Storm/Roto Grip ball Demo and bonus Specto Bowling lanes

[vdubtx]

Saw a post on social media about a Storm/Roto Grip ball Demo at the USBC International Training and Research Center(ITRC) this past weekend. The ITRC has lanes that have the Specto Bowling capability which is very cool. More info on Specto here... http://www.kegel.net/specto

Started by trying all of the balls that were available to demo. Fell in love with the new Hyper Cell Fused ball. That ball I think is going to be amazing. Beautiful motion on the lanes and seems to just drive through the mids and picks up nicely on the friction. Very consistent ball reaction from when I threw it. Of course the basic ball layout that is used on demo balls is not a prefect indicator of how it will roll for me, but I liked it.

Other balls I tried included the Hyroad Nano, SoniQ, Daredevil Danger, and the Intense. None of these even compared to how the Fused rolled for me. Was able to try the balls on both house and sport shots at the center.

Specto bowling was very cool. You download an app to your phone and create a log in. You choose your center and the lane on the app and then start to record the data. When you roll a ball, it immediately tracks it down the lane and gives data points for each shot you make while recording. From laydown point, speed at the heads, where you hit at the arrows, where your breakpoint was, angle of attack, where the ball exited the pin deck etc..

Very cool! As I was demoing each of the balls, the data I got out of it wasn't a good indicator of my total day on the lanes but I did get a set of 4 shots where I was testing the Fused. Couple screen shots of the data that Specto can provide.

Here is actual data:

https://i.imgur.com/lpkyDPJ.jpg

and then they give you data as an average of the shots and how you rank in terms of ranges for varying averages etc.:

https://i.imgur.com/Eh8TKaK.jpg

There is a whole lot more data than what I am showing, but can certainly give an indicator on a longer session of throws to see where your weak points are in your game. For these 4 shots for instance, I certainly can pin point my laydown point as something to focus on and work at.


I will certainly be back to the ITRC to get some better practice and data collection in an actual practice session. :cool:
If you have a center near you that has Specto or something similar to track shots, I would recommend getting a practice session in with the data it can collect.

[bowl1820]

Wow looks like a great time!! The Specto is real neat looking, they used it on the WSOB.

I Downloaded the app a while back, It's too bad there's only about 20 houses in the country with it.

[Phonetek]

This may be a stupid question. I've personally never been to one of these events. You say you threw all the demo balls. How are they drilled? If not drilled specifically for you how do you gauge it properly if it's a good ball for you? I'm just curious how this works.

[bowl1820]

This may be a stupid question. I've personally never been to one of these events. You say you threw all the demo balls. How are they drilled? If not drilled specifically for you how do you gauge it properly if it's a good ball for you? I'm just curious how this works.

While there might be some differences, depending on company. Basically they bring multiple balls drilled with different spans and using generic pitches and a neutral layout that uses a generic PAP location.

They fit you with interchangable thumb and finger inserts (which work like the thumb inserts) that you take around with you and insert into whatever ball you want to try.

It's not a perfect fit, but it's enough to get a general idea of how the ball works for you.

You can find out about where they are on the company websites, Facebook pages, the proshop usually will advertise if one is going to be there etc.

User Gutternuts Example:
https://s5.postimg.org/p4e43bt5z/demo_day_example.jpg


Example:
https://thetangerinebowl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Storm.png

[Phonetek]

Yeah after I asked I thought about it and figured it was probably similar to the way you get measured for your thumb at a pro shop with that pop out thumb plug. I never seen the finger insert version though but it only makes sense. That would be an interesting thing to attend. I've been to a lot of Expo's but never one for bowling equipment. I gotta ask my pro shop guy if one's gonna be around, my son would REALLY get a kick out of such a thing. I gotta ask about any pro-am events too, he'd love to see the pro's.

[Blomer]

Sounds like a great event. Glad to hear your thoughts on the Cell Fused. I have one being drilled up and hope to have it soon. Only been to one demo which was Brunswick/DV8. Great experience. Great to try before you buy. Always look for demos by me, but not too many come my way.

[vdubtx]

Yep, Bowl1820 has it down. The balls are all drilled up with varying spans, typically with a small, medium and large span. Layouts on all of the balls is a basic/neutral.

The Ebonite demo day I went to recently had the switch grip fingers as well as the thumb. That was really nice as you would just take out the thumb and finger inserts yourself and grab another ball and put the inserts in. The Storm/Roto one had the Vise IT thumbs, but the finger inserts had to be changed out by a rep each time as they were Vise interchangeable ones that aren't as simple as the Turbo interchangeable ones.

Blomer, will let you know how my Fused rolls later this week. Got one already drilled up today from my guy. LOL!
Excited to get back into a Hyper Cell as my original Hyper Cell did really well for me. Gave me my first 800 series.

[Phonetek]

Yep, Bowl1820 has it down. The balls are all drilled up with varying spans, typically with a small, medium and large span. Layouts on all of the balls is a basic/neutral.

The Ebonite demo day I went to recently had the switch grip fingers as well as the thumb. That was really nice as you would just take out the thumb and finger inserts yourself and grab another ball and put the inserts in. The Storm/Roto one had the Vise IT thumbs, but the finger inserts had to be changed out by a rep each time as they were Vise interchangeable ones that aren't as simple as the Turbo interchangeable ones.
.

I'd be nervous the finger inserts would fly out. I had it happen on a televised youth tournament I was in. I bought a ball before the final round because the lanes were drenched with oil and I didn't have anything soft enough to cut through it. I tried out the blue nubbed "Steve Cook Vise Grips" for the first time. The PSO either used the wrong glue or not enough. 2nd frame both inserts shot out of the ball like a cork from a champagne bottle. It was extremely humiliating as I can hear the announcers "Something flew out of his ball Bill!" I was so embarrassed. Needless to say I ended up using a Moss Red Dot to finish the tournament which didn't work out too well but I still was able to take 2nd. On the upside after the match they interviewed me and I was able to tell the story so I didn't look like a complete idiot. It probably wouldn't happen on the demo balls but rest assured that would be in the back of my mind. LOL

Oh, and I never used that kind of inserts again!