win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!  (Read 11918 times)

Armourboy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 367
Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« on: August 11, 2013, 05:30:24 AM »
Ok so with the advent of the almighty Youtube and the ability to go back and watch old PBA matches before I got into the sport ( probably about 1998) I've noticed a ton of balls that I flat out don't know what they are or even who made them in some cases.

Now I've figured out some of them by going through the old approved list based around the year they were used, but that doesn't really give me a ton of info on what people thought about them at the time.

Like today, just found out Norm Duke used to throw a ball from a company named Champion that apparently had them poured by Faball.

So ok really what I'm after is those odd little tidbits about how things were, how balls reacted, who threw what when, why they no longer throw it or what ball you wished the would completely reintroduce.

On a side note I've spent the last day or so looking at the matches from the change over from urethane to reactive urethane and the difference it was. Norm Duke wheeling it across the lane in a match or two blew my mind lol. I've pretty much only seen him throw more down and in so it was a bit of a shock to the system.

 

mainzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4405
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2013, 04:06:12 PM »
not as old as the stuff you guys are discussing but the AZO Ultima RP was incredible ball.

I loved the C300 Primal Rage and Tour Boss. The Quake was the ball Bob Learn used to shot 9 million with on tv
"No one runs...from the conquerer "

MainzerPower

Armourboy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 367
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2013, 04:14:47 PM »
Yeah Eureka did make one called the Tank http://www.123bowl.com/ball.cfm?ballid=1094


Also so far the ugliest ball I've seen so far is this Manhattan Rubber one http://www.123bowl.com/ball.cfm?ballid=1399

That Shark had a weird core in it, and I've seen several others with some pretty odd combos as well.

Think its interesting that in a lot of ways the small manufacturers are the ones that seem more than anyone to drive innovation. Sometimes it appears it worked and sometimes it doesn't, just sad to know that almost always they get gobbled up.

charlest

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 24523
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2013, 04:25:54 PM »
Anybody remember Star Trak? I had a few of them, Reactor Blue pearl, Red pearl and the X-15.

Yup!
I still have a 15 lb Reactor Red and a Reactor Blue NIB!
"None are so blind as those who will not see."

Doug Sterner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4395
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2013, 04:27:02 PM »
sd.....Yes the Tude series did have a I, II and III but they were sequential releases, the AMForces were all released at the same time, designed for different bowler styles and ball reactions.

mainzer.....wasn't Learn on AMF staff at that time? I thought he was using a Ninja RPM or RPM Swirl...a Mo Pinel cored ball by the way :-)
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY

Proud Member of the NRA
Fighting to uphold the Constitution of the U.S.

stormed1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1755
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2013, 04:39:57 PM »
I still have a Blue Infinity from back in the day. Poured by Hammer for a chicago based company
Current arsenal


Break Down 60x4.5x60 @3k+polish
coming soon X,Desert Ops,Special Ops, Shadow Ops., Truth Pearl ,Drift

EL

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 887
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #21 on: August 11, 2013, 05:01:14 PM »
How about this one......the teal (pearl) HSP? High Score Products became.....??? Had one and it was an amazing ball

Doug Sterner

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4395
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #22 on: August 11, 2013, 05:22:17 PM »
HSP's first 2 balls were the Blue Pearl Storm and the Teal Pearl Storm.....HSP got renamed and became Storm Products.
Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY

Proud Member of the NRA
Fighting to uphold the Constitution of the U.S.

Armourboy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 367
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #23 on: August 11, 2013, 05:31:09 PM »
Yeah I googled it real quick and /facepalmed.

I knew who HSP was just couldn't get my brain working. Explains why I was having a hard time finding it on the ball lists lol

JohnP

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5819
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2013, 05:33:46 PM »
Quote
Why was I thinking Voss had something with Champion? As I type it though I know I am wrong. AMForce was not the only ones to have the number system. The Attitude series was I, II, and III. From what I saw the 'Tude II was the most popular around my area.

I think Brunswick first came up with the numbering system, back in the rubber ball days - mid '60's.  They had a three ball series, called T1, T2, and T3.  As I remember, they were a dull blue color, T1 was the least hooking.  I didn't have one, but they were pretty popular for a while in the center I bowled in.  --  JohnP

Track_Fanatic

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 975
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #25 on: August 11, 2013, 05:36:07 PM »
I still have a Blue Infinity from back in the day. Poured by Hammer for a chicago based company

I had a black infinity. I also has a yellow sun storm that was by HSP which as stated is now Storm. 

Armourboy

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 367
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2013, 05:43:55 PM »
I still have a Blue Infinity from back in the day. Poured by Hammer for a chicago based company

I had a black infinity. I also has a yellow sun storm that was by HSP which as stated is now Storm.

That Storm ball is interesting looking heh

http://www.123bowl.com/ball.cfm?ballid=336

mainzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4405
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #27 on: August 11, 2013, 06:02:42 PM »
Doug i could have sworn it was the quake. I bugged my parents about getting one for months after i watched that show

Here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nceWYfiO1jg&feature=youtube_gdata_player
« Last Edit: August 11, 2013, 06:10:22 PM by mainzer »
"No one runs...from the conquerer "

MainzerPower

batbowler

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1862
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #28 on: August 11, 2013, 06:21:08 PM »
That's the RPM, which was purple! Look at the logo on the shirt, RPM! You can see AMF above the fingers as well! I remember that he used AMF back in the day and that was an awesome ball! Mo Pinel did a lot of design work for them! http://www.bowlingballvault.com/images/stories/jreviews/1249_RPM_1266771986.jpg
« Last Edit: August 11, 2013, 06:41:42 PM by batbowler »
Bruce Campbell
Coaches aren't born, they are made!
USBC Silver Certified Coach
          
www.rotogrip.com
www.stormbowling.com
www.radicalbowling.com
www.damngoodbowling.com

Changing bowling, one bowler at a time!

mainzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4405
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #29 on: August 11, 2013, 06:40:53 PM »
Well not the first time i have been wrong lol
"No one runs...from the conquerer "

MainzerPower

backupball

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 539
Re: Great Balls of the past or odd companies even!
« Reply #30 on: August 11, 2013, 07:47:44 PM »
The Budwiser "Bow Tie" ball is a ball that caused a lawsuit against the PBA, but was thrown on the PWBA shows.