Couple points. First those storm videos are so easy to follow that anyone "should" be able to understand after watching them a couple times. Second, I agree 110% with you about layouts. Average joe isn't gonna see or feel the difference that someone Like Zach would. I tend to keep it simple for people in the shop. A symmertric and Asym layout for people unless I know they something particular. Keep it simple as I can, no layout will change bad execution.
Oh man, good luck finding a coach in central Wisconsin! It's about as easy as finding a PSO who actually returns calls to get your balls drilled. 🙄 I've been looking since January! I'm going to have to start looking for one online but I'm not overly excited about that style of learning something like bowling.
The Storm layout videos are really good. It can be tough to understand at first though. I had to watch them several times over a period of weeks before it really clicked.
Can confirm! I spent the summer taking lessons and running drills instead of bowling in a league or tournaments and I am far more consistent now and actually have a PAP! Also, make your damn spares! I averaged 175 last season mostly due to a bad spare game! Get a spare ball, make a spare shooting system!
Nice continuation. The problem with people combing videos, is proper communication. I can't emphasize enough how many videos are FILLED with wrong statements. And some of them are not because the creator doesn't have the correct information, but because they are not precise in choice of words, or exaggerate etc.
That's why I like to have stuff written down rather than just "shooting from the hip," and even then it's hard to explain and I still feel like I wasn't clear enough or didn't say what I wanted to say.
@@LukeRosdahl Indeed. And it shows. For example the youtuber JR raymond, often falls into this mistake. Sometimes due to bad choice of words, other times because he really doesn't know better. But the problem is, he always thinks he does :P When he realizes what he said wrong, he comes back with "i knew that BUT ...bla bla" type of answer.
It all goes back to something you said in a video many many years ago, you should be more worried about the ball you are choosing matching up versus what layout is on it.
Just about any layout works on house shot. On tougher conditions I just notice that layouts slightly change the way a ball goes through the pins. The difference between strikes corner pins and back row splits.
Luke again speaking facts to idiots. I say all the time that "layouts don't matter" and that's because for people who are new to the sport or don't understand ball dynamics, THAT'S TRUE. Put the holes in a reasonable position and let the ball dynamics\design intent control the overall ball motion. From there, the surface can be adjusted to fine-tune the reaction. SO MANY people in certain forums\groups stress and obsess over "What layout should I use?" when it really does not matter as long as the pin is in a reasonable location. Mouth-breathers yell at me when I say this because they have an overinflated sense of their ball-drilling genius. They're wrong. Period.
Curious: When it comes to terms like "arsenal" and "cores". im usually left wondering if i should take one core lineup in my bag , since the company usually just slaps 3 or more different covers on it , or just keep a variety in my bag. I know its all self based but when the bowling company keeps pumping out different bowling balls and telling me why i should have it in my bag. Then having to worry about putting said "layouts" on it hoping its a good one. I know its all marketing but sometimes im wondering if i should get the "latest" ball when its just a different coverstock. Sorry for rambling but some simple things in the bowling world dont feel so simple.
IMO shapes are what matter vs what you have already Rg and diff is usually what I consider first based on my revs and speed then how the ball reacts early mid or late smooth or flip Color coverstock and cores can vary Same coverstock hk22, Rex, can be hugely diff with diff cores A good pro shop operator who looks at your current arsenal and actually asks what are looking for in your next ball can be a life saver and talk about layout after all that is determined Again totally only IMO Don’t drink the kool aid!
Bowling tech is largely playing mr. potato head at this point. Between staying within the rules and just the general zone where good ball reaction lives, there's really nowhere else for them to go. I do like having a variety of cores and cover strengths, but you'll find what works for you or what you generally use. If you're not a big tournament bowler or at least a big tough condition tournament bowler, it's not going to have to be super complicated. The biggest part of why the simple things don't feel simple is somewhat marketing, but mostly bowler ignorance and stupidity. The vast majority of people have no idea what they're talking about, and when you just forget everything people say and take a look at the basics, it gets actually fairly simple. A few cover strengths, the videos teach you about how cores and layouts work, once you get that to click, that's pretty simple, and then thinking of surface like racing slicks vs snow tires, I'll talk about that in the next video, you can get to a place where you don't necessarily understand it all, but you get the point or the concept.
My wife recently had an old ball plugged and redrilled by a local PSO. An old Ebonite Playmaker. She's right-handed, but now when she throws it, it hooks to the right instead of left... She's learning how to handle it, but it's crazy.
Well maybe it was drilled for a lefty amd she is probably coming straight up the back too. With a lefty drilled ball and straight ball it would go left
Storm's used to be, or at least the strength on paper used to match the strength on the lane, but a lot of the newer covers are pretty significantly misplaced as far as I'm concerned. ReX is apparently their third strongest cover, but it's significantly cleaner and weaker than NRG/MicroTrax, and the EXO cover that's their strongest cover on paper is also weaker than NRG/MicroTrax, at least from a ball reaction perspective. How strength is measured on paper may differ from the results we get on the lane, so I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm just saying that paper to lane isn't translating as well as it used to. However, the last Roto Grip one I saw is straight up wrong because they're just ranking the cover versions based on recency, not actual strength. Current eTrax and VTC is nowhere near as strong as eTrax 20 and VTC 20 were. The other brands really don't have cover charts, Motiv has an overall ball strength chart that is simple and seems to be pretty accurate, and I think a couple of the B7 brands have something similar, but they really just rank the balls rather than cores/covers independently.
@LukeRosdahl Thanks a ton for the info. Just got a firm grasp of RG and differential, but trying to learn about the dozens of coverstocks on the market is my new issue.
@LukeRosdahl Hammer gives a 1 - 10 score for cover, box finish, and core strength, along with a combined score of the 3. Comparing a big ball like the Widow 3.0 to a ball down like the Hazmat solid: Widow gets 10 / 8.75 / 8.75 (Cover / Finish / Core) Hazmat Solid gets 9.75 / 9 / 8.75
@@LukeRosdahl Motiv actually posted their cover and core charts on facebook recently. Not sure if they are on their website or not. ETA: Went to look. Cover was posted July 30. Core on June 28. Motiv Bowling on Facebook (the company page, not the group one - though maybe someone posted them there as well).
I find that 57.8 x 5 63/128 x 24.3 gives me the most optimal reaction on most conditions 😂😂😂 Seriously though, layouts are fun to obsess over but people need to draw the line somewhere. I’ve been focusing on learning about cores and layouts for years but I’ve recently switched to looking for any info on cover formulas as I can find. And there’s not much, unfortunately.
To be clear, he went from "layouts don't matter" to "layouts don't matter to league bowlers" to "layouts do matter but only when the ball hits the friction". And that's all I'm going to say on that.
Those 3 Storm videos have been the best out there for a long time! Thanks for reminding everyone.
Agreed!! My main layout is 4x4x4 2LS.
Couple points. First those storm videos are so easy to follow that anyone "should" be able to understand after watching them a couple times. Second, I agree 110% with you about layouts. Average joe isn't gonna see or feel the difference that someone Like Zach would. I tend to keep it simple for people in the shop. A symmertric and Asym layout for people unless I know they something particular. Keep it simple as I can, no layout will change bad execution.
Some of your best stuff! 👍
Excellent presentation , I appreciate you starting this new series for us . Thanks Professor !
Oh man, good luck finding a coach in central Wisconsin! It's about as easy as finding a PSO who actually returns calls to get your balls drilled. 🙄 I've been looking since January! I'm going to have to start looking for one online but I'm not overly excited about that style of learning something like bowling.
Excellent class an apple for the professor
The Storm layout videos are really good. It can be tough to understand at first though. I had to watch them several times over a period of weeks before it really clicked.
I was the same until I decided to forget dual angle and just go in blind and I had the eureka moment.
💯 correct great content 4 bowling, you and your family be safe. America
Can confirm! I spent the summer taking lessons and running drills instead of bowling in a league or tournaments and I am far more consistent now and actually have a PAP!
Also, make your damn spares! I averaged 175 last season mostly due to a bad spare game! Get a spare ball, make a spare shooting system!
This is great to hear and what it's all about!!
Nice continuation. The problem with people combing videos, is proper communication. I can't emphasize enough how many videos are FILLED with wrong statements. And some of them are not because the creator doesn't have the correct information, but because they are not precise in choice of words, or exaggerate etc.
That's why I like to have stuff written down rather than just "shooting from the hip," and even then it's hard to explain and I still feel like I wasn't clear enough or didn't say what I wanted to say.
@@LukeRosdahl Indeed. And it shows. For example the youtuber JR raymond, often falls into this mistake. Sometimes due to bad choice of words, other times because he really doesn't know better. But the problem is, he always thinks he does :P When he realizes what he said wrong, he comes back with "i knew that BUT ...bla bla" type of answer.
It all goes back to something you said in a video many many years ago, you should be more worried about the ball you are choosing matching up versus what layout is on it.
Just about any layout works on house shot. On tougher conditions I just notice that layouts slightly change the way a ball goes through the pins. The difference between strikes corner pins and back row splits.
Feature the doggo in every video and I bet engagement goes up.
Luke again speaking facts to idiots. I say all the time that "layouts don't matter" and that's because for people who are new to the sport or don't understand ball dynamics, THAT'S TRUE. Put the holes in a reasonable position and let the ball dynamics\design intent control the overall ball motion. From there, the surface can be adjusted to fine-tune the reaction.
SO MANY people in certain forums\groups stress and obsess over "What layout should I use?" when it really does not matter as long as the pin is in a reasonable location. Mouth-breathers yell at me when I say this because they have an overinflated sense of their ball-drilling genius. They're wrong. Period.
Curious: When it comes to terms like "arsenal" and "cores". im usually left wondering if i should take one core lineup in my bag , since the company usually just slaps 3 or more different covers on it , or just keep a variety in my bag. I know its all self based but when the bowling company keeps pumping out different bowling balls and telling me why i should have it in my bag. Then having to worry about putting said "layouts" on it hoping its a good one. I know its all marketing but sometimes im wondering if i should get the "latest" ball when its just a different coverstock. Sorry for rambling but some simple things in the bowling world dont feel so simple.
IMO shapes are what matter vs what you have already
Rg and diff is usually what I consider first based on my revs and speed then how the ball reacts early mid or late smooth or flip
Color coverstock and cores can vary
Same coverstock hk22, Rex, can be hugely diff with diff cores
A good pro shop operator who looks at your current arsenal and actually asks what are looking for in your next ball can be a life saver and talk about layout after all that is determined
Again totally only
IMO
Don’t drink the kool aid!
Bowling tech is largely playing mr. potato head at this point. Between staying within the rules and just the general zone where good ball reaction lives, there's really nowhere else for them to go. I do like having a variety of cores and cover strengths, but you'll find what works for you or what you generally use. If you're not a big tournament bowler or at least a big tough condition tournament bowler, it's not going to have to be super complicated.
The biggest part of why the simple things don't feel simple is somewhat marketing, but mostly bowler ignorance and stupidity. The vast majority of people have no idea what they're talking about, and when you just forget everything people say and take a look at the basics, it gets actually fairly simple. A few cover strengths, the videos teach you about how cores and layouts work, once you get that to click, that's pretty simple, and then thinking of surface like racing slicks vs snow tires, I'll talk about that in the next video, you can get to a place where you don't necessarily understand it all, but you get the point or the concept.
My wife recently had an old ball plugged and redrilled by a local PSO. An old Ebonite Playmaker. She's right-handed, but now when she throws it, it hooks to the right instead of left... She's learning how to handle it, but it's crazy.
Well maybe it was drilled for a lefty amd she is probably coming straight up the back too. With a lefty drilled ball and straight ball it would go left
@@StephRenee812 yep. We figured that out and got it fixed. She's doing well with it now.
How reliable would you (anyone please feel free to chime in) say each brands cover strength charts are? Are they fairly accurate?
Storm's used to be, or at least the strength on paper used to match the strength on the lane, but a lot of the newer covers are pretty significantly misplaced as far as I'm concerned. ReX is apparently their third strongest cover, but it's significantly cleaner and weaker than NRG/MicroTrax, and the EXO cover that's their strongest cover on paper is also weaker than NRG/MicroTrax, at least from a ball reaction perspective. How strength is measured on paper may differ from the results we get on the lane, so I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm just saying that paper to lane isn't translating as well as it used to.
However, the last Roto Grip one I saw is straight up wrong because they're just ranking the cover versions based on recency, not actual strength. Current eTrax and VTC is nowhere near as strong as eTrax 20 and VTC 20 were.
The other brands really don't have cover charts, Motiv has an overall ball strength chart that is simple and seems to be pretty accurate, and I think a couple of the B7 brands have something similar, but they really just rank the balls rather than cores/covers independently.
@LukeRosdahl Thanks a ton for the info. Just got a firm grasp of RG and differential, but trying to learn about the dozens of coverstocks on the market is my new issue.
@LukeRosdahl Hammer gives a 1 - 10 score for cover, box finish, and core strength, along with a combined score of the 3. Comparing a big ball like the Widow 3.0 to a ball down like the Hazmat solid:
Widow gets 10 / 8.75 / 8.75 (Cover / Finish / Core)
Hazmat Solid gets 9.75 / 9 / 8.75
@@LukeRosdahl Motiv actually posted their cover and core charts on facebook recently. Not sure if they are on their website or not.
ETA: Went to look. Cover was posted July 30. Core on June 28. Motiv Bowling on Facebook (the company page, not the group one - though maybe someone posted them there as well).
You need lessons 😂😂😂😂
I find that 57.8 x 5 63/128 x 24.3 gives me the most optimal reaction on most conditions 😂😂😂
Seriously though, layouts are fun to obsess over but people need to draw the line somewhere. I’ve been focusing on learning about cores and layouts for years but I’ve recently switched to looking for any info on cover formulas as I can find. And there’s not much, unfortunately.
To be clear, he went from "layouts don't matter" to "layouts don't matter to league bowlers" to "layouts do matter but only when the ball hits the friction". And that's all I'm going to say on that.