Getting a new ball from bowlingball.com question....

[AZBowla]

I guess the shop I go to is quite a deal - it costs $50 to drill a ball there. I never got any attitude or anything about bringing in a ball I bought online, either. They were very professional and I'll definitely be back again and again.

As for which is cheaper, it's really not much different to get a ball online and then pay the extra money to have it drilled versus getting it there and having them include drilling in the price. The reason I go online is because bowlingball.com has a much larger selection and there's no sales tax. I suppose I could get my layout and measurements and put that on my bowlingball.com account so that I could have the ball drilled cheaper, but I like supporting the local guys, plus if I need an adjustment they will do it for free, no questions asked. I highly recommend the shop I go to - it's Bowling Dynamics in Chandler. If you live in the Phoenix area, check them out.

[UBowling]

I would highly recommend not getting it drilled by them. I have purchased bowling balls from that site before and didn't get it drilled. I don't think it is a good risk.

The pro shops around here will charge for an outside drill. And I have recommended to the owner of the shop I help out at to actually market to the crowd who purchase online because he may make $60 on a new ball purchase, but he has to buy the ball and stock it and that increases costs. He can make $50 on an outside drill that takes 20 minutes. In my mind charging for the outside drill is better for business than actually purchasing and stocking the new ball that may or may not sell.

Plus if you pay and get it drilled at the shop, you are supporting your local shop and that is important in this industry.

[Cochese]

My local proshop is pretty fair. I started a thread this morning about buying balls on eBay to offset cost. My shop charges $58 for drilling, $10 for finger grips and $15 for a urethane slug. If you buy a ball from them, the price of the ball includes drilling and they will give your free grips too. My Frantic was $149 plus $15 for the slug. After tax, it worked out to right about $175.

The same ball on bowlingball.com drilled with inserts and a slug would be $150 plus they have never seen my hand, where as the proshop can adjust the shape of the slug if necessary. Plus the owner of the shop saw me practicing a couple days after I bought the ball, watched me throw a few, gave me some tips, asked how the ball was. I said the span felt a little short, showed him my old ball and he pointed out the old one was not drilled correctly. He put a piece of white grip tape in the thumb and it instantly felt 100% better. That alone was worth the extra $25 bucks.

[Hammer]

I decided to get my Blue Hammer from my proshop at the alley I bowl league at. The cost of the ball, drilling and finger grips is $145.00. Plus he watched me throw my other ball on the alley after I had one warmup game to see how my approach and swing was. Then he said we can work out a layout for my new ball. After getting it drilled I can take it right out to the alley and see right away if anything has to be adjusted like the thumb hole. Sometimes they stick a little after a few frames. Plus the alley will be in the condition it usually is on league night.