Ball Recommendation

Question
I am a senior bowler and use a 12 lb. Columbia Freeze at about 12 mph.  It works fine on fresh lanes - it skids straight down the 10 board and flips to the pocket at the back end.  When I bowl in afternoon leagues on lanes that have been bowled on the morning and are essentially heavy oil all the way to the pins, the Freeze won't flip.  I want a ball that will give me a smooth arc of 10-12 boards under this lane condition.  Can you recommend ball(s) for my circumstance?  Thank you

Answer
Mel,
Best to check with your driller as they will know your skill set better than I do. Speed, rev rate, axis tilt and rotation effects how a ball rolls.

Also, the condition you describe may not be oil carry down, but the lane may be much drier than you think and the ball is rolling out way earlier on the lane. Getting a local opinion of the local pro shop guy or center pro will help you better understand what's going on on the lanes.

That being said, there are a few balls in the entry category, like the Freeze, that might help you on the oilier condition/carry down situation that you are bowling on. The Storm Breeze dull solid might handle the additional oil that your shiny Freeze struggles on. You might get a new Freeze Solid and make sure the driller dulls the surface and maybe strengthens the core position when laying out the ball. Roto Grip has a shiny Shout, with a surface adjustment might work well. Many companies have an entry level ball, but most are finished with shine/polish. The strongest asymmetric core in the entry level category with one of the shiniest covers is the Ebonite Cyclone series.

Problem, in 12 pounds, the core isn't as big of an effect as you might think, unless your ball speed is on the slower side.

Once I know what you like about a specific ball/layout/core, I am a big fan of drilling a second ball strengthening or weakening elements of the ball so it fits the kind of reaction you want or need. So, I'd suggest because you like the Freeze that you get another, specifically the Solid or Hybrid, alter the surface and tweak the layout to suit the condition you are struggling on.

Thanks for the question. Good luck and let me know what you get and how it works out.