Post by: 302efi on May 19, 2008, 06:12:11 AM
Lets say a comapny says that their newest ball is to be the most biggest hooking ball ever made. Well, when you got your free test samples, you find the ball to move only a couple boards at best.
What do you do?
Do you review the ball and say its not what it says it is, or do you just lie and sugar coat your review ?...You wouldnt wanna stop the flow of free balls, right ?
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quote:
I will head to my local pro shop. Right after I buy it online.
Sport Bowling is a F**king joke
Post by: J_Mac on May 19, 2008, 02:14:07 PM
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"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby
"Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
Post by: KDawg77 on May 19, 2008, 02:15:59 PM
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Ken
Videos at http://www.putfile.com/k-dawg77
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http://khlthe2nd.bowlspace.com
http://members.bowl.com/FindAMember/memberView.aspx?mp=418&ms=2006&s=2006-2007
Post by: 302efi on May 19, 2008, 02:16:56 PM
But this actually goes alot farther then bowling balls, as computer hardware follows the same suite..
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quote:
I will head to my local pro shop. Right after I buy it online.
Sport Bowling is a F**king joke
Post by: J_Mac on May 19, 2008, 02:24:36 PM
I do, on the other hand, interject my opinion on pieces I have and have seen others use.
If I had the opportunity to review balls given to me at no cost I'd do my best to make sure that I was fair in my reviews. After all, there's no bad ball, just inept bowlers.
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"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby
"Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
Edited on 5/19/2008 2:25 PM
Post by: 1MechEng on May 19, 2008, 02:25:28 PM
Is it the lane, the oil, the ball, or the bowler?!
I would post honest findings on my results. It's in my nature as an engineer.
(Which is probably why I am not on any list to receive free "test" bowling balls.)
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======================
Dan
======================
Engineering * Bowling = a fun and practical application of rotational kinematics.
Bowling Nerd Herd (TM) Member
Post by: VIXIV on May 19, 2008, 02:29:08 PM
I've bought and kept a lot of things that I thought were a waste of my money. When someone I know asks me about it I'll tell them.
"This thing sucks."
"It stinks."
"I wish I never would have bought it."
"I'd rather buy used condoms."
Sometimes it works out for them, and sometimes they'll agree with me. Never really know til you try something out yourself.
Post by: Goof1073 on May 19, 2008, 02:37:15 PM
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-Chris: DJ's Pro Shop : Auburn, MA
Post by: shelley on May 19, 2008, 02:39:42 PM
What I do look for from staffers' reviews is how the reviewed ball compares to other equipment in the company's lineup. Does it really work on light oil like they say? Is it really that much more angular than the solid version? Does it handle carrydown like the ball it replaced?
As much as staffers and non-staffers say that they don't sell or use equipment they don't believe in, the fact of the matter is that there's a conflict of interest. Like the Microsoft-funded study that reports that Windows makes a better server than Linux or the pharmaceutical company-sponsored study that claims that their new pill works better than the old pill. Maybe that's true, maybe it's not.
But in the end, the reviewer was paid by the manufacturer and there's that possibility that they're thinking of their continued sponsorship in addition to the quality of the equipment.
SH
Post by: qstick777 on May 19, 2008, 02:41:32 PM
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Unoffical Ballreviews.com FAQ (http://"http://www.ballreviews.com/Forum/Replies.asp?TopicID=74110&ForumID=16&CategoryID=5")
Search Ballreviews entire database here (http://"http://www.bowling-info.com/Search.html")
Post by: 300jd on May 19, 2008, 02:50:44 PM
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member of the fos
long live lane 1 and thier great products
Post by: on May 19, 2008, 03:09:47 PM
Anyway, I do try to be brutally honest with my reviews, but I do some homework BEFORE drilling a ball so I can anticipate what part of the lane to play to increase my chances of success with that ball. I am also always tinkering with surfaces to increase my chance of success, too.
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Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
Brunswick Amateur Staff
Post by: OddBalls on May 19, 2008, 03:18:49 PM
quote:
i would review it very honestly
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member of the fos
long live lane 1 and thier great products
Uh, yeah..
Check your signature and spelling
Anyone who had "long live {insert ball company here}" and "tested" one of their brand would put their credibility in question.
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Inverted 1 and Dead Flush are my Evil Twins...
Post by: 302efi on May 19, 2008, 04:08:05 PM
quote:
Would you be upset if the company told you to "sugar coat" your review and/or threatened to stop sending you equipment to test if you posted an "honest" review?
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Thats exactly where I'm going with this. If you do a honest review and in your opinion the ball sucks and you publish or post it, what happens if they pull your "reviewing status" ?
If companies were sending me free gear to review, I would just tell them what they wanna here...You cant beat free gear, correct ?
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quote:
I will head to my local pro shop. Right after I buy it online.
Sport Bowling is a F**king joke
Post by: shelley on May 19, 2008, 04:43:08 PM
quote:
In about 3 years of throwing Brunswick exclusively I can think of only one ball that just did not fit my game very well. I didn't post a review on here because it came out before I started posting here, and I kept wanting to give it another chance, so to speak.
That's almost the same problem. "I kept wanting to give it another chance" before saying it's a lousy ball is, for all intents and purposes, the same as not writing a review of a bad ball. Then you're left with only writing reviews of "good" balls, and the notion of impartiality is gone.
Would you wait to post a good review until you'd given the ball a chance to go bad? Would you redrill or do surface alterations to a ball trying to find what doesn't work?
Not posting a review of a ball you don't like is no different than only posting good reviews.
SH
Post by: Doug Sterner on May 19, 2008, 05:13:15 PM
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
http://dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
Lane 1 Buzzsaw...The Official Power Tool Of Bowling
Post by: BOWLGNUT on May 19, 2008, 05:29:47 PM
Edited on 5/19/2008 5:30 PM
Edited on 5/19/2008 5:35 PM
Post by: noturcuzin on May 19, 2008, 05:36:15 PM
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CHRIS FARLEY:1964-1997
JOHN CANDY:1950-1994
"NO RESPECT, I GET NO RESPECT."-the great Rodney Dangerfield
Post by: on May 19, 2008, 06:08:44 PM
quote:quote:
In about 3 years of throwing Brunswick exclusively I can think of only one ball that just did not fit my game very well. I didn't post a review on here because it came out before I started posting here, and I kept wanting to give it another chance, so to speak.
That's almost the same problem. "I kept wanting to give it another chance" before saying it's a lousy ball is, for all intents and purposes, the same as not writing a review of a bad ball. Then you're left with only writing reviews of "good" balls, and the notion of impartiality is gone.
Would you wait to post a good review until you'd given the ball a chance to go bad? Would you redrill or do surface alterations to a ball trying to find what doesn't work?
Not posting a review of a ball you don't like is no different than only posting good reviews.
SH
________________________________________________________________
shelley,
If your'e going to "pick" at my post, then post the part that said "I know that others have had some good results with this particular ball, so it could be all about my game and the conditions I bowl not matching up well."
Maybe I can say it more plainly. Just because a ball may not fit MY game, that doesn't mean it can't be great for someone else's game. Why should I label a ball "bad" just because in the 5-8 games I've thrown it my carry was better with other stuff?
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Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
Brunswick Amateur Staff
Post by: shelley on May 19, 2008, 07:45:30 PM
quote:
Maybe I can say it more plainly. Just because a ball may not fit MY game, that doesn't mean it can't be great for someone else's game. Why should I label a ball "bad" just because in the 5-8 games I've thrown it my carry was better with other stuff?
Then you have to also be honest about the converse: Why label it a good ball just because in the 5-8 games you've thrown it you've had good carry? Just because it fit your game doesn't mean it fits someone else's. If you don't post the bad with the good, then labeling a ball "good" or "bad" means nothing.
Do you believe that another bowler with a similar game wouldn't like to know that you had poor results? That's what reviews are for, after all. We can't test every ball, even if we want to. We rely on others to help us. If they only write about balls they are successful with, our knowledge base is incomplete.
It really is the same problem. Paid-for reviews are a conflict of interest regarding quality. Whether they're bowling balls, games, electronics, books, or anything else.
SH
Post by: stackedlevrg on May 19, 2008, 07:49:01 PM
i don't trust any ball reviews and more because i am sure the big companies slip them some more income
-stacked
Post by: AdrianS on May 19, 2008, 10:03:09 PM
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Time for some REAL bowling!!!
Post by: on May 19, 2008, 11:06:50 PM
Tonight I went to practice on a fresh shot. First game with Ultimate Inferno was 300. Up to then I had put 4 games on it, then adjusted the cover and added a weight hole to fine tune the reaction. I still haven't posted a review on the Ultimate Inferno. But so far it looks like I must have guessed right. I will use it tomorrow in league just to see if it's really that good. Second game of practice I tried several different lines with the "ball in question" and shot 189. Then I went to the Vapor Zone and shot a few 240s to finish.
I noticed a kid who was working hard at the center and gave him my "least favorite" ball. He was thrilled. I was glad that he wanted it. It just wasn't any good in my hand. Pretty decent reaction, but not good carry for this old guy.
In all fairness to Brunswick, I haven't had any luck with this type of ball from ANY manufacturer over the years, it's just not a good match for my game (or lack thereof).
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Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
Brunswick Amateur Staff
Post by: dizzyfugu on May 20, 2008, 04:26:11 AM
Besides, if a ball does not "work" properly, there can be many reasons behind it, so just drilling a hook monster strong and being disappointed when it does not cross the lane twice is pretty unprofessional. There are so many factors involved, that ione can only give a subjective impression, you'd need to run a true test program with various players, lane conditions, setups and surface preps under clinical/controlled conditions to conduct a "complete" review. atough thing for a single bowler.
On the other side, that's what BR.com and other review sites can provide: a lot of different impressions from different bowlers. Only the complete picture can give an impression about a ball's performance. Therefore, coming back to the topic, a detailed but subjective impression is IMHO the best thing a single ball tester/reviewer can provide - hopefully untinted by personal bias or marketing motivations
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DizzyFugu (http://"http://www.putfile.com/dizzyfugu/") - Reporting from Germany
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Post by: JOE FALCO on May 20, 2008, 08:04:08 AM
I'd be happy with the RATING system that BTM comes out with! They offer ratings from three different type bowler .. an approach like that can not be done by an individual but needs input from a number of bowlers!
My answer would be .. NO I don't think I could bo a ball review as my results would NOT be adequate for BOWLERS!
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Hit them light and watch them fight
J O E - F A L C O
Post by: janderson on May 20, 2008, 03:04:12 PM
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J.J. "Waterola Kid" Anderson, the bLowling King : Kill the back row
Post by: BOWL119 on May 21, 2008, 09:50:08 AM
quote:
I don't even really bother to review the balls I buy myself, because unless someone throws it the same way I do on the same shots I do, they won't really amount to a hill of beans.
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"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." Bill Cosby
"Never argue with an idiot. They bring you down to their level and beat you with experience."
Edited on 5/19/2008 2:25 PM
I agree. It is so hard to read a review and decide that a certain ball is going to work for you. I watch the videos and all the equipment looks great. But looking closer, I see that those people have more hand in the ball then I do. So will it really work for me, who knows. The only way to find out is to buy the ball and try it.
Most people tend to find a comapny that works for them and they kind of stay there. They might buy a ball from another company now and then, but most will stay with what the know.
But reading reviewa really do not do much then peak your interest in a ball. You will never know if it is going to work until you buy it, drill it up and throw it.
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Thanks in advance for all comments...
T.J.
BOWLING IS FUN NO MATTER WHAT YOU SCORE. BUT A 300 IS ALWAYS NICE.
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