Hey everyone, can someone tell me how and how long it takes a ball to burn out? Also, how do you know if your ball is doing this?

You mean its dying like loosing its reaction? or you mean burning out when its hits the pocket and doesnt have much energy and hitting flat?

both, i guess. I have heard it numerous times and in a few different contexts.

One type of burn out is also called rolling out. This is when the ball loses its sideways rotation and starts going straight too early. This is also how a ball loses its hitting power before the pins. This often happens with a ball with too much surface, as in a very rough finish, on drier conditions. If this is happening you start leaving back row pins, mainly the corners. You can notice it by watching the balls reaction and then moving a bit into the oil.

Then there is the burn out as in the just dying from a lot of use. This is again more common with duller equipment when it soaks up oil, or with any ball when it gets tracked out. Different balls will take different amount of times but usually extracting the oil and having a ball resurfaced and taken back to out of box condition will often revive them. This is noticed by a long term change constant change in reaction as in losing reaction.

Cal explained it pretty good.

When i see my ball rolling out i tend to leave a lot of flat 10 pins. I usually move try down in shot instead of trying to swing the ball to much or change to equipement more polished equipement that has more length.


If your ball is drying and loosing its reaction. You may go to Pro Shop get it resurfaced or have them bake the oil out. You can also try hot water bath too see if you can get the oil out.

Is rolling out the usual cause of flat 10s? I tend to leave them more often than ringing 10s so I'm kinda wondering what adjustment should be made for that.

Its one of the main causes, sometimes its from playing too deep and the ball using all its energy to try to get back to the pocket, other times its the heads are dried out some and the ball loses its energy from encountering friction too early. If too deep move out some and try that, if you are playing out move in a few boards and try to catch some oil in the heads. Also the ball could be the issue, if you are playing out a tamer ball might work, if playing in some a more aggressive ball sometimes works.

I'll keep that in mind. I hardly ever experience true roll out to be honest, only in the driest of conditions. One thing I notice is I don't leave a lot of flat 10s when playing straighter. The only exception is maybe it's still not a strong enough ball or it was a bad shot and it doesn't have enough punch to get to the pocket with enough authority. I've left a couple flat 10s I think on the shark this way, no big deal. When I'm swinging the ball to the outside and going flat 10, I seem to have my best luck getting the breakpoint further inside or moving right with feet and eyes.

Of course that's on a house shot. On sport shots it's probably going to be more about ball, surface, and layout. And parallel moves will probably be the best way to go, although carry is often better on sport shots anyways.

How long or how many games do you have to throw before your ball dies and you have to get it revived?

I give my bowling balls a hot water bath every 45 games or so. I wipe them off before every shot and before I put them away for the night. By giving them the hot water bath and wiping them off all of the time, it helps to delay the dying out. My X-Factor is almost 6 years old and my Paradigm is about 3. I have had no issues with either of them dying. I have had the X-Factor resurfaced about 4 times and the Paradigm twice. Even then, it wasn't a real resurface job. I just had them take 1500 grit to them, sand some of the light scratches out, and polish them. If you take care of your bowling balls properly, they will last a long time.

Balls require maintenance. My soft covers, sponges as some call them, do soak up oil. You can see them getting shiney. When that happens, about 45-60 games, I have them resurfaced. Had my Scorchin Inferno resurfaced 5 times. It comes back, but not as long lasting.

And, it still hits the 4-5 without going between them.