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Author Topic: Crowd Sourced Ball Chart  (Read 1968 times)

keegan.mier

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Crowd Sourced Ball Chart
« on: November 10, 2020, 12:30:01 PM »
I have been kicking around this idea for a while, and I thought here would be the best place to get it started. The idea is, since we all have different brand preferences, and different experiences with the same bowling balls, we could come together and do some sort of comparison chart for the different bowling balls across all of the brands, with a bit more nuance than just the numbers. That being said there will be a ranking system with numbers. Cover Strength-0-100. The core strength will be represented by its actual numbers. Midlane Strength- 0-20, 10 being the middle of your bag. Backend Strength, 0-20, 10 being the middle of your bag. Final static numerical value would be the box surface. Where the nuance comes in is the ability to say what different surfaces change or make that specific ball do, or the layout that you put on it. The surface level information will be presented as an average, with the nuances being on a separate page.

 

Bowler19525

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Re: Crowd Sourced Ball Chart
« Reply #1 on: November 10, 2020, 12:54:33 PM »
I usually use this to get that kind of general comparison, and I have found it does a great job for comparing balls across different brands

https://www.bowlingthismonth.com/ball-comparison/

Getting as granular as layout would be tough since the same layout will react differently for each bowler.  There would also need to be a method to account for lane condition, and then it gets really tough to parse all of the data to determine how the ball would actually roll for you.

lefty50

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Re: Crowd Sourced Ball Chart
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2020, 07:45:36 AM »
Agreed, it would be too subjective. Nice idea, but it couldn't be trusted. Hey 19525, great link, thanks for sharing.

dizzyfugu

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Re: Crowd Sourced Ball Chart
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2020, 03:52:07 AM »
Agreed, it would be too subjective.

Second that - and that's the problem. What's the minimum/maximum of this scale, and how could it be measured by anyone who throws a ball? And there are too many external factors involved that make definition and comparison almost impossible, like player style, layout, surface, lane surfaces, oil pattern, and there are more. We cannot create lab conditions for such a task - unfortunately, ball reviews and ratings will remain subjective and/or obscure.
DizzyFugu ~ Reporting from Germany