win a ball from Bowling.com
« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?  (Read 1837 times)

oracle3410

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 78
Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« on: March 02, 2004, 07:50:34 PM »
What are some sort of tell-tale signs that the guy either (A) doesn't know what he's doing, or (B) doesn't care enough to take the correct time?

What questions should he be asking, what sort of questions could i ask to get some real help?

I'm in eastern iowa, and there are very few pro shops here, and I want to find a good one.
Logged

 

HamPster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5584
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2004, 11:28:44 AM »
Some pro shops only like to drill one layout on any ball, some like really stretching your span out while they're measuring you (making it too long), some like drilling certain pitches.  Believe me, there's a plethora of them out there.  We do a TON of "fix-it" work after the other shops in town have screwed a drilling up.  There was this kid yesterday that brought in a ball to have the thumb plugged and moved back.  It was a conventional drill, and it was SCREWED UP.  First of all, the span was too short, I could have fit a golf ball between the ball and the palm of his hand (with his fingers in the holes).  The left and right pitches in the fingers were correct, but there was also 3/8ths REVERSE in both of them.  The thumb had 1/4th REVERSE and 1/4th LEFT (the kid is righthanded).  That may have been why he had trouble hanging onto the ball . . just possibly.  

Find a couple people that have had balls drilled by a certain shop and compare them.  You may not know exactly what to look for, but look at the general workmanship, or the quality of the appearance, and then see if the balls fit the guy it was drilled for.  If they have a finger AND thumbtip ball, you might want to think about another shop . .
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from Shrek!

"Oh I'll find those stairs, I whip they butt too.  They won't know which way they going.  Give me a step right here and now, I'll step all over it, kick it to the curb.  I am the stair masta, I've masta'd the stairs."
Logged

no1bucsfan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1270
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2004, 11:55:44 AM »
Make sure he's got all his fingers, and look for hole scars on his hands, make sure he knows how to use the drill Also if he has his head in the rejuvenator, you might want to look someplace else.


--------------------
You can always hit em hard when you've got the balls

Lefties are the only people in their right minds.

no1bucsfan
Logged

kendog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1406
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2004, 11:59:55 AM »
My number one jinxer is when I walk in and find that guy DRINKING DOC'S ELIXIR!
--------------------
kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes
Logged
kendog

Pinbuster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4585
  • Former proshop worker
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2004, 12:02:27 PM »
Do they ask questions about your bowling game.
….Do you have your own ball?
……..If you do then do they look at the track?
….Do you have any physical problems ?
….Do you often drop the ball? Stick ?
….What weight of ball do you use?
….Do you throw hard? Soft ?
….Do you throw a hook?
….Do the lanes give you more trouble when your ball hooks too much or too little?
….Where do you bowl (which house)?

Do they use an adjustable measuring ball?
Do they have you throw the measuring ball to them using different thumb pitches?
Do they recommend more than one ball?
….Do the recommended balls span a price range?

Do they ask what shape of hook to you prefer?

Do they use a scale to balance a ball?

Do they re-measure the span for the thumb hole after drilling the fingers?

Do they drill the holes tight and shape them to fit or do they drill them big and tell you to use tape?
Logged

jimensminger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1846
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2004, 12:33:28 PM »
if his brother-in-law, runs the shop when he takes vacation.
if all trans-actions are cash only, and you get no receipt.
if the owner lives in the pro-shop, look for a pull out sofa, microwave and a very old fridge
if you have to wait for the shop to open after the Nascar race..
if they sell live bait, monthly car insurance or do detailing.
if the shop has no phone, fax, or e-mail address.
if the bowling center that his shop is in has closed....permanently.
if he shares the parking lot with a 24 hour drive thru oriental restuarant,
if he has used washers and dryers for sale,....in the shop.
--------------------
je
Logged

livespive

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4819
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2004, 12:35:58 PM »
quote:
Do they ask questions about your bowling game.
….Do you have your own ball?
……..If you do then do they look at the track?
….Do you have any physical problems ?
….Do you often drop the ball? Stick ?
….What weight of ball do you use?
….Do you throw hard? Soft ?
….Do you throw a hook?
….Do the lanes give you more trouble when your ball hooks too much or too little?
….Where do you bowl (which house)?

Do they use an adjustable measuring ball?
Do they have you throw the measuring ball to them using different thumb pitches?
Do they recommend more than one ball?
….Do the recommended balls span a price range?

Do they ask what shape of hook to you prefer?

Do they use a scale to balance a ball?

Do they re-measure the span for the thumb hole after drilling the fingers?

Do they drill the holes tight and shape them to fit or do they drill them big and tell you to use tape?


I agree especially if you are new to the show, those questions should be asked.
MY driller know that I do a lot of reading and experimenting, so when I
tell him that I want to try something that seems a little odd, he will verify with me before he does it, and will offer suggestions.

Hamster,

1/4" might have been a bit much, but isn't it still supposed to be shifted left,
(the thumb) accourding to some info that I had gotten off of here, if your thumb
points to you index finger while grabbing a coke bottle then you should pitch
1/8 lateral out(Bill Taylor as given to me by Lucky Lefty).  While I am not a driller, I am assuming that lateral out is left for a righty.
--------------------
Eric T. Spivey, P.E.
 Visionary Test Staff Member
Logged

kendog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1406
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2004, 12:37:25 PM »
je, those are all consequences of a serious Elixir fixation.
--------------------
kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes
Logged
kendog

jimensminger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1846
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2004, 12:45:08 PM »
......dog, some of those,..I've actually seen.
--------------------
je
Logged

kendog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1406
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2004, 12:46:34 PM »
that's just plain scary. I guess I've been fairly lucky.
--------------------
kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes
Logged
kendog

HamPster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5584
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2004, 06:24:55 PM »
Livespive, I think you're correct, but my general point was that typical conventional drills shouldn't have reverse pitch, they should have forward.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from Shrek!

"Oh I'll find those stairs, I whip they butt too.  They won't know which way they going.  Give me a step right here and now, I'll step all over it, kick it to the curb.  I am the stair masta, I've masta'd the stairs."
Logged

stormerjip

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1163
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2004, 10:09:51 PM »
hey pinbuster i agree with all but around here we usually learn to drill the thumb first
Logged
show no mercy, kill the wounded, eat the dead

Pinbuster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4585
  • Former proshop worker
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2004, 07:41:42 AM »
We drill the fingers first. This is so that if we would miss the lines on the fingers we can correct the span when we re-measure for the thumb hole. In reality we only have one chance to screw up the span and that is if we miss the lines on the thumb.

By drilling the thumb and then re-measuring the fingers you still have 2 holes to drill and 2 chances to miss the lines.

I’m not saying we miss the lines a lot but cutting the edge of the line versus the middle of the line can and will happen.

We do not scribe the balls because a lot of the customers would be upset with the scribe marks left. Instead we use old scoring pencils. The lines drawn can be 1/32” wide. So hitting the edge versus the middle can add up.
Logged

livespive

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4819
Re: Warning signs of a crappy pro shop?
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2004, 08:21:33 AM »
quote:
Livespive, I think you're correct, but my general point was that typical conventional drills shouldn't have reverse pitch, they should have forward.
--------------------
The weekly signature series, by Hamster, presenting a mini-series of quotes from Shrek!

"Oh I'll find those stairs, I whip they butt too.  They won't know which way they going.  Give me a step right here and now, I'll step all over it, kick it to the curb.  I am the stair masta, I've masta'd the stairs."


True,

I forgot that you were talking about conv. drillings
--------------------
Eric T. Spivey, P.E.
 Visionary Test Staff Member
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »