AboutWarren Friedl Expertise 20 Years Pro Shop Owner/Operator, 17 Years Bowling Center Operator (Manager/General Manager), Certified Coach since National Bowling Council and YABA days. Also Dick Ritger and USA Bowling Bronze certified. International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter member, IBPSIA Certified, IBPSIA "On Lanes" Certified, 2 Time Member of the IBPSIA Board of Directors and Past Secretary/Treasurer, Small Shop columnist "Pro Shop Operator" Magazine, contributor to "Bowlers Journal International" magazine, editor of IBPSIA NET NEWS weekly e-newsletter, editor of "The Bowling Tree" blog and webmaster of www.revbowl.com.
Experience 20 Years operating Revolutions Pro Shops in 2nd Largest bowling ball market in the country, Chicagoland.
17 Years in Center operations as Marketing Director, Asst. Manager or General Manager, becoming GM in every Center I worked.
Organizations American Bowling Congress/USBC Member since 1976, bowling 50 years.
International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Charter and continuing member (18 years), 2 time member of IBPSIA Board of Directors, former Secretary/Treasurer.
US Bowling Coaches Association (Bronze Coach)
Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA)
Publications “Bowlers Journal International” and “Pro Shop Operator” Magazines.
Chicago Bowler, Windy City Bowling News, Centennial Lanes.com, The Bowling Tree Blog, IBPSIA.com and IBPSIA Net News (e-newsletter).
Education/Credentials IBPSIA Technically Certified. Multiple Seminars from AMF, Brunswick, Columbia, Circle, Ebonite, Hammer, Mo-Rich, Storm, Track, Dexter, Etonic, and others. Kaploe and Davis Bowling Marketing training.
Certified with the Young America Bowling Alliance (YABA) and the National Bowling Council (NBC) as a coach in 1982. Other coaching credentials include: Dick Ritger Level One, Dick Ritger Coaching Coaches, and USA Bowling Bronze Level.
Awards and Honors Created and executed Promotions highlighted in Bowlers Journal Magazine and included in the “150 Promotions for Bowling Centers” organized by the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA).
First Pro Shop featured in Bowling Industry magazine, for customer service and merchandising, October 1996.
Identified “One of the best ball fitters in the country” by then Track, Inc. President Del Warren, September 2005.
Tournament Promotions lead to top performance in center, or for center hosted events including: Chicago City Championships, US Open Qualifiers, Amateur Bowlers Tour.
Past/Present Clients Presenter at the IBPSIA National Convention.
Presenter at Bowling Proprietors Association Management School
Question My best guess for personal statistics:
Ball speed about 18 mph off hand, 15.5 mph indicated by scoring monitor at back end
Rev rate about 380 based on 14 turns for 60 feet
Wrist brace is a basic Robbies, I used a solid plastic before but it shattered when I put in on after 25 years
Axis tilt appears medium to me looking a internet diagrams, about 10-11 inches in diameter.
Fingertip with inserts, I note the middle finger insert is worn to the urethane on the side toward the ring fingerhole.
I always thought of myself as a down & in stroker, some of the stuff on the internet would call me a tweener but I don't think I crank it much.
The house pattern is what we used to call blocked, I can't guess the right word for the amount of oil but I can shoot straight down the six board with the Hammer and carry if I keep the speed down to 14.5 indicated.
I gather there are all kinds of layouts for drilling now, I would guess a not terribly aggressive layout? It sounds like fun to swing one all the way across the lane...
Answer Jerry,
Get the grips changed immediately. You should change them about ever 60-75 games.
A blocked lane with dry boards right might cause your ball to burn off some energy in the path to the pocket. Unfortunately, a block works best for the worst player, while more skilled bowlers must play around/through it to hit the head pin.
The smooth cover of your Hammer can be duplicated in several balls on the market. More midpriced stuff would work (Storm Hot Rod's, Ebonite's Bash and Clash series, Brunswick's Rattler or Swarm, Hammer Vibes (strong angular backend reaction), Track's Temper or Tantrum), Hammer's mid price would be too strong (Raw Hammers), Roto Grip's Planet series the New Mars, shiny Neptune or dull Pluto might also fit the bill, to play a touch straighter with shiny or a little swing with the dull ball.
The layout and surface preparation should take into consideration where you want to play. Your ball driller should watch you throw and use the track from your current ball to determine how much "help" you need from the core.
Thanks for following up. If you have further questions about an specific ball(s) let me know.
