With the Rising S.E. (Special Edition) we’ve engineered a ball (for lack of a better word) with the strongest core to date, a single density monster with a cranked up intermediate differential of 0.035, an all-new high. Then we wrapped it all in a Gen 2 coverstock with a performance pearl additive to increase length while storing energy. It’s the closest thing to a remote controlled ball for the slickest lane conditions.

BIGGER MEGA TRON CORE - The largest volume, single density, High Mass Bias core shape ever put into a ball. Intermediate differential raised to a new high of 0.035, Revs up sooner for more control and a bigger payload at the back end.

Features:

• Core : “Mega Tron”
• Core Type : Asymmetrical
• Color : Red Pearl
• Surface : 4000 Unpolished
• Coverstock: Gen 2 Reactive Pearl

We are proud to announce that TalkBowling.com has been launched.  This will be a weekly podcast produced by bowlingball.com as a platform to answer questions and tell you about the bowling industry.

In our first episode, John Congdon and Brian Halstrom told you about themselves, talked about the latest changes to bowlingball.com, and gave their review of the Storm Virtual Gravity.

You can subscribe to this podcast very easily in iTunes.  Just visit TalkBowling.com for more information.

I am pondering bowling in the Olympics as the Summer Olympics of 2008 comes to a close. Never say never, but as of this writing, I doubt bowling will ever be an Olympic Event.

I have spoken with my boss, Keith Spear, quite a bit about this topic over the years. He has been in the bowling industry nearly his entire life and has thought about this in great detail.

Bowling is probably the only sport where you can not have an equal playing field for all contestants. Especially when it comes to right and left handed bowlers. Sometimes it sounds like right handed bowlers just whining and complaining, but when I have had all the facts laid out in front of me, I start to understand.

First off, roughly 85% of all bowlers are right handed. This puts a lot more “play” on the right hand side of the lanes, which will ultimately make the oil breakdown at a different pace the left hand side.

There doesn’t seem to be a single great player. Sure Walter Ray Williams, Jr. has a lot of titles, but he has also been bowling for many years. Some players are better on one lane condition than another. How would it work in the Olympics, would every bowler have to bowl on every pattern? Would you come up with a single Olympic pattern that players could practice on?

There are so many variables that do not effect other sports. Sure there is wind in track and field, but it effects all players virtually equally.

I’m sure there many more reasons. Let’s start an “Intense Debate”. Leave your comments below. We would love to know your opinions.

Other honors go to the Gamebreaker and Cherry Vibe, et al, while the Black Widow Pearl had staying power.

WHILE CLINTON AND OBAMA ARE STILL BUSY TRYING TO GET THE UPPER HAND in their primary campaigns, we here at the Bowlers Journal have the final results of our own meaningful voting that you’re sure to be more interested in. These results are from our bowling ball ballots to determine the sport’s best products for 2007. We know you can’t stand the suspense, so without any further preamble, the top vote-getter for the coveted Ball of the Year award is the Storm T Road solid. The T Road was chosen for its user and lane versatility, overall hitting and carry power and its longevity. The T Road encapsulates a medium-high RG symmetric core (2.57) and a Diff (.046) which produces about 5” of track flare potential. Surrounding this core is Storm’s highly successful R2S coverstock. Continue reading ‘Ball Of The Year Is The T Road Solid’ »

NONE OF THIS MONTH’S BATCH WERE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO BEING ‘SYBIL,’ BUT EACH HAD INTERESTING TRAITS.

PERSONALITY: WE ALL HAVE ONE. FOR THOSE WHO REMEMBER SYBIL, SHE HAD 16! ESSENTIALLY, PERSONALITY means the fundamental character of a person. I often will write of a bowling ball’s personality in my reviews, throwing grammatical correctness to the winds. In that regard, I am merely trying to convey the traits a particular ball exudes and the feelings it gives off during testing. I’m sure some of you know what I mean — some balls just feel right, or display a motion with which we feel comfortable. They quickly become a close friend, someone on whom we can depend. We also know when balls just aren’t right. They are either too finicky on the patterns on which we bowl, or just don’t give us a “look” we like. Continue reading ‘Testing Balls With Plenty O’ Personality’ »

Let’s hear another refrain of, ‘Here come the dogs.’

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS HAS COME AND GONE, AND FOR hundreds of pro shops, it was a profitable time. Yet now that the holidays are over, many shops are faced with the reality that some inventory stocked especially for the season just didn’t move off the wall and out the door. What’s a shop to do with the dogs?

Regardless of the season, Cory Gardner of Bowldoc’s Pro Shop in Federal Way, Wash., puts stuff that has not sold in several months on a special rack at the bottom of the ball wall. The customer’s attention is at first focused on the new (and pricey) inventory at eye-level, then drifts downward where a more attractive figure commands that attention. Actually, the price simply reflects a better deal, usually being discounted no more than $40 (for a premium ball). Continue reading ‘Blowing Out ‘Stale’ Merchandise’ »

Here’s one way to cut down on your hook.

I was recently watching the PBA Tour, and it was noted that Chris Warren was using a conventional grip. Can you give me some insight as to why a bowler would use such a grip?
— Bart Hirshfield, Reno, Nev.
While I can’t speak for Chris, I would guess that reducing the amount of hook was the reason for this change in grip. There have been some great bowlers in the past, most notably Glenn Allison and Wayne Zahn, who have used a conventional grip for some or all of their careers. I would not be surprised if other bowlers took a shot at the conventional grip to see if it improves their accuracy with today’s big-hooking balls. Continue reading ‘Taking a Conventional Approach’ »

Contemplating a number of timely tenpin topics.

WITH NO APOLOGIES FOR THE PUN, YOU COULD SAY that bowling is a sport that provides plenty of spare opportunities for reflection. It was in one of those contemplative periods that this column was written.

RECENTLY, I WAS THINKING…
…That there is too much said about two-handed bowlers and what impact this technique will have on future teaching curriculums. I believe expectations in this regard by the media are exaggerations at best and inadvertently detrimental to the sport, which is not to demean the accomplishments by those who successfully employ this method. On the contrary, I heartily congratulate these innovators and marvel at their success while, at the same time, acknowledging that the unorthodox has always existed in sports. I recall a bowler who electrified the bowling world in the early 1950s with a severely bent elbow, a flared backswing and a knee- and back-bend that almost had his chin resting on the knee of his sliding step. Maybe you’ve heard of him — Don Carter. I recall many bowlers trying to emulate this technique, but to my knowledge, nary a one succeeded.

Continue reading ‘Upon Further Reflection’ »

SUNNY SKIES, BASEBALL AND SKIMPY CLOTHES… boy, do I love summer! These warm days coincide with next season’s new product lines from our game’s major equipment producers. However, the ball manufacturers took it easy on me this month, supplying only two balls for testing. This normally is not the case because the end of June coincides with Bowl Expo, a once-a-year showcase of the industry players. This month, Ebonite International introduces two new additions to its already impressive lineup of balls. Its first offering is the Bash Black/Red, a control specialist designed to handle light-to-medium oil. The other newbie is a Turquoise/Purple Clash, designed for medium volumes but with a more aggressive move in the last 20 feet compared to its predecessor. Next month’s testing won’t be as easy, though, as early indicators point to about a dozen or more new strike-makers. Thank goodness I’m in peak physical condition (yeah, right!) and the bowling centers are air-conditioned. Continue reading ‘The Bash and the Clash Make It a Rash Dash to the Expo’ »

Q: I am a stroker and would like to know how I can get more revs on the ball. Also, can I use the same ball after making this change?
— Rocco Mayo, Farmingdale, NJ
A: A good way to get more revs is to cup your wrist in a similar fashion to PBA champion Del Ballard Jr. Also keep your back straight during the release and bend with your knee, rather than bending forward at the waist. As for using or not using the same ball, I suggest using a ball that has a lot of skid in the front portion of the lane and a strong backend hooking action. By increasing your revs, this type of ball will give you a “long and strong” ball motion on the lanes. Continue reading ‘Ask The Coach’ »