I used to be in the category of "dislikes Lane#1", but now I'm in the category of "it's hard to throw anything other than Lane#1".
I'm a ball junkie, and have thrown everything representative from each major ball company over the past five years. That covers everything from plastic to high load particles, low RG to high RG, symmetrical to asymmetrical cores, and every drill pattern imaginable.
The conclusion I take from all this that every company puts out good stuff, but much of it is interchangable. In other words, I can set up a ball from Storm, and then set up a ball from Columbia and produce a similar reaction. I can throw Brunswick, Track, and Ebonite into that mix for the same relatively generic results.
The thing about Lane#1 is that it's truly different. The dynamics of the diamond core provides for a smoothness of reaction that can't be produced by any other company. I know some will say "yea, but coverstock is 70% of reaction..", but that's pure crap. Anyone who believes this should throw a Columbia White Dot followed by a Lane#1 XXXL and still make the same silly statement. (Opps, I'm digressing
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Lane#1's unique reaction is really unique, but it's not for everyone. Some people really hate smooth arching equipment. If you fall into that category, a Super Carbide Bomb or a Uranium is not going to be your cup of soup. However, if you do, bowling equipment doesn't get any better than Lane#1.
As an aside, I've found that Lane#1 stuff really provides good feedback about your style. If you can throw it effectively, you probably have a solid release. If you can't, there is probably something wrong that you might want to address. It's a good test even if you don't want to throw their equipment.
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