I threw Lane #1 equipment almost exclusively for years, and Crusty is right, I have very extensive knowledge of drilling patterns on their equipment, tendencies, and bowler feedback on Lane #1 bowling balls.
Lane #1 balls, in general, have a certain roll pattern that mirrors itself across balls in their lineup. There might be slight variations in length, but the same hook pattern can be noticed from ball to ball. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is VERY noticeable by anyone who has thrown more than 3 different Lane #1 balls in their lifetime. You can talk all you want about changing ending weights, pin placement, etc., but the bottom line is this: Lane #1 balls roll a certain way, and that's just the way it is.
I have thrown many 300's and 800's with Lane #1 equipment, mostly back in the Carbide LRG days, but I have thrown some newer stuff like the Buzzbomb and G-Force line, so I can give you my first hand knowledge with their equipment. The problem with Lane #1 nowadays, is that there is more propaganda and less substance, and the company has gotten by on a reputation they built back in the Cherry Bomb days. But, more and more bowlers are realizing those days are long gone and have moved onto other companies, with more versatile equipment choices to fill their bowling bags.
You don't need to buy every ball in the Lane #1 lineup to know their reaction, and it's just a waste of money to do so, because you can't cover a well rounded arsenal with Lane #1 equipment exclusively. Sorry, you just cant because they are WAY too similar in reaction shape from ball to ball. They don't have a resin ball that will go as long as a Neptune, nor do they have a hockey stick ball like the Magic. They have variations of the same hook pattern wrapped in either pearl, dull, or hybrid covers. That's about it.
Here is where Lane #1 went wrong, in a nutshell. They got away from what they became famous for, and that is the simplistic diamond weight block with a super durable cover wrapped around it. Their best equipment was made with the traditional diamond design, with different internal flip blocks, and very durable Brunswick coverstocks. I think they could still make great equipment with 900 Global if they got back to that simplistic type of core, and ditched the doomsday weight block altogether. That weight block (and it's variations)is not conducive to matching up across a wide spectrum of bowlers. Some very specific few will like the hook pattern of the modern Lane #1 equipment, but most will not see the benefit of changing to an all Lane #1 lineup, because you can't cover every condition out there due to the fact that the balls all have a similar reaction shape, just at slightly different footage intervals.
Now, when it comes to the Buzzbomb, and Lane #1 sales in general, I would have to say that there is VERY little repeat business in our shop as it pertains to Lane #1 equipment. 5 or 6 years ago, there were many bowlers putting in orders for Lane #1 equipment, and many of those were people who longed for the reaction of balls like the Carbide/C and Cherry Bomb. Once these people saw that the "new" Lane #1 had abandoned their trademark reaction and durability, they left, and most around here haven't returned. Since the Buzzbomb came out, we have sold 1, count them 1, of them from the shop. The gentleman who purchased it wasn't impressed with the carry or reaction shape of the ball, so it was re-drilled, and he still didn't like it. He sold it to a buddy of his, and he didn't like how it rolled or hit, even with many surface changes and another drill pattern change. No matter what kind of drill pattern I put on the ball, it gave a similar reaction shape, which didn't match up to either bowler, who both bought Storm balls and shot very well with them afterwards. This is just a small example, but it speaks to a larger amount of bowlers who have jumped from the Lane #1 ship due to lack of versatility in the current lineup.
I don't know if I would use the word bust on a bowling ball, because sales can be regional specific, but Lane #1 has been a terrible seller in our shop in recent years. We do not stock any of their equipment anymore, because it will sit on the shelf too long, and the only way it will move out of the shop is if we put it on clearance and lose money on the ball. We do well with big B, Storm, Roto, and all the Ebonite brands, but Lane #1 just doesn't sell, period. Even the older hardcore Lane #1 guys in our area have found much more versatile arsenals, with different reaction shape equipment, from other companies, so they have abandoned the Lane #1 train also. I do not mean to degrade the company completely, because I feel they can still make viable equipment, they just need to get back to what they became famous for, which is simpler core shapes, and durable coverstocks. That is my take on it, anyone who would like to continue the discussion with me, please feel free to send me a pm, thanks.
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James Goulding
Moores Pro Shop
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