Expert: Chip Aki - 4/16/2008

Question
Hi, My name is Marc and I have been bowling off and on for 30 years. I only bowl one night a week on a five man team, handicap league. I carry a 208 average. I am basically adown and in bowler, between 8 and 12, come mainly up behind the ball with medium revs and a lot of speed. I prefer to throw a sanded, reactive ball that grips early. My thought is that, when the lanes start to hook more I can just throw it harder and prefer to do that, than belling the ball. I dont cross alot of boards, last night I shot a 266, 233 and a 212. I currently throw an elite shark, hits like a truck and even gets decent carry when I hit light. My pro shop guy that drills my ball says I am a high ball speed guy with medium to large flare...I have no idea what that means, and as far as mass bias, differential, radius of giration, flare potential....I am lost, all greek to me.
I like my shark but would like to buy 2 or three more balls and have them drilled according to my bowling type. What would you suggest, I havre the strength and ball speed to keep it on the lanes no matter how dry they get, thats why i like a ball that I dont have to worry about whether its going to finish, ie sanded....along with the shark I own a storm passion, vertigo, storm triple x factor, used to throw an old school columbia red dot "sure D".....HELP  

Answer
Players with high ball speed tend to have better luck with the stronger coverstocks and cores.  You would want to look for balls with Lower RG numbers and Higher Differential numbers.  The layouts would differ depending on pin and cg distance on a particular ball.  Your pro shop will be able to help you with those choices.
The balls you have now match the criteria I just mentioned.

One suggestion I would make is to have a pearl in addition to your sanded solids.  There are times when the pearl will give you a much better reaction down the lane than your sanded solids.  Even with your ball speed.

Good luck,
Chip