So I've been looking a some balls to compliment my old Fear Factor, the problem is that not many guys on my regular league throw Storms.  I'm not really particular to Storms, it's just that I really like the way my Fear Factor reacts.

So last night during practice, I notice one of the guys on the lane adjacent to us pull out a brand new Paradigm!  Neat I thought, I'll finally be able to see in person how one reacts.  This guy was on the mixed league that bowls the same night my men's league does, so I've never really seen the guy before or paid any attention to see if any of the guys are any good.

So I watch him pick up the ball off the rack, get in his stance - feet shoulder width apart, hunched over at the waist.  Hmm, interesting stance...  He skips to the line, stops and lets rip a dandy of a spinner!  It went straight as an arrow and hit  the 6-10.  I bet he's wondering why his ball isn't hooking like everyone elses, a $220 ball should guarantee at least a 200avg!  I got a bit of a chuckle out of it, but felt bad for the guy, he obviously got taken by some less than honest pro shop owner.  He's a 120avg guy who usually throws a conventional plastic ball.  
I'm a bit disappointed though, I really wanted to see what the ball could do in capable hands.

There is an older guy in my league just got a hammer hawg he threw it straight as an arrow last night, thumb hole was too big so i taped the gap up for him. I showed him how to tape the thumb hole correctly and i will be showing him how to throw the ball correctly in the next few weeks.

Why not help this guy out some??? Most newbies are grateful for help unsolicted or not, the guy i am helping is estatic that i am helping him. I guess that is why my nickname is coach Barry because i help people get better, i have only been turned down twice in all of times i have offered advice/help. Each time they have said they know they need help but honestly do not care enough to change which is also cool with me. Your choice and your time but why not help a fellow bowler out???

I gave up giving advice... I have a whole house league which sounds like the guy nospareball described: hobby bowlers with a 130 average tossing high end equipment around - dead straight. I call it "mutant bowling" because you can either laugh or cry when you see most of them on the approach...
Some of them are quite proficient with their "style", but the money they spent on a fancy ball would have been better invested into a sound coach for basics. Sad thing (and probably the source of all evil) is that the local pro shop owner is also the loacl coach, and I doubt his experience as a ball driller and trainer. You can clearly make out who went through his "school", I guess half of the house league players - it just looks awful. With this sheer mass of desaster I gave up giving advice. Many of the players are content with what they are doing, so what? Nevertheless there are many jealous looks at those few players who know haw to "play" a ball instead of tossing it around. It's a strange world, but fun to watch.
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
Team "X": http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe

There's a guy that bowls in a Sunday mixed league here, that has a Backyard Bully and the ball never makes a full rotation before it hits the pins.  He just rears back and chucks the ball straight at the head pin.  I think to myself all the time, what a waste of money, and a decent bowling ball