Does brand REALLY matter ???

[dutchlefty]

Hi, i just wonder..i'm new here and have a lot to 'gå på' as we say here.. which means
that i still have a lot to learn / lot of unused potention..so here is my bold question:

Does Ball Brand Really matter???

Aren't they all round, the balls, weigh 15lbs and are drilled for your hand ??

Why should one stick to a particular brand ? I'm asking because that's some of the advices i read here.
Specially to those who have been bowling before and and make a re-entry.

But apart from that...with all the different types of cores, coverstocks, drill-layouts on the market is it possible at all to stick to one particular producer? or are what they produce more or less the same, only under a different name ???

Just curious.. Be Good and Bowl Well..Dutchlefty

[striker12]

well reason why people stick to one brand is because the coverstock and cores could be for them on how the ball reacts like me i have not fully picked a brand yet im still decideing between dv8, track and c300.

also depending on the core the brands make different layouts to get there balls to hook but mostly they are the same cause u cna get the same layout on another brands bal but you probly wont get a beafit out of it as if it was with the brand that you got the layout from.

[jimlc2001]

For me, brand matters very little. I use(d) almost every manufacturer (Storm/Roto Grip, Ebonite/Hammer, Brunswick, Motiv, Track, Columbia) and all work effectively. I like Brunswick right now, but that didn't prevent me from purchasing a Roto Grip Defiant. I say go with whatever compliments your arsenal, whether or not is it made by the same company.

[Vince805]

Brand doesnt really matter to me either. I have ben bowling since i was LITTLE and have owned many balls and different brands, a few rhinos, a few nitros, hammer, columbia, track, Right now own a columbia and its has worked the best for me so far. But now looking for a new ball. Probably won't be columbia lol

[J Anderson]

Hi, i just wonder..i'm new here and have a lot to 'gå på' as we say here.. which means
that i still have a lot to learn / lot of unused potention..so here is my bold question:

Does Ball Brand Really matter???

Aren't they all round, the balls, weigh 15lbs and are drilled for your hand ??

Why should one stick to a particular brand ? I'm asking because that's some of the advices i read here.
Specially to those who have been bowling before and and make a re-entry.

But apart from that...with all the different types of cores, coverstocks, drill-layouts on the market is it possible at all to stick to one particular producer? or are what they produce more or less the same, only under a different name ???

Just curious.. Be Good and Bowl Well..Dutchlefty

Brand matters a bit. A Fiat and a Mercedes are both automobiles and either will get you from one place to another, but they certainly aren't the same. With the exception of one or two novelty ball companies that make only polyester balls, every brand seems to make a full range of balls to cover every possible lane condition. Even when brands are owned by the same company, like Storm and RotoGrip or Ebonite and Track, there are no balls that are exact copies of each other with different names. A particular DV8 model may perform similarly to a Brunswick model, but they use different coverstocks and cores.
For the average bowler who only bowls at one center only two or three balls are necessary - an entry level ball for dry conditions, a higher level ball that matches the usual lane conditions, and maybe a plastic ball for spare shooting. At my local center I could probably do just fine with only a Storm HyRoad, corner pin spares included.

[75lockwood]

I don't think it's brand people care about as much as the reaction of the ball when they look into getting a new one. That being said, a lot of people like to stick with a specific brand due to many reasons such customer service and quality they come to expect from a specific company, and of course there are professional bowlers who stick to a specific brand for one reason - MONEY, many professional bowlers are sponsored and paid by specific company's to promote their equipment.

[Demoman]

In my opinion they do. I bought a storm vivid when it first came out looking to replace my hammer black widow. The storm hooked nicely but did not carry the pin action my hammer did. I waited for the purple taboo to come out and bought it and happy to say it out hooks the vivid and hits the pins as hard as the widow did. With that said I'm not saying a hammer is for you - what I reccomend is researching balls, then go to a pro shop within a alley and have the owner or tech watch you bowl. Listen to his info then make a decision based off your research, how you bowl, and the shops tech reccomendations. All of those things together should point you torwards the right ball and hopefully you end up as happy as me.

[Davec13]

In my opinion they do. I bought a storm vivid when it first came out looking to replace my hammer black widow. The storm hooked nicely but did not carry the pin action my hammer did. I waited for the purple taboo to come out and bought it and happy to say it out hooks the vivid and hits the pins as hard as the widow did. With that said I'm not saying a hammer is for you - what I reccomend is researching balls, then go to a pro shop within a alley and have the owner or tech watch you bowl. Listen to his info then make a decision based off your research, how you bowl, and the shops tech reccomendations. All of those things together should point you torwards the right ball and hopefully you end up as happy as me.

I wouldn't always trust a pro shop to steer you to the "best" ball. Last year when I was looking for DV8 balls I was given tons of crap about it from just about every pro shop I stopped at. In fact only one shop (30 miles away) even stocked DV8 balls. Some companies pay for space and cut better deals to get their product sold ahead of other companies (that air freshener company comes to mind). So if another ball may suit you a bit better and the pro isn't getting an extra cut for that ball which will they recommend?

I'm not truly tied to any one brand per se. I do like DV8 and MoRich though. While I don't care much for the air fresheners which many people like. Now if I won or was given an air freshener I would throw it.

[billf]

For me brand preference comes from how they match up to me and customer service from the manufacturer. Dave is right about the pro shop recommending balls. A real good one won't care as long as they have a new customer. They realize the long term investment. Others just see the dollar sign now and steer people towards what they make the most off of.
I personally had a bad experience with Storm/Roto-Grip customer service wise, not product related. I switched to DV8 and couldn't be happier. The customer service has been outstanding and their balls work exceptionally well for me. Go with whatever ball by any company that meets your needs. Until they are paying your way instead of you paying them, you don't owe them any loyalty.

[Demoman]

I wouldn't always trust a pro shop to steer you to the "best" ball. Last year when I was looking for DV8 balls I was given tons of crap about it from just about every pro shop I stopped at. In fact only one shop (30 miles away) even stocked DV8 balls. Some companies pay for space and cut better deals to get their product sold ahead of other companies (that air freshener company comes to mind). So if another ball may suit you a bit better and the pro isn't getting an extra cut for that ball which will they recommend?

I'm not truly tied to any one brand per se. I do like DV8 and MoRich though. While I don't care much for the air fresheners which many people like. Now if I won or was given an air freshener I would throw it.

I did not say to only go with a pro shop reccomendation - I told him to research first and have a idea first of what he was looking. Sounds like you guys don't have a decent trustworthy pro shop because our local one within the alley has balls to demo from every brand and are very patient with customers needs.