As the fall/winter season came to an end in my local house a discussion came up in regards to is there any advantage to purchasing a high end ball vs. a mid priced ball in regards to scoring?
I know alot comes down to ball to bowler match up along with type of lanes, oiling patterns and all the other variables including drillings, but givin that all the variables can be studied and the right match up of ball to bowler can be found in both catagories, would there be a scoring advantage if the bowler were to purchase the high priced ball vs. the mid priced ball?
I hope I explained this right. I guess it comes down to do we need to spend the extra money to buy the high priced ball to maximize are scoring potential or can we score equally as well with the mid priced ball?
The opinions at my house seemed to be mixed but givin the size and location of of are lanes the actual number of real educated bowlers, by that I mean really know the game, can most likely be counted on one hand. Thanks.

my observations on mid-priced balls vs. high-end balls relates only to brunswick equipment. i had a navy sparkle fuze and a raging red fuze( both high end balls ). i've also had MANY mid-priced balls( every ball in the monster line, some of them even several !). my conclusion is that i saw the same amount of power, backend, total hook, etc. with the mid-priced balls for less money. the inferno is an exception---this ball is a keeper. i see no reason to buy a high-end ball when a mid-priced ball will accomplish the same result. a high-end ball will have to push the envelope for me to buy it---like the inferno.

Observations from my experiences:  (1) Balls fit styles.  High tech, mid-price, it depends on style-tech mix; (2) Some Hi-tech stuff lasts -- Element, Thing -- while much does not, so unless there is a real performance differential, it probably isn't worth the money; (3) Brunswick, Columbia and Ebonite have mid-price lines which are, in my opinion, better than their higher priced equipment on the whole (for example, the mid-priced Columbia line would consist of 8 or 9 balls that would cover every condition a bowler would face and would do so, in my opinion, better than the higher priced lines -- at a total cost, drilled, of about $1100-1200); and (4) Some of the best equipment I have thrown (Track's Hex and Voodoo, Columibia's WOW balls) have been mid-priced.

So what does this mean?  Going forward, for me, it means mid-priced equipment unless there is a very good reason for high end (i.e., the soaker coverstocks on the Thing and Element).
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"It's just a carry contest."  

I guess the answer is that "it all depends". A high priced ball in a given line is not guaranteed to increase scoring. However, if a high priced ball is carefully selected based on style and target lane condition, you can achieve higher scoring potential.

In general, most of the higher end stuff uses advanced core designs and more aggressive covers. For example, if you look at Lane#1 and evaluate the Super Carbide Bomb and and Cherry Bomb, you get the Diamond Core enhanced with mini-diamonds along with aggressive covers. If you look at Ebonite, the APEX asymmetric core gives you drilling options not found in their mid/lower priced line. These are all good things for attacking longer flatter patterns. Here, assuming you have the skill to utilize the respective pieces of equipment, you will get increased scoring potential.

On the other hand, if you are on dry, broken down, or 'stupid easy' walled conditions, the lower end equipment will usually be more than enough.

If you can't tell the difference, save your money and and buy mid-range equipment.