Yes, they do. They save balls just like we do. I still have a Bolt Pro; it is a major help on several conditions. The manufacturers do not make special runs for even their staff bowlers, but they may still have an older ball still around. Many of these old balls, like Rhino Pros, show up on Ebay from time to time, if you're interested.

There are so many balls out now and so many ways to modify surfaces and drillings, that special Pro models are virtually non-existent. A couple may be labelled that way, but that's more for marketing purposes. Technically those pro models were legally available to any bowler and could be ordered through any pro shop, even if a special order was required. Technically they had to be available to the buying public.


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"Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it."

Edited on 11/30/2003 8:19 AM

You can see them a lot during qualifying rounds of the tour. Chris Barnes has 1-2 D2Z's. Mike Miller still has HSP Red Tour edition he uses. Have seen Couch use a urethane Wave from Ebonite. When the short patterns are used you tend to see more. Newer does not always mean better.