do pro's get special balls that are somehow different from what we buy? reason im asking is because when im watching pba telecasts im told don't get excited about what i see from the ball reaction because the pro's get a special ball that isn't like what the average guy would get when he buys the same ball??

...sounds weird but im curious

It was common about ten years ago I bought (NIB) balls from an well known pro shop in my area that belonged to couple just say top players on tour. The shop owner told me that the cover was the same, but core wasn't that was being sold to the public, like Gizmo said the was over ten years ago.     
 

All you ball experts out there can believe whatever you want to believe.  But if you think the balls Duke and Voss were using when they were on AMF's staff are the same balls you could buy, you are wrong.  If you think all the balls Wes Malott used when he used San Antonio Columbia and Track balls were the same as you were using, you are wrong.

So they were breaking the PBA's own rules while the PBA did not know?

Quote from: charlest on October 18, 2013, 06:40:06 PM

Quote from: itsallaboutme on October 18, 2013, 02:21:16 PM

All you ball experts out there can believe whatever you want to believe.  But if you think the balls Duke and Voss were using when they were on AMF's staff are the same balls you could buy, you are wrong.  If you think all the balls Wes Malott used when he used San Antonio Columbia and Track balls were the same as you were using, you are wrong.

So they were breaking the PBA's own rules while the PBA did not know?

I can't answer that as I only know they were testing it. Did they use them in competition? Who knows.  I certainly don't.

I know they test cover/core combinations that are completely different from what is available and the labels does not describe that ball, if there is any label at all. BUT I believe we are talking about using these special, not available to the public balls during competition NOT for testing purposes.

I do remember Brian Voss and Norm using a AMF ball that was all black without logos in one of the events.

It started with the Rhino Pro's and progressed....there have tour editions that were available as well as not available...there have been special hand pours out if southern Texas....unless the X-ray a ball...how ya gonna truly know what's inside....like pro golfers using prototypes that never get made...enough money, enough cheating...

Oh! say it isn't true!! Cheating??? Oh, my!!

Probably been a few balls on tour that were not marketed to the public beside the so call tour edition balls that we can all buy.  The reason isn't what you think however.  The guys on tour are looking for predictability, not hook monsters.  League bowlers want stuff they can hook the lane with, so manufacturers aren't about to market stuff to them that they won't buy, or won't like because it doesn't "go long and snap hard" on the house shot