What type of ball do I get?

Question
I want to get my husband his own bowling ball for Xmas.  We just started bowling in a recreational league.  Neither of us are very good, but he does much better than I do.  He is 6 ft tall, about 165 lbs, he is cyclist and built like one, very lean.  He has strong legs but not a lot of upper body strength.  He has trouble with his lower back sometimes.  He's been bowling w/ a 12 lb ball, there is a house ball that is 13 lbs that he could probably use but the holes don't work for him.  I know 10% is the usual but he's tried 14, 15, & 16's and said they are too heavy for him.  He is a straight bowler, nothing fancy.  Maybe someday he might try to learn a hook but it certainly isn't a priority.  We don't want to be bowling pros but I think he'd enjoy it if he had a ball that fit his hand right.  His avg is 127 right now.

Answer
I think the best way to determine the correct weight of the ball is to place the ball in the palm of the hand and see if you can hold it for 20-30 seconds without difficulty.  The elbow should be bent at 90 degrees.
A properly fit ball is the key.

I would suggest going with an entry level performance ball.  Storm has the Tropical Storm and Ebonite has the Tornado.  Other companies have similar equipment.  These balls do not hook by themselves, but they do have potential that can grow with the bowlers ability.

Make sure you go to a pro shop, and if you can find one, look for one that displays the IBPSIA sticker.

Good luck,
Chip