The only difference is the name, price and the Ti core. The game was designed as a budget particle ball in the US. But as usual, by the time it gets here, the prices are the same... So the difference you feel must come from a different drill layout, or cover surface, or lane condition, or possibly a slight more control from the Game (because the Ti nugget slightly lowers the dynamic RG of the ball?) IMO.
------------------
Always remember: It's easier to spare from a channelball than a split.
[This message has been edited by harmzuay (edited 27 March 2002).] -
Has anyone bought a new ball lately?
God, i'm dying to buy a ball... but the next best thing is to read about someone elses ball!
so those of you who have splashed the cash, let's share your joy with another! -
Harmy,
So do I!! But currency rates too lousy, and the ball I want not in SG liao.
Btw, non related. Do you people clean your balls after each session, and do you people have polishes/sanding liquids you actually use during play? -
Hi Prataman,
No, nope don't need that. My ball had acquired the art of self maintainance thru-out it's present lifespan of 4 1/2 years.
Weapon Black (Oct1997- )
But seriously, I have been tinkering with buying a reactive ball for sometime liao but the time's not ripe yet.
I guess I have been too comfortable with this old ball of mine. I know it inside out
------------------
LIFE...... a small word that have a big meaning.
Noone can explain life till the end of it. -
yo prata,
rub my ball hard with Track's Dull n Clean after every session. Think that's the same one Mr Chee uses.
rdgs/jor
btw: think we have a history, u'r the one who gave me the green AMF legacy at Silver Bowl. Hi, I'm Jordan. -
My my my my my. A history indeed! I'll have to be honest, I can't recall how you look like now!
That was a long time ago!!! That was my first reactive ball!!!!! Ho ho ho hope you didn't mind the PINK thumb slug.
I clean my ballz for Ebonite's PowerHouse Energizer cleaner or Track's Reaction Plus. I find it helps keep the ball tacky for a more consistent reaction on the lanes!
Sounds like advertising sia.. -
hey! what's wrong with pink thumb slugs?? I happen to like them - makes my ball stand out from the usual assorment of whites and yellows.
Ding
I think a particle ball would work waaayy better for you.
Prata
what's this ball you are pining for?
------------------
Always remember: It's easier to spare from a channelball than a split. -
no problem with the pink one. My thumb plug for the current ball is orange
-
talking about cleaners..well i do clean my ball after use. Theonly time i will not clean is after a play i bring the ball to the pro-shop, so that the driller can see my track and give some insight onto my bowling..
As for the cleaners, after certain trial and error... i find that track dull and clean work best for columbia balls. If u use that on a brunswick ball, chnaces that it will just "glide" round the ball w/o much cleaning.
In the past i use neo tac renew it. That lotion is one of the better cleaners, It clean the brunwick, columbia and amf balls i have.
Right now i still have neo tac liquid sandpaper. I use that to clean pro-active balls. somehow track proactive cleaner didn't clean particle balls;it try to polish them.
In the past, there was this Master reactive ball cleaner. Its still available now. it a pretty good cleaner, if u wanna clean a ball w/o paying alot. On the other hand, master liquid abrasive cleaner sucks cos it didn't "polish" the ball and it smell like turpentine.
squaeky clean, dunno why, oso dun work for me too...
Jus something to share abt all the cleaners i use b4
[This message has been edited by Deamon (edited 09 April 2002).] -
Whoa... I am awed by Mr Daemon.
You have used more polishes than I've used balls man. That's very informative! Thanks.
Regrettably, I don't clean my gear often. Perhaps every 20 - 30 games. And it depends on what conditions i expect to face when i'm next due to use them. I usually don't clean them the day before a tournament that's played on synthetics because i found that going there with 'used' balls reduces the over-under i tend to get after a few shots, when the coverstock has adjusted. Also, i train only with one ball (DZ2), so my tournament balls are usually not worn.
Cleaner wise, I use Track's Clean N' Polish. I used to use Sqeaky Clean until I ORD-ed and they told me it's no longer in production. I wa shattered - that polish was multi-use; now, there are polishes for every damn surface. I get the feeling we're being miilked here...
Anyway, Track polishes cost the same for 22oz, while the Columbia ones hold 16oz. But Track polishes have a bubble-gummy smell :p that i like.
And i use the Clean N Polish on my Heat2 Pearl, which i believe is particle? It works for me. I'm planning on getting a Dulling polish soon.
Any recommendations?
------------------
Always remember: It's easier to spare from a channelball than a split. -
Hi, wat's the grit of yr dull ball? 400grit sanded, 600 or 800? My powersurge is 800 grit sanded so i use track's clean and dull. but it didn't clean as well for my columbia game which is 360 grit sanded.In the past for that dull ball i would use neo tac renew it, but now i tend to use neo tac liquid sandpaper cos renew it is no longer available.
Thus as i dun really have 400grit sanded ball(except for 1),so i dun really know which cleaner is suitable .Perhaps Master liquid cleaner helps, as i use it for a dull rhino pro-teal before...but then that ball is 600 grit sanded..... -
Are you guys from another planet?
You guys sounded like from a neighbouring planet next to Brendan's
------------------
LIFE...... a small word that have a big meaning.
Noone can explain life till the end of it. -
I'm using Neo Tec Renew It, deamon, it's out of production??? Damn, it's a nice cleaner! A bit on the ex side, for $22, but it smells good.
I used to be damn siao on and cleaned my new ball ALL the time, after every bowling session. But after 4 months, all my balls were given equal treatment, particle or plastic :p -
Deamon
I'm afraid I don't know what's the surface on my ball. If i have one complaint about Walter (my driller), it's that he doesn't put much weight on the surface of the ball. To him, it's either shine or sand. I once asked him if he could sand my ball to a certain number, then he waved it off.