chris barnes started with a brunswick monster bruiser and then switched to an inferno. he also used the corporate viz-a-ball made by brunswick.

michael fagan started with a raging inferno and then went to a warp zone. he went a little striaghter and i think used a x-zone low diff. he also uses a moo-cow viz-a-ball.

good lck in the future fellas !

You can't deny it the Kids' game is sweet. he will make another on this year.
--------------------
www.bowlritelanes.com
www.nextlevelproshop.com

also know as VortexII

Fagan
Warp Zone- a lot of surface,pin over bridge
Raging Inferno - sanded a bit but not much,  set up with more flare than Warp
Bruiser- pin next to ring didn't see the cg. Polished

He was ripping racks just before his match playing deep with the warp just had to play it tight outside 10 was juicy  many over under shots when approaching that area. He really just got nervous. During the  first commercial break he tried to put tape in a thumb hole, he looked like he had the DT's. I was glad to see him finish off that match well. I sat behind his family at the show and he came over at the end of the telecast, nice kid and good people.

Barnes-
Bruiser
Inferno-sanded pin over bridge
Inferno- pin under bridge, Surface looked scuffed

He had two Inferno that were alright during warm-ups but tended to get a bunch of over/under. That first match the bruiser was a great match for playing tight inside the oil line but straight to the pocket. Before his last match the oil had carried down a bit and it just wasn't coming up unless he pointed it so he mad the switch for a few practice shots and they were flush. That first ball of the last match is what killed him but he bowled very well all week.

Both of these staffers and Jason Hurd bowled well using Big B products. I found it funny that they were the only staff that tended to take surface down. Especially for Fagan and Hurd. I'm sure this was a Rick Benoit call. Kudos to him and staff good week.

I'm not going to claim to know what Fagan was thinking, but here is what it looked like to me; he felt that his strength his playing inside and powering the ball back into the pocket, and if he was going to go down, he was going down with his "A" game.  As many have learned though, you have to play the lanes how they want you to play them.  Obviously, he is capable of adjusting, he proved that in the second half of the game.  He will be on the show again, I believe this season (he better hope for his sake), and he will be tough to deal with next time.

As for Chris Barnes, I like the guy.  Barnes has the total package, but I think he is still in the learning process of when to use what line and ball combination.  Being versatile brings with it it's own set of problems, you give yourself more options and more chances of making the wrong choice, Norm Duke has it mastered, but there was a lot of trial and error with him as well.  I think we will begin seeing Chris Barnes making the show as often as anyone on tour in the very near future, and turning those 2nd's into 1st's.

I really can't wait to see the replay of the show in the 4th as I missed the original showing.  Fagan is a great bowler and one of the many bowlers that I've been able to watch during NEBA competitions.  It will be interesting to watch how he handled things and I've seen his match play regiment a few times.