Acceptable # of balls for THS

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gunso
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by gunso »

I never bring less than 6 with me in any competition. Why would I limit my options of the best scoring conditions I can? Even though I could make any ball in my arsenal work on a house shot my thirst for winning is larger than my thirst for showing people how versatile I can be with only 2 balls when the conditions call for something else.

For example I shot 1525 in 6 games with a bowling ball I never ever would have taken with me for that condition if I was only choosing 2 or 3 bowling balls but this time the conditions called for it. Didn't like the ball motion in frame 5 of first game so I made the "weird" switch and even though I could have made it work for a 210-220 average that night I'd rather shoot 240+ average and beat others
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by boomer »

MegaMav wrote:
I will take it a step further.
I think over the past 20 years the quality of the average league bowler has gone down and the quality of the equipment we throw has gone way up. Last I checked averages pretty much have held steady. Buy a ball instead of working on your game is the new mentality, as flawed as it is. There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. The art of the bowler manipulating ball motion will be more important than the balls themselves. Versatility wins, unless you're Eugene McCune on Cheetah.
Not going to argue with you on that! LOL.

But all other things being equal, you brings the number of balls that you needs. :)

I tend (and my father in law, bowling for more than 50 years) to tease young kids who bring 6 balls to league and pull a couple from a locker . . . and switch constantly looking for that perfect fit. LOL
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by pjape »

MegaMav wrote:If you need more than 3 balls on a house shot, including plastic, you need to work on your versatility.
For what it's worth.

Several years ago when I was looking for Jim Tomek online to get some new equipment (found out at that time he was not drilling balls anymore), I found an online article from December of 2012, when Jim was inducted into the Greater Harrisburg (PA) Hall of Fame. At the time of the article, Jim had an astounding 127 300 games and 112 800 series. I think it's safe to say, he knows how to play a house shot.

Jim told me himself a few years before this that he never takes more than three balls to league.
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by pjape »

I just had another thought. First of all, a disclaimer; I don't consider myself a great bowler at all.

This summer I bowled in a league that used the Kegel Challenge Patterns. One week we used the PWBA Greater Harrisburg Open shot, and the last week, (which I missed thankfully!) this year's USBC Masters Pattern.

I ended up second in average (197), had high game (289), and was third in series (672) and used only three balls all summer. The reason for this is I only own three balls (plus a spare ball), because right now I can't afford to buy anything new.

I made an effort to play each pattern correctly, and worked on my game to make the best shots I'm capable of, since I didn't have the luxury of a lot of equipment. One guy in this league brought a bunch of balls with him every week, but he only averaged 162, and he played every pattern the same. He actually played a 47 foot pattern straight up the eight board!

I'm afraid a lot of league bowlers think they can't score because of their lack of equipment, when the real problem is them. Why did I end winter league at only 195? Was it because I only own three strike balls? No, it was piss-poor shot making, that's why. ;)
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by krava »

Pjape: it isn't about the equipment I agree. I bought all kinds of expensive balls but never used them. The high end performance balls just are too strong for the lanes. I used to think that myself for lots of years (new ball bowl better). if you bring a lot of balls you need to know when to use them though my bowling balls are like a precision screw driver set I would say.

monday I brought 7 balls 4 ball bag 3 ball bag. A long story short, I only used 3 of the balls. 1 plastic plus 1 15lb and 1 16lb. A radical rid. with a little more backend and a rocketship. I bowled the worst series I have shot in alteast a year. I didn't go and pick more balls up because I knew what the problem was. out of 3 games, I didn't throw 1 ball correctly the whole night. 80% of what I bring is lower to medium end.

Personally I think 4 is a good number 1 benchmark, 1 plastic, 1 up 1 down.

This is going to be long but don't want to make a new thread. See if anyone ever had this happen:

Wednesday had one of the best days ever. I went to sears got a deal of a lifetime. Got a $4400 matress for $899 and $200. Told the people that I will be back tomorrow to pick it up. Then went bowling started with the drills did that good (still bad on 1 step drill), then I bowled like 4-5 games and did really well. never missed a spare etc. I was so excited and anxious for league that I might have got 1 or 2 hours of sleep that night. I was thinking Hopefully I do good enough to post "Got them all tonight" and leave it like that. Was thinking I hopefully will get 36 X and get lucky.

Thursday comes around. I go to sears and they tell me that someone with my same name, came in with the receipt for it (they will not print duplicates they said) and picked up my matress 3:30 pm Wed (same time I was there). I also had box springs and they did have that. The store manager looked at me thinking that I already picked them up and now get the springs and go. I had to fight with that for awhile. then the store manager finally said there is another matress on the ground. That matress is a Ultra Firm Sterns and foster Mckee. I had a pillow top firm and now this is a ultra firm. That thing feels like a brick. When you go to sterns and foster and look up the scale of it there is a 1 to 10. 1 being the firmest. on the website it says if you like sleeping on the floor then your firmness scale is a 2. I have a matress now that is worse then sleeping on the floor?? This also has some kind of stain on it I don't know if i can get out. That matress does cost $400 more and I got it for the same price but I have to sleep on that thing for 20 years. I was so pissed off I didn't know what to do. I also had to rent a uhaul truck and driving that thing is like going to hell and i was upset from having to drive that thing also. on top of that, I am extremely sore from bowling 2 hours straight again along with the 4 hours on monday.

I finally get to the bowling alley still thinking about this matress deal and I notice on my thumb that I have a cut on my thumb on the side with a busted blister there. I used one of those rolling pedi things trying to get these calluses off my thumb. I have one on the side of it and also in the middle palm side. My thumb doesn't usually go down but it went down alot thursday. Usually my ball is tight enough where I can hear my thumb pop out a little when it comes out but not this time. So anyway I think that I needed more tape in the ball. I had none and I did add 1 piece to one ball in the last 4 frames of the last game and it seemed to help. I didn't throw 1 ball correctly the entire night, I threw 3 gutter balls (I don't even average 1 gutter ball a season). I ended the 3rd game with a X-X. with 2 gutters that 1 game. I wasn't the only one guttering, there was another 200+ average bowler and he had like 5 with 2 back to back. The balls had a bad fit and they were flying off my hand too early I think. Oh yes on top of this, they now have decided to wax the approaches instead of doing them normally. I slid like I don't know what the first few frames. I even tried the shoe slip on and didn't work. I then used the S10 instead of s12 black ice and went back to the normal slide again. I missed a 9 pin. I missed a 2 pin spare (2 of the bucket ones). I am going to have to call that a fluke because I don't know what happend there. It wasn't the lane, It wasn't the balls. It was me. I think too many things going on in my mind along with being so sore and hurt had to mess me up there. The only bad thing is that I wonder, is this going to continue and I won't have that good ball motion like I had on Wed and Monday when I saw it for the first time? I am not going to practice and try to recoup and try to let this thumb heal and see what happens on monday. Monday I deal with the best in the bowling alley and can't have a repeat of that.
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by sutherngent »

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the balls I take to league. I used a 3 ball bag with 3 balls plus a spare ball for several years. Then this past winter, I decided to get a 4 ball bag as I was tired of dealing with a joey. Got one and have been using it for the past 6 months or so. Finally got tired of lugging it into and and out of the car. Since I was using the same 2 balls in league 95% of the time anyway I decided to just get a 2 ball bag and use the joey I kept for my plastic spare ball. I will still use the 4 ball for tournaments though, plus the 2 ball roller if I decide I need more.
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by mrbean »

my dad said league night looks like an airport full of suitcases
If I had 6 hours to chop down a tree I would spend the first 4 sharpening the axe.

-Honest Abe
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Re: Acceptable # of balls for THS

Post by TonyPR »

mrbean wrote:my dad said league night looks like an airport full of suitcases
Totally agree. Funny comment, made me laugh a lot, thank you!
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