Took half a day off on Wednesday, so I baked and refinished my balls. I'm not sure about 2 of them, so I left them at 1000 grit wetsand, but I have an idea. Here's what I've got so far:

Big One (solid, low rg, high diff) - 1000
Infinite One (solid, low rg, high diff) - 1000
Total Inferno (particle pearl, low rg, med diff) - 1000
VP2 (particle pearl, med rg, low diff) - 4000
Black Amber Zone - 1000

According to the Ebonite docs, the Big One is earlier rolling than the Infinite, with a little less hook overall. The Big One is drilled a little weaker (5 1/2", above fingers) than the Infinite One (4", in line w/fingers), but it still flares more than enough.

I am starting up my PBA shot league on Tuesday. From last years experience, I will need a little more surface on these patterns, even the short ones, to get my ball to read the lanes early enough, especially on the fresh. I was going to leave the Big One at 1000, and leave the VP2 at 4000 for once they burn up a bit. The Zone is useless on the PBA shots, so it doesn't really apply. That leaves the Total and the Infinite One. I was thinking I would leave one at 1000, and take one to 2000 with polish. They both have decent length, and angularity, though I'd say the Infinite One is a bit more continuous. I am leaning toward taking the Total to 2000 with polish - I think it will make a nice snap-set motion for me once they open up a bit. Thoughts?

The drilling on the Total is ~5 1/4", above ring finger. It flares less than the Big One does. The VP2 is 3 3/8", but flares the least. There is at most 1/8" separation between flare rings.

Both Ones have the MB pretty much stacked beneath the pin, I think. The Infinite might be kicked slightly left. Not sure of angles - I may ask the Pro Shop guy to play with his angle thing next time I'm there.

So to sum up: Any ideas on which of the remaining 2 I should put more shine on? Anything that looks way off? I will be attending a Storm demo day on May 23rd, and I'll probably be looking pretty closely at the reactive pearls (T-Road, the new Fire that they haven't officially released yet but is at this page http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/ball.asp?ballid=280, Street Rod, Thunderstruck, Jolt...), because that's where I think the hole in my lineup is.

Cg, do you know what pattern they will be starting off with?

If not you will have to pick a ball that matches each pattern and try to set one ball up for each pattern.

I would take the Infinite one to 500 and leave it dull for the shark.

Take the Big one to 1000 and leave it dull for the scorpion and chameleon.

The Total inferno I would take it to 2000 and leave it dull for chamelion and cheetah

The VP2 take it to 4000 and shine it for the viper and for when you need to get through the heads and play a tight line.

The Amber zone is a little out dated and will slide too much in modern lane oil to be of much use except for maybe a spare ball.

I would look at the Gravity shift too, you don't have a strong pearl either, the VP2 is nowhere near as strong as the gravity.

I was just looking on their site using the match maker program with your specs, medium speed medium revs medium axis rotation
and they pretty much recommend the gravity for all lane conditions, I find that hard to believe, but it may be a good ball to have if it is that versatile.

Match maker recommended the Thunderstruck pearl for dry.

I think the Fired Up would make a good first ball out of the bag for medium to medium heavy oil.

Starting on the Cheetah - I think we will be going up in length from there. Everytime I've been on the Cheetah, playing outside was tough for me - I needed a lot of ball to get it back. I have found inside lines that worked from the getgo though.

How new is the Thunderstruck? Any chance they will actually have it at the demo days? I'm sure the gravity will be there, and hopefully the fired up as well, though that might be too new.

We will be doing 3 weeks on each animal pattern, with the last week being a major pattern, probably the Open. It is 4 bowlers per pair, 4 games, change pairs after 2. There are a mix of people that play deeper than me and people that have less hand than me. There were a couple people that played the patterns the way they "should" be played, and a few people that just tried to force a shot in their comfort zone. The breakdown really depended a lot on who I was bowling with. That said, I'd like to have at least 3 options per pattern. I'd like something I could throw straight up outside first arrow if there's a shot there. Something I can play around the Track area, if there's a shot there. And something I can play around 3rd arrow or deeper, if there's a shot there. Does it make sense to try to have something like that? Or would I be better off trying to figure out the general area I will want to play for the pattern, and setting up my arsenal about playing that area and staying near there as the shot breaks down?

since you know what pattern you will be on, then that makes it easier.

You can set the whole arsenal up to hit the pattern then.

Infinite one for cheetah 1000 dull
Big one 2000 dull
Total inferno 4000 dull
VP2 2000 shined

adjust the next week as needed

Ok. I'll do them by hand as best as I can, then take them to the Pro Shop before league tuesday and have him do them again at the final grit.

Just wait until you get to the spinner, doing it by hand is a waste of time.

I'm not sure how you could have trouble getting the ball back from outside on the Cheetah. The problem I've seen most people have is that they can't get the ball down the lane far enough. I threw a Purple Vibe @ 4000 and stayed right up the back of it and threw it hard. I was playing outside 5 to do this. I didn't see anyone who swung the ball score at all.

Playing straight up the boards outside 5, I had to use my Infinite One, at the time I think it was at 1000, to get back up to the pocket at all. It started going a bit high, but if I moved in a couple boards, it wouldn't come back, and if I switched to another ball, it wouldn't get up to the headpin. That was a year ago, so maybe things have changed.

They also had that pattern out on the lanes at the Bowl Like the Pros event. I went over that way at the end, and none of my equipment (Big, Infinite, Total) would move out there. I had to play up 8.

Could be the lanes, could be inaccurate patterns, who knows. You'd think if the lanes had the house shot burned in that they'd react a bunch outside though... We'll see how they play this year. I think they are putting down the shot this week, I just don't know if I'll have the chance to get there and play it before Tuesday. I'll try to play them "right", but I'm not going to force it if it's not there.

Ok, apparently the league was moved to Thursday, so I got some practice in tonight. Pro Shop was closed, so my surfaces were still as above. I fooled around with a couple shots inside, but there was nothing. Staying at 5 or out was best. Here's what I found:

Early:
Infinite One (1000) - Never really got up. It seemed to get into a nice roll, but never hook.
Big One (1000) - Great. First 2 games I had miss room left and right. Started to get a little spotty after my 2nd game
Total (1000) - Too jumpy. It used up all of its axis rotation the second it dry. This was the case the whole time - at the beginning, at the end, playing inside and out. Maybe at 4000 it will be better. As it is, it will not come out of my bag on this pattern.
VP2 (4000) - Just not an ideal line. It went too long, came in with too much angle. My first 2 shots I left solid 9 pins.

Later:
Big One - Started to hit a little weak
Infinite One - Look improved. Good ball if the Big One hitting weak, and the VP2 is still going too long.
Total - Overreacting.
VP2 - Beautiful reaction. If it was between 1 and 5 at the breakpoint I struck.

Overall, I bowled a 180something, a 180, some fishing, a 200something, and a 220something. I had set my goal for the summer at 190 average. I think I am going to reset my sights on 200. Aim high, right?

What shot was it, house pattern, or pba if so which one?

Your Infinite One might be dead, or maybe there is not enough oil for it, it should be way earlier than the big one, try resurfacing and bleeding the oil out of it if you can.