You can't expect a staffer to give a negative review. But to hype every ball like it's the best thing since, well...EVER, that's just bullshit.
MotivMags, JustinWi, Average Joe(not a staffer that I know of) and Luke all do a great job You call tell in their reviews when they really like a ball and also when one doesn't work that great for their game.
Besides, I don't think there are any balls that make it to market that are truly junk, but there are defiantly ones that aren't popular. Like the Forza Redline, not really a bad ball, but geez that thing was just too hideous to be seen using in public.
Thank you for the kind words Milo. You are correct, I'm not on staff with any company and I truly enjoy not being affiliated with any since I love trying their different products. As many of you know, I get to throw Motiv, 900 Global and AMF and they all make great equipment. I truly believe that there are not bad pieces out there. (except for a couple of turds that no one liked lol)
When I don't have success with any particular ball is not because the ball is junk. It's because I'm using the ball on the wrong conditions or because I'm trying to get a reaction that the ball wasn't designed for and that is on me.
There are also times when the ball is not a good matchup for me. I think that not every ball is for every bowler and that's when the Pro Shop operator and the people who makes reviews comes into play to tell from our experience what works better for us, when does it works and what are the best conditions suited for the ball being reviewed.
I also don't like the cliches like "best ball I've ever thrown", "this ball is a must", "it hits like a truck", "strongest ball ever", "this ball will be in my bag", etc. I am tired of reading the same stuff over, and over and over again on almost any release, but the reality is that the staffers that are doing that are hurting their companies more than helping them creating more sales. When you recommend every ball to every bowler you are doing something wrong. You might get someone to buy a certain ball, but if the customer hates the ball he will probably never going to give that company another try.
Fortunately there are plenty of people who are doing great reviews (some staffers included) that provides good and truthful information that hopefully helps anyone who is looking for advice before buying a ball.