3 balls fail testing before the show and the lane man fired after the show

This isn't a urethane issue, it's a purple hammer issue.  The way I see it is the problem is the company that is the biggest supporter of competitive bowling, Storm, doesn't have a ball that matches up against the purple hammer. 

If the PBA had banned just the Purple Hammer, then Brunswick would have demanded that older Storm Pitch Blacks or Simo's 30yo Grenade get tested.  Then, if the USBC's study is accurate, those would have failed as well.  The PBA would then have to come to the conclusion that it is a urethane problem not specific to any single ball, but all urethane balls of a certain age.

It's pretty telling when players seek out old equipment to use.  The PBA should have been clued in when they saw Simo seeking out 30yo urethane, or Brunswick staffers seeking "Kentucky" Purple Hammers, or other Storm staffers using 8yo Pitch Blacks.  These are players that have access to any brand new ball (reactive and pure urethane) they want in the equipment truck for ~$50.  Why would they even want to throw 5, 10, 20, even 30 year old equipment?  Lucky charm? Nostalgia?  No, there has to be some sort of performance advantage to seek those older pieces out or continue to use them for years/decades.

The problem isn't finding somebody to sit behind a table and punch balls with a durometer, the problem is the PBA would have to PAY that person.

They will just spot check if they think somebody is using something questionable. They won't check every ball. 

Testing 30 year old urethane covers will be a waste of time.  Pat Nolan said he was the last person who did ball checks for the PBA and in 4 years never had a ball not pass hardness.  And I believe the PBA rule then was 75, with USBC being 72.  Obviously the chemists found a formula to make modern urethane covers relevant on today's conditions. Nobody is going to take the time or money to test if it's oil, friction, time or what it is that causes them to get softer.

Bring back the soakers!

Seriously, the issue is the hardness, not who makes it or when.  All this time and effort and they can't scratch up a guy to run a durometer test?  I haven't used it in ages, but if I wanted to use my Slate Blue Gargoyle (or equivalent older urethane before people were trying to make them into hook monsters) I wouldn't be able to only because of the age?  One of the benefits of urethane is that it last forever.  But like they've limited core strength, the covers on some of the urethane balls are just stupid strong.  The hardness, not porosity or other things that matter for resin, is probably the easiest thing to measure and control.

In regard to the SBG -- and I have 2 of them and will never part with them -- you can't use Visionary in a PBA event anyway. Or Lane #1, or even AMF these days.

But I get the larger point, and at this point, it's only relevant to me what is going on at the USBC level or at most, the PBA50 and regional levels, sadly. I've always tried to "support" the PBA by adhering to their rules and guidelines, within reason, even though I'll never be a pro myself. But at this point, the rules are diverging so much from the USBC book that I don't think I can do that anymore. No more plugged balls after 2023, no more wrist devices (even though I don't use one currently, who knows what I'll need in 20-30 years when I'm a senior), and now no more equipment beyond a certain age.

This is similar to what the USGA did with square-groove golf clubs a few years ago and it was a big mistake. The push to change it came from the PGA, but it filtered down onto the amateur player, including amateurs who were capable of occasionally making a pro tourney field or the U.S. Open, etc. Originally, they were going to let the equipment "age out" and simply not allow new clubs to be made with the old specs, but then they reversed that. The reason that's significant in golf is that equipment is a lot more expensive and most guys don't buy new stuff that often unless they're just equipment noodlers.

I had just made a set of clubs when that rule came out and I'm not sure whether they conform, but it was part of the reason I let my USGA membership lapse. I don't want to see the USBC/PBA situation turn into the same thing, although I won't let my USBC membership lapse -- I just won't partake in activities where I'll have to check equipment.

This is a reach . . it's not like our staffers haven't won plenty with a Pitch Black.  We saw what happened on the TOC show with fresh Mexico Purple Hammers, you can't tell me it's a company/R&D/money thing when there's a definite link between balls failing the hardness tests and success with those balls.  Nobody would be succeeding consistently with or complaining about the purple hammer if it acted like the ones did on the show last weekend. 

In regards to the lane guy, he put a post up saying that 'Bowlero didn't appreciate his honesty on show days,' whatever that means.  The other thing I've heard is that he was responsible for the durometer testing and caused a lot of these recent issues.  Didn't know it needed to be calibrated, and didn't have the equipment TO calibrate it. 

Quote from: itsallaboutme on March 03, 2022, 08:36:03 AM

This isn't a urethane issue, it's a purple hammer issue.  The way I see it is the problem is the company that is the biggest supporter of competitive bowling, Storm, doesn't have a ball that matches up against the purple hammer.

BINGO!!!!! Nailed it!

This is the real "problem", if you want to call it that!

I have been following Darren Chang's regular vlog as well as Packy Hanrahan's vlog during PBA match play and regionals. These guys love throwing urethane!!

Why? Because it doesn't over react on the back end and on a lot of the flatter patterns that they see. So, the PBA is gonna bend over and eliminate a specific ball just because of a few grumblings and one company's perception of inferiority.

Sounds like lunacy to me!

Rather than changing rules, someone needs to bowl better and do R&D better!

So i'm curious on if this is a thing with the Storm IQ Tour also. Many people say that the pre-2015 IQT roll significantly better than the newer versions and I never tested this out.