higher vs. lower end balls

[Amyers]

Stormed I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything but is it really necessary to have every ball they make?

[Mike White]

Stormed I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything but is it really necessary to have every ball they make?

It's called addiction.

[Amyers]

Last year when I was messing around and changing my fir I sold or traded my Motiv arsenal and tried a few different brands. I liked the Disturbed, Fusion and Diva I drilled . That being said I have been rebuilding my arsenal with all Motiv pieces. So far I have drilled a Primal rage,Tribal, Venom Shock, Ascent Pearl and Recon to go along with my Sniper spare ball. Over the next few weeks I will be drilling an Ascent Apex,Octane,Tribal Fire, Sigma Sting and Covert Revolt. Plus another Venom Shock and another Toxin (to replace the one I sold

They other issue with this is it really possible that Motiv makes the best ball at each one of these positions? Maybe Stormed is a staffer and has to use their equipment I don't know. I really like a lot of what Motiv is doing but I don't think they could possibly make the best ball at each of the conditions theses balls are meant to play

[Aslan]

Stormed I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything but is it really necessary to have every ball they make?

Thats another reason he likes Motiv. Imagine how many balls he'd have to buy if he was addicted to Storm.

It's easy to be seen on TV the most when you are literally paying guys to throw your gear on TV. I wish I had a link to the story but it was a couple months ago. a guy qualified for a show throwing various equipment(mostly Roto if I remember correctly). Then after qualifying Storm paid him to wear their shirt and throw Storm balls on the show.

Agreed. But…you also have to give them credit for stepping up and sponsoring players. If companies like Motiv or Lane #1 or Lord Field or Seismic was a bit more aggressive with sponsorships…I'm sure they could get quite a bit more attention, sales, etc… I'm sure these companies all have bowlers they sponsor at some level…but they really need to step up and get some of the big guys if they want that type of exposure. AND…it helps the game when they sponsor pros…so it's win/win.

It'd be nice to have a "manufacturers cup" where all usbc approved ball manufacturers can create a 5-man team and they have a tournament once a year where the manufacturer teams face off. That would be a nice little event, decent money involved, and I would think be something the manufacturers could really use in terms of marketing. Kinda like car companies use car racing wins/titles to point to how fast their cars are or how well engineered.

[RobLV1]

Many bowlers choose to use one brand of equipment exclusively for the simple reason that companies tell us about the cores in their balls; low rg, differential, shape, etc., but they only use marketing rhetoric to describe their cover materials. Personally, I've recently changed from Storm/Roto to Brunswick for the simple reason that I know that Brunswick balls give you better read in the oil and Storm balls are more reactive to friction. Before anyone goes ballistic, this is based on my own observations only. Anyway, as I've become more comfortable playing around the third arrow than I am playing around the second arrow, I switched over to balls that serve me better in this area.

By staying with one line of balls, I believe that you can better gauge the differences between the balls based on the core specs when cover material differences are kept to a minimum.

[Amyers]

Many bowlers choose to use one brand of equipment exclusively for the simple reason that companies tell us about the cores in their balls; low rg, differential, shape, etc., but they only use marketing rhetoric to describe their cover materials. Personally, I've recently changed from Storm/Roto to Brunswick for the simple reason that I know that Brunswick balls give you better read in the oil and Storm balls are more reactive to friction. Before anyone goes ballistic, this is based on my own observations only. Anyway, as I've become more comfortable playing around the third arrow than I am playing around the second arrow, I switched over to balls that serve me better in this area.

By staying with one line of balls, I believe that you can better gauge the differences between the balls based on the core specs when cover material differences are kept to a minimum.

Rob I believe with most companies you would be correct but Motiv actually uses more than just 1 or 2 cover stocks. Storm basically puts a version of R2S on just about everything or it feels that way to me. I'm pretty sure Motiv is using at least 4 different cover stocks. Seems like the cores are more similar than the covers with them.

[Aslan]

They other issue with this is it really possible that Motiv makes the best ball at each one of these positions? Maybe Stormed is a staffer and has to use their equipment I don't know. I really like a lot of what Motiv is doing but I don't think they could possibly make the best ball at each of the conditions theses balls are meant to play

Probably not.

I mean, I think I've said it before…I think the Storm IQ "series" would be the best "series" to build an arsenal around. Even though I'm not a huge "Ra RA RA Storm" guy…that SERIES…is in my opinion the best. A close second would be the Brunsiwick Aura series. And I base that, since I have no allegiances, on observations about what high level bowlers are throwing and how well guys tend to do with that equipment. Not so much the highest level pros….because they could do well with any seres. But if you look at Pro Shop guys and lower level pros…big tournament players…the IQ and Aura series have been very successful more often than not.

The problem with some of these companies is they may have a good top level ball or series (Columbia, Ebonite) or they may have really good entry level stuff (Storm) but they most likely will have "gaps" in their product line. Storm is rather unique, due to their market share (which was publicized as 30% back in 2012) in that they have a great array of products at all levels and have multiple levels. The smaller companies seem to have more streamlined stuff…where they may have a really nice line of lets say symmetric core balls at the mid-level price point…but their upper level stuff is "so-so" and they don't really have much between plastic and mid/upper.

And to be fair…thats to be EXPECTED because many of these ball makers are owned by the same company. When companies buy each other, they reduce redundancies in order to maximize profits. So if Ebonite owns Track, Hammer, and Columbia…they may figure Ebonite doesn't really need entry level stuff because Columbia has that covered. And they may not have a great mid-level in Track or Ebonite because Hammer has some good entry and mid to upper level stuff.

And it's not just sponsorships (or scent) that has marketed Storm into the top position (with a bullet). Storm also puts up mucho bucks to sponsor ABT tournaments…and offers quite a bit of money in bounties if you exclusively roll/wear their products. The difference in final payout can be as much as $1000 just by choosing to (or choosing not to) wear Storm stuff and throw their balls. Storm knows, that if they can get their stuff in the hands of bowlers…bowlers tend to have long memories and decent brand loyalty. We see it here on this website ALL the time when a new guy comes in with the "What ball should I buy?" question and usually they have a disclaimer in their question "I really want to stay with Hammer"…or "I want to stick with DV8". Again…I'm not a big "Storm guy"…but I have mad respect for their ability to completely out market their competition and even keep the "shiny new guys" like DV8, Motiv, or Radical from really gaining too much of a foothold.

[fsbjcm]

For my own curiousity, I'd like to know what the consensus is on Storm balls. I came to bowling from golf, where Taylor Made sells the most woods by a mile. But that doesn't mean they are the best in my opinion, just that they pay the most and have the most pros. People want to emulate the pros, so they buy TaylorMade drivers. I've always wondered if that's the case here, or if Storm really just makes the best balls by a mile, because I'd say 2 out of 3 people I see on TV are throwing Storm equipment. Is it the same deal? Anybody know?

[Perrin]

Sooo... the question then becomes: "Would you buy the Misfit all over again?"

Most definitely.

although knowing what I know now i would have had it drilled a little differently (I had the span shortened and the balnace hole moved last summer)

I currently have a 4 ball arsenal, Meanstreak beatdown, Misfit, slingshot, and T-zone

My beatdown I use on medium-heavy and longer oil patterns, The misfit on a little less oil or when the beatdown isn't quite making the corner (they are drilled differntly and have differnet surfaces) the Slingshot is for even lighter oil and more angle than the misfit and the T-zone is for right side spares and very short/dry patterns

actually shot 236 with the T-Zone last week in league. the looks people were giving me were hilarious... playing plastic across 10 at the arrows out to 4-6 and having it come back and kill the pocket


sorry for the side story. anyway to me all of those balls are great just for different purposes. I would not have wanted a ball as strong as the Beatdown when I came back to the sport and the slingshot would have been too weak for one of the houses I play at on a consistent basis.(41 feet 21 units of oil is the house shot there)


The most important factor is getting a driller that knows his business and will work with you to get what you want.

[Perrin]

Thats another reason he likes Motiv. Imagine how many balls he'd have to buy if he was addicted to Storm.



Agreed. But…you also have to give them credit for stepping up and sponsoring players. If companies like Motiv or Lane #1 or Lord Field or Seismic was a bit more aggressive with sponsorships…I'm sure they could get quite a bit more attention, sales, etc… I'm sure these companies all have bowlers they sponsor at some level…but they really need to step up and get some of the big guys if they want that type of exposure. AND…it helps the game when they sponsor pros…so it's win/win.

It'd be nice to have a "manufacturers cup" where all usbc approved ball manufacturers can create a 5-man team and they have a tournament once a year where the manufacturer teams face off. That would be a nice little event, decent money involved, and I would think be something the manufacturers could really use in terms of marketing. Kinda like car companies use car racing wins/titles to point to how fast their cars are or how well engineered.

But that's my point.... they didn't sponsor that player.... they swooped in after he made it to the show and then paid him to throw their equipment for that show... not a sponsorsip just a one time limited engagement deal.

I agree I would love to see a manufacturers cup. different patterns/volumes so they can show off the full range of their equipment.