Before building an arsenal you need to figure out what you are building an arsenal for: League or house patterns, travel league or multiple houses, Tournament bowling, or Sport/PBA pattern leagues or tournaments.

For a regular house shot league you will need 4 balls:

1. A Heavy oil ball for when the machine goes nuts and puts down a flood, it happens. Suggested balls to use: Cell, Buzzbomb, black Widow bite, Special Agent or Attitude shift or Passion, or Columbia resurgence, MoRich LevRG. Brunswick Twisted Fury.

2. Benchmark ball. This is an everyday ball used for most medium conditions. Suggested balls: Columbia Rival or momentum, Any of the Nv series from Ebonite, Hammer Black Widow, or Toxic, Lane#1 Super Nova, MoRich NsaneLevRG, Storm Secret Agent, or Rapid Fire, Legends/LaneMasters Black Pearl. Brunswick Fury Pearl

3. Dry Lane ball for when you show up and the lane oiling machine is broken. Suggested balls to use: Columbia Jazz, Ebonite Bash, Hammer Vibe, Lane #1 Supernova xp or Liberator, Legends/Lanemasters Hornet, Brunswick Groove DryR or Power Groove.

4. Spare ball DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT ONE.

Sorry I had to enter what I had written and come back later.

balls to add for a Travel League.

1. Aggressive Pearl to cut through carrydown and open up a shot.
Columbia Momentum, Ebonite Raid or Clash, Hammer Black Widow Pearl or doom, Storm Gravity Shift, Legends/lanemasters the buzz.

2. A different drill pattern on your benchmark ball. If you drilled it with the pin above the fingers drill another one with the pin below the fingers and shine it, or try shining the other one and dulling this one. The reason for a different drilling of the same ball is when you go to some houses you hit the pocket, but just can't seem to carry, switching to the same ball with a different pattern and or different surface may help put 10 in the pit.

Additional or optional balls for PBA patterns. There is a difference between PBA Experience league shots and the actual patterns in houses that don't own the proper lane oiling equipment, so look out for that. The proper machine is either red, or black and says sanction technology on it. If not you probably are just getting what the lane man interprets the pattern to be.

The key to PBA Patterns is not necessarily equipment, but proper Execution and delivery. By that I mean you can have success with the wrong ball in your hand as long as you are throwing it right.

With that in mind I will do my best to tell you what seems to work and what types of players seem to do best on each pattern.

Shark: the longest pattern. Lately the pros seem to be playing it from outside with low pin aggressive equipment and end over end low side rotation release this is after burning open a hole in the pattern around the 5 board. To do the job of burning a hole in the pattern you need an aggressive ball dulled to at least 320, keep in mind this is not the ball you will be playing the shot with, but also keep in mind you don't get a half hour of practice to burn a hole in the pattern like they do on tv so I would suggest a high pin aggressive ball with a high flare drilling and 500 abralon finish that you could use until the 5th frame or so, then change to the low pin 5 to 5 1/2 inch pin to pap aggressive ball with 2000 abralon finish to go the rest of the way.

High Rev players have success playing inside lines on the shark start off by burning a hole going up the 10 board and moving in and playing to the hook spot you just created the key is to increase the side rotation as you move in deeper and avoid crossing the playing area of those playing outside of you because their carrydown will cause your shot to hang.

Scorpion Pattern. Plays simillar to a house pattern with the break point between 6 and 9 just don't drift left or right of that at the break point or you will pay a stiff penalty. Your aggressive ball will work until the oil breaks down then your benchmark ball will take over from there.

Chameleon Pattern. High Revers will have success playing from deep inside out to the 7 to 9 board with the pin over fingers benchmark ball, straight players will have success going up the second arrow out to 6 or 7 with one or the other benchmark balls either pin over or under fingers which ever carries.

Viper pattern. Plays great end over end up the second arrow with a shiny weak ball, pin under the fingers to keep it from burning out too quickly. Lefties seem to rule on this pattern this year so righties take a tip and play hard and straight up the outside.

Cheetah pattern. Seems to be playing harder this year and doesn't seem to be scoring as high as last year.I am not sure what the deal is I have not had the chance to bowl on it. It seems that you don't need to be out on the gutter like last year and seems to play close to the viper but with a sharper break point so a lower pin and duller surface in the viper ball might work with an end over end release.

Sport shots all that matters is how long the pattern is that tells you straight away what ball to use longer = more aggressive and higher pin shorter = shiny and lower pin. If you are having problems with the ball being too jumpy at the breakpoint use a duller piece of equipment if the ball is not turning the corner use a shiny coverstock.

Just a note: the Cheetah pattern has been modified. I do believe the extended the oil by the gutters a few extra feet, so if you get it too far outside, that dry isn't there like it use to be to let the ball recover.

Admin: +1 for pinning this or a similar thread to the top

One thing I would disagree with is that the Twisted Fury isn't a heavy oil ball. Atleast that's not how I see it.

Everyone I know that has a twisted fury uses it on broken down medium or fresh lighter conditions. It's a pearl solid ball - that is the least traction a coverstock can have. Heavy oil tends to demand early friction.

In fact, it's the weakest ball in Brunswick's Premium line: http://www.brunswickbowling.com/twisted-fury

If you get a lot of movement out of it on heavy oil, you're not actually on heavy oil

I have heard of pros using the twisted on many conditions by altering the surface. You could also use a Total Inferno, but I wouldn't recommend a fury unless you get a good one, it is hit or miss with the new factory, the twisted sanded seems to give everything the fury was supposed to plus seems to be more consistent from the factory, like they might have turned the corner in their quality control, at least I haven't heard of someone's twisted hitting like a marshmallow or skidding through the pindeck right out of the box like I have from some fury owners, so I have a hard time recommending the fury.

The total is more aggressive in cover similar to the absolute, but doesn't have the back end the twisted does when you dull it, which is why I recommended it, besides it seems to be a good one two punch with the fury pearl.

I hear Brad Angelo on Xtra Frame the PBA video service. Brad Angelo was talking about what balls he would be using and why on Viper Pattern. He noted that he would start with Total Inferno and as the front head get burnt he would use twisted fury, which he stated dont seem to see that early friction as much as other balls.

Surface prep plays a big part with friction too, as CoachJim was saying. At OOB the Twisted Fury won't have have the friction. If you take that same ball down to 800 like the Fury it will encounter more friction earlier. The Twisted Fury is at Brunswick's Rough Buff.

As for issues with the Fury, I have an original Fury, I had mine delivered to my house the same day pro shops around me were getting it delivered to their shops and the only problem I've had with mine is the same as with all typical dull solids, soaking up oil. Removing the oil and redoing the surface fixed this as well as regular maintenance, which I was doing anyways, but now I touch it up on the spinner every so many games. I have mine at 500 abralon. I know of many others that have the ball and have few or no issues with it.

For a house shot, I can see having 4 balls, but no need to carry them all into the building with you. You build an arsenal starting with ones bowling style. that has to be the first ingredient. There is no one size fits all when it comes to arsenals. My arsenal is very different from Erins ( not picking on you Erin ), because of our different bowling styles. A majority of my bowling balls are drilled for length. The balls that hook the most, don't get used a lot. Even on PBA shots, the big hooking balls don't get used much. Yes I can get just as much hook, if not more hook on PBA shots. The big problem is you don't have the mistake room on the PBA shots that you do on house shots. So the same balls that work wonders on house shots, may not work wonders on PBA shots.

It may have been the house I was bowling at, but I found that most if not all of the patterns played better from the outside. I thought that the carry was better and it seemed like I had an easier time getting to the pocket. Carry was a much bigger issue for me than reaching the pocket. Matching up ball with bowler is so big on the PBA shots. One thing I saw was that you have to be in the pocket. You can't risk losing the pocket for more backend. So, you want balls that don't jump off of the breakpoint. You want an evenish rolling ball. Strong arc with a continuos backend would work well. Still, even with that, I bowled better with balls that got length. The reason is because of my rev rate and ball speed. I'm not Robert Smith, but my rev rate has always been higher than my ball speed. I have just this year increased my ball speed. If I get to bowl in another PBA pattern league, I will see how that changes things.

For a house shot that you normally play on, I can't see carrying more than 3 balls into the building. a medium/heavy oil ball and a light/medium ball will cover everything they can throw at you. That means different things to different people. For me its a particle pearl and a pearl ball. No matter what they do to the lane machine, I can bowl on it with my particle pearl. I keep an extra ball in my car for drier conditions.

Smooth, not every house shot plays the same, if you don't need 4 balls then I'm not insisting you carry 4. The house I bowl in has two different lane oiling machines each one can break down and do weird things to the lane.

Some nights I had to start off with a heavy oil ball going across the second arrow out to 5, and by the end of the night I would be in front of the ball return using my dry lane ball, during the rest of the night I would have changed balls 3 times speeds 5 times angle 6 times and release 6 times. Some nights I would stop at the Pro Shop and pick up a new ball and still have 5 balls in my locker and not have a ball that would work for that place, then the next week I would use the same ball all 3 games.

There is also no reason that your league balls will not work on some of the sport/pba patterns. Most people don't have the cash or desire to keep up a 12 to 20 ball arsenal when an eight ball arsenal with a few release and speed changes will expand your arsenal to match up just as well with less cost.

Well, if you don't know what to expect out of your house shot, then by all means carry inside whatever you can lug in. But from all the houses I have bowled in out here in NY, the houses usually use the same pattern day in and day out, whether that's light or heavy. I keep any extra balls in the car. I like to carry in a particle pearl ball because it will play on anything from lightish to heavyish oil. I have learned to carry one wherever I go. The other ball I carry in depends on what is normal for the house. If the house is usually on the heavy side, I carry a matte ball ( that is almost never ). If the house is usually on the light side, I carry a low differential pearl ball for more length ( the norm ).

Problem i have is when to change to a differnt ball or when to move instead. Sometimes i move too much and not change ball quick enough or change balls to quickly and not move enough.

I bowl at two different houses. One is medium oil, the other light. (however today it was bone dry) The one that is medium, usually seems to play more consistent. Meaning, I guess I am more consistent there. The one that is light to bone dry is very inconsistent.

Off topic....does it cost a lot for oil these days? Why would any house consistently let the lanes get so dry?

The house I bowled at last year had heavy/heavy oil. You could see the oil spray off the ball (like a truck through mud) as it went down the lane. Unfortunately that house closed and is something else now, i.e. no longer a bowling center.

I'm only in my second year of bowling, so I am slowly building an arsenal. I'm not at the point where I can tell when to switch balls due to the lanes breaking down. Right now I am just trying to take the approach of getting a ball with different surfaces.

My rule of thumb is if I am getting to the pocket but not carrying I try to watch the ball's reaction and see if it is burning early and leaving flat 10 pins or over hooking and leaving solid back row pins.

If the ball is burning early and not finishing strong enough I move into the oil at least 4 boards with my feet and 3 with my eyes at the arrows with the same ball and get it out to the same break point with a little more side rotation, if the ball doesn't turn the corner I go to a less aggressive cover and snappy pin over fingers drilling, this usually works.

If I am leaving solid back row pins I move in again 4 and 3 and play the same break point this usually gives the ball enough room to lose some of it's energy and carry out the back row pins.

If I am not finding the pocket and the place I bowl at there are many nights like that I try to change my release and go more end over end with it and go more direct to the pocket, sometimes this means I have to play a shot similar to the one Barnes was playing on tv yesterday by playing across the third arrow and only getting the ball out to 12 or 13.

I carry four balls, and my setup is a lot like this. I'll usually switch balls at least once during league, as the shape of my shot changes--I'd rather make a big change if I think it will give me more room to miss, rather than make a small move and try to get by on accuracy.

Heavy oil: Storm Agent
Benchmark: Brunswick Urethane Groove (non-sanded)
Light oil/Down&In/Spare: Brunswick Target Zone
10pin: Columbia White Dot

I keep looking for ways to dump the White Dot so I can carry another aggressive ball, but I haven't found another consistent solution for the 10pin yet.

Hey untutored,
How come you don't use your Target Zone for your 10 pins, since it is also a spare ball/polyester ball, instead of using a separate White Dot? That way, you can carry much more aggressive balls.

With dry edges, my Zone will cut right in front of the 10pin, making for a very difficult shot. Since I also use the Zone as a strike ball, I don't want to wax it up to reduce friction.

The White Dot is more highly polished to start with, and then I wax it with the machine at the bowling alley. I throw my deep strike shot, and the WD glides right over to the 10 even in dry conditions.


I've tried to use the Zone for 10pins using a couple of different techniques, but I haven't found anything I can rely on so far--right now I'm working on taking the 10p with a new hand position. The last couple of years, I've been joining a summer league just to experiment with new ideas, so that will be something I'll work on this summer.

I had the same issue with my Columbia 300 Scout Reactive ball. I found two things that work for me. I don't have a plastic or urethane ball to throw at ten pins. The first thing that I found out is that if I stand on the filler board and pull my index finger in toward my other fingers and extend my small figure out as far as I can I can get a straight roll out of my ball. The last thing you have to do is throw it anywhere between the 20 and 15 boards. The other is to again stand on the filler board and walk at a steeper angle towards (kind walk at where the two pin would be) the ten pin and let the ball slid across the lane (again hitting anywhere between the 20 and 15 boards until it hits the dry and picks up. This one's kind of tough for me to suggest without actually seeing you throw the ball and seeing how it reacts.

Coach Jim, terrific thread, I was going to leave a specific post about my current fascination with equipment (yea I got the ball bug all of a sudden). This is after bowling with basically one ball for 4 1/2 years (Columbia Titanium Messenger Pearl, it's the brown Messenger).

I bought a Blue Vibe at Nationals thinking it'd be a good dry lane ball. Boy, that sucker moves more then I thought it would. Our lanes have been pretty bone dry as of late, but it defintely moved more then my Messenger (one bowler friend of mine thinks I've burnt out the Messenger and need a new benchmark ball). BV might even make a decent new benchmark ball for me.

I've been considering, Momentum, Rival, Storm Street Rod Pearl. The guy at Nationals that drilled my ball said I might like their new Psycho (Hammer guy).

The Brunswick booth in Albuquerque was busier then all the others combined.
I talked to the guy there, telling him we bowl on wood lanes and he suggested a
Rampage or an Avalanche. Probably for drier lanes. He said for Albuquerque, I'd need something stronger (I averaged 182 with my Messenger in Albuquerque).

So I guess my question is, stick with Columbia 300, or just mix and match and try them all. It sounds like fun but I know since the Messenger was a good ball for my home house, something similar makes sense doesn't it?

Coach Jim, terrific thread, I was going to leave a specific post about my current fascination with equipment (yea I got the ball bug all of a sudden). This is after bowling with basically one ball for 4 1/2 years (Columbia Titanium Messenger Pearl, it's the brown Messenger).

I bought a Blue Vibe at Nationals thinking it'd be a good dry lane ball. Boy, that sucker moves more then I thought it would. Our lanes have been pretty bone dry as of late, but it defintely moved more then my Messenger (one bowler friend of mine thinks I've burnt out the Messenger and need a new benchmark ball). BV might even make a decent new benchmark ball for me.

I've been considering, Momentum, Rival, Storm Street Rod Pearl. The guy at Nationals that drilled my ball said I might like their new Psycho (Hammer guy).

The Brunswick booth in Albuquerque was busier then all the others combined.
I talked to the guy there, telling him we bowl on wood lanes and he suggested a
Rampage or an Avalanche. Probably for drier lanes. He said for Albuquerque, I'd need something stronger (I averaged 182 with my Messenger in Albuquerque, My book was 188 last year and 178 the year before, so I was thrilled with 182 avg in ABQ.).

So I guess my question is, stick with Columbia 300, or just mix and match and try them all. It sounds like fun but I know since the Messenger was a good ball for my home house, something similar makes sense doesn't it?

I throw about 13.5 mph at least as measured on the scoring machine. I kind of consider myself a down and in player, THS over second arrow bowler, like to go outside. But with BV, had to go pretty deep inside (for me). ball worked, have to give it credit.

The blue Vibe is a pretty good benchmark type ball, it is primarily for drier lanes and or wooden lanes. If the blue vibe (fairly weak ball) is out hooking everything else then the lanes are probably pretty dry, the momentum, and rival might be too much ball and not hook as much as the vibe because they will grab early and burn out.

You are going to need a weaker ball for where you are and something that will compliment your blue vibe, the psycho might work well since it has a stronger core and similar cover, the widow venom might also be a good choice if you like Hammer. The Columbia dead flush might also be a good choice if you like Columbia, but it is made by Ebonite the same as Hammer products. If you like the old Columbia coverstocks then you might do better with AMF or Lane #1 since they are made at the old Columbia plant and use the same materials.

I didn't know any of this, thanks a lot.

I asked the guy at the desk last week. They dressed the lanes and they broke down in like 6 frames (and we bowl 4 games). Here's what he told me.

They are using synthetic oil for a wood house. Why? He said the oil for wood is $550 for 5 quarts. The synthetic stuff is $55 for the same amount. Now i'm no expert on this topic, but I guess they're using the wrong oil to save money.

I'm thinking of bowling 45-minutes away in the fall, but then my equipment would really not be appropriate for that place.

Thanks for the reply and sorry about the double post above, my browser acted like it got knocked off line, but i guess the post made it through anyway.

The double post thing seems to happen when the thread spills over to the next page.

The wrong oil for the wood lanes doesn't surprise me in the least.

The new Bash which is a solid reactive ball would also make a good benchmark ball for that type of lane. When they dry up you may have to go to urethane or polyester.

If you go bowl somewhere else that has synthetic lanes and more oil, then you would be hard pressed to find a better benchmark ball than the rival or momentum, cgeorge loves his avalanche solid which also seems to be a good benchmark type ball.

I really liked the looks (for what that's worth) of the Momentum. The Rival had peeked my interest too. Could've used something a little stronger in ABQ but for once a year, I made hay with my Messenger.

The Brunswick booth at Nationals was 4 times busier then everywhere else, is there stuff that good, that popular? I'm not too familiar with their line but a lot of guys were drooling over the Twisted Fury (I think that's the name, looked like a marble).

I used my plastic ball for strike shots in game four last week, not a whole lot of success but it was moving, rolling it up five and it'd get around the pocket.

I stayed and practiced and that's when I found the Vibe would work. But I was trying to use it off my Messenger line and adjust a board or two or three. I needed to make a major move to the inside and swing it and found a shot on the dry boards for the Vibe.

I have a Twisted Fury at 1000 Abralon polished, and it is my benchmark ball. Versatility is this ball's biggest asset. On wood lanes, I start out with the Twisted and ball down as conditions require. On synthetic and fresh conditions, the Twisted can squirt so I will ball up if need be. The knock on the Twisted has been that it doesn't handle fresh/flooded or dry very well, but that's not what it was designed for. You can find a line on anything in between that will work well, and from there your adjustments will be small. Very good ball, but it might be stronger than you'd want for your benchmark. Definitely worth a good look, though!

Folks were drooling over them at the Brunswick kisok at Nationals.
As you can tell, I spent a lot of time at all the places, trying to find out
information. I came back with info. which led to more questions! Thanks for your input though.

I do love my avalanche solid - as a benchmark ball, those with less hand might find it a bit lacking. From your description of your game, and where you are playing on wood, you will need something that is a step up from the Avalanche when you get more a more medium-heavy shot on synthetics. The cover does seem pretty versatile, so you may be able to take it to 1000 or 2000, but at the box finish, it might be a bit long for you as a benchmark ball.

EDIT: As mentioned, the Twisted Fury is a good "one step up" from the Avalanche. As a plus, both are very controllable - having those 2 balls, plus something like a Cell, would be a great 3 ball arsenal that could handle just about anything.

Thanks cgeorg. Are you a Brunswick fan? I couldn't believe how busy their booth was in Albuquerque compared to all the others. I've usually had Columbia 300 stuff
for whatever reason.

Coach,

If you recall I wasn't too happy in finding a "wormhole" at the bottom of my thumbhole in a newly purchased Twisted Fury. It turns out that the hole is the result of a "straw" that was used in the manufacturing process involving the locator pin. At the same time I wasn't at all happy with the distributor who would not take the ball back unless I submitted photographs of the wormhole...an attempt to photograph the hole was largely unsuccessful.

I did bowl a couple of games and was satisfied with how the ball reacted and have decided to keep it. If I did return it I would have to pay for the drilling the replacement.

In the event I run into dryer conditions that the Twisted Fury can't handle I recently purchased a Roto-Grip Neptune.

I am not a fan of any one ball manufacturer - I do have 2 Brunswick balls that do what I bought and drilled them to do.

I could have filled those holes in my arsenal with another manufacturer - the Avalanche was probably going to be a Street Rod until my terrible Demo Days experience. The Total I got because I entered a pro-am and it was $100.

The straw is there to locate the mass bias and hold the core in place during the manufacturing process. The drill bit must have hit it when drilling the thumb hole and tore it out, it is only about 1/8" piece of solid plastic rod, not a straw, and shouldn't bother your ball reaction in the least. I didn't post to your other thread because if you don't like it send it back, what am I going to say to change your mind.

I have seen drillings that have hit the pin and the same thing happens, sometimes it cracks out, sometimes it doesn't, but the mb indicator pin is not as detrimental as having the locator pin drilled out, the worst thing that will happen is the remaining mb pin or "straw" comes out and you have a vent hole to your thumb.

I was like cgeorg. I had balls that did what I wanted them to do, and I got balls as prizes. but, I am happy that my Pro Shop recommended the ball that started my allegiance to one company. Although, I still find that One Company does not fill all the holes, and other brands still are needed.

Another part of it is that some companies tend to have certain characteristics that carry over their whole line. Lane Masters - longevity, better through carrydown, even hook, etc. Their particle balls are tough to beat. MoRich makes very aggressive cores, and tend to have good heavy oil balls. Brunswick - earlier, even rollers. Both the Avalanche and Twisted Fury are in the 7 or 8 range on sport shots as rated by BTM. That is really good, and is why I went with the Avalanche. However, one other hole I am trying to fill in my arsenal is a very aggressive pearl ball, to go long and snap hard, but from a pretty deep inside line. For that, I will most likely be going with Storm, because they tend to do that sort of ball very well.

Buy a reaction, not a brand. The brand can influence the reaction, and should be taken into account, but it should not be the main reason.

Granted, cgeorg. I still use my Scorchin Inferno from Brunswick on longer, heavy oil patterns, and I rely on my Storm Shift for medium lane conditions. These two just work for me.

But, there others in those lines that don't work, for me that is.

balls have to fit your game. If that is mostly 1 manufacturer, than so be it. For the most part, different balls work best.

Coach,

When first discussing the wormhole situation with Karl Wolf, my driller, he said that he would be meeting with a Brunswick representative that same week in Buffalo NY. It was the Brunswick rep that labeled the plastic rod you describe as a "straw".

In any case, another reason why I decided to keep the ball was, other than the wormhole, everything else in terms of pin distance and top weight, was to my satisfaction. This hasn't always been so when ordering off of the internet.

The mass bias locator pin is still in place so I suspect that the rod or straw was sheared off towards the bottom half of the thumbhole as the wormhole is on the perimeter of thumbhole in my thumbslug. The edge of the locator pin is a hair over 5/16" or 21/64" from the edge of the thumbslug. The wormhole wasn't visible when I first inspected the ball as it was filled with particles left over from drilling.