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Author Topic: Who subscribes to BTM?  (Read 8928 times)

Snakster

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Who subscribes to BTM?
« on: November 30, 2015, 07:29:01 AM »
As a spin-off from another thread, please sound off if you are a Bowling This Month online subscriber. 

If you wish, please also add whether you rely on their ball reviews (if not entirely, at least in part) when making a new ball purchase.  If so, do you disregard a manufacturer as an option if they do not provide balls for review?

I will start by indicating that I am a subscriber.  I DO rely on the reviews to inform my purchasing decisions and I DO disregard options that are not provided.

And not just to pick on Brunswick family...I have been opening myself up to other companies lately.  The Seismic Equalizer caught my eye this weekend as I was looking for a more heavy oil ball after a horrible showing in a tournament last Wednesday night.  I went to BTM and....no review for that one, though some other fairly recent Seismic balls have reviews.  This was disappointing and I am more likely to focus on other options.

EDIT:  Actually I guess it has been 2 years since Seismic has provided a new ball for review.  Curious that they would make a Facebook plea for "small business Saturday", but not  try to get the word out on their products through consumer publications. Really makes me wonder what the reach of BTM actually is.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2015, 07:36:19 AM by Snakster »
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charlest

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2015, 08:31:23 AM »
I do and will continue to do so.

Quote
please also add whether you rely on their ball reviews (if not entirely, at least in part) when making a new ball purchase. 

It's about 70-80% of the decision I make as to whether the ball will be appropriate for me and my game and my conditions.

Quote
If so, do you disregard a manufacturer as an option if they do not provide balls for review?

I have begun disregarding Brunswick, Radical and DV8 balls since they started their policy of trying to save a dime.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2015, 08:34:52 AM by charlest »
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imholte08

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2015, 08:57:11 AM »
I'm a subscriber, love the site. I use their ball comparison tool a great deal. I used to disregard any other brand for a while because I loved the Utah stuff so much, but after doing some tinkering around in the ball comparison tool it has opened my eyes.
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Steven

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2015, 09:03:22 AM »
Quote from: charlest on November 30, 2015, 08:31:23 AM
I do and will continue to do so.


I no longer subscribe. I dropped my subscription when BTM went just online. In comparing the reviews of the balls I buy between BTM and BJI (about 10 per year), I found BJI to be more consistent with my own evaluations. I like having hard copy anyway.

 
Quote from: charlest on November 30, 2015, 08:31:23 AM
I have begun disregarding Brunswick, Radical and DV8 balls since they started their policy of trying to save a dime.

 
I understand your thinking. I found it odd that Brunswick doesn't submit all their balls to BTM because of low subscriber-ship. That doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy either. 
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imholte08

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2015, 09:09:52 AM »
Has it been shown that BTM has a low number of subscribers? This kind of seems like an assumption until the facts are given.
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2015, 09:40:01 AM »
Just for reference, Bowler's Journal shows subscriptions at 17,000 as verified by the postmaster.  When BTM was in print it was much lower than BJ.  It would be hard to believe there are more subscribers now than when it was in print.

BJ claims 800,000 for the digital edition, which my guess would be is the USBC email list.  I would be curious as to what the click through rate is. 
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milorafferty

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2015, 09:44:32 AM »
I subscribe to BTM and BJI both. I would prefer BTM to still be available in a hard copy, but this is the world we live in.
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TheGom

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2015, 10:15:05 AM »
Currently with BTM.....I do use the reviews as my guide line for balls. Found a used a Motiv Vengeance and based on the that they supplied, I had to go for it and so far so good.
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vkowalski1970

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2015, 10:41:48 AM »
Yes a subscriber....

I count on the reviews to help me decide when I have more than one ball in mind or when im looking for something specific and not sure what to buy. Its a great tool and I have not purchased a ball I have recently looked at because there is no review in BTM....all i can find is staffer reviews....
« Last Edit: November 30, 2015, 10:43:37 AM by vkowalski1970 »
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BackToBasics

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2015, 10:45:09 AM »
I used to subscribe but cancelled after their first Radical review of the Finger Scoop core. The fact that they didn't drill it differently to gauge how different the reactions can be based on drilling alone showed that they are really not worth the subscription.

Additionally, the conditions they apparently bowled on didn't match anything I saw regularly as a lot of their ratings were way different than what I had.
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #10 on: November 30, 2015, 11:23:12 AM »
I subscribe to BTM although I would prefer a print edition.  I do use their ball reviews as a guide.  I am disappointed some companies only want their high-end balls reviewed as I usually do not buy those as much.

I guess these companies do not realize that although the subscriber base may be low on both BTM and BJI, those subscribers are the more serious bowlers whose opinions may be valued by other league or casual bowlers for ball recommendations.  If we don't see a ball reviewed by independent reviewers (sorry, but many staff reviewers just spout the company line and seem to read the same) it makes it difficult to recommend a ball for others.  I have made many ball recommendations for others on balls that I have not owned but based on those reviews.  I would hope those companies would want to sell all of their product lines, not just the top tier.
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xrayjay

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #11 on: November 30, 2015, 11:41:49 AM »
Long time BTM guy here, well there were those darks years.... anyway I still have my "bowling comics" my kid calls it, but the last year(?) I have the online version.
I read many of the articles from different coaches to ball reviews. I don't buy balls Like I used to (own only 5 or 6 and use only 2 strike balls), but I use it to keep me up-to-date.

The articles that deal heavily on technical stuff outside the ball with formulas and pies and graphs, I tend to ignore. I'm sure elevation, humidity, 3/32 difference in release, and all that "nerdy" stuff make sense to engineers and physics majors, but prefer simple real world stuff instead of formulas and graphs.

I'm just glad BTM came back......
« Last Edit: November 30, 2015, 11:43:57 AM by xrayjay »
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Brandon Riley

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2015, 05:33:08 PM »
Been a BTM subscriber for years.  Back when they were printing issues, we used to keep the magazines in the shop for customers to read while they were waiting.

Its a sad that they are now online only. I check the site monthly for the ball reviews, but don't spend time going over the articles like I used to.  I would gladly pay a premium to be mailed a printed copy again
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lefty50

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2015, 07:05:08 PM »
I dropped mine when they went online. I'm flooded with online stuff daily, and logging in is much more painful than reaching over for the stack of many years worth of BTM I kept in my bookcase, plus using it as reference is harder as well. Here's another vote for the printed copy premium subscription...
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JS

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Re: Who subscribes to BTM?
« Reply #14 on: November 30, 2015, 10:46:05 PM »
Quote from: MI 2 AZ on November 30, 2015, 11:23:12 AM
I subscribe to BTM although I would prefer a print edition.  I do use their ball reviews as a guide.  I am disappointed some companies only want their high-end balls reviewed as I usually do not buy those as much.

I guess these companies do not realize that although the subscriber base may be low on both BTM and BJI, those subscribers are the more serious bowlers whose opinions may be valued by other league or casual bowlers for ball recommendations.  If we don't see a ball reviewed by independent reviewers (sorry, but many staff reviewers just spout the company line and seem to read the same) it makes it difficult to recommend a ball for others.  I have made many ball recommendations for others on balls that I have not owned but based on those reviews.  I would hope those companies would want to sell all of their product lines, not just the top tier.


Not trying to be lazy but MI 2 AZ said what I'm feeling better than how I would have written it. And to add, right now I'm looking for a good middle of the arsenal ball.  I am thinking that maybe the Primo or Rave would fit what I'm looking for but all I can see is how they fit in with other Radical balls with the Radical ball chart. With BTM I can get a feel for how they fit in with the other manufacturers.  I'll probably wind up getting a Venom Shock but that Primo could be what I'm looking for.
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