Video on different weighted balls
- Thread starter dishman
- Start date
Every ball carries well when it's high flush in the pocket. It's the slightly off hits that the heavier ball can make a difference. Some of the weight advantage of a 16lb ball can be offset by increased entry angle of a lighter ball.
There have been studies done into this before and I recall reading that the best weight to knock them over was just shy of 15lbs.
There have been studies done into this before and I recall reading that the best weight to knock them over was just shy of 15lbs.
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
Hi Dinesh! Hope you're well!
CT told me about this thread. (I'm just crashing after moving house right now.) This gets into some pretty complex mathematics once you ask a big question like "why" or "how much".
The short answer is "I can't quantifiably answer your big question. Me small man. Very big man required for this job."
The longer answer is like...
Bowling is played on varying surface friction as the ball travels down the lane, which can be expressed as an integral from 0~1, involving a sphere that is decelerating in velocity, reducing it's forward momentum, because forward velocity is being lost to sideward velocity (hook), and a rapid increase in angular velocity (ball revs up) owing to the aforementioned increase in surface friction and a very large variable in the amount or lack of rotation applied by the bowler (or their exoskeletal mechanical aid). Add to this core dynamics and coefficient of restitution (reflectance of momentum forces of impacting objects) and you have a PhD candidate in the making.
The even longer answer would be to work out the physics! But that would involve a lot of Greek alphabet characters.
Sorry this doesn't help much. It's a very good question. Even knowing the answer wouldn't tell us that much more than we can infer from careful observation. Just like oil patterns, these things are a starting place, not a destination when it comes to playing.
Cheers,
Jason
CT told me about this thread. (I'm just crashing after moving house right now.) This gets into some pretty complex mathematics once you ask a big question like "why" or "how much".
The short answer is "I can't quantifiably answer your big question. Me small man. Very big man required for this job."
The longer answer is like...
Bowling is played on varying surface friction as the ball travels down the lane, which can be expressed as an integral from 0~1, involving a sphere that is decelerating in velocity, reducing it's forward momentum, because forward velocity is being lost to sideward velocity (hook), and a rapid increase in angular velocity (ball revs up) owing to the aforementioned increase in surface friction and a very large variable in the amount or lack of rotation applied by the bowler (or their exoskeletal mechanical aid).
Add to this core dynamics and coefficient of restitution (reflectance of momentum forces of impacting objects) and you have a PhD candidate in the making.The even longer answer would be to work out the physics! But that would involve a lot of Greek alphabet characters.
Sorry this doesn't help much. It's a very good question. Even knowing the answer wouldn't tell us that much more than we can infer from careful observation. Just like oil patterns, these things are a starting place, not a destination when it comes to playing.
Cheers,
Jason
jason_doust
The Bowling Geek
Mo Pinel has commented that he sees no great difference in carry from 14-16lbs for what it's worth. I agree to a point as they carry differently, but often every bit as effectively. Ray Edwards (who really does have a PhD) of Brunswick Technology Ventures told me he had the maths to prove the same thing in 1991, right before he unleashed the Quantum series of balls on the world.
AJD
You don't have to be mad, but it helps!
I did find this on the net ...
http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-bowling.html
Unfortunately, I think Jason D will understand it!
http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-bowling.html
Unfortunately, I think Jason D will understand it!
My own experience, due to injury, led me to reduce ball weight from 16lb to 15lb to 14lb , back to 15lb then to 14lb where
i stayed until i gave up due to injury.
I am only a fairly small person and never had a high ball speed
The change from 16lb to 15lb was not really noticeable in the way the ball hit or carried But was much easier to roll and control.
The change from 15lb to 14lb was very noticeable in that slight changes in ball speed made a huge to the way the ball roles and carried and taught me to have very accurate ball speeds.
I thought overall 15lb was more ideal
i stayed until i gave up due to injury.
I am only a fairly small person and never had a high ball speed
The change from 16lb to 15lb was not really noticeable in the way the ball hit or carried But was much easier to roll and control.
The change from 15lb to 14lb was very noticeable in that slight changes in ball speed made a huge to the way the ball roles and carried and taught me to have very accurate ball speeds.
I thought overall 15lb was more ideal
