Ok, so here's a small disclaimer.  I will not tolerate ignorance nor stupidity.  I will keep my eye on this thread and lock it if I deem necessary.


I know this topic has been covered many times, but I think it is a topic worth educated discussion, which I know is going to be hard to do here, with the exception of a select few, so here goes.  

Why does every manufacturer continue to produce "more length and backend" or "the most aggressive ball to date"?  Do we really all see that kind of oil enough to warrant so many choices?  I have yet to see a ball hook in oil, and even then, surface still remains to most important thing in ball reaction.  I feel there should be an amount of reading in every new ball box explaining the effect of surface on ball reaction.  And while there have been attempts at that, a qualified pro shop operator should be able to recommend and suggest the correct ball.  But with online purchases growing to customers who want nothing more than "THAT BALL HOOKS!"  and companies going on sales, producing more hook.  But for those who know better, we all know the deals lie in the mid-price balls that are almost always more useful than the high-end hook in a box that almost every company pushes.

Look at Lane #1 with the BuzzBOMB, or Hammer with the Bite.  

Isn't the ideal ball reaction smooth, controllable and predictable?  The last thing I want is a ball to pick the 7 pin off if I miss a bit inside.  Give me a ball I can square up with, and maybe leave a 3-6-10 or something I can convert, if I miss inside.  All this talk of spin time and reaction off of friction, isn't that bad?  Smooth translates into a longer response time to dry boards, but in turn creates predictability.  Sure, there is a niche where those hook monsters will fit, but is it enough to warrant all the new balls and they're mop-like ability to blow holes in a lane condition?  

Give everyone a low diff ball with a mild solid coverstock and see what happens.  I would venture to say that even though the crankers who have never touched the right half of the approach will be there and score just as well, provided they know how to square up.  I'd love to see an experiment like that, and see if the new tech really is helping or just confusing the public, just to sell equipment.  I understand its business, and they have to stay afloat somehow, but how can we educate the public on how to know what helps and what just hurts.  

Now I am not plugging Brunswick, but I think everyone needs an Avalanche solid.  Put the pin in a 4.5" position and I would almost guarantee that for those who can correctly read a lane, they could use it on at least 75% of the lane conditions they face.  Sure, you may have to play straighter.

This rant may all stem from my desire to see a uniform ball, and to find a way to somehow bring the true talent back to the game, but I just don't understand the theories of ball manufacturers.  

Go lang snap harder, read earlier....what is the object in pursuit?  Answer me that question.

While i wont disagree with all your points, I tend to like the flippy balls alittle more.  i tend to leave less corner pins with them.
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Go Balls Deep

Lefty

Team Banger
www.bangerbowling.com

Why do we have all the restaurants that we have today?  Because people like variety.  Sure, you could say it's just food and one type of restaurant is enough but that gets boring.  Same for bowling...plus, not everybody bowls the same way...e.g., approach, release, etc.  So, we need all these different bowling balls to fit our unique "style".

I'm not convinced completely of Mongo's statements.

I believe in many cases they have increased oil viscosity and lessened oil volumes on many house shots.  This is why many heavier loaded particles from the past can no longer be used effectively.

Also because of the increased viscosity there is more chance of carrydown appearing.  As a result today's stronger core's like say a black widow with both high differential and strongish mass bias are needed to carry!

Yesterdays balls on many of todays sloppier more viscous oils just don't have the pop on many league shots.

And then there are the opposite shots the unbuffered sport shots and nationals.

One must truly be aware enough to have two arsenals....and on the jumpy stuff with head oil....YES....yesterdays lower flare stuff with particles is sweet!

For example I remember the article a year or so ago about a guy who tore up nationals pretty good with a Columbia WOW that he ONLY uses once a year!  For nationals.

REgards,

Luckylefty
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Open the door...see what's possible...and just walk right on through...that's how easy success feels..

X59 -
I see three distinct aspects to your argument:
1.) The Bowler and the Bowling Environment - this includes bowlers actual style of play, the lane conditions, and the perceived optimal style of play.
2.) The ball technology - this includes items like the core shape and dynamics, the asymmetry, and the coverstock.
3.) The Industry - this incudes the marketing and business decisions made by the ball manufacturers in order to sell product and make a profit.

They all tie in together. Let's start with the marketing and business side.

To grow a business and sell more balls, the manufacturers have to generate more interest. Right now, the big hook looks impressive and sells well. Companies are engineering balls to "hook out of the box" regardless of ability. Why? It's easier to sell these balls. Does this always match up to the lane conditions or bowlers style of play? No. With different bowlers, releases, and lane conditions, you have an almost never-ending myriad of possibilities. Example: I won't ever have 400 rpms of my hand. My ball choice is influenced by my physical game. This is likely different than your game, which is different than Wes Mallott's, etc.  The ball manufacturers are providing choices for us to help us deal with all of the likely combinations of bowler's traits and varying lane conditions.

Has the bowling environment changed? Sure. Different oil viscosities and lane surfaces have forced changes in both the equipment and the style of play. This means different balls work better on wood lanes than on synthetics because of factors like oil absorption, wear, carrydown, etc.

Do you think the manufacturers are going to sell more product by providing less performance and more "stability" in a product line? Likely not. Keep in mind that the BR.com crowd is a high-end subset of the bowling community as a whole. Most of us are knowledgeable enough to know that we can have too much reaction or power in our shot depending on the situation or conditions. We can read the lanes, and read the changes. We care more about control because we know that control is often a stronger influence on score and repeatability than simple power or hook. The average glow bowler or recreational league bowler does not see this, or recognize this. They likely don't even care. If they're throwing a big hook and leaving stone 9's, they at least perceive themselves as looking proficient because of the huge ball movement, even if they can't repeat a shot twice.

Finally, the perception and image of the ball manufacturer is influenced by the ability to prduce the "high-end" balls that we see today. Would you buy a low performance (low flaring/mild hooking) ball from a manufacturer that had no high end equipment in their product line? Most people would naturally question the quality and value of a ball from a company that did not have a "performance" ball in their lineup.

So, the manufacturers keep innovating (sometimes only in very small increments) in order to keep selling more balls. Even if the latest hook monster is too strong for us, the benefits of having this product go beyond just the sale of that ball by having a significant impact on the image of the company.

In the end, the companies are still just trying to make a profit.
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Dan
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Engineering * Bowling = a fun and practical application of rotational kinematics.

Bowling Nerd Herd (TM) Member

The Bite is a great ball.  You can drill it not kick on the backend.  I've found very good carry with it.

Andrew
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Andrew
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