Featured Bowling Tips and Techniques Articles
Featured Bowling Ball Reviews
Hammer Bad Intentions
The Hammer Bad Intentions is the second release in the “Bad” high performance line from Hammer. This ball uses the same core design that was used in the Bad Ass and wraps it with the new Juiced Xtreme solid reactive coverstock. This cover comes from the factory prepped with a final finishing step of 2000 Abralon, making it a valuable tool on heavy oil lane conditions. The Bad Intentions was... [Read More]
Storm Rocket
The Storm Rocket is the first 2015 addition to Storm's popular Thunder line. This ball pairs the highly successful R2S Hybrid coverstock with Storm's new Booster core shape. This is the first new core shape to enter this price point in a few years. The Rocket comes out of the box at the standard 1500 grit polished finish and it will give most bowlers lots of success on medium volume... [Read More]
AMF Pure
The new AMF Pure is the latest hook monster for bowlers with lower rev rates, higher speeds, or who just flat-out want to see a ball hook. The Pure uses the same super aggressive F90 Solid coverstock that we saw previously on the Incinerate and pairs it with the same core shape that was in the Decimate. The core has been modified a small amount, giving this version of the... [Read More]
Storm Crux Pearl
The Storm Crux Pearl is the first 2015 addition to Storm’s Premier line of high performance bowling balls. This ball pairs the Catalyst core shape from the first Crux with Storm's ERG Pearl Reactive coverstock. This cover comes out of the box with Storm's standard 1500 grit polished finish. This gives the Crux Pearl added length and a much stronger change of direction downlane than the first Crux. This ball's... [Read More]
900 Global Break Down
The 900 Global Break Down uses a familiar core shape to other balls in both the Break and Eagle lines, but the densities have been altered. The changes result in a much lower differential and a higher RG. This equals to more lope through the front of the lane, with a much more controlled motion at the back of the lane. This ball is finished with the NEAT T pad,... [Read More]
Hammer Black Widow Red Legend
The Hammer Black Widow Red Legend is the follow-up to the very popular Black Widow Legend from last year. Using the proven core shape from the Black Widow line and, given how good it was in the reincarnation with the Legend, the Black Widow Red Legend had to be pretty good to not disappoint. And, it certainly did not disappoint any of our testers. The Red Legend uses the NBT... [Read More]
Columbia 300 Delirium
The Delirium is the first mid-price release for Columbia 300 of the 2015 calendar year. This ball uses the Resurgence core from the Eruption line and it is surrounded by the Bend-It Pearl coverstock that was used previously on the upper-mid priced Vow. This ball is finished with 500 and then 2000 Abralon pads before Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish is applied to it. It is rougher than previous releases and... [Read More]
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]
The BTM Archive – Featured Content
Are You Prepared to Be at Your Best?
As a coach who visits different countries, I encounter bowlers from beginners to elite national team players. At all levels, few bowlers are prepared to be their best for competition play. The objective of this month’s article is to raise awareness and provide an opportunity to self-assess your preparations as a player or coach. You... [Read More]
The Art of Unlearning
It has been four hundred years since Sir Francis Bacon wrote that “knowledge is power,” yet it has never been truer than it is today. It has always been difficult to gain knowledge as learning often entails unlearning beliefs. Unlearning is hard. In the past, it has even been dangerous. In 1633, Galileo was imprisoned... [Read More]
When to Make the Bat-Call
There comes a time when even the best bowlers in the world need to seek help from a coach. It seems to me that accomplished bowlers often wait too long before they call their coach or seek outside help. When my friend Eric Forkel was on tour, he called it making the “Bat-Call.” After a... [Read More]
Working Through a Slump
Every bowler at every level goes through a slump now and then. A slump is not just having a bad night at the lanes or a bad tournament, but several bad nights or tournaments. It’s not unusual to hear a bowler say that he or she has been in a slump for several weeks or... [Read More]
Changes
Many bowlers take the summer off before they start getting ready for the new league season. It’s during that break that many things change with the bowling environment - newer bowling balls, lane oils, or lane machines, for example. There are also changes the body has gone through during that break, even though we may... [Read More]
How Far Should You Slide?
For many readers, you will clearly recall PBA and USBC Hall of Famer Marshall Holman starting with his heels off the back of the approach running to the foul line and utilizing a very lengthy slide before releasing the ball. See an example of Marshall Holman's lengthy slide in this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHGnYQPqcJs. I hope... [Read More]
Lining Up Off Everyone Else
This is the time of year you prepare for USBC Championships and The BTM and The 123. It’s important to be mentally “all in” as well as making sure your equipment and physical game are sharp and ready for the challenge (as you read in last month’s Round Table article). There is a lot of... [Read More]
Recognizing and Producing the Matching Up Process
You’ve heard people talk about not being matched up; that’s why they lost or didn’t score well or whatever. They are very likely telling the truth. Matching up is paramount to success in bowling. It's the transference of energy from you to the ball to the pins - matching your rev rate and speed to... [Read More]
