Do You Understand What The Pins Are Saying?

I’d like to touch on what the pins are telling you about your equipment. Yes the pins do speak to you, but they speak “Pin-nese.” It’s language that sometimes needs translation.

When you leave a ten pin (seven pin for lefties) it tells you a lot about your ball reaction. This is where the “Pin-nese” comes in. Was it a solid leave or a weak leave? Did the six-pin lay down in the channel (four for lefties) or did it wrap around the top of the ten-pin (seven for lefties)? When the pin lies in the channel it’s a weak hit. When it wraps around, it’s a solid hit. “Pin-nese” 101

Let’s discuss both situations and then come up with the solution. The weak hit is caused by the ball’s lack of energy when entering the pocket, or a poor angle of entry. Conversely, a solid or ringing ten (seven for lefties) is caused by a ball having too much energy left or a very severe angle of entry. Both results are the same, one less strike.

The solutions are simple. If you are prone to leaving the weak tens (seven for lefties) there are two major culprits:

1. The surface of the ball you are using may be too aggressive (dull) resulting in too much friction. The simple solution is to have your pro shop put the ball on a ball spinner and use a less aggressive sanding pad to make the surface smoother or add a bit of shine to the surface.
   
2. The RG (radius of gyration) may be too low. Low RG balls tend to roll sooner and burn energy quicker. If this is the case you may want to look into getting a ball with a bit higher RG than you already have. In the Radical Line I can suggest the Torrid Affair or the Grease Monkey. Both fall into the higher RG category and both coverstocks are easy to adjust if necessary.
   

Now, if you are leaving a lot of solid tens (seven for lefties) there are once again two major culprits;

1. The surface of the ball you are using may be too shiny. This would cause the ball to travel further down the lane entering the pocket at a steeper angle and causing you to leave a solid corner pin. Once again a simple surface adjustment to a slightly more aggressive finish should do the trick. This would allow the ball to burn some energy and enter the pocket at a slightly less severe angle and increase your carry percentage.
   
2. The RG may be too high. Higher RG balls tend to go further down the lane than lower or medium RG balls. These higher RG balls store energy longer and enter the pocket at a sharper angle resulting in an increased number of solid corner pins. If you are using a higher RG ball, you can look into getting a lower RG ball. In the Radical line I can suggest the Reax Version 2 solid or the Reax Version 2 Pearl. (The Solid is very aggressive with lots of hook!) Both of these balls will hook a bit sooner and smooth out the reaction down the lane. In either case you will see lots more strikes.
   
   Look for a wide range of topic to be covered in upcoming articles. We would certainly like to hear you comments and suggestions for future topics. Send us your ideas at info@radicalbowling.com
   

Thanks again for your support and lets GO RADICAL!!!!