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LIFESTYLE AND BOWLING TECHNIQUES TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER /// DECEMBER 2011 Technique


Preferences in bowling ball weight are shifting…again. By Bryan O’Keefe


B


ecause it is not an exact science, ball weight has long been an interest- ing topic of discussion in bowling. And as bowling balls have changed over the years, so has the perception of weight preferences. Before the proliferation of reac- tive balls, most bowlers simply used the heaviest ball they could throw. The heavier the ball the more hitting power and driving power, and the more pin action. The lighter the ball, the more concern bowlers had about deflection.


It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that in the ’80s and ’90s, bowl- ing ball companies were said to be producing three 16-pound balls for every one 15-pound ball.


POUND FOR POUND


That all changed in the past de- cade with technical advances in bowling ball construction. Balls today are so powerful that the need to maxi- mize ball weight for carry isn’t as criti- cal. The combination of ball speed, ball weight and your ability to get the ball into its roll before it hits the pins is what maximizes your carry percent- age.


The general shift down to


15-pound balls over the past 10 years had almost reversed the production levels of 15 and 16-pound balls. And it makes sense.


Using a ball that’s one pound lighter eases a significant amount of strain on a bowler’s body over the course of a 30-week league session, a tournament or, in the case of the pro bowlers, a tour season. The slight drop in weight also allows the bowler


11 USBOWLER DECEMBER 2011


FINDING BALANCE: Ideally, you want a good mix between the ball swinging you and you swinging the ball.


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