February Newsletter

In this newsletter:

• Hall of Fame

• Annual Membership Meeting

• Sponsors

• Schedule of Activities

• Youth Tournament Schedule

• Coach’s Tip

• High and Honor Scores

 Hall of Fame
 
The Slippery Rock Golf Club will be the site of our next Hall of Fame golf scramble.  The date and time are being finalized.  Stay tuned for more info.
 
Annual Membership Meeting

Each year local associations are required to hold an annual membership meeting.  All Butler Area USBC members are encouraged to attend.  Each member has both voice and vote at this meeting.

Ever thought about who makes up the board and what they do? Or most importantly, HOW YOU CAN BECOME A BOARD MEMBER? Want to get involved? Do you have some fresh ideas? ACT NOW!! At the annual meeting next month, we will be holding elections for 1/3 of the board positions (8 out of 24).
 
If you want to get involved and be included on the ballot next month there is still time.  Anyone interested should reach out to Tim Malis no later than March 22, 2026. His email is nvych03@gmail.com
 
If you have any questions, feel free to send a message or talk to one of the current board members.

The meeting will begin at 7:00pm and is being held at Faith United Presbyterian Church, 1329 N. Main Street Ext., Butler, Pa., 16001.

Sponsors:
Welcome to VICNOR Farms!

For your automotive needs please visit A Preferred Grove City, Butler, & New Castle, PA Vehicle Source - Troy-Alan Chevrolet Buick GMC in SLIPPERY ROCK and let them you saw their add here.

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The Mixed Doubles Tournament was held at Sherwood Lanes on March 1, 2026.  Congratulations to Abigail and Matt Kriess for winning the Mixed Doubles Tournament at Sherwood Lanes. 

Mixed Doubles Champions Abigail and Matt Kriess

Second Place goes to Meghan Schwab and Max Fischer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Friendly reminder that all applications for the Team Tournament need to be paid in full with the applications. If you have submitted applications without payment then please arrange to get your payment to Neil. Applications without payment will not be processed until payment is received.
 
Thank you for your understanding.
 
Applications for the Team Tournament are in the houses.  

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Coach’s Tip:

For the last 2 months I have explained how to properly maintain your bowling ball.  Cleaning is a simple process that takes discipline to do on a continuous basis, wiping your ball down before each shot.  It also requires a deep cleaning periodically.  That deep cleaning should be done by a pro shop but can be accomplished at home.
 
I have been asked by several bowlers, “Why can’t I sand the ball myself?”   The short answer is you can.  You paid for the ball, it’s yours to do whatever you want.  The question is do you know how to properly resurface the ball?  Do you know that a bowling ball has six sides, and all sides must be sanded equally?  How do you sand all six sides equally?
 
This chart shows the finger positions of the six sides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Note the finger hole placement on a ball spinner.  To properly resurface a ball, each of these positions requires specific timed sanding.  Typically, 15 to 30 seconds with consistent pressure on the sanding media.  Normally a pro shop will resurface a ball using 4 to 5 different sanding grits.  Each ball manufacturer specifies the sanding media steps to achieve factory specs.  Using a ball spinner is time consuming.  There is another resurfacing machine that is almost automatic.  It is called Haus Machine.  Many pro shops have both a ball spinner and a Haus Machine. 
 
Here is a video of the Haus Machine in operation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjrV-TYnXA

Every two seconds the ball is rotated to a new position.  After a set amount of time, the entire ball is sanded equally.  All the operator needs to do is to change the three sanding disks for each grit needed.  Once the last grit has been used, the ball is removed and cleaned on the spinner.  If the manufacturer calls for polish, it is applied on the spinner.  The result is a ball with an out of the box surface.
 
What happens if the ball is not sanded properly?  The ball will be out of round.  Imagine an egg rolling down the lane.  Well, it won’t be that bad, but there will be changes in the performance of the ball.  Each ball has a core.  When drilled, the PSO (Pro Shop Operator) locates the core a certain way to create a shape down the lane.  The core is closer to one edge of the ball than the other to create an imbalance as the ball rolls.  By improperly sanding the ball, the position of the core changes in relation to the outside of the cover of the ball.  It is now closer to one side of the ball than intended.
 
Bottom line, yes you can sand your ball, but make sure you do it right.