|
How
often do you find your new "super ball" hooks and
carries like crazy for a few weeks...... and then begins to
die? Frustrating isn't it? Especially if you have just paid
out big dollars on the promise of better performance and scoring.
Well, like expensive cars, modern bowling balls require proper
and regular maintenance to prolong their level of performance.
The
modern reactive and particle coverstocks are highly oil absorbent.
Not only does this cause over time a reduction in the performance
of the ball, it has also been shown as a leading cause of
core/cover separation. Follow these simple procedures and
your ball will not only perform better but last longer as
well! 1. AFTER LEAGUE
Cleaning
you rball after each league session is critical in maintaining
the surface of the ball. Usually an alcohol based solution
cleaner such as those available in pro shops will do the job
just fine. A small amount on a clean towel will be sufficient
to clean the entire ball of oil and accumulated dirt.
*******DO
NOT USE ACETONE*******
Acetone
is a strong solvent that will rapidly breakdown the surface
of the ball, quickly making it illegally soft and damaging
the performance.
2.
BEFORE TOURNAMENTS (OR AFTER EVERY 6 GAMES)
As
the cover of the modern bowling ball is highly absorbent of
oil, the above cleaning will not remove every bit of oil the
ball picks up, therefore the next step is to wash the ball
as follows:
-
Place the ball at room temperature in a sink full of clean
warm water:
-
soak it for a few minutes to warm the ball gradually
-
pour boiling water from the kettle over the track of the
ball
-
dry the ball with a clean towel
If
there is surface dirt on the ball use a cream cleanser ("Jif"
or the like) and a CLEAN cloth to remove. Do not use a lanolin
based dishwashing liquid. Lanolin is a lubricant and as such
will cause the ball to lose its tacky feel and subsequently
its backend reaction.
Many
people recommend baking, but I have tried this and do not
recomment it as the noxious fumes generated may be dangerous
and no definitive procedure has been released. Another popular
method recently discovered in the USA is to leave the ball
in a plastic bag full of clean "Kitty Litter" in
the sun. This method is also very effective as the Kitty Litter
soaks up the oil that the heat from the sun leaches from the
ball. The only possible downside of this is that it is difficult
to control the rate of leaching. it does not clean the dirt
from the surface either, requiring further washing.
|
