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Author Topic: Too much hype and not enough substance!  (Read 8311 times)

trash heap

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Too much hype and not enough substance!
« on: September 30, 2014, 12:56:14 PM »
Can we get some real information on a bowling ball instead of hype? I am really getting tired of this.

Here is Storm's Latest Greatest Comming Out:
Quote
Crux - Release Date: October 14, 2014

The Center of UNBRIDLED POWER. Asymmetry is 'The Crux'
 
For eight years running now, more professionals have included Storm in their arsenal than any other brand. They want the same thing as amateur bowlers—superior performance. With strong, consistent motion and energy through the pins, Storm bowling balls are incomparable.

Okay hyping up your own company it is great.

Of course though we get the same words for the past eight years on bowling balls. Strong, Consistent Motion, Energy.

Quote
The Catalyst™ Core is not only our latest groundbreaking technology, it is the sparkplug of this ball. It soon will be the stimulation of exceptional bowling. Its’ dynamic asymmetrical design will help you create more angle through the pocket. It’s been proven that increasing your entry-angle gives you a much wider margin for error that can lead to more strikes. Think Jason Belmonte or Pete Weber’s pin-action, you don't have to throw it like these pros but that is what you can expect from the Crux.

Every new core is "Ground Breaking"! I am guessing they really mean it this time.

I have heard cores referred to as the engine of the ball, but a Sparkplug?

"It soon will be the stimulation of exceptional bowling." ???

This ball is going to give you the same pin-action as Jason Belmonte or Pete Weber. Impressive!


Quote
And the ERGâ„¢ hybrid reactive cover stock is prepped to a 3000-grit, so bowlers like yourself can be rest assured that the Crux has decisive performance

WOW! 3000 Grit is now the magical surface. I better get all of my equipment to 3000 grit. It is statements like this is why most bowlers refuse to change the surface on their bowling ball.

Also any review of new ball based on throwing it immediately out of the box is a waste of time (especially on a fresh house shot).

I want to know how well a ball works after many games on it. I want to know how well it performs once you have to do some maintenance on it. We as consumers should be demanding this kind of information from the manufacturers.

Instead we get statemenst that the core soon will be the stimulation of exceptional bowling and the cover's magical 3000 grit is going to give decisive performance.

This message was not just to pick on Storm. All ball companies do this. As someone who purchases bowling balls, it would be nice to have some real information along with the hype. 
Talkin' Trash!

 

milorafferty

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2014, 01:09:49 PM »
I feel the same way. With the exception of one staffer, every staff review I have read is nothing but glowing praise about how the current ball is the "second coming". Riggs is that exception as I have seen a few reviews where he specifically mentions that he doesn't match up to a ball.




I can give you almost EVERY staffer review in five lines.

1. This ball gets through the heads cleanly.
2. This ball gives a great read of the mid lane then makes a nice move to the pocket.
3. This ball has great continuation through the pins.
4. This ball is much improved over (insert previous wonder ball here).
5. This is a ball that should be in everyone's bag.

I left out the company marketing collateral that many reviews include in their preamble. And yes, I understand this is probably part of the conditions of being on staff, but at some point you lose credibility.
« Last Edit: September 30, 2014, 01:11:59 PM by milorafferty »
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spencerwatts

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2014, 01:25:00 PM »
You guys couldn't have said it any better!
« Last Edit: September 30, 2014, 01:28:23 PM by spencerwatts »
Ball speed avg. (18.25 mph)
Rev rate avg. (400-428 rpm)
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xrayjay

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2014, 01:51:37 PM »
Appearance: the ball is round, great color, and cartoon like logos...

Performance: skids about 35 feet, then it starts to read the lanes and hooks, and in the last few feet it starts to roll crushing the pocket like a peter built. nothing left on the pin deck like ISIS getting blown up to nothing.

Overall: best ball I've ever thrown, if you haven't got one, you're missing out.
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Good Times Good Times

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2014, 01:53:58 PM »
Quote
And the ERGâ„¢ hybrid reactive cover stock is prepped to a 3000-grit, so bowlers like yourself can be rest assured that the Crux has decisive performance

If it were at 2000 or 4000 grit, there would be reason for concern.  I wouldn't be confident that it has decisive performance.   :P
GTx2

northface28

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2014, 01:55:33 PM »
It'll take a lot of guess work and/or money to sift through all the BS and find what works for you.
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Impending Doom

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2014, 02:13:06 PM »
I know what weight block shapes work well for me, along with what numbers I like to have for a certain reaction. If I get a ball that's a bummer, I don't get another one. If there's a ball that I match up to well, if another future ball comes out with the same core, I'm going to snag it up. Break weight block worked well for me, so I have a NIB Break Point and War Eagle, as well as a WE and Black Eagle in the bag.

Matt Fortney

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2014, 02:20:20 PM »
You guys are missing something though. "If you don't have one, have fun taking second place." Lol. When I heard Randy Pedersen say this I literally laughed out loud. It's stuff like that that makes me very cynical about reviews in general. Lol.

Gizmo823

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2014, 02:44:55 PM »
Yeah I bashed Hammer pretty good on their Bad Ass marketing . . and this isn't any better.  I've seen it in action and it IS a really good ball, but do people honestly get suckered in by this patronizing drivel?  Does it actually excite them or can they really not see past the marketing?
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Impending Doom

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2014, 02:45:47 PM »
Hope it doesn't leave any stone 8's...

Jorge300

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2014, 02:53:53 PM »
I agree 1000%.
 
Someone has to be believing it, or else why would they put it out there. Or at least the ball companies believe it is working based on their sales data. Otherwise we wouldn't see any more of it.
 
I also agree that I don't put much stock in the review of staffers anymore. I also agree that Riggs is the exception. He tells it like it is, what worked and what didn't work for him. And, on balls that don't work for him, he explains who he thinks that ball would be a good fit for. Every bowler is different, not every ball works for everyone. Every ball company puts out a clunker now and then too. It's to the point now if I see a staffer wrote the review, I generally skip past it. It's a shame though as these folk should be the people with the most knowledge of a ball that could really impart some good info. Be honest if a ball doesn't work for you and tell us who it would work for. Simple as that.
Jorge300

billdozer

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2014, 03:15:37 PM »
Go heap!
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northface28

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2014, 03:31:33 PM »
Yeah I bashed Hammer pretty good on their Bad Ass marketing . . and this isn't any better.  I've seen it in action and it IS a really good ball, but do people honestly get suckered in by this patronizing drivel?  Does it actually excite them or can they really not see past the marketing?

We bowl here on the website, so chances are this "fluff" doesn't work on the demographic on this site. However, there are many bowlers who don't know this site exists or much about balls in general, so if they see a flyer with all this "fluff" on it, they will believe it.

You think this is bad? (Bowling) Look at golf club/ball ads, I just started golfing and I fell for all of it. Its human nature.
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northface28

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2014, 03:34:11 PM »
I agree 1000%.
 
Someone has to be believing it, or else why would they put it out there. Or at least the ball companies believe it is working based on their sales data. Otherwise we wouldn't see any more of it.
 
I also agree that I don't put much stock in the review of staffers anymore. I also agree that Riggs is the exception. He tells it like it is, what worked and what didn't work for him. And, on balls that don't work for him, he explains who he thinks that ball would be a good fit for. Every bowler is different, not every ball works for everyone. Every ball company puts out a clunker now and then too. It's to the point now if I see a staffer wrote the review, I generally skip past it. It's a shame though as these folk should be the people with the most knowledge of a ball that could really impart some good info. Be honest if a ball doesn't work for you and tell us who it would work for. Simple as that.

Tommy Gollick and Casey Murphy (along with his videos) are pretty damn good too. I like Riggs' reviews, and this is no knock on him, he throws it like a common man. Medium speed, medium revs so his reviews are very indicative of what most mortals will see.
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kidlost2000

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Re: Too much hype and not enough substance!
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2014, 03:41:38 PM »
More honesty like in any other market such as energy drinks, candy, cars, or body spray?

…… you can't  add a physics term to a bowling term and expect it to mean something.