BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: jepson on January 17, 2014, 09:12:20 PM
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Hello all.. I am in desperate need for some advice.. I'm starting to build an arsenal so I can start bowling tournaments next year.. I was told to come hear and ask for some help.. My coach and many other people in my area keep pushing me to buy Storm stuff.. I don't have a problem with Storm but I've always kind of liked Hammer and Ebonite equipment.. So I guess what I need is some advice on what to get. I'm looking at a 4 or 5 ball arsenal from either Storm or Hammer/Ebonite.. Any help would greatly be appreciated..
My stats
380 rpms
16.5 mph (Off my hand)
Medium Track
PAP 4 5/8ths 1/8th up
20 degrees of axis rotation..
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Do you feel more comfortable throwing hammer/ebonite? If you do and you think you'd be more familiar with the reactions I'd go with hammer/ebonite.
Heavy oil - Pivot (no question)
Med-Heavy - Arson, First Blood, Challenge, Champion
Med - Source, Legacy, Arson, Arson Hybrid
Med-light - Arson Low Flare, Cyclone, Source
Light-spare - Arson Low Flare, True Blood, Taboo Spare
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Up until two years ago, I threw nothing but Brunswick.. I'm only 19 and most of the balls I had were hand me downs from my father. I went out and got a job and started buying my own equipment. I wanted to try something different so I bought a Hammer Black Vibe. I added a Ebonite Pursuit and once in awhile I use my buddies Tropical Breeze when my Vibe is too much. That's pretty much my experience so far so I can't really say what I'm comfortable with.. Thanks for the info, I'm definitely going to go read some reviews on that Pivot.. The Hyper Cell looks pretty intriguing as well.
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If you went Storm/Roto then I'd suggest
Heavy - Hyper Cell
Med-Heavy - Sync, Defiant Soul, Marvel-S
Med - Asylum
Med-light - Crossroad, Hyroad Pearl, Wrecker, Rumble
Light-spare - Super Natural
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The new Asylum is one of the best balls I've ever thrown! Is highly recommend no matter what else you get. I've thrown it three nights 697,693,691. It never over reacts and hits like a truck! You can always mix it up between hammer and storm.
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take a strong look at Roto Grip. They may or may not be good for you, but all of the Roto Grips I've had seem to just have a little more hit power, and make the racks explode more violently.
I've only had a total of 12 games on my Hyper Cell so far, and I've had several of those "make the house turn and look" kind of loud explosive strikes.
Best advice would be to go to "the good Pro Shop" in town, talk to the guy that will be drilling your stuff. Tell him your desires with your arsenal. If he's anything, he will look past his brand loyalties and make excellent suggestions for you.
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i threw storm/roto for many years up until 4or 5 years ago
At that time, they seemed to rev up to quick for me
went to track for a while and recently expanded to hammer, columbia and ebonite
let me tell you, that was the best thing i have done for my game, i no longer wonder if i have the right equipment in my bag. I can focus on my technique and shot making.
you cant go wrong with any of the EBI line-up
good stuff, lots to pick from
I do like the hammer videos especially, they have a number of different styles using the same ball so you can see the difference.
I have this ball and its my benchmark on most THS patterns
http://hammerbowling.com/products/product_detail/absolut_curve/
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I know you didn't ask, but check out Motiv's standings in tournament results. You'll find a steadily growing number of "wins" as usage increases, and one or more of their balls consistently get very high marks in "balls of the year" ratings.
Motiv has a broad range of tournament products, a very strong following — almost fanatical — and excellent personal support with quick responses.
I'm seeing more and more of their balls all the time. Their market penetration is what really bugs the more popular, better known companies.
Best Wishes for your new endeavors!
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Anyone know what % of market share MOTIV currently has?
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stick with what you are comfortable with..
I use to throw only Storm / Rotogrip from 97 to 2011, but found that in the last couple of years i used them, i ended up with a lot of overlap in balls.. especially on house shots.. I had a Tropical heat that hooked just as much as my VG Nano.. the only time i really noticed a difference was on a sport shot...
And then of course everything started splitting open.. By the time i sold or trashed all my storm / rotogrip stuff, I had over 10 bowling balls split open or start to spiderweb around the thumb..
Then i switched to Track, Hammer and Columbia..
And I like the numbering system of Track, makes it very simple to change up stuff..
Another bonus is!!! Nothing has cracked or split open!!!!
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Anyone know what % of market share MOTIV currently has?
I wonder, too. But it doesn't matter.
All I know is (1) I'm seeing more and more of their balls on the lanes even though no local pro-shop actually stocks them; (2) increased professional and amateur recognition in competition results; (3) consistently high marks in professional reviews; (4) I'm very happy with the two I have — no issues at all; and (5) their customer support is excellent (as is Track's).
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Typically I would say stick with what you know. I am not trying to belittle you, but I wonder just how much you know what you know. The best advice I can give is have a pro shop you trust who knows a particular line-up extremely well and go with that. My reasoning is trying to have your pro shop tweak reactions on equipment they don't know very well.
If I were starting over with a new tournament arsenal, I would probably trust a local Storm / Hall of Fame driller and Top 100 coach and have them help me with my equipment. They know the equipment and they know how to achieve the correct look on many tournament patterns. They can also make sure my equipment doesn't overlap better when they have as much experience with Storm as they do.
You may like Hammer or Ebonite better, but if your driller doesn't understand the equipment, you are less likely going to get the reaction you need to be successful.
By the way, I don't have a single Storm ball, but I also realize it is more difficult to mix brands and get the correct reaction and step downs / ups you need.
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I just want to say this, EVERY manufacturer makes great equipment. You seriously cannot go wrong with any of them. For building an arsenal, I would definitely stick with equipment from one family of manufacturers though as it is easier to compliment equipment.
I know it really doesn't help, but I just want to make sure you don't let the fans/staffers of certain manufacturers sway your decision because they think their equipment is best.
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I just want to say this, EVERY manufacturer makes great equipment. You seriously cannot go wrong with any of them. For building an arsenal, I would definitely stick with equipment from one family of manufacturers though as it is easier to compliment equipment.
I know it really doesn't help, but I just want to make sure you don't let the fans/staffers of certain manufacturers sway your decision because they think their equipment is best.
Out of curiosity, if you ball driller was on Storm staff and bowled competitively, would you trust him to develop a good Storm arsenal as much as a good Brunswick arsenal?
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Up until two years ago, I threw nothing but Brunswick.. I'm only 19 and most of the balls I had were hand me downs from my father. I went out and got a job and started buying my own equipment. I wanted to try something different so I bought a Hammer Black Vibe. I added a Ebonite Pursuit and once in awhile I use my buddies Tropical Breeze when my Vibe is too much. That's pretty much my experience so far so I can't really say what I'm comfortable with.. Thanks for the info, I'm definitely going to go read some reviews on that Pivot.. The Hyper Cell looks pretty intriguing as well.
While I agree with what everyone else has been saying here, it's useless for me to post something redundant, like mixing/matching between EBI brands, etc. Though I will say that some of the new gear that has come out (like the Cold Blood and Pivot Point) will complement the Pivot or similar when the lanes start to carry down. So those will help as well.
The other thing I will say is that while reviews are okay, sometimes seeing is better than believing. While the reviews pretty much describe how good the ball is, good videos of the Pivot have been few/far between. And those that have been great haven't really shown that driving continuation when it hits the pocket.
With that, I'd say to have a look on Youtube for this year's Round 1 Japan Cup. You'll see Tommy Jones throwing that ball during his match. The ball performance in that match really has me looking at it again especially after starting a migration to Hammer from Ebonite.
The other thing I will say is to not be hasty and start your buying yet; Hammer is supposed to have a few new releases coming out in the next couple of weeks, so you may want to wait to see what they have before making a decision on your arsenal. From there, take all gear from every brand into account, then make your decision.
BL.
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I just want to say this, EVERY manufacturer makes great equipment. You seriously cannot go wrong with any of them. For building an arsenal, I would definitely stick with equipment from one family of manufacturers though as it is easier to compliment equipment.
I know it really doesn't help, but I just want to make sure you don't let the fans/staffers of certain manufacturers sway your decision because they think their equipment is best.
Out of curiosity, if you ball driller was on Storm staff and bowled competitively, would you trust him to develop a good Storm arsenal as much as a good Brunswick arsenal?
Someone that is a pro shop operator whether he/she is on staff with a brand or not should be knowledgeable enough at least with all of the "major" brands to put together a well thought out arsenal with any of them. Trust is something you have to decide yourself. Usually when I talk to a pro shop operator, I can get a good feeling in the first 10 minutes of a conversation if I would "trust" him/her.
On a bit of a tangent, I do take issue with pro shop operators on a company staff that only pushes that brand. I believe it is the duty of the pro shop to be a pro shop operator first and staffer second. Unfortunately many get kickbacks for selling the products they represent.
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Someone that is a pro shop operator whether he/she is on staff with a brand or not should be knowledgeable enough at least with all of the "major" brands to put together a well thought out arsenal with any of them. Trust is something you have to decide yourself. Usually when I talk to a pro shop operator, I can get a good feeling in the first 10 minutes of a conversation if I would "trust" him/her.
On a bit of a tangent, I do take issue with pro shop operators on a company staff that only pushes that brand. I believe it is the duty of the pro shop to be a pro shop operator first and staffer second. Unfortunately many get kickbacks for selling the products they represent.
I totally agree. I can understand how a ball company intends for their equipment to complement each other. But with actual usage is where I feel there is better understanding.
With every company making good stuff, I feel there are more than one option for each customer. I hope most give their customers multiple options if they come looking for a particular reaction or fit. Too often though I see exactly what you say. I guess I am lucky in the fact my driller doesn't push his brand on me (Track), at least not too much anyway. ;)