General bowling discussion
I always have mixed emotions. I hear a ton of bowlers who are thanking God that it’s over. Then there are some who still want more. I personally am in the latter camp. It is a long season and I hear many say: “It’s too nice outside to be in here!” “I’m tired of bowling … Continue reading Winter League is over, what are you doing this Summer?
This is a particularly important part of your arsenal so I wanted to talk about it a little. So what is a Benchmark? A standard by which something is evaluated or measured So it’s the standard. It should be the thing everything else is measured by. That means you should have one ball that all … Continue reading What is your Benchmark Ball?
How do Solid Reactives, Pearlized reactives, Urethane ball motions compare to each other? Remember the Hockey Stick shape, well, the Reactive balls tend to resemble that more while Urethane exemplifies the Banana shape. This is all about what we call “Skid, Hook, and Roll”, the phases a bowling ball goes through as it goes down … Continue reading Coverstock – Part 5
Let’s dive deeper still… This time, we will primarily talk about Reactive resin and Urethane and generalities in ball reaction. Remember when we talked about the USBC Ball Motion Study and that Surface Roughness is the most influencing factor on ball motion? Well, here we go… The different coverstock finishes available with reactive resin include … Continue reading Coverstock – Part 4
We covered some of the basic aspects of the coverstock and ball motion in Part 1 and Part 2. Let’s talk about Hook Shape based on the coverstock technology! I like to refer to these in simple terms: Straight, Banana, and Hockey Stick Straight Well, this is pretty Straight forward! 
OK, that was bad, … Continue reading Coverstock – Part 3
OK, so we started out with the basics in Part 1 of the Coverstock story. Now let’s get into it a little more. Coverstock Technologies Recap We briefly explained from least hook to most: plastic, urethane, and reactive resin. That’s the simplest way to explain these coverstocks in relative terms. However, a person with in-depth … Continue reading Coverstock – Part 2
Do you understand what is the coverstock, what types there are, how they can be adjusted, and what reaction those adjustments create? Let’s start with the basics. I know many experienced bowlers know this part, but for those starting out and looking for some information, this should help you get the basics down. It is … Continue reading Coverstock – Part 1
It’s easier than you think! How much do you think when you bowl? I know a lot of guys who think quite a bit while they’re bowling. Even some friends and teammates! (you know who you are ) Well, it’s not a completely bad thing to be thinking while you bowl, but it really … Continue reading Do You Turn a League Night into Practice?
This question comes up all the time. I’m sure you know people who make illegal “alterations” during league play, knowingly or unknowingly. You may even be inadvertently doing something wrong yourself. Not to fear. You will not be immediately punished Rule 18 of the 2009-2010 USBC Rulebook clarifies the situation. Here’s how it works… … Continue reading What can you do to your ball while bowling?
I see this topic discussed frequently by the local bowlers and on bowling forums all the time. Lots of people think they have the answer, yet many of the answers are quite different. My Arsenal Right now, I keep a strong solid reactive, a medium solid reactive, a medium pearl reactive, and a urethane ball. … Continue reading What does your THS arsenal look like?
Some history Since reactives came out, using a straighter ball was necessary for spares. Using a reactive ball decreased the margin of error for spares (particularly right-side spares for Righties and opposite for Lefties) because they reacted hard off the dry. You would have to point the ball toward the channel and have it hook … Continue reading Spare Shooting, questioning convention…
I love using Urethane for spares! Why? One word, control! Urethane is the definition of smooth control. I’ve posted a few articles on urethane so take a look at those (Storm Natural, Urethane: Evolution….) Let me share some personal experience. I used to use my strike ball for spares. Before you go, “what?!?”, I can … Continue reading Urethane again??? Yes, for spares!
OK, I will admit I love watching bowling. I think I’ve seen every repeat on ESPN Classic! The PBA has been working hard to turn itself into a profitable business again and I applaud there efforts. However, something must be said about Sunday’s show, the 2010 Go RVing Match play Championship! OK, the mixed conditions … Continue reading Was that boring or what??
OK, I mean your shoe covers When it’s raining out, what do you do when you enter the bowling center? Some of this might sound obvious but I am still amazed at how often people almost fall over on their first throw of the night. In case you are not aware, you really want … Continue reading Grab your Booties…
OK, so let’s talk about balance… In today’s modern game, a lot of guys like to grip it and rip it. The equipment has tons of backend and people love to see that huge move on the backend while shredding the rack. Hey, I used to be one of those! However, my game has evolved … Continue reading Balance and Leverage…again
How does lane play differ in winter vs spring? Do you ever go bowling at league this time of year and think, “My ball is dead!”? Well if you bowl in a part of the country where winter is just over and spring is in the air, there might be another answer. In the northeast, … Continue reading Holy Heat, Batman!
Is it the same thing? Well…not exactly. Perfection: An exemplification of supreme excellence Excellence: The state of excelling or being exceptionally good Sounds pretty close doesn’t it? I like to think of it in bowling terms. What do you relate to perfection? Most people I know think 300! Well, bowling a 300 all the time … Continue reading Perfection or Excellence?
“Mr. Freeze” A value-priced pearl reactive. Drilling This ball was drilled pin in ring finger and CG on the strong side. There’s a weight hole on the PAP. As usual, I suggest to work with your local pro to find what best works for you. First Impressions This is one fantastic ball for a medium … Continue reading Columbia Freeze
“Al Natural” The urethane ball I decided to try out from the current crop of urethane balls on the market. Drilling: This ball was drilled pin above and in between fingers and CG on the slightly strong side of center. Won’t spend much time on drilling as this will vary and coverstock is 75% of … Continue reading Storm Natural
This seems to change all the time depending on the house, how long you have the ball, the look you have that night. I have to say that I love my Columbia Freeze right now. Very stable, controllable ball with plenty of consistent backend. What’s your favorite?