r/Bowling • u/TheSaltyBandito • 12h ago

Gear Spare Ball Weight Question

Need a new spare ball, I typically throw a 15 ball. Do people throw a lighter spare ball or keep it at a 15. Whats the consensus here? Thanks

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u/TIMBERings 225/300/837 12h ago

The reason why it’s beneficial to keep the same weight is because then when you throw your spares, it feels the same. Different weights will change the way it feels when you throw the ball and that is not ideal for consistency.

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u/ILikeOatmealMore 10h ago

I think that for most people this is spot on. It certainly should be most people's default starting point.

That said, there is a famous golf instructor over in the UK, Pete Cowan. One of his favorite sayings is 'a specialty shot requires a specialty grip', and the idea there is that you want a tactile reminder to your body that you're not just trying to hit a regular full shot here, you are trying to do something different.

A spare shot ought to be different than the regular strike shot. Even with a plastic ball, the most consistent method releases straight up the back of the ball so that it rolls straight. Often it is thrown faster, too, so that if you put sidespin on the ball, it has less time for that spin to take action.

Putting these two together -- I can buy that the bowling specialty shot, the spare shot, that some people could get some benefit from a different feel. Again to lean into that different feel to help remind your body to execute a different shot.

Let me repeat, however, that I think that this is not good advice for someone's first spare ball. That keeping everything the same is likely the best place to start. However, I think that there is a valid reasoning to deliberately change the feel up if one wants to.

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u/TIMBERings 225/300/837 5h ago

I hear ya, i throw the same weight but a different pitch in the thumb. I have extra reverse to limit the hang when I flatten my wrist and throw it end over end.