Internet facts every bowling center needs to know

Good News from eBowl.biz: During a one month period there were over 200,000 searches on the internet for bowling. Bad News: 186,000 of these searches were for "bowling alley" and only 17,000 were for "bowling center"

If your website doesn't mention "bowling alley" then you missed out on 91% of the searches that month!

80% of retailers are now asking for email addresses on their website. Does your website ask for email addresses so you can contact people that were on your site? Anyone that gives you an email address is telling you they want to be reminded to come back!

A is for Arsenal

If you have a ball or an arsenal of balls, please examine and evaluate them, and get an idea specifically what ball does what best?

Occasionally an arsenal works great for your “A” game. Staying in your comfort zone, allows you to control the lane, play in the area that you best perform.

Some arsenals push your performance to parts of the lane (extreme inside or extreme outside) that you are not as “comfortable”. Expanding your experience makes you more adaptable, thus more capable of high levels of play on more challenging conditions, or broken down conditions.

The Review Said...

Now there is the matter of the reviews. If a pro bowler, who gets paid by the Company that makes the ball he throws, was to tell you his new ball works great, should you doubt him/her?

What if, through the goodness of their heart, a bowler halfway across the country, with more or less experience than you, with more or less skill than you, on the same or maybe a different lane surface than you bowl on, with more or less ball speed than you, with a greater or maybe less rev rate than you, with more or maybe less….you get the picture.

Some people will like a bowling ball, some will not. Some might be similar, often NOT. The information bandied about on the web, doesn’t seem to clarify the many elements that effect performance of your bowling ball, on your house condition, with your specific game details (rev rate, axis rotation, axis tilt, ball speed, approach drift, etc.). Many bowlers make unbelievable assumptions.

If the bowler waxing poetic about a specific bowling ball, averages what you do, has all your game tendencies, gets similar reaction with similar equipment (and layouts), the lane conditions are similar (can you read a lane conditioning graph?), the temperature, humidity, and amount of lane play (static buildup), type of lane surface (wood-type of lane finish, or synthetic-type of synthetic, etc.) if all these elements can be measured, and they are identical to yours, you still may NOT get the reaction you expect.

Do I get heavier? lighter?

If you have experience and own more than one ball, be sure the a new ball is the same weight. It is difficult to ask your body to deliver two different weights identically. If you are transitioning heavier or lighter, put away the old stuff and get used to the new weight. Consistent delivery will help you control the new ball, thereby control the lane!

It's very hard to abandon potentially effective equipment, but a new direction in ball weight is a BIG decision. Often a GOOD one. But, if your equipment is feeling heavy or more tedious to throw, you may just want to evaluate your fit. More or less pitch forward/lateral/reverse, tighter thumb hole, looser thumb hole (if you gained a little weight and aren't getting your thumb all the way into the hole), are all potential options to regain a secure feel and delivery.

If it feels like your rifling the ball down the lane, a lite ball is very easy to over throw (pull, push, over turn), it is too easy for a minor bump error in your swing to net disastrous results. If you are feeling a little loss of control, to easy to make a mistake, a heavier ball will regain the synergy between ball, swing, approach and your body.

Which Bowling Ball Do I Need?

The, literally, hundreds of available bowling balls demand that the inexperienced ball buyer (often the experienced buyer) wade through multiple choices. Will you choose surface, Radius of Gyration (sometimes just listed as: RG), coverstock type (reactive resin, particle, standard urethane, polyester), or a vague listing of performance or high performance as your key buying factor? What about Differential RG (sometimes just DIFF, then the sub category of Intermediate Diff), Or Coefficient of Restitution? How about the Mass Bias and Asymmetric vs. Symmetric weight blocks? Bowling balls have gotten complicated!

Unfortunately, online ball sellers almost depend on your lack of knowledge. The commodity offered online is just that, a commodity (the cheapest tomato). Don’t buy a tomato if you need an apple. But what if you don’t know what you need?

You will need to get the ball drilled, if purchased online. So, start now and check out your local bowling store, for their recommendation. What does the local store charge to drill a ball? The service will effect your over all cost for this new bowling tool. If the center where you bowl has a store, the operator will know about the lane conditions and more likely a basic idea of your needs. Don't be afraid to ask the operator to watch you bowl. Ask how they determine what is best?

Getting a ball that doesn't work, no matter how cheap it was, is a waste of money and very frustrating for the end user. Because the commodity nature of the online ball sellers, you don’t want to JUST buy price. A brand new Mercedes, with no tires, no transmission, and no engine is still a new Mercedes. It is an expensive paperweight! It won’t go any where, but it still is a new Mercedes! If you buy a cheap new Mercedes and find out it can’t move, you didn’t get what you wanted/needed, but IT WAS CHEAP.

more - what works for what styles.

Do You Want A New Ball? Or Need A New Ball?

If the entry level plastic or urethane ball is feeling light, if you are throwing it halfway down the lane, on a fly, time to upgrade to a heavier ball. Put the old one away, sell it, give it to the kids, something, just don't try to use it. Give the new ball a chance, don't mess up the opportunity to benefit from the new feel, the new effect. Two different weights, especially if one is "old reliable", is a recipe for frustration.

The option of a more sophisticated ball should be examined if and only if you have the skill to benefit from it. If you average less than 140, you don’t necessarily have the skills to control a more sophisticated ball. (“Growing” into it, isn’t a good idea.) You need something more controllable, better for strikes and spares.

If you average 140 - 170, a better ball, more aggressive surface, stronger core may benefit you.

The over 170 average bowler is often restricted by elements of their game and how it plays on a given lane condition. A player that throws hard might struggle when lanes are particularly oily. So for the bowler that throws hard, matching their rev rate, ball surface, layout, and speed translates into success. The needs of the more sophisticated player, often must be attended, hands on. Guessing at ball speed, rev rate, axis tilt, axis rotation, lane conditions, etc. make for inconsistent results.

My guess, some of the thousands, 10's of thousands, 100's.... of former league bowlers have a ball or two that just did not work. Estimated guess just isn't good enough with today's high tech bowling tools.

Bowling Balls

Bowling balls are basic to very sophisticated. You want to match your experience and skill to the tool that is a bowling ball.

If you are a new bowler, never owned a ball, start with a basic polyester ball (they’re like house balls). House balls available in most bowling centers are pre-drilled requiring more effort to control and deliver them. Most bowlers, when fit for their own ball can handle more weight. A properly fit bowling ball let's go of you rather than you having to let go (control/squeeze) of it.

Basic balls must be drilled. Often the online price, freight, plus drilling is more than the cost at a local bowling store (pro shop). Don’t be intimidated by the term Pro Shop. A bowling store, by any other name, is typically run by an operator focused on their craft, their sport. They might not have the customer service training of a Wal-Mart greeter, but they only stay in business if they are adequate at their job or they are the only game in town (be careful on this one).

Take advantage of the knowledge that a local driller has. (Look for the IBPSIA label, the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association, the Earth’s ONLY trade Association for the Pro Shop and Instruction business.) His or her services will be very valuable as you improve.