New PBA Ruling

[The German Shepherd]

The PBA announced a new rule prohibiting members from using bowling balls until they are officially released to the public. Do you agree or disagree with this new rule?

As for me, I think this is bad marketing...

Jay

[JaMau24]

Disagree with it... I like watching the new balls on TV.. It's almost like an advertisement anyway (them using the unreleased balls all the time). If the public wants to use an unreleased ball, they can either wait for it to come out, or they can put in all the hard work the pros do, get sponsored, and go pro.

[RoccoRock]

I think it's good for the companies. Say someone is watching an event, and they see someone using a ball. They say to themselves "I want that ball." They go to the pro shop the next day, "oh, that ball isn't available yet, try this ball, it's from a different company, but it's basically the same." So either the comsumer leaves with another ball, that they didn't really want, and the brand loses, or leaves with no ball. Of course they could wait, but waiting when your buying on impulse doesn't really work out. They could get a ball from the same brand, so the brand doesn't lose out, but the consumer still didnt get exactly what they wanted. Also, if someone walks in and wants a ball, but they uave no idea what they want, a pro shop guy can always say "you'll like this one, Pete Weber juat won with it last week." I can undetstand making people wait, building up anticipation, but I'm the kind of guy I who wants it now. When I bought my 607a, if it wasn't available yet I may have bought a Storm instead. I'm sure Track wouldn't love that.

[ursus]

I think it is probably a bad decision also. I like the anticipation of the new release and then getting to see a glimpse of it in action just hightens that anticipation. It is good cheap advertisement of product releases. If they wanted to limit it somehow I would have just limited them to maybe using the ball no sooner than a month before the release date.

[billf]

Well, I sort of, kind of agree to a point. It would be wrong for a PBA player to advance their standing with a ball that for whatever reason the company decided not to release. However, it's obvious that these companies already have these balls and delay the release. Why, I don't know. So on paper (fantasy land) all they would have to do is release the balls earlier. July 25th is DV8's release date this year yet their touring pros' were using the balls during the summer shootout. It may hurt marketing a little but benefit the average bowler more. Most of the pros don't even use the top of the line balls their sponsoring manufacturer makes anyway.

[panbanger]

I totally agree with the ruling. If you are a weekend golfer and want Phil Mickleson's putter, I'm sure you can go out and buy it. Should be no different with bowling.

[got_a_300]

Jay I can not find any info on this new rule anyplace where did you
hear or see this new rule at?

Now as for the rule it doesn't really matter to me which way they
do it (pre-release or after release) to use the ball on TV. If it is a
good ball then I might consider purchasing it but by them using it
on TV before it is available to the general public is not really going
to persuade to me buy it when it firsts hits the shelves.

I always wait to see a ball in action in the real world on a THS and
on a sports shot also before I decide on buying it or not. The pros
on TV can make a dog of a ball look decent on TV but in the real
world a dog of a ball is still a dog....................

[bowl1820]

Read the JEFF RICHGELS blog post| Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2012 5:00 am here:

Click for The 11th Frame: PBA takes step to level Regional playing field with new ball use rule

[Stormed1]

Like mentioned above i like seeing the balls in action before release as it gives me an idea of ball motion etc, It allows me to make recomendations with more than just specs to judge by. It's no different than staff members getting to throw balls in league before they are released

[billf]

Throwing an unreleased ball in a league is one thing. Being able to have an advantage in a good money tournament because one player can't purchase a ball that the other gets for free, that's just unethical.