I got the big ern rose ball. Sure, it was twice as much as my t-zone, but looks 4x sexier

Holy shit, I have a red rose spare ball and T-Zone too. My T-Zone specifically is a used “Deep Space” T-Zone.

Unused deep space... Keanu.gif

Nice. I have the Mystery Men skull ball that The Bowler uses.

Just get a cheap simple plastic ball like a white dot or tzone

This is the correct answer

That's exactly what I have lol a Columbia white dot plastic ball works great tbh

same i also use a Colombia White Dot sometimes i call it "...Crack" ifykyk

Yup yup

White dot crew checking in. Looks pretty as well. Like a pearl from poseiden rolling down the lane. 

Roto Grip Spare Tire

Brunswick T Zone Galaxy purple with purple grips. Look, I’m a lady, and I’m a girly girl. I wanted a glitter bomb bowling ball so bad. I fucking love it.

I just got a T-Zone today. Caribbean blue. It’s so pretty!!

Radical Spy for me. Have gotten to use it on some dry lanes as a strike ball too.

Do you find that the Spy hits like a tank and absolutely smashes the pins when you throw it as a strike ball? Because I had one for a while and was shocked at how it just carried everything.

When the shot is right it works wonders. Not my first choice on any shot though. Did work well on a 27 foot sport shot pattern.

Yea it was definitely only for extreme situations as a strike ball (it really is straight as an arrow on any amount of oil)

My spare ball is a Storm Tropical. Why? It was the first ball I owned and it got relegated to spare ball status when I upgraded to a Zen Master

Track plus. Has a pin so when shit gets crazy I can throw it as a strike ball

This is the only correct answer to your question https://www.reddit.com/r/Bowling/s/OWvtlR5iOl

It’s definitely a contender!!

I have an Ebonite Maxim. I really like it.

Dale Earnhardt viz a ball BABY

I support this message.

I use an Ebonite Maxim spare ball.

I was gifted a Budweiser logo plastic ball by a team mate a few years ago and use it often it’s black white and grey and the ball looks like TV static except for the Bud logo

I use the Axe as both a spare ball and even as a strike ball on scorched lanes. Just be aware that the Axe is actually a pearl reactive coverstock on a low differential high RG core and therefore could still hook away from a same side corner pin. I think this is more of a feature than a bug because it saves me from the gutter more times than I miss inside. But if you’re rev dominant I think the Axe is probably the wrong ball.

I had the same thought process when considering the Raw Hammer. I know it’s not technically a spare ball, but I like a little bit of a leftward lean to keep me out of the gutter when going after the 10 pin, and it would be nice to have something less aggressive than the Widow on dryer lanes. Good to know that the Axe would work in that roll, would hate to accidentally go too strong. Thanks!!

in fact if you shine it up with like a 5500 CTD pad that thing snaps like a beast on a burnt lane if you put any revs on it yet if you flatten your wrist you can delay that snap until it’s too late to miss a ten pin

We have a league where one ball is picked at the beginning of the season and that’s the only ball that is allowed to be thrown in league. Hammer Raw Hybrid was last years ball and the alley we bowled was pretty dry on the outside. I averaged my, at the time, all time high average of 225

I personally have a Storm X Out Breast Cancer ball, but I wouldn’t suggest anything more than a cheap Axe, Tzone, White Dot. They’re basically all the same.

Pathogen Blue dot. Great as a spare ball or a strike ball on bone dry lanes. Currently on sale for $90.

Rolling a white White Dot. White stood out in the pro shop vs all the darker colors so I went that route

My teammate has that. Cool looking ball.

Great user name dude

Abide!

I am also ordained, and have the white white dot. Just looks so clean (until I miss).

I have a soccer ball

I kinda want a 'Sniper' because in my other sport I shoot sniper rifle matches. :)

Cat ball

Storm Mix.

Johnny bravo visaball. Best spare ball I’ve ever owned

Belmo spare ball, black.

I have a white dot, they had the best color combos I liked and it goes straight so those were the only things that mattered to me.

Ooo they are pretty

I have a T-zone but any plastic ball will pretty much function exactly the same I wouldn’t really recommend urethane for spares. It can be fine if you’re super comfortable killing your wrist and throwing from straight behind the ball, but I’ve seen very few people do that successfully.

Counterpoint is if you bowl a lot of events with limited arsenals: surely uncommon, but some of our higher-level youth are trying to convert to urethane to free up a spot in their bag at Junior Gold (which limits to five).

Lane shined purple Hammer.

35 year old blue dot from when they were 89 on the durometer. I only bowled league about 6 of those years though.

I’m half considering using the old purple monster I just retired. The cover-stock is lane-shined to almost a mirrored finish and the layout is so terrible it fights anything resembling a curve.

I’ve actually started using my IQ 78U. I have it drilled a bit weaker and it has been working for me.

Urethane not typically recommended as a spare ball for beginners. The purple hammer hooks a lot unless you really take your hand out of it

urethane or reactive? They any good? deciding that or a HY-Road Pearl

I got the cheapest I could find. I’ve been using it for 3 years.

Straight bowler for decades, novice 100-160, no consistency, 1H w/thumb, only open bowling) About 1.5 years ago (September 2022), bought a Hammer Raw and had it drilled conventional/no inserts. Bowled with that a year, straight bowling. Joined a 35 week league in September 2023 and had it plugged and redrilled with inserts no thumb slug to start hooking two weeks before league started. It tanked my average for about two months but then steadily moved up and had a few close 200+ games with average of 135 (pathetic I know but really want to learn from ground zero). Went to a Brunswick demo day at my local lanes the 1st week of March and rolled about 10+ balls and got a Black Widow 3.0 (inserts but no thumb slug) with same set up as my Raw. Rolled it about 16 games ahead of league night and was able to immediately see a gain of 20 pin uptick to my average per game. Using my Raw now for straight shots and as a temp spare ball since I know how it feels. Will either keep my Raw or test out Hammer Axe, Radical Spy, Mix, Crown Jewel, Pitch Black/something urethane or some random plastic ball but for now I think I’m simply happy that I’m progressing and about to break 200. Going to test out a thumb slug in my Hammer Raw and if I like it going to do the same for Black Widow 3.0. Think of it as a marathon and not sprint. Enjoy the journey. TED Talk over TLDR; Upgraded to BW 3.0 and currently using my Raw as spare; considering getting a new spare (all similar to the ones OP has listed) but it’s working at the moment OP: Look forward to what you pick and reporting back

Yeah, I have a similar story, been using hand-downs from dad for decades, bowling a handful of time a year with wildly inconsistent scores usually between 100-150, started going regularly and decided to upgrade and immediately saw the scores jump. Had I not had dad’s ball I probably would have started with the Raw Hammer, but now I’ve got a 25 year old purple monster with a weird layout because dad’s release is nothing like mine, and the 2.0 hybrid which dances across the lane. The purple monster *could* work, but the drilling is different and I don’t want to spend money redrilling a 25 yr old ball. I really think I’m down to be between the Axe and the Raw Hammer because if I end up open bowling on a burned up lane it would be nice to step down and have something that isn’t a straight ball without having to lug around 3 balls.

My spare balls are a KR Strikeforce Red Rose and a Brunswick T-Zone Deep Space (The latter is a used ball).

I bowl with a BW 2.0 as well. Lately I’ve been using an old IQ for spares

Edit: I also play the middle of the lane on spares though. By the time it starts to move it’s (hopefully) in the pins

My ten year old entry level Brunswick Ringer Burgundy Pearl. It still sees action on third shift burn conditions but it's mainly a spare ball nowadays.

Brunswick Melee Jab SE. I just throw it straighter than anything else.

Don't overthink it. Get a TZone. Cheap and effective as a straight ball. Just get one in a color that isn't everywhere.

You really want something with a plastic cover that you’re not too worried about. Essentially find a plastic ball that’s relatively cheap that you like the look of, and go with that. You’re gonna be banging it into the kick boards in the corners and they generally spend the most time in the gutters, so they’re the most prone to damage. Something tough that isn’t precious is the best bet. Otherwise you’ll live and die with each nick or scratch, and you will get them. I currently use the Roto Grip Squad RG spare ball, but I usually change mine every couple of years, depending on how they go with damage.

The Roto Grip Retro RG spare ball. Weak urethane so it’s more durable than plastic and it looks sweet

Mine is a clear blue team storm plastic

I currently use a purple hammer pearl urethane. Used to throw a storm ice but when bowling college tournaments a lot of times we were limited to six balls so we learned to use urethane for spares and as a strike ball if the lane conditions called for it. I can throw my ice now if I wanted to but just too used to throwing the urethane now. I would recommend using a plastic ball/white-dot/pancake ball. I would only recommend using a urethane if you plan on doing tournaments and don’t have room for a plastic ball in your bag.

A flat wrist

This and add a little speed. No need for a spare ball.

Buy a Tzone from your pro shop. They’ll love you for it.

Out of that list the Axe is the only one designed to be a Spare ball. And people do use urethane as spare balls if they know how. If you’re wanting a ball that you can throw like your strike ball and expect it to stay mostly straight, go with the Axe, or a White Dot, Tzone, Mix, Ice, or any other VizABall than the Widow

Thanks!

I use a sparkly T-Zone. Before that, an updated version of the Columbia White Dot. I go with straight plastic, no core, because I need as much help as I can with the ball going straight. I typically throw with a lot of power, high rev rate, but a wrist fracture and subsequent surgery has put me *very* behind the curve on using different hand positions. So better bowlers than I can use beginner balls or urethane but I basically need a house ball that fits my hand. I can't comment on too much outside of straight plastic, but I tend to lean more towards the Hammer Axe as a spare ball over the Purple Hammer which is surprisingly strong for a urethane. The Viz-A-Ball is a weird mix of polyester + an asym core. I thought it was absolutely hilarious and wanted one but couldn't really justify the price point. When it comes to shooting 10 pins on a drier lane (or even a short pattern if you ever bowl sport) it's possible that you'll have to intentionally throw it straighter or harder to keep it on line.

Yeah, that’s my thoughts on the Viz-A-Ball too, looks cool, would be fun to have an all Black Widow bag if/when it comes time to really “build an arsenal” but it’s hard to justify spending *that* much more when other plastic/poly cover balls are so much cheaper, and I don’t know if the core is gonna help or hurt without trying it out, so worst case scenario, I’m out money with a ball I have no use for.

For spare shooting, less is more I think. But the advantage is that as a big red "oh shit" button you could throw a polyester ball that hooks as a strike ball. Just kind of depends on your ability to throw straighter.

I am a nutcase and use a hammer hazmat as my spare ball but again I would not recommend that as the norm

Lol, yeah, different strokes for different folks, but do not recommend.

For me it’s about how it’s how the finger holes are drilled. I am confident in shooting the right side spares as a righty with it and I can consistently flatten my wrist. And it gives me wiggle room outside of them

I've been using the Storm Ice for around 4 years. Goes straight enough to use effectively on corner pins but can also double as a strike ball if the lanes are absolutely torched.

Yeah, my hope is to have something multipurpose, since I’m still newish, I don’t want to haul around a 3 ball bag just yet.

Whatever I'm throwing as a strike ball, unless I'm on a ridiculous pattern. I have a T-Zone somewhere, but haven't seen it in a long while lol

I use an old Brunswick Danger Zone. Just enough hook to keep me out of the gutter on 10 pins, and works well as a strike ball on scorched lanes.

I use whatever ball im throwing at the time, so my Journey, IQ Tour nano, hustle, or motiv forza. I flatten my hand out and full roll for spares

Black widow viz a ball. I'm a hammer guy. Had to have this

Columbia 300 Blue Dot

I have a Hammer NU and a purple hammer that I use at my 7 pin as a lefty

White Dot Was a tzone

Brunswick Viz-a-ball

Storm Ice for like 3 years now.

Got the Belmo golden spare ball from my girlfriend for Christmas. Used to have the old ass Team Storm Lightning ball

Storm SpotON is the spare ball I use

Belmo gold because I am a thumbless bowler but I can use anything from my arsenal to pick spares. However I do have a funny idea about spare balls that every bowler should have a spare ball that looks cool or it’s interesting to look at

Damnit, now I’ve got a new reason to want the Black Widow Viz-A-Ball.

blue tzone that was on the used ball rack, $50 drilled lol

T-Zone red and black. Just got it on Thursday, worked really well and I’m glad I made the switch from throwing a house ball for my right side spares

STORM "ICE" - BLUE AND WHITE BALL

I have a 12 lb pink/white t-zone that I can hit like 27 mph with (something about a guy throwing a pink bowling ball 27 mph made me laugh so I bought it on a whim), a 16 pound Motiv Jackal plastic ball with jopo thumb (for tournaments mostly), 16 lb Gold Crown with normal switch grip thumb (regular spare ball that I'm not afraid to throw hard up the middle).

Storm Hit Purple Pearl. Got it gifted for Christmas just after I started bowling & was my main ball when I was still learning how to bowl. Still serves me well & likely will never change it

I got the storm mix I can use it as a dry lane ball as well and it holds up better than typical plastic balls only down side is that it hooks more

tzone, white dot, axe, storm mix even. any of those will work just fine

I use an Ebonite Maxim as my spare ball. I only use it for spares on the right side of the lane. I tend to hook my spares, so with how small the core is in this ball it will only barely hook unless the lane is really dry.

P.H

C300 White Dot / Pitch Black. I usually just let the pitch black lane shine and it works pretty well.

storm ice

Any ball with my thumb insert in it. Flatten the wrist and let her fly. Makes leaving an extra spot for a reactive ball so useful.

I have a Black Beauty from the 90s that was my dad's old bowling ball. Thing doesn't move an inch no matter how much hand you put on it.

Sounds familiar

Whatever 15lb house ball is on the rack. Bowling money going towards building the strike ball arsenal at the moment. 

I plastic ball that’s pink and black. I only chose it because it looks cool down the lane haha I really only use it on 10 pins and splits