John Congdon

Recon RX1

Go in for the attack! Plan a controlled strike against the competition with the MOTIV Recon RX1. It features the new Recon inner core and is armored with MOTIVator-X coverstock for a controlled reaction on light oil, or shorter oil patterns.

The Recon core drives the RX1 into the heat of battle. It provides a higher RG to control revs and a moderate differential to smooth out reaction down the lane. The 15# RX1 has an RG of 2.59 and a .025 diff.

The MOTIVator-X cover on the Recon RX1 compliments the core perfectly for attacking light oil conditions. It has a urethane-like reaction to tame friction on the lanes, yet still provides excellent recovery and hitting power.

The factory finish on the Bright Orange RX1 is 4000 wet sand. This finish will provide length and a smooth breakpoint.

The Reverb outer core of the RX1 is a low-density polyester resin with pin piercing hardness and strength. Rather than absorb impact energy, this outer core reverberates energy as it explodes through the pins.

The MOTIV Recon RX1 features the most visually impactful NeoMark graphic yet. And, as with all NeoMark graphics, the logo is actually part of the coverstock so it can be sanded, polished, or tuned just like any other performance ball.

The Motiv Recon RX1 is currently selling for $101.99 and rates a 141.7 on the bowlingball.com Perfect Scale™.

Anaconda

Based on my speed and rev rate, I expected the Brunswick Anaconda to match up well for me because of the polished coverstock. I seem to throw polished bowling balls better because that helps me get the ball further down the lane. This bowling ball was very smooth, controllable, and the color combination worked well for my eyes to see the motion.

You can see in the bowling ball reaction video that I had a lot of area at the break point. If you watch the video, you can see me swing it out to about board 7 on one shot and tug it to only about 13 on another, and both gave me great looks into the pocket.

The biggest snake brings the BIGGEST hook yet! Take the lanes and your opponents and squeeze the life out of them!



Activator Plus Coverstock
The Anaconda is the first ball with Activator Plus coverstock available at the Advanced Performance price point. Activator Plus is a more aggressive version of the original Activator coverstock formulation that maintains the durability and longevity of ball reaction that are characteristic of the Activator coverstock family. The rough-buff, pearlized version of Activator Plus coverstock used on the Anaconda creates more traction in the oil, increasing the ball's mid-lane and back-end hooking action, while still being clean through the front-end.

Ultra Low RG Inferno Core
The Anaconda uses an updated version of the Original Inferno core. The Ultra Low RG Inferno core revs quickly providing mid-lane traction control with a strong predictable back-end motion.

Ball Motion
With its Rough Buff finish, the Anaconda will rev quickly in the mid-lane with a strong continuous back-end reaction that matches up on medium to medium-oily lane conditions for a wide range of bowling styles.

Reaction Setup
The Anaconda can be drilled using the standard drilling techniques developed for symmetric bowling balls.

Lightweight Engineering
The unique core shape of each Brunswick ball is used for weights from 14 to 16 pounds. This approach to lightweight ball engineering provides bowlers with consistent ball reaction characteristics across this weight range. The same drilling instructions can be used for 12- and 13-pound balls. This is because Brunswick uses a generic core shape with an RG differential that is close enough to the 14-16 pound shape.

The Brunswick Anaconda is currently selling for $99.99 and rates a 182.7 on the bowlingball.com Perfect Scale™.

Revolver

Brunswick has had a couple of great releases lately, and the Brunswick Revolver is one of them. The Brunswick Revolver bowling ball looks like a great compliment to the Brunswick C (System)4.5 and the Brunswick Anaconda as it fits right in the middle.

It rolls great from start to finish and the darker color allows me to see the bowling ball reaction all the way down the lane. As the lanes start to break down from the C-System, I see a great transition ball in the Brunswick Revolver.

It's time to shoot the lights out with the Brunswick Revolver!

ConneXion Grip Coverstock
The Revolver utilizes ConneXion Grip an improved version of ConneXion coverstock.
ConneXion Grip incorporates a new formula to increase the footprint size of the coverstock which improves mid-lane and back-end traction.

Jack Core
The Jack core was designed as a low RG symmetric core with a high differential. The low RG engages in the mid-lane assisting in ball motion, and the high differential increases track flare potential giving the ball more opportunity to grip the back-end while using standard layouts and interchangeable thumb sleeves.

Ball Motion
With its 4,000 Siaair Micro Pad finish, the Revolver will provide good length with a strong continuous back-end reaction that matches up on medium to oily lane conditions for a wide range of bowling styles.

Reaction Setup
The Revolver can be drilled using the standard drilling techniques developed for symmetric bowling balls.

Lightweight Engineering
The unique core shape of each Brunswick ball is used for weights from 14 to 16 pounds. This approach to lightweight ball engineering provides bowlers with consistent ball reaction characteristics across this weight range. The same drilling instructions can be used for 12 and 13-pound balls. This is because Brunswick uses a generic core shape with an RG differential that is close enough to the 14-16 pound shape.

The Brunswick Revolver is currently selling for $108.99 and rates a 207.9 on the bowlingball.com Perfect Scale™.

Recently we did a video about “How To Install Finger Inserts in a Bowling Ball” and we mentioned that we use Turbo 2-N-1 Grips Zip-Plus 45 Glue. 

There are two type of glue that we use on our bowling equipment. 

This is how we use it:
Turbo 2-N-1 Grips Zip-Plus 45 Glue is used mainly for finger inserts.  It is a faster drying glue that does not need much time to cure.
Turbo 2-N-1 Grips Slo-Zip Adhesive Glue is used mainly for thumb slugs.  The slower drying time allows us to get the thumb slug down into the bowling ball before setting.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s called slow zip, but it does harden quickly (usually in 5-10 seconds vs the 1-2 you have with the Zip-45).

Time Bomb

I was thrilled with this bowling ball. If I were bowling in the summer, it would be added to my bag. It was very strong through the pin deck. As with many of the other Lane #1 bowling balls lately, you need oil under the ball. It likes to grab and go.

Read the rest of my review at bowlingball.com.

Lane #1's new Time Bomb is ready to explode. With our all new Hour Glass inverted diamond core, and our explosive Pure Explosion coverstock, the Time Bomb is loaded with power. Set your fingers inside to start the clock for an explosion of high scores. The clock is ticking, time is running out...the pins are ready to explode!!

P.S. Remember...Nothing cuts through pins better then a Saw!!

The Lane #1 Time Bomb is currently selling for $159.99 and rates a 218.1 on the bowlingball.com Perfect Scale™.

We started a new video series at bowlingball.com called “In The Shop.” These videos will give people the information they need to take their game to the next level by allowing them to try different things with their bowling equipment. Our first video explains how to install finger inserts so that you can rearrange the ones you have if you wish. Or you can replace the ones in your bowling ball as they wear out.

Amazon is making huge waves recently.  I just finished reading Delivering Happiness which is sort of about Zappos and their rise from nothing to being acquired by Amazon.  The book is much more than that, but it does tell the story.

Anyway, Amazon has also acquired the fun loving Woot!  And in their normal sarcastic way, they made a rap about it.  Watch and enjoy.

The high performance Storm Prodigy was released last week.  This symmetrical core bowling ball is a great addition to the Storm line of bowling balls.  My review is available on the Storm Prodigy page of bowlingball.com.  We also shot a video available on the same page.

Prodigy

I will try to keep this short.

My Background:
I have been programming for 20 years (12 professionally).  Grew up on BASIC and PASCAL.  And first job was in the old school Q&A database.  Needless to say, I started out very procedural.  My first web programming started in 1999 with PERL.  And I have always had the attitude of I will make it work and work quickly.

Advice Needed:
I took over a project 6 years ago.  It started with no pay, just a percentage of profits at the end of the year.  I took what they already had, and extended it to be able to sell more.  I year after that I was hired full time and have just been adding on top of the mess since then.  Spaghetti code, procedural, unused database tables, unused database fields, it’s just a mess.  I know OOP, but haven’t had the aha experience until a couple of years ago.  I used objects here and there, but ultimately not in good form.  

I went to TEKX to improve my skills.  I have been looking into Zend Framework, CakePHP, and others for about a year, and have decided to go with Zend Framework and Doctrine.  So I am going to rewrite my entire codebase.  Here is where I need advice.  I’m at a fork in the road.

I can either keep my bad database structure and work with it, or start from scratch and migrate the old data into the new database layout.

Pros for keeping the DB structure:
I can build parts of the site in ZF and get the code live quicker, letting the old codebase continue to run and eventually die out on its own.

Cons for keeping the DB structure/Pros for rewriting the DB structure:
The old DB is a mess.  A new DB structure will probably improve speed and data accuracy.

Cons for rewriting the DB:
I will have to rewrite the entire codebase before it can go live.  Everything will need to be rewritten and tested.  A data migration script will need to be written.  And a date will need to be set for new code to go live.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

C (System)4.5

The Brunswick C (System)4.5 is set to be released on 7/12/2010. bowlingball.com has shot a bowling ball reaction video and it looks amazing. I have learned that a symmetrical core is a very controllable ball reaction. Brunswick has been a leader in bowling ball technology, and the new I-Block Symmetric Core shows of their skills.

CFT v4.5 Coverstock

CFT v4.5 is the next progression in Chemical Friction Technology. The CFT v4.5 coverstock has a lower friction factor than CFT 3.5 which improves length through the heads and mid-lane without
sacrificing the quick response and improved traction on the back-end.

I-Block Symmetric Core

The new I-Block Symmetric core was created by modifying the original asymmetric I-Block core (which has a symmetric base and an asymmetric flip block) to have an asymmetric base. By creating an asymmetric base with an asymmetric flip block on perpendicular axes the two asymmetries cancel each other out making the core shape symmetric. The core shape was also thinned and stretched to increase the RG min while maintaining the overall differential.

Ball Motion

With its Rough Buff finish, the C(System) v4.5 will offer a lower friction factor with similar response time to friction alternative to the C(System) 3.5. The new C(System) v4.5 is best used on medium to oily lane conditions when you need to use a breakpoint further down the lane with a quick response motion to increase pin carry.

Reaction Setup

The C(System) v4.5 can be drilled using the standard drilling techniques developed for symmetric bowling balls.
Lightweight Engineering

The unique core shape of each Brunswick ball is used for weights from 14 to 16 pounds. This approach to lightweight ball engineering provides bowlers with consistent ball reaction characteristics across this weight range. The same drilling instructions can be used for 12- and 13-pound balls. This is because Brunswick uses a generic core shape with an RG differential that is close enough to the 14-16 pound shape.

The Brunswick C (System)4.5 is currently selling for $103.99 and rates a 211.8 on the bowlingball.com Perfect Scale™.

[bowlingball value="topsellers,"]