Whats up guys, im starting to get more into bowling. A couple buddies and I found something else to compete in Anyway, i was thinking about getting a new ball...but dont know anything about them. I know i can go to a Pro shop but i didnt want to get caught up in the sales pitch and the real info. Anyone got any tips or experience?
I dont know too much about the different balls but if you are just getting into it i would say dont get anything too expensive right now. you should try to find something cheap (maybe ebay or something) and take it to a pro shop and have it re-drilled for your hand.. then see how you like it, if it isnt hooking enough then look for a ball that hooks more and vice versa. you can go here to see how different balls hook compared to others. www.bowlersparadise.com/ i have the ebonite vortex V2 strong. it was like $200 new with the drilling. and i am very happy with it. bowled my first 790 this year
Would u just go to someone locally to have it drilled? Or how do i do the measurements? How do internet prices compare to proshops?
I purchased a couple off of Ebay and did not like the surface....go to one of the lanes that has a pro shop and most of the time the will ask what you are looking to do and how you throw the ball and work with you...they will measure your hand and drill it for you...most of the pro shops I've seen are pretty laid back as far as the sales pitch......Come on down to Toledo...I had the guy set me up with a mild hooking ball.....drop the sucker on the second arrow to the right and hooks right at the last 10 feet...prob is getting the hand and speed down consistently......good reason to drink...you get better...LOL
I used to bowl all the time and I still do occasionally, however i still suck. I got my ball from K-Mart a couple years ago because it was dirt cheap. Well I learned a few things last year when I worked for a Sears that used to be a K-Mart. One of those things is that the people that drilled the balls are not specialized or anything. They don't even go through training to learn how to do it, they just use a drill press and have at it with the size that you pick out. Yeah I know how foolish of me to think that there was a real person that worked there that was the bowling ball 'master' and made all the bowling balls. Anyways I would just go to a proshop locally or the one at the bowling alley if it has one. Pro shops usually run pretty sweet deals where you get a Ball and a pair of shoes for like $150. Well worth it in my opinion because you have someone who actually knows what they are doing drill your ball for you and you can usually get a pretty damn nice ball for cheap in the deal plus you don't have to rent shoes anymore.
Yeah x100 on getting your own shoes.....so much more comfortable.... I have a ball I bought brand new for $200. It has the fingertips too add natural spin when you throw it, which is what you should do. It isn't a "major hooker", but it will if the lanes are dry. You want some hook, but not too much. The most important thing is to get it drilled right, and have someone teach you how to use the arrows on the floor/lane, how to throw consistantly, and how to monitor yourself, and make slight changes to adapt to lane conditions. And practice a lot, I bowled twice a week by myself and my average went from a 140 to around 195. When you bowl by yourself, you can see the mistakes you make, learn the lane, and get consistent. Scott
ya definately dont go to kmart for a ball. most bowling alleys in your area will have a pro shop with a knowledgeable guy in there. i went to Troy lanes (19 and John R) for mine. guy is really nice and knows alot. i think all decent balls now a days come with fingertips and you should get a thumb slug too. (like 3 bucks) fingertips = rubber inserts where your two fingers go in only up to your first knuckle to make the ball hook more and feel better. Thumb slug = an insert that goes into the thumb hole to make it more comfortable. http://www.bowlingindex.com/instruction/stricktip3.htm that pretty much explains the arrows.. if you are just using a house ball right now it is a BIG change to go to a good (hooking) ball. it sits on you hand different (its a wide grip) and you have to throw it different. and a 790 is the total of 3 games.
There are 2 sets of arrows, and 3 sets of dots. The arrows are on the lane, and the dots are on the floor. All of the dots and arrows line up with each other, i.e. the left most arrow on the lane lines up with the leftmost dot on the floor. The dots/arrows are on one board, which is a term you hear a lot. "I was a couple of boards off", meaning instead of hitting the arrow he wanted, he missed by a couple boards left or right" There are 7 dots/arrows on every row. Each dot lines up with one of the pins.....i.e. the left most dot lines up with the #7 pin, the center arrow lines up with the #1 pin, etc. 3 keys to staying consistent. #1 - Start out with your left foot on a dot, and after taking your 3-5 steps to throw the ball, make sure your left foot is inline with the same dot on the row at the base of the lane. This ensures you are walking straight, so you consistently throw from the same exact location, every time. Practice walking the lane, imitating throwing the ball, and keep doing it until you can walk straight. It will take time, trust me, you have no idea how hard it is to actually walk straight. Also, there are 2 rows of dots that you can choose to start from. I always choose the closest set, as the more steps you take, the easier you can miss your mark. #2 - You need to choose an arrow on the lane, and try to hit that arrow each time. The center of the ball needs to run across the mark every time. That way you throw the ball at the same spot every time, thus you should hit the same exact pin every time. Now sometimes you cannot use the arrow for the mark, rather you need to be between 2 arrrows to hit the right pins. So instead of aiming at the 3rd arrow from the right, you aim 2 boards over to the right, essentially smack in the middle of the 2nd and 3rd arrow. When you are taking your steps to throw, always look at your mark, and dont take your eyes off of it. Once you throw the ball, watch how the ball runs across the mark. Like I said, don't take your eyes off of the mark until the ball crosses it. It's imperitive that you watch how the ball hits the mark, so you can make corrections if necessary. Next, verify that you walked straight and hit your mark with your left foot. Finally, see how the ball hits tracks, and make small adjustments as necessary. #3 - Throwing the ball consistently. This is the hardest thing to master, hardest thing to teach and hardest to self-correct. Kinda like a golf swing, you can't see what you do unless you are standing behind you watching. The most important thing is to draw the ball straight back, and throw it straight forward. Your arm should be extented straight out, not to the left or the right. This increases consistency. Someone should watch you, and tell you if you are tracking straight. Hope this helps. Scott
www.cartersproshop.com is where i get all my stuff. I live in NJ, and ive been bowling since i was 5 now im 23. This guy has unbeatable prices usually with his stuff. Shame you are so far away, but what you can do, is send him a ball that you have that your comfortable with. He will (alan, the shop owner) take measurements and create a "mold" of your hand and the ball, so when you purchase a ball from him (drilling usually included) he can drill it up for you and ship it out! He's an awesome guy and if you told him "justin" sent you im positive he'd give you a discount.. im always buying new equipment and such from him lol.. Toooo much money in the sport for me to give it up even tho im getting sick of it.. im in leauge's 2 nights a week and rake in anywhere between 200-600 betting in brackets, high game pots, eliminator yadda yadda yadda EDIT: his website seems to be down, but number's there
