BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

[len marsden]

Hey guys,
Since the introduction of the new tech. balls do you think that it has been good for the "sport" from both the bowlers point of view (i believe registered bowlers numbers in america has dropped from 11 million down to 3 million) and also from the proprietors side considering the costs now involved in putting down a condition and the damage done to lane surface. remember the days when we washed twice a week and five gallons of oil lasted 6 months?

len.

[billman]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

You have touched on a nerve with this thread! Untill the ABC has the gonads to put a stop to the "sponge of the month club", we will all just have to put up with the hook in a box,make me a great bowler,pain in the a--es. The good old days are gone, when we could clean the lanes twice a week,the oil pattern would hold up more than 3 games,and when someone shot a 300 it was news worthy. Perhaps bowling should take a page from golf and not allow the rules to bent for a certain company, even though that company pumps millions of dollars into the professional tour. Technology has made bowling a laughing stock. I have watched 160 average bowlers purchase a new "Hookathane 2000" ball and become a 180 average whiner.
The subject of wear and tear on the lanes would be a great subject to start a new thread. I guess it boils down to the fact that no matter what we do to the lanes, some manufacture will find a way to counter-act it.

Just my thoughts,
billman

[cobow]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Billman has just about covered it. i suppose if our customers did not want new ball technology the manufacturers would not keep pumping them out. i just wish that the bowlers knew the truouble their new "you beauty" ball caused to our lanes.then maybee they would stop whining that the shot does not hold up all night......pigs might fly too! lol

[Dutch]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

I second EVERYTHING you said, Billman.
What ever happened to the BPAA? Once upon a time they had the gonads to at least try to sway the ABC. In the last few years though it seems that they've become whipped or just rolled over & played dead.
These new particle balls are tearing up the lanes. Would the golf coarse owners just roll over if people started driving their carts on the greens? Would they just tell their greens keepers to come up with a way for the greens to withstand the punishment?
No! They'd band together & tell the customers not to distroy their playing surfaces. BPAA needs to do the same.
If we can't get the ball manufacturers to stop making these ball then the only thing left is to not let the customers use them in our houses. We don't allow the customers to bowl in their street shoes because it will damage the approaches. What's the difference?
Besides, what's with the customer that buys a new ball to get more hook, then complains that there isn't enough oil on the lanes when his/her ball hooks more than they can handle. But it has somehow become our responsability to "fix" the problem.
Yes I think this has hit a nerve with me too.

[Coors]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

bowling is now the equivelent of miniture golf in my opinion. Anybody can hole-in-one on a miniature golf course...very few can consistently if ever hit a hole-in-one on a real golf course.

[David Johnson]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

I'm with you Dutch on this one and would only add that Glenn Allison shot 900 with a yellow dot that didn't tear up the bowling equipment!

[Guest]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

I want you to know about the St. louis area Bpaa. the president also happens to be a friend and a boss, and mentor of sorts. i saw their current list of attnedee's at a meeting and more than 2/3 of all of the St louis houses(there are alot here) were not represented...NONE of the AMF houses had any form of representation. this sickens me. it is no longer anything at all..these ill'kept "score fest" filthy, ill'run houses that charge up to 4$ per line (ALOT here, "we" are at 2.50 during prime time)they think they are too good" for the BPAA???If we could get the private owners to work together, we could put ALL of the amf houses OUT of business. there was a bygone time when people got together and just had coffee and TALKED about what is happenng in the industry...unless these days come back, there might be no industry to discuss.

[Guest]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

I want you to know about the St. louis area Bpaa. the president also happens to be a friend and a boss, and mentor of sorts. i saw their current list of attnedee's at a meeting and more than 2/3 of all of the St louis houses(there are alot here) were not represented...NONE of the AMF houses had any form of representation. this sickens me. it is no longer anything at all..these ill'kept "score fest" filthy, ill'run houses that charge up to 4$ per line (ALOT here, "we" are at 2.50 during prime time)they think they are too good" for the BPAA???If we could get the private owners to work together, we could put ALL of the amf houses OUT of business. there was a bygone time when people got together and just had coffee and TALKED about what is happenng in the industry...unless these days come back, there might be no industry to discuss.

[Steve Stafford (JBEES)]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

AMF8230_6525...what does all of that have to do with ball technology???Good or Bad.

The trend of more hook has lead to better lane materials to produce lanes out of...probably the only good thing to come out of increased ball technology. If it wasn't for the bowling balls...we wouldn't have the durability in lane materials. And I am quite sure that lane manufaturers aren't done yet...but neither are the ball manufacturers...as the plot thickens. What's next? Diamond impregnated cover stocks? Only time will tell.

Steve

[Dutch]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Good point Steve. I never thought about the durability of synthetic lanes owing its existence to the new balls. Makes sense.

[Guest]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Honestly guys what the hell can we do about it!!!!!!
these companies that are producing these "YOU BEAUT" balls are just making profits for themselves and us ENDANGERED SPECIES are the naggers when it comes to trying to flood the lanes to avoid damage to the lanes.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Hello gang, I spent some time today reading your posts on the subject of bowling ball technology. I have a leased pro shop so my involvement in the pro shop is pretty much non-existent. So needless to say I am behind on what has been going on with bowling ball technology.
I spent some time this afternoon reading up on the new bowling balls coming out on the market and it scared me to death. What the hell is going on?

How badly are the lanes being damaged?

Are the manufacturers testing for lane damage?

Is ABC considering this prior to putting their seal of approval on these balls?

Look at the liability issues involved here when it comes to centers buying synthetic lane systems they expect to get a lifetime of use out of.
I certainly hope proper testing is being done.

We need to seek out answers to our questions.

I am going to forward a copy of this thread to all the ball manufactures that I have email address for, ABC and BPAA.

Maybe somebody can shed some light on this

Mike Wilson
Bowl-Tech

[Mike Wilson]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Some bowling ball manufacturers are putting MICA in the cover stock of their bowling balls. I have been looking for information on mica and have found the following.

MICA
It is a complex hydrous silicate of aluminum, containing potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium fluorine and/or lithium and also traces of several other elements. It is stable and completely inert to the action of water, acids (except hydro-fluoric and concentrated sulphuric) alkalies conventional solvents, oil and virtually unaffected by atmospheric action.

This description of mica comes from a company web site that process’s mica, there is lots of good information on this site. <a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html" target="_blank">http://www.icrmica.com/icrmica_mica_introduction.html</a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a></a>

[Guest]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

I want to reply to AMF8230. Why must you consistently bash AMF centers. To set the record straight AMF has Five centers in the ST. Louis Metro area. Five out of a total of what 40 or 50? AMF normally has no interaction on the local or regional level with the BPAA. Most if not all of what they do is done on the national level. EVERY AMF center is a member or and supports the BPAA. Can many of these private centers post that claim?
As far as the amount we charge per line. Do you realize my center has a 98% retention rate? While most if not all centers are losing bowlers we gain bowlers every year for the past five years. While the rest of the industry struggles we have grown.
Many of the centers are ill run but amf and brunswick are going through severe growing pains and will eventually work through them.
As far as the ball stock question goes. There are just to many centers to regulate that industry. If one or two centers say sorry you can not use that equipment. Guess what! Those bowlers bowl somewhere else. AMF produces many balls with many of the complaints posted but if they didn't there would only be someone else out there who would do it instead.
Really you think about it golf is no different. There are balls, clubs, shoes, gloves, etc. etc. that will add 10 yards or more to your swing. If you added it all up you should be able to walk on to the green place you ball and be 100 yards down the fairway before you even swing!
I think once you see bowlings decline start to reverse then you will see ABC, BPAA, AMF, BRC all start to put a stop to this damaging equipment. The other thing is I believe the equipment must not be allowed at the pro level. If those guys could not use them then the bowling ball industry would have to rethink there strategies and make any necessary changes.

Thank You

AMF_Mechanic

[Steve Stafford (JBEES)]

Re: BALL TECHNOLOGY.GOOD OR BAD?

Mike,
So what you are saying and not coming out and saying it is that they put rocks in the cover stock. Rocks...like I said earlier...whats next? Unless ABC stands up and says enough is enough...the ball manufaturers will cover the bowling balls in sandpaper. The last time I looked, thats how we remove finish from the lane surface.
Another option would be to start another sanctioning body to oversee the rules of the game. Is there a group out there big enough to start the movement and save the industry from self destruction? Did I hear the "BPAA"? They are big enough...they do have a vested interest in saving the industry. They ARE the industry, or at least a big part of it in the USA. But many would say they couldn't lose the name and respect of the ABC. In my opinion (and many other people by the looks of this thread) the respect for ABC went out the window a long time ago. The industry could sanction itself like so many other sports industries do. We are the only sports industry that I know of that DOESN'T sanction itself. I think it's high time we do. But then again...this is just my opinion.

Steve