How To Properly Clean Your Bowling Ball

Balls are tacky because they have a High Coeff. of friction and they are porous. A waxy surface is not doing that. Chlorinated paraffin's are used as plasticizers they may well be used in balls, though I haven't seen them talked about being used in balls. A quick google of it show use in some bowling products so it may be used.

Ok the heating ball debate just keeps going.
It started basically like this. They came out with reactive resin balls they hooked a lot more than urethane. One of reasons they hooked more was the the material drew oil away from the surface of the ball. Do the porous nature of the material.

As time passed the materials used could absorb a lot more oil. Then we started seeing ball death which was mostly do to oil saturation of the coverstock.  So people started trying to get the oil out. They saw the balls sweat in hot cars and got the idea to heat them.

As this went on they started saying that the heat was not just making oil come out. But the "plasticizers" used in the ball material. And if you lost the plasticizer the ball would stop hooking because that's what made it hook.

Well now that's changed now they say the ball stops hooking because the plasticizers, which are migrating to surface of the ball and reducing the hook.( which I would go with the waxy surface here) Plus its getting oil soak too.

The problems with heating a ball is the use of dry heat also its sudden temp. chanes. People bake them in a oven to get the oil out and if your not real careful you'll mess the ball up bad. You'll crack it or warp it or the core will separate etc. There are a couple of machines designed to do it right that proshops have. your oven at home is not one of them.

Oil Pattern : Scorpion Pattern

At 41 feet in length, the Scorpion is one of the more challenging of the five named patterns. While Scorpion is not the longest pattern, because of the large volume of oil on the lane it will for sure play as the “slickest”. The pattern shape is very “smooth” and allows for a multiple-angles approach to attacking it based on rev rate, lane surface, ball surface, and ball speed. Since the volume of oil is so large, bowlers will normally see a large difference in how the pattern plays from lane to lane across the house. The pattern is medium scoring based on its ability to confuse bowlers during early portions of the game or series as they move throughout the tournament. In order to avoid being stung, it is imperative that the bowler make quality shots early in the game in case the Scorpion decides to “mutate”. 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournaments Using Scorpion.

Oil Pattern : Viper Pattern

The Viper is a 37 foot long, multiple angles pattern that normally yields medium to high scores. Bowlers will need to place a premium on the ball traveling straight through the front part of the lane when the lanes are “fresh”. Once Viper breaks down, multiple angles are available for attack. Viper is the most versatile of the five named patterns and can be used on any lane surface. The champion on Viper will be the bowler who can outsmart their opponent playing multiple lines. 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournaments Using Viper

Oil Pattern : Shark Pattern

The Shark is the longest of the animal patterns at 43 feet with its key characteristic of the “deep inside line” providing a decisive strategic advantage. The “out of bounds” on the outside portion of the lane makes errant shots wide of the target in danger of falling into the “moat”. With less oil being placed in the middle of lane, bowlers will see their ball roll earlier on the lane. Playing the wrong angle on the Shark will make the pattern feel like it is a “reverse block”. The scoring pace for this pattern will be medium with the champion having the ability to get the corner pins out while playing a tough angle. 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournaments Using Shark

Oil pattern : Chameleon Pattern

 The Chameleon is 39 feet in length and utilizes a “retro” approach to pattern design. Instead of “smoothing out” the oil on the lane, increased volumes are placed in “zones” encouraging players to choose a specific area of the lane to play. This is a multiple-angles pattern allowing the bowler to choose what part of the lane best suites their particular game. The scoring pace is medium to low as the primary challenge faced by bowlers is the large number of adjustments which are needed to move from “zone to zone”. Large moves, more than five boards at a time, are common to stay out of trouble and to conquer the Chameleon. 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tournaments Using Chameleon: WSOB Chameleon Championship – Las Vegas, NV.

8 Ways for fast bowlers to get more stamina

Mohammed emailed me recently with a question.
"I'm fast bowler, however my stamina is very low. After 3 or 4 overs I get tired quickly. Can you please tell me the exercises and nutrition that I should take in order to improve my stamina and reduce my belly?"

This is a common question, especially with bowlers. Not having the capacity to bowl at your best must be frustrating. It certainly is for the rest of the team.
What is fast bowling stamina? '
Stamina' in bowling terms is really a your ability to repeat your bowling action many times without loss of technique, speed or accuracy. In short the more stamina you have the longer it takes to get tired and the less effect that tiredness has on your bowling speed and accuracy. Here are 8 ways you can develop this.
Bowl as much as you can. There is nothing more specific to cricket than playing cricket. Whenever you get the chance then bowl. You can head down the nets on your own with some old balls and something to use as a target if there is noone around to train with you. Bowl in overs with a few minutes rest between if you can to make things more realistic or play as many games as possible. Every time you hit the nets try and bowl a few more overs before you have a rest. Always bowl at top speed too, a shorter intensive burst is more beneficial than going through the motions for longer.
Train while you are tired. Every now and again, do some bowling when you are physically tired, perhaps at the end of a training session or workout. This will teach you to bowl with intensity even when you feel the tiredness coming on. It's important not to do this too often or on your own. Train with another bowler or batter who can watch your technique and let you know when it starts to go. As soon as your action fails you, stop for the day.
Run to build work capacity. Running is the next best thing to bowling for increasing your stamina. I'm not averse to rowing either but running should be your number one method. Use interval training to build up your lung capacity and ability to hold off the build up of lactic acid. Intervals are also better for reducing your body fat without causing loss of strength. Long, slow runs are not only a bit boring for most cricketers, but they reduce your ability to bowl quickly by turning fast powerful muscle fibres into slow fibres for, you guessed it, slow jogging.
Use the winter wisely. Off-season training is the time when you can make the most improvements. If cricket is your main (or only sport) and you have a long winter ahead then use it to develop you endurance through lots of running and some cross training. Most winter sports will also get you fit so consider taking up a game you enjoy playing. If you play all year round consider taking a break of 2-3 months from cricket to really focus on developing your fitness. The short-term loss in games will turn into a long-term gain.
Eat more lean protein and good fat. We tend to eat lots of protein but it's usually high in saturated fat. Go for lean options like tuna, chicken, turkey or lean cuts of beef and combine it with a balance of fats from sources like avocados, mixed nuts and olive oil. Reasearch has found this fills you up quicker allowing you to lose weight while having a positive effect on your health.
Eat more vegetables. Vegetables give you energy and contain essential nutrients for health. Eat at least a portion of veg with every meal, preferably every 2-3 hours. This will fill you up more meaning you will lose excess fat but still provide you with enough energy for everyday living.
Eat less carbohydrate. Carbs have always been associated with energy but generally we eat too much for playing cricket, after all it's a power sport not a marathon. High carb food like crisps, chocolate, bread and pasta should really only be eaten once a day at most if you are trying to lose weight and build stamina. Carbs are not the enemy though. Make sure you keep your energy levels up during and after hard training or playing with some carbs combined with protein. Hard training isn't 3 or 4 overs in the nets though. It's weight lifting or interval training at high intensity.
Strength train. Combine your running and cricket sessions with strength training of some kind at least twice a week. This will keep your strength and power levels high and make sure you only lose fat, not muscle while building endurance. Lift with heavy weight and low reps if you can to counter balance the endurance training. Avoid high reps and low weights but bodyweight training is a good compromise if you are not keen on going to the gym.

Eating Guidelines for Bowling

Bowling is just like any other sport. To maximize your performance you must be in top condition, and a good diet is an important aspect of this.
The major nutritional crisis for most bowlers is extra body weight. Excess body fat is only a hindrance. Not only does it add extra stress to the muscles and bones of the body as you bowl, the stress on your heart is potentially life threatening. Excess body fat also can hinder your bowling technique, making it more difficult to produce correct technique, and the fatigue from carrying the extra weight can reduce your training time and add distractions to your game. As you can see, it is advantageous in many ways to lose weight.
The best nutritional advice I can give is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet. I am sure most people are aware of what is a healthy diet and what is not. As bowlers, the challenge is to find the healthy food at the bowling centres. Often you don't have the healthy choice from the snack bar, and subsequently many bowlers are overweight. The answer is in the planning. Prepare food at home, and take it with you when you go bowling.