Expert: Warren Friedl, Pro Shop Owner/Operator, - 10/15/2009

Question
i got 2 chips taken out of my black Widow Pearl ball. they are both on the rotation of my ball the way i throw it. i got them  filled will it affect my ball? and how long will the filling last? if they fall out , would i be wrong in asking the owner of the alley to replace it? also he shined my ball, but now it has no hook! what do you think?

Answer
William,
You had the center fix a cosmetic problem, even if the chips are in the ball track, passing across the chip for a brief, fraction of a second, doesn't change what the ball can do (unless damage is substantial, I don't sweat the small stuff). Your desire to fix the "look" of the ball, has changed how it works.

The surface finish apparently changed the surface of your ball. The polish is creating a slicker, longer sliding ball reaction. Either adjust it slightly, or use it and wear the cover back to the previous state.

If the ball was plugged, a patch dislodging is very unlikely.  Thanks for the questions, work the surface the ball should be fine. Bowl well.