Sanding ball before bowling

[Ezeeduzit]

I know that USBC does not allow resurfacing a bowling ball (sanding) once competition starts, but we seem to have a disagreement among my team members about that. I feel that I could touch up the surface of my ball with a sanding pad during practice, but not after the first game shot is thrown by any team member. A couple of my team members feel that it cannot be done between practice shots before the first game shot is thrown. In other words they feel that any surface prep has to be done before the machines are turned on for practice. Comments?

[Ryster]

You can alter the surface during practice. That is perfectly fine.

Competition begins as soon as the first ball is thrown for score by any bowler on the league (not necessarily your team.) Once that first ball is thrown there is no altering of surface permitted.

From the USBC rulebook:
When may I alter the surface of my bowling ball?
You are permitted to sand, polish, or clean the surface of your bowling ball prior to the start of competition. However, once tournament or league play begins, altering the surface of a bowling ball is strictly prohibited. This includes balls that have not yet been introduced into play.

When does competition start?
Competition starts once any bowler throws a ball for score in a league or tournament.

[J Anderson]

You are correct. To my mind it would be unreasonable to force a bowler who finds out in practice that the surface on his or her ball doesn’t match up with the lane condition to try and compete with it anyway.

[Ryster]

If you sand your ball in practice, make sure you also clean it or at least wipe it down really good before throwing it. You don't want that dust to get on the lane. It could make a mess and some bowlers might freak out about it.

One of the bowlers on my team changes surface frequently during practice and is always good about cleaning the surface before throwing it to make sure no dust or anything gets on the lane or approach or on the floor in the settee area.

[GrumpyCatFace]

Don’t forget that you can hit it with rubbing alcohol at any time, if you’re not getting enough grip.

[J Anderson]

Don’t forget that you can hit it with rubbing alcohol at any time, if you’re not getting enough grip.

Current USBC rule 18 states that you can not use any liquid cleaner during competition, dry towels only. The exception is if the ball picks up a foreign substance that won’t rub off. Then an approved liquid cleaner like rubbing alcohol can be used but only with the approval of a league officer or tournament official.

I admit that the odds of this being enforced is directly proportional to the number of bowlers in your league who try to use the rule book to their own advantage.

[boatman37]

IIRC due to COVID you are allowed to use alcohol during the game. I'm not 100% sure of this but thought I read they made an exception recently?

Also, some tournaments may have slightly different rules. The one tournament I was in had 3 sets of 3 games for the qualifier. You were permitted to sand in between sets but not in between games. So if you didn't make the field in the first set you could sand before the 2nd set but once the first ball of that set was thrown then it was hands off

[J Anderson]

IIRC due to COVID you are allowed to use alcohol during the game. I'm not 100% sure of this but thought I read they made an exception recently?

Also, some tournaments may have slightly different rules. The one tournament I was in had 3 sets of 3 games for the qualifier. You were permitted to sand in between sets but not in between games. So if you didn't make the field in the first set you could sand before the 2nd set but once the first ball of that set was thrown then it was hands off

Forgot about the COVID19 change, although the point of the rule change is to allow you to sanitize the ball so you should be doing before every frame.

[Ryster]

That is correct. The USBC has issued a waiver to the dry towel rule and is allowing the use of isopropyl alcohol during competition.

https://www.bowl.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=23622334430

[GrumpyCatFace]

Forgot about the COVID19 change, although the point of the rule change is to allow you to sanitize the ball so you should be doing before every frame.

Yes... do it to sanitize the ball... that’s it. ;)

[Phonetek]

Yes... do it to sanitize the ball... that’s it. ;)

Hey those germs can get deep into the porous surface of the ball! Only sanding pads soaked with alcohol between frames will get to them! Sarcasm of course but eventually someone will try that excuse if they haven't already.

On a positive note, at least house balls are finally getting a regular cleaning. Every bodily excretion from every orifice you can think of and then some was on those things. After working at a bowling center (pre-Covid) and seeing what goes on, there is NO WAY I'd ever used a house ball. I'd pick them up to put them away avoiding the holes then I'd wash my hands. Depending on their sanitization practices now I MAY think about using one if I needed to.

[Ryster]

I still wouldn't trust house balls. My center was good about it at first, but pretty much is back to "normal" with house balls. When the pandemic first started bowlers were asked to leave house balls on the returns, and the center would clean them and put them back. Now bowlers are back to using house balls and putting them back themselves. No way to know which ones need to be cleaned at this point.

[J Anderson]

I still wouldn't trust house balls. My center was good about it at first, but pretty much is back to "normal" with house balls. When the pandemic first started bowlers were asked to leave house balls on the returns, and the center would clean them and put them back. Now bowlers are back to using house balls and putting them back themselves. No way to know which ones need to be cleaned at this point.

Our center is still doling the house balls out one by one and then putting them back in what used to be the meeting room. They even made a cart from a mover’s dolly and some PVC pipe so if there are a lot of house balls to return they can take about a dozen at once.

[Phonetek]

Having not been to a bowling center since before Covid started, I'm curious what they do with house shoes... They still doing the quick spray at the counter that nobody did properly anyway if at all or something else?

[Ryster]

Here they do the standard shoe spray, or people have the option of buying their own sliding shoe covers for the same price as the house shoes. The covers are good for 6 games before they start to become ineffective, but it lets people wear their own shoes to bowl.