Tell me about Demo days, is it good for finding first ball?

[Ratt_bowling]

Hey Folks,

I got some money for Christmas and I want to buy my first performance ball.  I've had plenty of good suggestions.  I went to look on my local pro shops website and I saw they are having a Demo day in a couple of weeks for $25.  I can't imagine what a Demo day for bowling balls would be like.  Would someone who's been to one describe it for me?  Seems like it would be a good chance to find a first ball.  Is the Blueprint Session worth it if you haven't really figured out your 'swing' yet?

Here is their info:
 Try them out!
All Demo balls are equipped with interchangeable thumb inserts. This allows you to compare all the balls to each other and to your current equipment. This will let you know exactly which balls will work best for you!
Talk to Experts
There will be an Ebonite Factory Rep on hand during the demo. Talk to the experts about the bowling balls, lane conditions, ball layouts and ball reactions.
Lane Play Clinic
Bowling is a sport played against the environment. Understanding that environment is crucial to success. In this one hour, classroom clinic we will look at all the factors of lane conditions and explain some of the mysteries to make you a more complete bowler. Lane Play Clinic is free to Demo Day participants or $15 for all other bowlers.
Big Savings!
Demo Day participants will receive coupons worth $45 in discounts.
$20 off all new balls
$10 off rolling bags
$5 off wrist supports
and more!
Specials available to registered bowlers only
Blueprint Session
$50 Blueprint session includes demo day registration. Powerhouse Blueprint is the next step in bowling technology. After measuring and inputing a bowler's individual release characteristics, Blueprint simulates ball reaction specific to you! You can see how different layouts or surface finishes impact ball motion. View ball motion on a variety of lane conditions and learn the best way to play different oil patterns.

[Rightycomplex]

Demo Days can be a great way to judge different brands of equipment for your game. It's also a great way to determine some surfaces that work and get some decent coaching to help out. Blueprint may be a bit much considering you're just getting started but the rest is definitely worth a try.

[TWOHAND834]

Hey Folks,

I got some money for Christmas and I want to buy my first performance ball.  I've had plenty of good suggestions.  I went to look on my local pro shops website and I saw they are having a Demo day in a couple of weeks for $25.  I can't imagine what a Demo day for bowling balls would be like.  Would someone who's been to one describe it for me?  Seems like it would be a good chance to find a first ball.  Is the Blueprint Session worth it if you haven't really figured out your 'swing' yet?

Here is their info:
 Try them out!
All Demo balls are equipped with interchangeable thumb inserts. This allows you to compare all the balls to each other and to your current equipment. This will let you know exactly which balls will work best for you!
Talk to Experts
There will be an Ebonite Factory Rep on hand during the demo. Talk to the experts about the bowling balls, lane conditions, ball layouts and ball reactions.
Lane Play Clinic
Bowling is a sport played against the environment. Understanding that environment is crucial to success. In this one hour, classroom clinic we will look at all the factors of lane conditions and explain some of the mysteries to make you a more complete bowler. Lane Play Clinic is free to Demo Day participants or $15 for all other bowlers.
Big Savings!
Demo Day participants will receive coupons worth $45 in discounts.
$20 off all new balls
$10 off rolling bags
$5 off wrist supports
and more!
Specials available to registered bowlers only
Blueprint Session
$50 Blueprint session includes demo day registration. Powerhouse Blueprint is the next step in bowling technology. After measuring and inputing a bowler's individual release characteristics, Blueprint simulates ball reaction specific to you! You can see how different layouts or surface finishes impact ball motion. View ball motion on a variety of lane conditions and learn the best way to play different oil patterns.

Think of it like test driving a car.  EBI has 4-6 of each ball they will have there of various span lengths.  They have a pro shop guy working behind a table that finds your thumb size and finger insert sizes and put them in the balls so you can go onto a lane and test it out.  The balls all have a similar generic layout (pin above fingers with MB very near the thumb hole).  The EBI rep will walk lane to lane and talk with everyone to see how they like certain balls and even make recommendations as far as ball choice and layout based on your style.  It CAN be a great way to find a good ball even if he recommends one that isn't at the demo. 

[Walking E]

Demo Days are really good for testing out high and high-mid performance equipment. Keep in mind that the lower-mid and lower performance equipment will NOT be available for demo purposes, so if you had intended and/or budgeted your first performance ball to be an "entry level" performance ball, then you won't be able to test that price point at the demo.
That being said, many quote-unquote "entry level performance" balls are at a par with high-level equipment from 5-10 years back, so you would still get a lot of bang for your buck at a lower price point.

[Elimeno Pee]

I would suggest finding out who the preferred shop in your area is, and working with them too.  Demo days are good, but so is asking your local pro shop guy to watch you throw, and get some ideas from them too on what would be a good ball.  i'm not discouraging the demo day, go to the demo day, try as many balls as you can, get a feel for where your preferred "A Game" line is on the lane, and what ball it was you threw it best with.   Take all the info you learned at the demo day into the pro shop and make a ball choice with the aid of Youtube, the Proshop, and the Demo Day.

[Ratt_bowling]

I decided to sign up.  If you've been to an EBI demo before, was it all EBI brands or just Ebonite balls?

[bradl]

I decided to sign up.  If you've been to an EBI demo before, was it all EBI brands or just Ebonite balls?

This will be all EBI brands, or at least should be all EBI brands. The last demo days I went to had gear from Ebonite, Columbia, Track, and Hammer.

Now, they may also have balls from the low to low-mid performance range, and not just the high performance balls. The last one I went to had the Track 711A Special Edition ball, which was a mid-range ball, at least according to the rep there.

Additionally, it may be that the pro shop hosting the event may be a rep for one of the brands as well, so they may be offering  a fit and drill there as well, so you may already have a shop there to establish a relationship with.

I have ALWAYS found Demo Days to be beneficial. The first five I went to were mainly due to the fact that I had the Southwest Regional rep for EBI at that time bowling in my league (Dave Wodka). I want to say that from those, I picked up at least 2 balls that I still use to this day (well, last week; my TPC Warrior just cracked).

Anyway, there should have been a sign up sheet or some flyer of sorts that should say what they may or may not have there. Have a look for that, and have fun when you get there.

BL.

[psycaz]

Demo days are a great way to test stuff to see how you like it. You should also get some great advice and tips. I've taken my son to three of them over the last couple years. Best for him was the Storm we did last year. After trying every single ball they had, he came to really like the IQ Tour Solid.

We ended getting one from here used and he threw his first 300 last month. If not for the demo days, I don't think he would have considered that ball for him. He went in thinking IQ Tour Pearl or one other that escapes me right now.

[LookingForALeftyWall]

Good choice signing up. Tink of it as a test drive.

I signed up for one a few years back and ended up with a Track 607 that ended up becoming my favorite ball. I hope you have the same luck I had!

[tommyboy74]

It's a good step that can be used as part of the overall process.  Think of it as a way to try some different brands and different ball types which could fit your specific game.  It's not a substitute for a good pro shop driller who works with you specifically.  But, a demo day is a useful tool that can help you overall.

As Elimeno Pee mentioned, take the information you get from the Demo Days and use it in combination with the pro shop that you deal with.  Also, take a look on YouTube and even feel free to ask us about general suggestions.  All of this is beneficial and will be able to help you get the ball that you need.

[Ratt_bowling]

They sent out a new email showing demo balls will include:
Crazy Antics
Legacy
Cold Blood
Takedown
Amp Up
706 C/A

[Ratt_bowling]

This post is a little long so I'll summarize up here.  I had a great time, got some great coaching, and felt really good about my ball purchase that day.  It was totally worth it and I'd like to go again next year when they do it again.

Update:

I went to the Demo.  First thing they did was give me a free t-shirt.  I got a ton of coupons including $20 off a new ball, $1 off towel, $1 off grip sack, and if I bought two balls I would get a free double tote ($39.99 value).  Additionally there were at least a dozen balls with special Demo Day pricing and of course that included all the balls being Demoed.  I had plans to use every one of those coupons so my $25 participation fee was already covered.

I got fitted for hand span and finger inserts and then they picked out a Columbia 300 Takedown for me. 

You may have read earlier in this thread that I've never had a performance ball and didn't really know how to throw a hook.  I thought I'd try what I used to do when goofing with a house ball, which is no thumb and spin it as hard as I could.  That caused the Takedown to race off like a dragster to the left before reaching the pins.  After a few throws experimenting like that one of the coaches approached me.  I explained I was ignorant and appreciated her quick arrival.  She told me to just throw it straight a little while and let the ball do the work.  I threw it again and she stopped me.  Now I needed to relax a little.  I was used to having to put the death grip on a house ball and having to really muscle it down the lane.  She said relax and let the ball do it's job.  I tried that for a while and was doing okay but not seeing any real hook from the ball.  She said to be sure to try a few of the demo balls before going home and went to help another bowler. 

I threw the Takedown a few more minutes and then switched to the Ebonite Legacy.  The Legacy was hitting a little bit harder but still no hook.  I needed more advice and another Columbia 300 rep approached me.  He explained how to let the ball fall off my hand a little earlier.  I had a few embarrassing throws while I experimented with that and then I tried coming off the side of the ball instead of up the back and started seeing some hook from the ball but I kept hitting brooklyn side.  He then asked which ball I liked better and told him maybe the Legacy but I couldn't really tell a difference.  He said "follow me to the pro shop".  We went inside and he added some surface to the Legacy.  He said if I like what happens next then to pick one of the dull balls displayed on the wall.  My next few throws were a breakthrough for me.  I was finally getting what I wanted from a bowling ball.  I hit 4 strikes in six frames, but after three in a row I checked the clock.  I only had 25 minutes left.  To confirm I wanted a dull ball I asked to switch balls again. 

The Columbia 300 rep that helped me find that hook said he wanted to measure my span again first.  His suspicion that my span was too small was correct, and then fitted me for a Crazy Antics.  He told me it will be close to the scuffed Legacy but that I was likely to start hitting brooklyn side again.  I then threw two brooklyn strikes, 9/, and another brooklyn strike.  That rep was dead on!  Time ran out and the guy next to me said he thought I through the Crazy Antics best but I told him I was most impressed with the scuffed Legacy.

I raced into the pro shop and declared my intent to buy a dull ball.  The Columbia 300 rep was in there and explained to the pro shop guy what he'd done.  The pro shop guy said, "We have several dull balls, but it would be too hard to tell you which to pick as your first ball".  I understood that to mean 'just pick one'.  I looked at their wall and was attracted to the red and blue of the Hammer Amp.  It was $30 off for the demo day.  I also chose a Ebonite Maxim for my spare ball.  Paid a little extra to get the Hammer Two-ball Deluxe Tote because it was more than the $39.99 promotion for buying two balls that day. 

So, I guess i'm now a Hammerhead and I should get my first chance to throw the Hammer Amp on Thursday night. 

[vkowalski1970]

Good Luck with the new purchases!