I joined bowlspace.com on Monday, April 16, 2007 and I must say the comments I received were very helpful indeed. I bought a Columbia White Dot ball to shoot spares with. I used it for the first time in my Tuesday night league last night with extremely good results. My first game was not all that hot at a 169, which is one pin over my average, but my second game was 204 and my third game was 246. The 246 game is the highest I have ever bowled and my series of 610 was also my highest. The spare ball worked great, especially for the corner pins. Thanks again for the advice and help.

I have been bowling in a winter league for the first time in twenty years. I am currently using a 12 lb. Tropical Storm Red/Black Ball. My average is 167 (which is  about 17 pins higher than the average I carried twenty years ago). I am wondering if I should try a 14 lb. ball. I throw a hook which is sometimes harder to control when the lanes breakdown and become drier. Last week I had every ball in the pocket during the last game. Got all strikes and 9-pin counts. Missed three 10-pin spares and ended with a 198 game. Just wondered if I use a heavier ball if I would get more carry. I was told that a 12 lb. ball only has a core and 14 lb. and above have weight blocks. When I bowled twenty years ago, I used a 14 lb. and 15 lb. ball (I weighed about 98 lbs. soaking wet), but had a lower average. I now weigh about 133 lbs., but suffer from Fibromyalgia. I also am looking for a ball that I can control but has good carry.