Featured Bowling Ball Reviews
Track Hx16
The Track Hx16 is the third ball in the "H" series of balls designed for high rev rate bowlers. It uses Track's dual density I-Core weight block which has been used in several previous high performance releases. This strong asymmetrical core is wrapped by Track's DR-8 Hybrid reactive coverstock, prepped with a 1000 Abralon pad and Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. Cranker liked this ball best on our medium pattern. He... [Read More]
Track Lx10
Track's third entry into the "L" class of balls designed for low rev bowlers is the Lx10. This release pairs the Face asymmetrical core with Track's sanded QR-6 Solid coverstock. This is Cranker’s favorite release out of the three "L" series balls. By leaps and bounds, the Face core has been his favorite in the trilogy, so he was excited to have this ball in his hands on our heavy... [Read More]
Track Mx05
The Track Mx05 is the third installment in Track's "M" series of balls designed for medium rev rate bowlers. It is also the third ball since the start of the new naming system that uses the Modified Kinetic weight block. This ball's polished pearl coverstock glides through the front of the lane, revs up strong in the midlane, and then makes a big move at the back part of the... [Read More]
Lane Masters Yeah Baby
The Lane Masters Yeah Baby uses the same shaped Impact core that was used in the ball with the same name some years ago. This modern version has a slightly lower RG and slightly lower differential. The big difference between the old Yeah Baby and this new one is the change in coverstock. This new release uses the Evolution XT solid reactive coverstock instead of the Diamond Particle shell that... [Read More]
Ebonite Code of Honor
Ebonite’s first high performance release of 2015 is the Code of Honor. This ball uses the same CB-2 asymmetrical core design that was in the Pivot, Pivot Point, and Honor. The Code of Honor uses a solid version of the RCS 5.0 coverstock that comes out of the box at a 3000 Abralon finish. This is a strong and absorbent coverstock that provides plenty of hook in the oil. The... [Read More]
DV8 Thug Unruly
The DV8 Thug Unruly is the second release from DV8 that uses the Thug Low RG core design. This time, this low RG, high differential core is paired with the new Class 13G Reactive Solid coverstock, which for us is easily the most aggressive coverstock used on any DV8 ball. This coverstock comes out of the box at a very rough 2000 SiaAir finish The Thug Unruly created plenty of... [Read More]
DV8 Diva Divine
The DV8 Diva Divine is the third release with the Diva name on the outside and the Diva core in the inside. This purple and pink pill is the first Diva ball that does not come polished out of the box and it easily has the most amount of total hook of the three. The Diva Divine's strong hooking motion was devastating on our medium test pattern. All three testers... [Read More]
Columbia 300 Deep Freeze
The Columbia 300 Deep Freeze is the latest release in Columbia's entry-level performance line. It uses a proven older coverstock that comes out of the box with final finishing steps of 4000 Abralon and Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. The Deep Freeze's core design is a modified version of the Messenger core that was used in the previous Freeze releases. While the shape of this weight block is the same, the... [Read More]
Roto Grip Hyper Cell Skid
The Roto Grip Hyper Cell Skid uses the Nucleus core that was used most recently in the Hyper Cell and previously in the original Cell and Cell Pearl. This coverstock is an updated 73 MH pearl that for us provided more total hook than any previous polished Roto Grip release. We used the Hyper Cell Skid with great success on our medium test pattern. As the name suggests, the Skid... [Read More]
Roto Grip Unhinged
The Roto Grip Unhinged is the latest release from Roto Grip in the HP3 line. This ball uses the same Late Roll 69 core as the Hysteria. This time, this weight block is surrounded by the 60M pearl cover that comes out of the box at a 1500 grit polished finish. This change in coverstock allows the Unhinged to have more length, back end, and total hook than the Hysteria.... [Read More]
The BTM Archive – Featured Content
Where is Your Next Level?
I’m often approached by bowlers who tell me they want to get to the next level. What is the next level, anyway? It can be many things to many bowlers, but since BTM focuses on higher average bowlers, I’m going to direct this article to bowlers who average at least 180. While the advice will... [Read More]
Little Changes That Can Make a Big Difference – Part 1
Sometimes the smallest things in bowling can make the difference between success and failure. In over 20 years of coaching at the professional level, I have learned that sometimes even a very small positive change can create a year of success for a professional bowler or competitive amateur. A small positive change can also make... [Read More]
Start to Finish – Part 1
The majority of time, at least here in the U.S., the lanes are stripped and oiled with a fresh oil pattern just before the start of league. Some of you may be thinking, “What is an oil pattern?” Some of you may already know. To make sure there is a clear understanding, the oil pattern... [Read More]
Keeping an Open Mind
What I’m about to tell you appears that I am in favor of synthetic lanes over wood lanes. I am. Wood lanes today are becoming extinct. However, to be fair to those who bowl in a wood lane house, I'll include some tips on what to look for and how to understand wood. What I’d... [Read More]
Reno, Here I Come!
If you haven’t seen the movie Miracle yet, do yourself a favor and see it immediately. It is a fantastic story about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and, more importantly, their training and preparation that culminated with an inspirational victory in New York more than twenty years ago. The dedication necessary to become a... [Read More]
Words Can Be Dangerous
My philosophy about coaching youth (in bowling or any other sport), as I have written previously, focuses on a two-fold agenda: Using the sport to teach lessons about life. Giving the youth bowler the tools to become the best bowler they can be as they mature as an athlete and a person. This is a... [Read More]
Reaching a Higher Level
To continue our understanding of how sport science can help bowlers reach a higher performance level, I share insight into biofeedback as a training tool. For peak performance, a bowler must be able to control physical response to a stressful situation. An individual will be destined for under-performance without a proactive response to an inability... [Read More]
Seven Misconceptions
One day a few weeks ago, I was watching a couple of league bowlers practicing before league. One of the bowlers bowled one game with a plastic Taboo Spare Ball. He bowled a 240 game. This indicated to me that the lanes were pretty dry, allowing enough friction for the plastic ball with its dynamic... [Read More]
