I agree with what Dennis said about knowing your equipment. It will be hard for us to tell you what it is capable of.

You really need to learn what type of line works with each ball, and how they handle you moving. There are certian balls that I have that I know don't do well when I have to start swinging them. There's one ball in praticular that if I'm throwing it, I'm going to be playing around 5. I know that after I move 2 boards, the next move is to switch balls. And then I know where to stand with that new ball because I know the difference between their reactions.

If one of us were there, we might be able to tell you based on seeing the ball reaction, but it's really hard not being able to see what's going on.

Mr. Bowler, I am not familiar with either of your balls, so I looked them up, and tried to find some reviews of each. Very little is written in critique, since, if I have the right ones, they are both overseas manufacture.

However, there is some documented data that you should know that could be helpful.
El Nino, good on heavy oil, long roll and snap, will roll out
Sonic Boom, med-heavy oil, lots of revs, loses reaction

Start your dicision process by reading the lanes, early oil, later, less or moved.
The balls are different and intended for different use. That's good. You can start with one, probably El nino early. Then as the lanes change, according to the data, the ball will start to roll out. Sonic Boom should be called on here. When you see this, this should be an automatic switch.

In both cases, the data suggests that the surface of each loses its grip fast. Both balls are claimed to have covers that soak up oil fast. This will cause erratic ball action and reaction. The manufacturer suggests frequent cleaning after each use.

If you haven't done this, a build up of oil and dirt on the surface will soak into the cover stock. This will cause you to constantly adjust all night, when it's not you, but the ball. Try a resurface of each. Bring them back to box finish or just under. It isn't expensive, and can revitalize your equipment. Then maintain each after each use to keep them in optimum performance.

Once, you stabilize your equipment it is easier to know what each can and is supposed to do with consistency. The decision to change will become easier.

Hope this helps.

As someone that's gone through divorce and bowling and some other stuff all at the same time, I can tell you that bettering your bowling average is just not going to happen until you get some resolution from the social things going on in you and your kids' lives. Simple as that. You may think you are handling it and that it doesn't effect your bowling, but it does. Of course you have to do what's best for your family now, bowling can wait.

So in the mean while you do what you can.

I'm also one of those people that likes to pick a ball and stick with it all night. Usually I can adjust with that ball all night. That is if I've picked wisely. I usually know within a couple frames (including the practise) if I've picked right. But one thing you have to not let get to you is that idea that you are doing something wrong to get the bad reaction/carry. You are probably not. Especially at the level you are at. We all get those surprises when we hit the pocket. If I get about 2 or 3 in a row I change balls. Because I don't want to dig a deeper hole for myself and at 2 to 3 frames of bad reaction I have nothing to lose.

You can bring some life back to your old equipment but it will take a Pro Shop to do it. A spinner and the right abrasives and polishes are needed. Go to Fireside lanes (noon to 7 M-F) and Mark will hook you up (especially if you mention Atochabsh) for not too much money. And if your spare ball is hooking a bit at the back and making 10 pins a hassle make sure you get that polished up too.

Erin

Spare ball is not a problem.

Right now I start with the Sonic Boom as I am usually on wetter conditions (Fireside and Mardi Gras) and I have no problems, however I have not keep the balls as clean as a probably should (i.e. I wipe the ball with the same towel after each shot and that's it). I usually don't pull out the El Nino until I have no other choice except when I know that I am going to bowling on a dry condition.

Last night is a good example. I subbed on the Travel league and we were bowling at Alpine. Alpine is "always" dry, so I started with the El Nino. The first two balls slid all the way down the lane and I got nothing from them. I determined that there was oil and I got out the Sonic Boom. Shot 244 the first game (and won my point and the team game for that matter) and the first 3 strikes in the second game (everybody else was struggling to shoot 200).

Then I threw a bad ball (hindsight is 20/20) and I adjusted based on that. Split/Strike/Split/Spare, adjust adjust adjust. By the 10th frame I decided to just go back to where I was throwing the first game, and guess what, the shot hadn't changed. I shot 177 (lost to 289).

The last game I tried to stay where I was, but my back was bothering me and I was pulling up at the line and pulling the ball across the lane. Shot 186 (I won though).

I wonder if I should have changed to the El Nino and slowed it down to get the ball to move (I was standing 11 throwing 7). But I did shoot 604 (thanks to my first game) and won 2 of the 4 possible points.

I know that I need to clean up my equipment, but money is pretty tight right now, so I will just live with it. The last time that I cleaned my equipment up, it took me two months to get it to work the way that I expected it to. Both balls rolled really weird, but that was probably because I was used to them being oil soaked.

Mike

If you use the Sonic Boom for oily conditions then you must have Robert Smith type revs. The Sonic Boom is a ball for light/medium oil. It is a high rg/ low differential ball with a highly polished cover. Not saying you don't have those revs, you might. But that isn't a heavy oil ball.

"I am not familiar with either of your balls, so I looked them up, and tried to find some reviews of each. Very little is written in critique, since, if I have the right ones, they are both overseas manufacture."

I have no idea where you were looking - but El Nino is a Storm ball, try www.stormbowling.com Click on Products, Balls, then look in the list of retiured balls at the bottom half. Sonic Boom was made by Rotogrip. Again, look in their retired balls archive.

Neither of these is an "overseas" ball. They were both released right here in the good ol' US of A.

The El Nino Gold was released in 2000 in Storm's Master Line, which is their best, top of the line bowling balls. It has Accu-Tread Solid reactive coverstock, which is also used on the X-Factor Deuce and a couple other Storm balls. The surface is 1000 gritte Matte finish. It has a low RG at 2.49 and a rockin' differential at .060. I'd say this is clearly the stronger of the 2 balls. Probably still good on medium oil, maybe even useable on medium-heavy.

The Sonic Boom is a Pearl Reactive from Roto-Grip. It was in their mid-priced, entry level line. It has 1500 grit polished pearl coverstock. With a high RG at 2.60, and a low differential of .029, this is just about a good spare ball or one for really dry lanes. Roto-Grip's web site does not say when it was released or when it was discontinued.

These 2 should compliment each other. The El Nino Gold would be the better ball on oil, the Sonic Boom would be better for totally dry lanes or as a spare ball.

Both still nice balls, even by today's standards.

As far as cleaning equipment, I first use rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to remove any lane trash. Then I use whatever product is appropriate for the ball and surface. I'm a Storm fan, so I tend to use Storm cleaners and restorers. For my polished particle, I use Moonshine. For my dull particle, MegaBite. Solid reactive get Reacta-Clean. Reacta-Clean also works well on Urethane. Plastic balls just get alcohol and Simple Green. Every company has their cleaner, its a matter of preference. I bowl with a high average guy who loves Ebonite's cleaners. They are very good, too. But at the very least, I'd use some rubbing alcohol to clean up your equipment, its like .79 a quart and alot of people have it in the house already. Its just not good to let all that dirt and conditioner build up and never clean any of it off.

There's also the Dawn trick. Put your ball in a bucket of hot water with Dawn dish detergent. Let it soak for a while, maybe an hour. Then dump the water and rinse. Repeat until all the oil is out. Anything is better than not cleaning the ball at all. That may be why you're saying the El Nino has no reaction - it might be full of oil and dirt. Clean it once with alcohol or Dawn for a bit and see if that reaction changes. I'd bet it will. El Nino is a great ball.

The El Nino is the older of the two balls and what you say is probably correct (it hasn't been cleaned so it is probably full of oil and dirt). It is moves considerably more than the Sonic Boom for me and I tend to only use it when I hit a dryer condition.

Maybe after I clean the balls I will get a more "normal" reaction out of them, but I am pretty happy with what they do right now (I am used to it). Like I said before I don't have a lot of $$$ or time to go out and practice right now, so I don't know that I am ready to change the ways the balls react as I won't be able to go out and re-learn what the ball is doing.

Thanks for the information about the balls, that is really helpful.

Mike