Author Topic: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball (Read 8500 times)

Gixer · « **on:** March 27, 2009, 07:32:13 AM »

I'm thinking about buying my first Lane 1 ball here within the next couple of weeks and was wondering if I could get some suggestions? I want a ball for medium oil almost like a benchmark type ball.

My stats are in my profile.

Steven · « **Reply #31 on:** March 29, 2009, 07:06:53 PM »

quote:
Get off your high horse Steven, and admit to your Lane #1 bias rather than parading around as "neutral but primarily Lane #1 is in my bag" or whatever...you're not on any similar crusade to "protect the good name" of any other brand. I won't believe you're anything but an astroturfer until I see you post something critical about Lane #1, and/or post something that another company does better than Lane #1.

LOL. I have a larger non-Lane#1 arsenal than most of the so called 'neutral' posters. That includes multiple Rivals, Widows, Stingers and assorted other Track, AMF and Brunswick equipment. All good balls (except for the Fury) that I use when appropriate. I posted on the Rivals and Widows in the respective Columbia and Hammer forums when I first got those balls a year or two ago. As far as posting something 'critical' about Lane#1, I have (more than once) posted issues I've had with a few of the Bomb based cores. If you missed the posts or didn't read them, that's your problem and I don't have anything to prove to you here.

Any Lane#1 'bias' I have is based on real world experience I have with the product.

I don't make up things or make wild speculations like you do. That's what's offensive about most of what you post here. The forums should be about sharing useful real life experiences. Instead, you choose to share your fantasies. Please, spare us.

Honestly, I'm curious if you do this because you're bored, or in some perverse way you believe some of what you write.

JessN16 · « **Reply #32 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:12:49 PM »

quote:
quote:
1) You state the price differences as $30-$50 dollars, but in the case of the Dynamo, a simple look of prices at Buddies shows as little as a $2.50 difference.

I look at the trend, not the outliers. Most high-end Lane #1 balls are in the mid-$170's. Most for other companies are in the mid-$140's. Some, like Brunswick's Zone line, are in the $110's. You're right, there's as little as a $2.50 difference, if you use the best case Lane #1 ball and the worst case other company ball.

quote:
2) You then try to weasel out of this by claiming the Dynamo price of $159.95 is 'introductory', when in fact it's the real price.

That came from another thread, from someone who emailed buddies asking about the difference, so don't blame me for that one.

quote:
Next, instead of just owning up to your snafus, you pretend to have some kind of mass psychological insights into the minds of the 'majority of Lane #1 customers' that tells you they're ball collectors. What?

They are. When you put your bowling ball collection in your signature or profile instead of your honor scores, you're a ball collector. When you own 25 of the same brand and few, if any, of another brand, you're either on that company's staff or you're a ball collector. This isn't hard to figure out. And Sleepy LaBeef was right on with his point too...recommending a ball that's not out yet is ball collector territory. It's fine if that's what you are, but don't claim to be a bowler with bowling knowledge to spread to others if what you're really interested in doing is collecting.

Get off your high horse Steven, and admit to your Lane #1 bias rather than parading around as "neutral but primarily Lane #1 is in my bag" or whatever...you're not on any similar crusade to "protect the good name" of any other brand. I won't believe you're anything but an astroturfer until I see you post something critical about Lane #1, and/or post something that another company does better than Lane #1.
--------------------
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A couple of things need to be pointed out:

1) Lane #1 does not pour its own stuff. Therefore, I don't expect them to price anything they sell equal to Brunswick, Storm or Ebonite. At the shops I've frequented over the years, Lane #1 and MoRich are consistently more expensive by anywhere from $10 to $50. What does Lane #1 and MoRich have in common? Both are contract pours. In order for the parent company to realize the profit on the ball, they have to get it after paying someone else to pour it for them. And both are lower-volume sellers on top of that. Four most expensive balls for me to get locally? Lane #1, MoRich, LaneMasters and Visionary. I don't think it's an accident, either -- they're all lower-volume, some might say "niche" labels.

2) The backlash against certain Lane #1 fanboys has taken on a life of its own to a point where people aren't given an audience to make a legitimate case for the quality of the goods themselves. I'm a hobby driller, and over the last three months, I've drilled the following companies' gear: Lane #1, AMF (2), Visionary, Banger, Storm, Roto Grip (2), Brunswick. The one Lane #1 ball in that bunch was a BuzzBomb/R. It was/is by far the best of the bunch in terms of how it worked for me. The Storm Xtacy Domination and Brunswick Sidewinder were also good.

So the question becomes, how do you communicate that? As bad as being a fanboy is, it's equally as bad for Lane #1 haters to sit on the sideline and allege the company makes crap when they won't throw it for themselves to test.

What's interesting about this to me is that in the 19 years I've been a "serious" bowler, I've used stuff from all companies but gravitated towards three companies more often than the others. For the first five years I bowled, it was AMF. The next 12 years were Storm, and the last two have been Lane #1. The way I came around to Lane #1 is also kind of unique. I met Mr. Sposato in North Carolina at this site's "Gathering" three years ago. The last two Lane #1 balls I'd bought prior to that trip had both been flat-out terrible.

So I go up, introduce myself, and ask him, "Thanks for coming. Can you help me figure out why the last two balls I've bought from you haven't worked for me at all?"

I figured that would either get me ignored or slapped, but he took the time to ask some questions about my game and give me his take on it, and sounded a bit apologetic that things hadn't worked out for me. His attitude in the face of my rather in-your-face question impressed me and led me to keep an open mind about trying another Lane #1 ball in the future.

Over the next year, I worked with a coach extensively and went from being a speed-dominant, low-rev player to a rev-matched tweener. I bought a couple of used Lane #1 balls and found out that, with my change in styles, I now matched up with their equipment.

In the years since, I've found that I tend to average higher, have better control over adjustments and am able to set up an arsenal more easily without overlap between the balls. So my question is, should I ignore this just because I might be lumped into the same box as the fanboys?

I still drill other stuff because I'm constantly trying to keep myself updated on what other companies are doing, but I keep coming back to Lane #1 at this time because I rarely hit a dud. If my game or Lane #1's gear changes, I'll change. I thought about it earlier this year when the 900Global covers started making the balls more angular out of the box than I liked, but it doesn't appear to be a problem across the entire line.

My very long-winded point is that the balls need to stand on their own merits rather than be concerned about who is recommending them and who isn't.

Jess

Edited on 3/29/2009 8:14 PM

holland1945 · « **Reply #33 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:20:47 PM »

quote:
Holland, I have a Lane 1 bias. I think they consistiently put out some of the best equipment on the market. The guy said he was looking for a new L1 so if you have no knowledge of the equipment then just move on. Between my brother and I we have over 200 balls and over 40 of them are Lane 1 so I use and have use everything but I beleive Buzzsaws are the best.

Oh, btw, my Bowl.com page is attached. I think if you look at it most people would consider me a real bowler.

Move along troll

.
--------------------
"The rule is perfect. In all matters of opinion our advesaries are insane". Mark Twain

http://members.bowl.com/SearchUSBC/ViewMember.aspx?prefix=1034&suffix=1647

Congrats, I never said ALL Lane #1 fans are just ball collectors (and before someone goes there, you can certainly be a good bowler AND a ball collector). Your offense to my post therefore indicates a lack of reading comprehension or an idea that hits closer to home than you'd like to admit. I don't really care which is the case.
--------------------
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holland1945 · « **Reply #34 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:23:27 PM »

quote:
Maybe I'm wrong but now your comparing a line of balls from the Big B that isn't their TOP line stuff...

And again:

I'm offering Dyno's @ $150
tekneek has Rogue Cells @ $133

$17 still isn't $30-$50

Zones are the "1A" line for Brunswick, but there's other examples I'm sure.

Also, why are you comparing your price on Dynothane to teeknek's? What relevance does that have here?
--------------------
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zeusjr · « **Reply #35 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:38:47 PM »

quote:
Also, why are you comparing your price on Dynothane to teeknek's? What relevance does that have here?

Dyno's = Dynamo's not Dynothane

holland1945 · « **Reply #36 on:** March 29, 2009, 08:42:12 PM »

quote:
LOL. I have a larger non-Lane#1 arsenal than most of the so called 'neutral' posters.

Which proves what? Not that you're not a Lane #1 fanboy. Lack thereof is one possible symptom I mentioned of Lane #1 Fanboyitis, yes, but it doesn't prove anything either way.

I posted on the Rivals and Widows in the respective Columbia and Hammer forums when I first got those balls a year or two ago.

So I can expect to see you stop posting in the Lane #1 forum after a few months has passed since your last purchase of a Lane #1 ball?

quote:
As far as posting something 'critical' about Lane#1, I have (more than once) posted issues I've had with a few of the Bomb based cores. If you missed the posts or didn't read them, that's your problem and I don't have anything to prove to you here.

I'm sure it was something to the effect of "This core is super awesome, it just doesn't work for ME, I think everybody who isn't me will love this bomb core ball so long as they can find a lane with 5 extra boards! Gooooooooo Lane #1!"

In any event, I'm talking about something bigger, company-wide not ball-specific. Ebonite's issue is of course lack of quality in some of the brands they've taken over. Brunswick has their Mexico production issues. MoRich's is that they do not offer a full spectrum of equipment to fill your arsenal. Lane #1's got a plethora, including their high price, sponsoring of Rudy Revs and the Lane #1 Hummer, ridiculous marketing claims, buying out Beans and doubling the price of his stuff, dubious claims of technological superiority and drilling technique superiority, failure to succeed in the PBA despite being in the same boat as MoRich who has had much success, hypocrisy (e.g. moving from Brunswick claiming they're doing so because of their move to Mexico and wanting to stay American, but pouring their plastic balls in another country just like everybody else), etc. etc. etc. It's a terrible company that fosters an elitist customer base thanks to snake oil, and as I have gone on in length about before (longer than this actually), it's a shame because they make some good stuff and I'm not just talking about the XXXL and Liberator, either. If they operated more like a normal company, like say MoRich, they'd have at least the same amount of sales but less negative mojo at the same time.

quote:
Any Lane#1 'bias' I have is based on real world experience I have with the product.

Then just come out and say that you love Lane #1 and it's superior to everything else you've tried. Don't pretend to be neutral and helping people in an objective manner when you're not.

quote:
I don't make up things or make wild speculations like you do. That's what's offensive about most of what you post here. The forums should be about sharing useful real life experiences. Instead, you choose to share your fantasies. Please, spare us.[/quote]

What have I made up? Wild speculations, that's your opinion about my opinions, but I have not made up anything. That much should be clear considering you quickly switched your focus to the opinion part of my post, and away from the fact part. And I AM sharing useful real life experiences - the real life experience that Lane #1 equipment may (or may not) improve your game, but it sure costs more than the other guys, and not a single PBA exempt bowler uses Lane #1 equipment and no one has ever won a PBA tournament with a Lane #1 ball, even a free agent. So either it's not as good as claimed or they're not spending their marketing dollars in the right way.

If pros who are not under contract can use anything they want, and high level amateurs can use anything they want aren't choosing and winning with Lane #1, then I guess there's no proof to the competitive advantage reported. A lot of other companies make low RG high diff equipment that one can choose and essentially get a free ball in the process of building their arsenal, because when you're saving $30 per ball that's what you're going to get.
--------------------
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JessN16 · « **Reply #37 on:** March 29, 2009, 09:00:38 PM »

quote:
It's a terrible company that fosters an elitist customer base thanks to snake oil, and as I have gone on in length about before (longer than this actually), it's a shame because they make some good stuff and I'm not just talking about the XXXL and Liberator, either. If they operated more like a normal company, like say MoRich, they'd have at least the same amount of sales but less negative mojo at the same time.

Funny you should mention MoRich in that way because over the years, I've only had negative customer service experiences with two companies, and that's one of them. I'm not going to go on and on about it, because I realize anyone could have a bad day. (The other unhappy experience was with Columbia, pre-buyout.)

Also, if you want to hold technobabble against a company, do the same for MoRich. There is no more tech-heavy company out there than them, and while I give Mr. Pinel major props for being an intelligent man, some of what he pushes isn't received without controversy (there's a thread in the Drillings forum right now about weight holes in the palm that illustrates this).

I agree that Lane #1's marketing strategies are sometimes beyond the realm of sanity. What I don't agree with is that it "fosters an elitist customer base." I've never seen anyone here claim to be a better person than someone else because they threw Lane #1. It's the same as any niche company that has committed, loyal fans, whether in the automotive field, musical instruments, firearms, whatever. If anything, I've found this forum to be much more responsive to questions seeking help than most on this site. This forum, the Brunswick and Track forums are probably tops in that regard. "Elitist" suggests they can't be bothered.

Jess

Steven · « **Reply #38 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:27:40 PM »

Holland/THB: Just look at the collection of non-sense that you've posted in just this one thread:

------------------------

â€stick with other companies for your hook balls because they're cheaper and just as goodâ€

â€œ$30 - $50 isn't lunch money to me. I'm a $5 footlong kind of guy.â€

â€œthe majority of Lane #1 customers are ball collectors, not bowlers. Even if they throw the ball down the lane it doesn't matter what actually happens, what matters is that feeling of intellectual superiority they get by purchasing a Lane #1 ball.â€

â€œWhen you put your bowling ball collection in your signature or profile instead of your honor scores, you're a ball collector.â€

------------------------

You, and only you yourself, are responsible for the dribble you've posted above. You've missed the mark on the current price point of Lane#1's current premier ball -- the Dynamo. You don't have any first hand experience with higher point Lane#1 equipment, but you'll make a truly ignorant statement that other ball are 'just as good'.

Even where there is a $30-$50 dollar difference, you don't understand that to more serious bowlers, that this is truly lunch money. Any higher end tournament you go to is $300-$500 out of pocket for a weekend, so why is $30-$50 a big deal when you're talking about purchasing a ball that you're comfortable with? You're completely lacking in perspective here.

The majority of Lane #1 customers are ball collectors? You must have been smoking something really funny to say something like that. There is nothing wrong with anyone's reading comprehension to conclude that this is one of the more idiotic things you've blurted out.

And putting a ball collection in the signature instead of honor scores is something telling?? Yes, what it says is that they'd rather list the balls they have experience with that honor scores that will mean little to anyone else. Why does that simple fact elude you??

As usual, you've done everything but simply own up to another one of your fantasy binges. It's not about me or anyone else. It's about you taking responsibility for another one of your Lane#1 fiction pieces.

I'll give you credit for something. You're a Lane#1 troll, but at least an amusing one.

holland1945 · « **Reply #39 on:** March 29, 2009, 10:40:31 PM »

quote:
1) Lane #1 does not pour its own stuff. Therefore, I don't expect them to price anything they sell equal to Brunswick, Storm or Ebonite.

How does MoRich do it?

quote:
At the shops I've frequented over the years, Lane #1 and MoRich are consistently more expensive by anywhere from $10 to $50.

My local proshop and buddies both price MoRich the same as Lane #1. Perhaps your shop is using some sort of scarcity angle to price MoRich higher, I don't know.

quote:
2) The backlash against certain Lane #1 fanboys has taken on a life of its own to a point where people aren't given an audience to make a legitimate case for the quality of the goods themselves.

When the company puts out marketing that guarantees an increase in average, necessitates wider lanes, etc., the no-nonsense types that most bowlers tend to be are going to be annoyed with that. Other companies promise more hook, more back end, more length, etc., but none make the claim that your average will go up because of their equipment or that the core hits "20% harder".

quote:
So the question becomes, how do you communicate that? As bad as being a fanboy is, it's equally as bad for Lane #1 haters to sit on the sideline and allege the company makes crap when they won't throw it for themselves to test.

I've never said they make crap. I think some of their pieces were not good based on their own marketing videos, but other videos have shown me that other products are good. And I loved my XXXL and will be getting a Starburst at some point. I'd buy an XXL if they remade it, too.

quote:
In the years since, I've found that I tend to average higher, have better control over adjustments and am able to set up an arsenal more easily without overlap between the balls. So my question is, should I ignore this just because I might be lumped into the same box as the fanboys?

Absolutely not, because you seem to grasp that different things work for different people. Brunswick nor Ebonite nor Lane #1 is the answer all the time for everybody.

quote:
My very long-winded point is that the balls need to stand on their own merits rather than be concerned about who is recommending them and who isn't.

Agreed.
--------------------
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JessN16 · « **Reply #40 on:** March 30, 2009, 11:37:21 AM »

MoRich has always been higher around here, and also was the case when I lived in Tennessee. I remember when the Total Shock & Awe was their top-of-the-line offering, and it was priced above some of the Lane #1s. When I started finding MoRich balls on eBay for cheap, I thought I'd hit the motherlode. The first ball I ever drilled for myself was an Awesome Finish, and I picked that ball because I found it so cheap I thought I'd hit the jackpot and would never see one that cheap again. Turns out, that was normal. But I haven't seen a MoRich ball under $220 in a pro shop in probably 10 years.

What's going to end up being funny about Lane #1's infamous "20 percent" stuff is I'm about to literally "halfway" prove it. If the season were to end tomorrow, my average would have gone up from 178 to 195 since switching over two years ago. That's an increase of 9.55 percent. Of course, there's a lot of other things going on, led by the fact that I'm finally healthy again. But I haven't averaged this high in five years.

Jess

mrfox101 · « **Reply #41 on:** March 30, 2009, 11:41:49 AM »

I've been bowling for over 25 years, across 3 different states and I can't tell you how many different sets of lanes...
I started mainly with AMF equipment, then went thru a bunch of Brunswick, Storm, Colombia, Track, Hammer, etc...You name a ball company, and I've probably thrown something with thier logo on it. It was nothing to open my closet and find 10-15 balls stacked on the floor. (Damn things are like rabbits, they just seem to multiply on thier own).
While I primarily throw Lane #1 now, I can say that I was just as proud of my Hammers, Zones, Rhino Pro's, Cobra's, XL's, Pirannha, El Nino, etc...while they were seeing thier time on the lanes. They all had thier good points and thier bad. I shot very well with some and not so well with others, but I must have liked them all, or I wouldn't have laid my hard earned money down for them...and I buy my equipment to throw, not to collect.
While I understand that not everyone is a fan of what I currently throw, I also understand that they work for me...and that's the only results and/or opinion that I need.
It's unfortunate that a post asking a simple question, and asking for input and opinions goes off the path thanks to some who feel the need to bash others to cover thier own short-comings.
And Clay-West...the Teal THS is about as "medium" as you could find. It's pretty much the first ball out of my bag whenever I'm not sure of what the lane conditions are going to be.

--------------------
Throwin' Saws...

Buzzsaw THS x2
G-Force Evolution
G-Force Supernova
Dirty Bomb x2
Buzzbomb
Crystal Clear

and some other random stuff...
Hammer - No Mercy
Track - Rising SE

Edited on 3/30/2009 11:45 AM

Edited on 3/30/2009 11:59 AM

AK47 · « **Reply #42 on:** March 30, 2009, 11:53:40 AM »

I'd say Nebula or Chainsaw

--------------------

CHAINSAW = MONEY

DYNAMO
AGENT ORANGE
NEBULA
CHAINSAW
BB/R (pin near track)
STARBURST XXXL

Roy Munson · « **Reply #43 on:** March 30, 2009, 01:18:37 PM »

. . . hold off and try Massacre!
. . . just to piss off the insects that infects this board

. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
just in case - her're more peroids for you - intentionally misspelled too
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
--------------------

Roy Munson: "Morning! I hope you don't mind, I got up a little early. So I took the liberty of milking your cow for you. Yeah, it took a little while to get her warmed up. She sure is a stubborn one. Then pow, all at once."
Mr. Boorg: "We don't have a cow. We have a bull."

***** Looking for Pearl Cherry C/2 *****

bowlerdawg · « **Reply #44 on:** March 30, 2009, 02:25:31 PM »

did you get your answer Clay, or is there too much noise in here from the troll feeding frenzy ?

back to the mans question

if you like pearls then I say get an XP
great benchmark ball for me

If you like solids then I say get a buzzbomb
another great ball for me
--------------------
I'm your huckleberry

Edited on 3/30/2009 2:27 PM

Gixer · « **Reply #45 on:** March 30, 2009, 03:21:24 PM »

Yeah I got my answer, I'm thinking about buying the H20. Thanks for the info.

Author Topic: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball (Read 8500 times)

Gixer

Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

Steven

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

JessN16

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

holland1945

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

holland1945

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

zeusjr

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

holland1945

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

JessN16

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

Steven

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

holland1945

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

JessN16

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

mrfox101

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

AK47

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

CHAINSAW = MONEY

Roy Munson

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

bowlerdawg

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball

Gixer

Re: Help picking my first Lane 1 ball