Big Block: Redrill or replace?

[BigDog]

I'm looking to redrill or replace my Big Block Diesel. It's not that it's a bad ball, but it's not (lately) the great ball I had hoped for. It's a very archy ball, but I'm looking for something more skid/snappy, as that plays better into my game.

I bought a Vibe back in January, and it is outstanding in medium-dry to dry lanes. That ball will go down the lane, snap to the left, and obliterates the 1-3 pocket. I have a Hawg that leaves sawdust on the 1-3 pocket on oily lanes.

My Big Block doesn't hit with the same force on medum lanes. I know it's time for a resurfacing, but I'm wondering of it can be made to be more skid-snappy (resurface+redrill), or if I should look to get a different ball. I was thinking either a Hawg Wild, or maybe a Doom Raw Hammer.

I'll of course speak to my local pro shop, but I'm also looking for input here. I also want to stick with hammer ;)

Thoughts?

[Gryndryno]

how do you have it drilled?

[BigDog]

I'm a Rightie.
My ball has about a 3" pin.
The CG is just below the grip midline, outside (1/4") my ring finger span.
The pin is 45 degrees under the ring and outside the span.
A weight hole was not needed.

HTH

[Street Racer]

I'm a Rightie.
My ball has about a 3" pin.
The CG is just below the grip midline, outside (1/4") my ring finger span.
The pin is 45 degrees under the ring and outside the span.
A weight hole was not needed.

HTH

10:30 drilling ?

[BigDog]

10:30 drilling ?

Could you explain that to me, please:confused: ? TIA

[Gryndryno]

I would consider having it plugged and go for more of a stacked leverage than a label leverage which is what it sounds like you have if I understood properly. It would be cheaper than buying a new ball and might feel like a new one when you are done. good luck.

[Street Racer]

Could you explain that to me, please:confused: ? TIA

i will post up a pic, i am sure my Big Time Pearl is 10:30 Drilling


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v714/Lateralgboy/100_1455.jpg

[BigDog]

he said not to give up on it quite yet. He said that any ball that I shot a 300 with (practice on a single lane), and shot a 686 series with is worth the effort of resurfacing.

He had me remove the oil from the ball. I let my Big Block in the sun for a couple hours, and the oil came dripping out. After cleaning the ball, he then had me give the ball a bath (I gave it two) in very hot water and Dawn to extract even more oil. He'll resurface it tomorrow, and will leave the drlling as is, but he will polish the heck out of it to hopefully clear the heads, and give me the backend reaction I'm looking for. If it doesn't work, then I can look into the hammer arsenal for a replacement, but he seemed confident that this would do the trick. He's been right about the drillings and setups with my Hawg and Vibe thus far.

The ball has (statically) has a 1/2 oz of positive side weight.

My drilling is something like this:
...MF....RF...
...........P.
..............
..............
..............
..............
..........C...
..............
..............
..............
..............
......TH......


MF=Middle finger
RF=Ring finger
TH=Thumb
C=CG
P=Pin

My spans are 5 7/16" and 5 1/2" respectively.

Hope this helps...

[Gryndryno]

your layout looks great, heck of a paw you have there looking at your spans. Please let us know how it all works out, I am confident you will be happy and if it were me, I wouldn't worry about redrilling for a different layout. I am a big diesel fan, last night went 234-242-230 with an old school turbo diesel, one of my favorites.

[BigDog]

I talked to my driller, and he said not to alter the layout, so after removing the oil from the ball, he sanded it, Scotch-brited (gray, maroon, white), and he polished the ball with perfect-it (we can go with finesse-it for more length).

The good news is that the ball looks (and hits) like new again:) . The bad news is that is didn't like the sport shot too much last night:(. That's a story for another topic ;)

[BigDog]

I went to my practice house to work on my spareshooting last night (it was really awful Wednday night), only to discover that they are running the shot from nationals.

After working on spareshooting (no hand in the ball - keeping my wrist straight) and ball placement (feet in the middle, and throwing the ball at the 10th board) for the first couple games, I decided to see what I could do on that condition. The next game, I threw my Vibe, and shot a 188 (my last ball of that game was with my Big Block). I was pushing the ball up the 10th board. The next two games I shot a 220 and a 174 with my Big Block. I was playing that shot from the 9th-10th board out to about the 6th board. The ball walked down just past the oil, and made a strong motion to the pocket, and hit like it was new again

I think I'll keep my Big Block for a while :)

I may still get something more snappy later in the summer, but it's a lower priority now...

Thanks to all for of your help!!

[BigDog]

My ball driller and I have been working on reworking my thumb pitch. We started at 3/4", went to 1/2" (which was better, but not great). We finished the last of my arsenal this evening (Big Block), and everything is now at 3/8" reverse in the thumb.

We tweaked the thumb for the correct bevel and size. I go to practice a couple. I goofed around a bit and shout a 176 and a 180. I had an outside chance for 200 in each game. I wasn't acutally goofing around - I was making sure the ball fit my thumb correctly;)

I decided to get serious, and the first shot of my third game was a solid pocket 10. After picking that up (white dot), I then proceeded to throw 10 in a row. I missed a 290 by trying to "help" the big block on my last shot. I pulled it, and it crossed over too far to have a chance at a strike.

I ended the game with a 288. This was my highest game on a pair, and my second highest game ever - I shot a 300 on a single lane with my Big Block. I may have to keep this one after all :)

[Sin City Hammer]

Good job there, all the ball needed was a little coaxing out of it it seems. Next time try not to force the issue :p , and may your next game be a 300.

[mr4e]

congrats my friend, but i think that the most important thing when throwing your 10th or more in a row is to not try to help the ball get into the pocket too much by trying to put more revs on it, btw man a 300 is a 300 even if it is on just a single lane... you still have to throw the same amount of strikes:)

[BigDog]

Good job there, all the ball needed was a little coaxing out of it it seems. Next time try not to force the issue :p , and may your next game be a 300.

Thanks. Let's see...my next game will be on a 42' flat pattern (U.S. Open shot). I doubt a 300 will happen, but I can shoot in the 200's, anyway. Like I said, my driller and I have worked on thumb pitches this summer, and it seems to be paying off:)

[BigDog]

congrats my friend, but i think that the most important thing when throwing your 10th or more in a row is to not try to help the ball get into the pocket too much by trying to put more revs on it, btw man a 300 is a 300 even if it is on just a single lane... you still have to throw the same amount of strikes:)

Thanks. I've been helping the ball for too long now, because of the thumb pitch (3/4" reverse). With the new pitch, the ball is staying on my hand longer,
freeing my swing, and allowing me to hit my target more (and missing by a much smaller margin).

The 300 would be a little better if it was sanctioned, tho:D

Seriously, If I can average close to a deuce this fall, I'll be happier

[mr4e]

yeh but wat im saying is that you still threw 12 in a row which to me is still a feesable effort good work, good luck on that average...