Why doesn't PBA In The Bag publish the Spare Balls?

[unclemantis]

When I watch the PBA on Sundays I see that the Strike balls are published but not the Spare balls. Why is this and how do I find out what the bowlers use for their spare balls?

[Zothen]

The strike balls are the balls that sell! Brunswick,Storm,Roto Grip,DV8,Hammer,900 Global,Columbia all pay a huge fee to the PBA to advertise their strike balls in hopes that viewers will go to their pro shop and buy the latest high hooking balls. Spare balls are generic in nature meaning they pretty much have a pancake core and plastic coverstock(Their are Exceptions,ie urethane & Taboo spare)and are made to do 1 thing and that is pick up spares.

Zothen

[got_a_300]

Yep exactly what Zothen said spare balls do not make the company's
a lot of money like the high dollar strike balls do. That is why they do
not promote the spare balls on TV if you look really close most of the
time you can tell which spare ball it is.

[unclemantis]

Anyone know what Tom Daugherty was using for his spare ball?


Yep exactly what Zothen said spare balls do not make the company's
a lot of money like the high dollar strike balls do. That is why they do
not promote the spare balls on TV if you look really close most of the
time you can tell which spare ball it is.

[americantrotter]

I was wondering if he was the reason you were asking. It certainly didn't look like a spare ball available now. It was defnitely a Storm. Maybe a really old hook ball that's worn out?

[Perrin]

one of the other websites out there is saying he was throwing an IQ Tour at spares.

[americantrotter]

It didn't move like a hook ball, but of course he was damn accurate with spares, maybe he just flattened out his wrist really well. (Shows even more skill since he is a no thumber normally and can flatten out the hook ball with a thumb)

[unclemantis]

The IQ Tour is one of his registered balls. I think you might be right but the ball i saw on tv was black or dark, with red and a yellow pin.


one of the other websites out there is saying he was throwing an IQ Tour at spares.

[unclemantis]

Do you think it was the Storm Ice (http://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-balls/Storm/8476/Ice-Storm-Black-Silver.html)?

[75lockwood]

Another reason i can think of is that a lot of the pro's use custom spare balls that aren't available to the public and as such advertising them is pointless

[BrandonKR]

Do you think it was the Storm Ice (http://www.bowlingball.com/products/bowling-balls/Storm/8476/Ice-Storm-Black-Silver.html)?

Don't think so, it looked solid black with a red pin. Probably an IQ Tour like everyone else was saying.

[unclemantis]

More than likely. You guys know more than I do :)

Thank you for the answers folks.

[Zothen]

Some pros will drill a high performance ball for spare shooting or they will flatten out thier strike ball,most though use plastic. I think I saw PDW use a !Q for spares.

Zothen

[unclemantis]

I think I should consult my Pro Shop on this one when the time comes for me to be able to buy a new strike and spare ball.

I was watching the video on bowlingball.com on what to look for in a ball driller. Wow. Video tape analisist, pap, revs, speed, etc....

Things sure have changed from 12 years ago!

[Mike White]

It didn't move like a hook ball, but of course he was damn accurate with spares, maybe he just flattened out his wrist really well. (Shows even more skill since he is a no thumber normally and can flatten out the hook ball with a thumb)

At the beginning of the match he said to someone off screen he forgot to get his spare ball from his bag. He asked for the IQ Tour, then proceeded to put hit thumb in the ball and shoot the 3-6-9-10 hard and straight.

With the thumb in the ball he can generate a longer pendulum, which produces more speed.

[unclemantis]

Did he put his fingers in the ball too or just the thumb?

[billf]

Did he put his fingers in the ball too or just the thumb?

You are joking, right?

[v33dubfox]

A lot of these pros can shoot a high speed and low revs ball so that it won't hook.

[greycat]

I believe people on another forum ran off an arguement year ago about fagan(?) and his newly released 811a spare. Basically, some felt that viewers would see a high end ball being used at spares so the ball must be a spare or too weak. Others said thoses that are going to pay $200+ for a ball aren't that stupid and know what the the bowler is doing. I think the manufactures are more worried about a viewer seeing the Iq tour pearl or any top self listed as spare on the TV. Verses listing poly and urethanes balls.

[unclemantis]

You are joking, right?

Nope :P

[billf]

Of course he put his fingers in the ball. That would be new, thumb but no fingers.

[RoccoRock]

If you listen you can hear Daughrety tell someone to give him his IQ tour when he shoots his first spare. Also, Osku Palermaa was usig a IQ Tour Pearl for his 10 pins. I remember seeing Fagan using the 811A last year and thought that was strange. I've never seen anyone go to a stronger ball for spares. With that said, the ball in my bag that I can go straightest with, aside from the plastic ball, is my Virtual Gravity Nano. I was also decent at getting my Mutant Cell Pearl to go pretty straight as well.