If you have been to bowling league lately, you have probably noticed that it is next to impossible to walk around the bowling alley without tripping on the countless bowling bags lying around. This is because many bowlers these days are carrying around multiple bowling balls that all react differently. This is commonly called their arsenal, and with this article I will give you tips on how you can build the proper bowling ball arsenal.
The first ball I consider a must is a plastic spare ball. With this ball, the lane conditions will not dictate how you throw at spares. You will be able to throw at spares the same way no matter the pattern, thus increasing your spare percentage and increasing your average. Now of course there will still be spares with "sleepers" in there you may want to throw a hook ball at, but for the most part the plastic spare ball is very important.
Now that you have a spare ball, we move on to the hook ball. This is where this task gets tricky. Many people I know have a ball for light oil, a ball for medium oil, and a ball for long oil. Well this is a decent starting point, but not the best method. This does not take into consideration the volume of oil, only the length. If you bowl in multiple houses for leagues or tournaments, you will know there are more than three oil patterns out there. For this reason I think you should have at least four hook bowling balls. The first should be for shorter patterns with a light volume of oil. This means a weak bowling ball with a very polished surface. The second should be for short to medium patterns with a higher volume of oil. I would use a stronger reacting bowling ball, but with a sanded finish around 1500-2000 with very little polish. The next ball should be for medium to long patterns, which is a very aggressive ball drilled to go long and have a very angular reaction at the backend. The last ball should be the same, but with a different layout to have earlier roll and more overall hook.
The final step in building your arsenal is to remember that your arsenal will always need minor adjustments. Keeping your bowling balls clean and experimenting with your surfaces will give you a much better idea of your ball reaction, and what will work best for you to carry more strikes. To find out more on altering the surface of your bowling ball, I have added a link to an article below on how to do it. Good luck!
