BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Ebonite => Topic started by: bradl on February 12, 2013, 02:26:25 PM
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I've been meaning to write this for a while, and after watching the 2/10/13 show, now is as good a time as ever. Others, if I am completely out of touch, please feel free to tell me so. These are just my concerns about the brand, and I hope that I am wrong. If not, feel free to discuss.
There are a lot of new brands coming up that is making the field almost as diversified as the sport was in the early-mid 90s:
Ebonite, Hammer, Columbia, Track, Brunswick, Storm, Roto-Grip, 900 Global, DV8, Lane #1, Motiv, Lord Field, Visionary... the names go on and on. I honestly can't remember a time when we had this many ball manufacturers in this sport (lessee.. in my time, up to 1999, I remember seeing Brunswick, Columbia, Ebonite, AMF, Fab, Nu-Line, Quantum, Storm, Track, and Lane #1, and that's it! 25 years worth from when I was born until 2000).
But while I know that each one goes through its time of being popular, the one brand here that really appears to be falling off by the wayside, is Ebonite.
All of the rest now still have a strong following, and lately, Storm is the flavour of the day. Hammer is still going strong, but to be honest, Ebonite has been struggling since the Mission Domination/250K.
Looking at the 2/10/13 show, and seeing Tommy back on TV, with the 10 balls that have come out between the Mission 250K and now (Mission X, Pursuit/Pursuit S, Elevate, Innovate, Exceed, Endure, Persevere, Challenge, Champion), it actually shocked me to see that he went back to a Gamebreaker, rather than some of the newer equipment Ebonite has (yes, he did go an Innovate later in the block, but still). The Challenge is a monster of a ball, and I know you should use the ball best suited for the condition, not what is newer (newer /= better), but seeing someone revert back to a 5 year old ball doesn't generate much confidence in the new products they are putting out, especially since Ebonite isn't seeing much air time on TV as they were 3 years ago.
Plus the videos.. As I've said before in other places, the market-speak is hurting their presentation of their gear. For example, their latest video for the Champion is barely a minute and a half, and half of that time is spent trying to stoke up the excitement as if it's a trailer for a Bond movie, with very little on the ball, and even when we see the ball, we pretty much see the same angle thrown by the same bowler, and nothing on how any of the balls used were laid out and drilled, patterns used, nothing. There's just a lot lacking there.
I also wonder if the multi-manufacturer deals are hurting them, in the fact that you aren't seeing the marquis bowlers often. Yes, you see Barnes and Fagan for Columbia and Track, but Ebonite only has 2-3 left, in Jones, Kulick, and Terrell-Kearney, and apart from the Women's series, you're not seeing either of them at all. Apart from them, O'Neill and Pluhowsky, everyone else is multi-brand: Mika, Johnson, Parkin, Blanchard, etc. While that may help to get EBI more exposure, Ebonite as a brand is really falling behind.
I wonder if this is part of the reasons why everyone and their mother is flocking to Storm, or at the least, avoiding Ebonite. All of this competition is great for the consumer, but also breeds innovation, and Ebonite may not be breeding it enough.
I only post this because I'm concerned where Ebonite is headed; I've been using their gear almost exclusively since the early 90s, and for me, their gear has been phenomenal. But now, something just isn't right.. I don't know what the answer is here for Ebonite, but what I do know is that they need to think of one and think of it fast, otherwise people will forget what Ebonite is.
BL.
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Appreciate your thoughts! Will not make my comments since it will distract from your direction .. I lean in your direction!
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There were several other manufactures available in your time that you didnt mention. New companies and go. With the internet and todays market place it is no longer just regional its global. Ive not seen much from EBI that Ive been impressed with and here locally literally no one throws it. Hammer and Track are the much bigger sellers. I think the Curveball Hardball and Cyclone is there best release recently.
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You forgot to mention Dyno-Thane Enterprises, Champion/PowerPlay, and for a short while CSI, Carmen Salvino's ball company.
Anyway I've noticed it as well how Ebonite, which I would assume is EBI's flagship brand is being overshadowed by their sister brands like Columbia 300 for example. When I travel to different centers and bowl in different leagues I really don't see anyone throwing the new Ebonite line, it's mostly Storm/Roto, Track, Columbia 300 with the exception of myself throwing 900 Global. It seems like Ebonite is almost a forgotten brand in my area.
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I've noticed that around here too. Only 1 person in my league throws Ebonite on a regular basis and that is just the Cyclone. The rest of his stuff is Brunswick.
Now I have an Ebonite Vital Energy except I haven't found use for it since this past summer. It's a decent sanded pearl ball, but very condition specific.
Most everyone throws Storm/Roto, with some people throwing Brunswick/DV8. There are a few players who throw Track/Hammer/C300. One of my teammates has some balls from 900 Global in his arsenal and is the only person in our league to throw that brand.
I think part of it is that Track/Hammer/C300 are all focusing on talking about specific things with ball motion, covers and core design to produce balls to make their products appeal to a wider group of people. Those 3 brands do a good job when it comes to product videos. Hammer has to be the best at that because they typically have at least 3-5 different styles and layouts showing the widest possible use.
Ebonite on the other hand seems to want to play the marketing game hyping the brand instead of focusing on why a specific ball is a "need to have." And Ebonite refuses to show TJ, Kelly Kulick, or even Jason Couch in their ball motion videos. Why? They should be showing their pro staff, and not Ed Gallagher or some pro shop operator that noone has seen outside of the local house before. Plus, nothing since the Vital Energy or even the original Mission has interested me from their line.
What Ebonite should do is take a page from the Storm/Roto playbook on how to market. You see videos with their pro staff, regional staff, amateurs, and you also have people like Schlemmer, Del Ballard, Peterson, and even Hank Boomershine talking about the technical benefits.
Perfect Example:
The newest video for the Ebonite Champion on Facebook has only 6 likes + 1 share and 0 comments.
The newest video on Storm's Facebook was for the Vivid and that's from last year. 202 likes + 29 shares and 617 comments.
Storm/Roto does the best marketing job on all platforms, hands down. They make you want their stuff, get people talking about their stuff, and back it up with how well the balls roll for a wide range of people.
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I've been bowling for about ten years now. When I make a list of all balls I have had my fav are a Brunswick and a Storm (personally for me). Overall tho I have had the most Ebonite products and had great success with them. My problem over the last few years I was throwing Ebonite was that they always released a lot of balls and filled in to make complete lines. The one problem was that for every 4-5 balls they released their was one good one in the group. They were the founders of today's market style (minus storm and RG) of putting out a ton of equipment and 3 months later the ball was discontinued. Many companies do this now but as a bowling paying $200 a ball I do not want to have to buy 5 balls to get one that works well just not financially smart.
I like the comment about the videos as well, how is it that their sister company of Hammer has awesome videos with multiple styles and comparisons to previous balls in the line and Ebonite videos are short and barely show you anything comparing balls and having different people throwing them.
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Ebonite's videos aren't very good, but they are better than Columbia's videos (especially lately, where the Columbia videos only show Bugsy Kelly throwing the ball).
Ebonite needs to reach out to companies like Bowlingball.com, Tamer Bowling and Videoballreviews and send them some seed balls for video testing purposes. It helps to see different bowlers throwing the equipment. Hammer does a decent job at this but they are still a little too rev-heavy. Still, it's much better than any of their sister companies.
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WOW, gloom and doom
Ebonite brands are very popular here
tons of Hammer stuff, track, Columbia and then Ebonite
I bet the large family that operates Ebonite brands would disagree with you isolated observations.
Last I heard, Ebonite has 50% of the total balls sold worldwide.
I happen to know somebody, who knows somebody, you get the point
They would not agree with you at all
They have some awesome new equipment and just because TJ used on old gamebreaker for a few shots, you have decided they are on the down and out?
Hey, that gold ball from the other company performed so well....all it did was leave corner pins...
that company is struggling because several of the guys used on the tele and it don't carrry.....waaaaahh, ball sucks, company sucks....
really??
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I haven't sold an Ebonite ball since the Innovate came out (which that ball looks pretty good) Probably 90% of all my ball sales comes from Storm/Roto, with the exception of plastics (which Brunswick colors sell more for me) Not saying they're bad I know some people who have had some success with Columbia, Ebonite, & Track, but Storm/Roto at least in my shop have taken over the market.
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I tend to think that Storm has a bigger share of the market based on superior equipment and not just better marketing. Marketing for balls is very limited anyway, the main way balls are marketed is by word of mouth and someone seeing what a ball does by seeing someone else use it.
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One thing that gets neglected is the local shops. Most bowlers throw what their local shops push the hardest. If the guys/gals in charge push C300, you'll see a lot of C300. If they push a ton of Storm, you'll see a ton of Storm. Now, what shops push the hardest usually comes down to which companies the operator gets the best deals from and/or what they personally like the best. So, again, I don't think it's a matter of people not using X-brand or Y-brand because that brand is inferior. I think it just comes down to what is being pushed by the people they're buying it from.
Evidence to support this comes from some of the earlier posts. One of the guys mentioned seeing mostly Track and Hammer at his center. There are very few new Hammers on the racks in my area these days, and there are almost zero Track balls in play. That's because we really don't have any shop operators hawking those brands around here. When we had local Big B shops, tons of people were throwing Big B. When that shop operator threw Ebonite back in the day, there was a lot of Ebonite on the racks. I'm not saying that trends don't change. I do think certain companies can become the flavor of the month here and there. Still, I think it mostly has to do with the local shops and what they're trying to push more than it has to do with actual ball quality. If I had to guess, I'd bet there are still plenty of Ebonite-heavy areas out there.
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Hello,
Agree with the top post. One of my favorites ever is the Afterburner, which I still use occasionally. At my bowling house, I see mainly Storm and Brunswick......followed by Hammer.
Cav :)
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WOW, gloom and doom
Ebonite brands are very popular here
tons of Hammer stuff, track, Columbia and then Ebonite
I bet the large family that operates Ebonite brands would disagree with you isolated observations.
Last I heard, Ebonite has 50% of the total balls sold worldwide.
I happen to know somebody, who knows somebody, you get the point
They would not agree with you at all
They have some awesome new equipment and just because TJ used on old gamebreaker for a few shots, you have decided they are on the down and out?
Hey, that gold ball from the other company performed so well....all it did was leave corner pins...
that company is struggling because several of the guys used on the tele and it don't carrry.....waaaaahh, ball sucks, company sucks....
really??
Did I ever say that they don't carry, or the ball or company sucks? Read my post again. Of the 6 300s that I have, 4 were with Ebonite equipment (Total NV, Complete NV, 2x Mission Domination/250K).
Also I mentioned that I understand why TJ went with a Gamebreaker, as you should always use the ball that works for you in the conditions given, not what is newest out there. But in a marketing perspective, if you are the rep (read: the face) of the company you're representing, it does your company no good to use older, discontinued, hard-to-find equipment. Ebonite can't make the Gamebreaker anymore thanks to the new USBC rules in place.
Bit of background for me: I split my time between two cities: Las Vegas, and Sacramento, though I'm primarily in Sacramento now. Up here, there is only 1 EBI staffer (there were two: Leanne Hulsenberg went to Storm over the summer), and he's amateur staff; the next closest ball rep is the regional rep, and she's in Reno. In this area, Track and Storm are dominant, and that has come as a shock to me, as when I moved to Sacramento from Vegas, Vegas was a heavy Ebonite area, to where there are very up here.
In Vegas, there's more variety being thrown, but again, the main ball rep there is again, amateur staff.
In no way did I say that Ebonite is down and out. I seriously hope not, especially with me throwing their gear since the Turbo X. In the 36 years I've been bowling (I'm 39), I've had more success with Ebonite equipment than any other brand out there (my next would be Fab, followed by Columbia). Hell, for fits and shiggles and eye candy, I keep an Optyx Formula 1 and a TPC Warrior in my joey, have another Optyx NIB at home, and another NIB Turbo X just for when I want to pull them out. They are collector's items now, but that also tells me how good they were and that they can be pulled out any time to be used.
My Optyx can outperform their !Q Tour Pearl anytime. I'll even go as far as to say that the Gold Rhino Pro could as well (can't say that for the Pearl Quake).
To contrast that, I'm about to trade in the Mission X and Pursuit/S for something else (probably a Champion; I don't know), as they just didn't roll well for me (both have less than 15 games each), yet my Mission Domination and Undefeated Fire are staples in my bag alongside the Challenge.
I just think that some of the trends on how a ball is marketed has changed, and some brands are getting it right, while some are missing the boat.. Unfortunately, I wonder if they are missing the boat here. Showing the ball from only one angle of attack isn't going to work when we all know that everybody doesn't throw the ball the same exact way. This is where Hammer's videos excel here, as they have the tweener, the wheeler, the cranker, the down-and-in player, and the lefty. You get to see how the ball reacts from various angles as well as different hands altogether. There is also less of a sales pitch here, as they get down to what the bowler really looks for, which is specs, layouts, ball motion, and reaction.
We see ball motion and reaction, basic RG/Diff and finish, but nothing on other specs and layouts in the videos for the Champion, Pursuit/Pursuit-S, Mission X, none of the mid-range balls, and almost the Challenge (they did show pin-up/down and polished versions).
Isn't it also interesting that the last two balls that really sold well for them were thrown by those with the most versatile lines, and both of those being the Mission and Mission 250K? Kulick, Mika, and Allen sold those balls and then some.
Isn't it also interesting that in any Ebonite video, the ones that had anything as far as specs and layouts go were the Mission, Vital Sign, Hardball/Curveball, and Total NV balls, all of which were made with Ussery's assistance before he went on to become Hammer's brand manager?
I just don't know what the answer is to problem. I really don't. But I'm not saying that the company is going downhill, because they are selling and still selling well. But others here are saying it: It's the equipment that sells, not the marketing, and from their videos, more is being spent on marketing, which isn't helping. We know that their R&D and manufacturing are great; it may be that their presentation is just off, or isn't appealing to the younger bowlers, like the other brands are.. I don't know.
What I do know is that everyone here (at least those posting here, as they've seem to care about what I said, and I thank them for that) doesn't want to see Ebonite go the way of the dodo. I know they'll bounce back and bounce back strong, but I don't know when, especially with the fact that there is so much variety and competition out there now.
BL.
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@bradl,
Hi, I also almost have an exclusive ebonite arsenal. It helps keep things in order when planning the roster. I only go to another brand for a specific ball that is not filled by the line.
I wouldn't worry overly much about the existence/continuation of Ebonite. I think they are doing well overseas.
As to Mr jones using an older ball, it just furthermore reinforces my observation that the offerings from Ebo are getting to be too strong. I have the Missions, including the 250k, the Ones, and I still have to wait for an Open tournament to be able to use them. Have a friend who has two arsenal, Ebo for the longer or thicker patterns, and Seismic for league. I also see an increasing number of people getting frustrated with a particular (Ebo) ball not working for them, just because the ball is too much for the conditions.
Rather, I would like to see Ebo make balls with bigger differences in "job description", than all these multi releases with maybe 2 to 4 boards differences. It actually makes things more confusing, and drives the not so studious bowler away.
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I appreciate the thoughtfulness and quality of your post. This is provoking a very interesting discussion indeed.
I bowl all over Northern California and Storm dominates the region if what you see on the racks is any indication. I would say Hammer and DV8 are next in line.
I rarely if ever see Ebonite balls themselves featured prominently in the pro shops, but always see Storm/Roto, Hammer, and Columbia. I don't understand why.
Lately it seems I see Brunswick balls creeping into the shops around here, but that might be that I am noticing them because that's all I throw any more.
I am very happy that in the midst of consolidation that we have many smaller companies such as Seismic, Lane #1, Lordfield, Motiv, and Visionary that are still doing well, but that's another topic.
Why Ebonite seemingly neglects that name brand but does fairly well with it's other brands is a mystery to me!
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I appreciate the thoughtfulness and quality of your post. This is provoking a very interesting discussion indeed.
I bowl all over Northern California and Storm dominates the region if what you see on the racks is any indication. I would say Hammer and DV8 are next in line.
I rarely if ever see Ebonite balls themselves featured prominently in the pro shops, but always see Storm/Roto, Hammer, and Columbia. I don't understand why.
Lately it seems I see Brunswick balls creeping into the shops around here, but that might be that I am noticing them because that's all I throw any more.
I am very happy that in the midst of consolidation that we have many smaller companies such as Seismic, Lane #1, Lordfield, Motiv, and Visionary that are still doing well, but that's another topic.
Why Ebonite seemingly neglects that name brand but does fairly well with it's other brands is a mystery to me!
I think you hit one of the nails on the head here. Also being in NorCal, I see the same thing, and as I mentioned before, it's a bit of a shock especially when coming from Vegas. It was no more than 6 months ago that Hulsenberg's shop had at least 4 Ebonite balls on the shelves, with a good showing of Hammer, Columbia, and Track. They even had a Demo days there.
Now? probably 75% Storm, with a splash of Hammer, Roto-Grip, and Track (there's another pro shop in town which the owner is on Track's staff, but that's another topic). I honestly felt like I was out of touch when I had them order and punch up a Challenge for me, even though they punched up the last 5 Ebonite balls for me.
I also seem to be the only one in my house that throws Ebonite equipment the night of my league. Everyone else across my league and the other 3 around me have mainly Track, Storm, the odd gold Rhino Pro, DV8, and a few splashes of Hammer (Taboo, BW, BW Bite, etc.) It just seems really unusual to me that I'm throwing something that is, for lack of a better word, unique in the area.
@ambi1
I think you're right about the gear being too strong. I started the night out with my Domination, and was throwing the same line as one of the other guys on my pair, who was using a B/S Taboo. I saw that that line was breaking down fast, so I made a 5 and 3 move left and went up to the Challenge, and pushed the oil out towards him, giving him major over/under. That dropped his 2nd game score by roughly 40 pins (240 down to mid 180s).
Ebonite's gear is strong, but still very controllable, so I still really don't get why they don't have much traction here, whereas Storm, which may have decent gear, can't be kept in stock to save its life..
Like I said, I don't know if it is just a bad area, marketing, not enough visibility, or what, but I don't know if this is also happening elsewhere in the country outside of here and Vegas.. if so, I'm not sure what could or should be done to stem that tide..
BL.
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If you are reading this and haven't had confidence in a Ebonite piece in a while wait until early March. The new Champion from Ebonite is a special piece. I can honestly say no ball in the current line and or the last 4 years has given me the ball reaction I receive when throwing the Champion. This ball will contend for ball of the year. What a awesome display of cover core combo. This ball will match all styles and is very driller friendly. So if you are curious, stay tuned it will be available shortly.
- Nathan Michalowski
Bowl to Win
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If you are reading this and haven't had confidence in a Ebonite piece in a while wait until early March. The new Champion from Ebonite is a special piece. I can honestly say no ball in the current line and or the last 4 years has given me the ball reaction I receive when throwing the Champion. This ball will contend for ball of the year. What a awesome display of cover core combo. This ball will match all styles and is very driller friendly. So if you are curious, stay tuned it will be available shortly.
Please don't get me wrong here.. I have complete confidence in Ebonite's equipment, otherwise I wouldn't have stayed with them as long as I have. In fact, After seeing the surfaces on the Challenge that TJ uses in the video, I was looking at getting another Challenge pin up and polished to go with my OOB pin up Challenge so I could keep throwing the same ball and layout throughout a lane's transition.. Then I saw Hammer's First Blood, and was really leaning towards getting that, and going back to balling down when the lanes change.
Now with the Champion, I'm back on the bubble. How does it compare to the First Blood, let alone the Challenge?
BL.
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Please remember that Ebonite, Hammer, Columbia, Track and I think AMF are all Ebonite. Storm and Roto are the smae corporation. Brunswick Devi8, MoRich and now Radical are all Brunswick. Visionary, is on it's own, as are Lane #1 and Motive I think. Lord Field and some others are Chinese, I believe. So there really aren't as many ball companies as it looks at first glance. Remeber there are no magic balls, only magic bowlers!
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dukeofearl- Here is the list of the companies:
The big companies
EBI: Ebonite, Hammer, Track, Columbia 300
Storm: Storm, Roto Grip, Azo
Brunswick: Brunswick, DV8, Radical
900 Global: 900 Global, AMF
The Independent Companies
MoRich: poured by Brunswick
Lane #1: poured by 900 Global (used to be Brunswick)
Seismic: poured by 900 Global
Motiv: poured in-house (Brunswick's old plant in Michigan)
Lord Field: from South Korea IIRC
Visionary: poured in-house
Elite: poured in China
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Unlike the other companies Ebonite has positioned itself in a way that hasn't been able to create brand loyalty.
Back in the Vortex/Cat Series/Stinger/Tornado days followed by the Gamebreaker/One Series days Ebonite had a much stronger following because there were 3-4 balls that the overwhelming majority deemed GREAT and word of mouth caught on. Every time you went to a league or tournament, people were winning and scoring with the Vortex 2, One, Angular One, Game Breaker, Predator, Savage, Stinger Low Flare, SR 300. You saw those balls so much that you wanted to try them, and when there was 5 or 6 great balls like that out at the same time, it was easy to put together an arsenal and feel like you were a part of a brand. The bowlers who BUY (not staffers), more than anything want to feel like they are a part of something. They want to be able to say "My brand is better/hits harder/hooks on the backend more/wins more on the PBA/has more honor scores in my league....than your brand".
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Ebonite makes bad equipment. I'm sure it's probaly awesome and performs as well on the lanes as any other company. Look at the success and loyalty that the Hammer and Track brands have built coming out of the same company. Whatever their marketing strategy as a brand has been has not been able to captivate the bowlers who buy the most equipment as to why they should be a part of the Ebonite brand exclusively.
During my college bowling and pro shop operating days, I was a hardcore Ebonite fan. Something about their equipment always felt right in my hands. Their staff, customer service, demo days, and concern for the livelihood of pro shops was what made me say:
"Ok, if I'm not under contract, this is the company I want to spend my money with. I believe in their message, I believe in their equipment."
Somehow they need to find a way to get this message to correlate to the people that they want to pay for their equipment. Their other brands have found a way, and many of the other companies. There's alot of good equipment out and alot of companies have found their niche. What's Ebonite's?
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Not only do I agree, but I will take it a little further. I think the quality of equipment in general is poor. The cover stock is now designed to provide more and more hook but also more and more cover stock failure because of oil absorption. You talk to Ebonite Companies staff or pro shop owners and they tell you - Oh its the way you take care of your equipment, bull hockey! I think they need to not worry so much about hook as longevity and quality of equipment then maybe you wont have to produce a new ball every quarter.
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I DISAGREE JEE. I HAVE SEVERAL EBONITE BALLS AND USE THE MAINTENCE GUIDE TO CLEAN THEM AND HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE QUALITY. HAVE A MISSION WITH 250+ GAMES AND NO ISSUES. HAD IT RESURFACES ONE TIME DUE TO KNICKS. SAME WITH MY GAMEBREAKER.I CLEAN EACH BALL AFTER EVERY USE AND USE HOT WATER AND DAWN EVERY 50 - 75 GAMES TO GET THE OIL OUT AND HAVE NOT SEEN ANY DIFFERENCE FROM THE TIME I GOT THEM. NO PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF THE 10 EBONITE BALLS I HAVE. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH MY EQUIPMENT IS THE OPERATOR. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE WITH EBONITE IS THE PRICES. CAN NOT AFFORD THE NEW BALLS AND HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEY ARE ON CLEARANCE TO GET THEM AT A DECENT PRICE.AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED , USBC IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE CHANGES THEY HAVE PUT IN PLACE. ANY BALL THAT WAS PRODUCED BEFORE THE RULES CHANGES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE PRODUCED.MAYBE PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE ARE NOT BOWLING ANYMORE. BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY...
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I DISAGREE JEE. I HAVE SEVERAL EBONITE BALLS AND USE THE MAINTENCE GUIDE TO CLEAN THEM AND HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE QUALITY. HAVE A MISSION WITH 250+ GAMES AND NO ISSUES. HAD IT RESURFACES ONE TIME DUE TO KNICKS. SAME WITH MY GAMEBREAKER.I CLEAN EACH BALL AFTER EVERY USE AND USE HOT WATER AND DAWN EVERY 50 - 75 GAMES TO GET THE OIL OUT AND HAVE NOT SEEN ANY DIFFERENCE FROM THE TIME I GOT THEM. NO PROBLEMS WITH ANY OF THE 10 EBONITE BALLS I HAVE. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH MY EQUIPMENT IS THE OPERATOR. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE WITH EBONITE IS THE PRICES. CAN NOT AFFORD THE NEW BALLS AND HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEY ARE ON CLEARANCE TO GET THEM AT A DECENT PRICE.AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED , USBC IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE CHANGES THEY HAVE PUT IN PLACE. ANY BALL THAT WAS PRODUCED BEFORE THE RULES CHANGES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE PRODUCED.MAYBE PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE ARE NOT BOWLING ANYMORE. BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY...
And I also have to agree here.
Quality of the equipment here isn't the problem. They've always put out great gear, and the quality of it has never been questioned. What the problem here (at least what I am seeing) is that the customers' loyalty to the brand is severely diminishing, and "why" is the question. Again, I'll use my experience here.
Up here in Sacramento, You could count on your fingers and toes how many people here are throwing Ebonite equipment, and that is including me being one of them. By contrast, I just went back home to Vegas and checked on my things, plus stopped by my pro shop down there. They are seeing similar, but Ebonite is still being sold down there. I'm gathering that the reason is that other manufacturers are coming on strong, not only with presence on tour and in big tournaments, but also because of media presentation. Hammer and Track are phenomenal with how they release new balls and present them in their videos. Ebonite is seriously lagging in that aspect, and are completely one dimensional. I've already mentioned the whole marketing vs. presentation thing so I won't rehash that.
Where I disagree here is price. Price is definitely *not* the problem. You have been buying high performance balls, you know? Undrilled, you are looking at roughly $160 - 180USD, and that is across the board for all of EBI's high performance gear. If you're concerned about price and still want the performance, you should look at EBI's midrange balls.
What I do not know is how much competitor's gear (Storm, etc.) is priced OOB and undrilled, especially for the high performance equipment. If there is a difference, that would definitely explain the quality, because out of the 20 years I've been throwing Ebonite gear, I have only had *1* problem with their equipment (the first batch of Turbo X balls had a separated core; they immediately replaced it). I still have those balls and they perform just as good as when I bought it. But if prices are comparable, then I doubt that it has anything to do with how much they are selling them for, but more on the performance, presentation, and presence of the brand to the public, and that's just part of what I see..
BL.
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I am starting to return to bowling after almost a 7 year absence. Prior to my absence I used only Ebonite and Brunswick, with Ebonite being my favorite. My parents also bowl and both use Ebonite Missions. My Dad liked his so much he bought another. However, he is now looking at the Storm Sync for his next ball due to the high "buzz factor" at the lanes.
In any event, here is why I did *not* select an Ebonite ball this time. Due to physical limitations I am now relegated to throwing 12lb equipment (previously used 14lb.) Dynamic integrity at that weight is crucial. While Ebonite's website does provide the RG/Diff specs of the lower weight, they do not provide images of the core shapes of the lower weight equipment. By virtue of the fact that all of Ebonite's 12lb balls have the same RG/Diff specs I can only assume they all have the same core. Regardless of whether I get a Champion, Innovate, or Endure they are all the same except for coverstock. This is very disappointing.
I ended up with a 12lb Storm VG Nano. It has a similar core shape compared to the higher weight versions, which gave me a little more confidence in the dynamic integrity. Additionally, Storm's 12lb balls have variations in the RG/Diff specs across their offerings which further indicates dynamic differences. Less important, but still a factor in my decision, was the price of the ball. I was able to get it on recent closeout for less than $90 (a 12lb Champion would be $160+ and be dynamically identical to a $120 Endure...why bother?)
Ebonite needs to understand that bowling has a large contingent of participants who are getting older, weaker, or developing other physical issues unrelated to age. They cannot throw 14/15/16lb equipment forever. Ebonite should consider spending some additional money on R&D to offer balls with additional dynamic integrity. There is a market for this, whether they want to acknowledge it or not. I am putting the time into doing my best on the lanes and it is important that the equipment also gives me a fighting chance. Ebonite does not give me confidence that their current line-up would offer me that fighting chance.
My money will be spent with companies that seem to be making an effort to try and give bowlers the opportunity to fully experience their offerings even in the lower weights. If Ebonite goes this route, I will come back. Until then, Storm, Lane1, Brunswick, and Roto Grip will get my attention.
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I live and bowl all over in the cincinnati area and ebonite has completely faded away.. There is only 2 pro shops i know of that actually sell ebonite products and there are mulitple ones in the area at that. I see multiple cyclones but other than that, i havent seen many other ebonite balls thrown besides maybe a few endures which the guy sold dirt cheap since he just couldnt get rid of them. Track and Hammer do exceptionally well around here while ebonite and columbia are just kinda off in a corner on their own. Granted here where i live there are probably 10 staffers, only one of them is sponsored by any EBI brands and it happens to be hammer. All the rest are either Brunswick, Storm, or Motiv. I myself stick to Storm or Roto grip with me throwing 2 handed. But if anyone from ebonite is feeling froggy and wants to send any free stuff, ill show you what the ball does and cant do in a video without any goofy bond crap or anything :)