I became keen to learn how bowling balls are constructed and how much of an edge a bowler can glean by using a ball that’s been tailored to enhance their skills. A bowler’s prowess is clearly what matters most, but I assumed the composition of the balls must factor into the equation-arguably more so than in any other sport, given bowling’s simplicity. Gorging on this content piqued my curiosity about the role a ball’s physical properties play in determining the outcome of each shot. To congratulate Pinel on the sale of the 100,000th Sumo, AMF had given him a chunky medallion embossed with writing in kanji, a bauble that dangled from his neck as he held court at the Super Hoinke. The bowling ball had launched the year before, backed by a TV commercial featuring a ginormous Japanese wrestler bellyflopping down a lane, with the tagline “Flat out, more power than you’ve ever seen in a bowling center.” The ball had quickly become a sensation, hailed for the way it naturally darted sideways across the lane-a quality known as flare. Pinel had come to Cincinnati to promote his latest creation, the Sumo. They came to the Super Hoinke (“HOING-key”) to vie for a $100,000 grand prize and bowling-world fame.īetween games, many bowlers drifted to the alley’s pro shop to soak in the wisdom of Maurice “Mo” Pinel, a star ball designer for the sporting-goods giant AMF.
#Used old bowling balls for sale drivers
It was day one of the 1993 Super Hoinke, a Thanksgiving weekend tournament that drew hundreds of the nation’s top amateurs-teachers, accountants, and truck drivers who excelled at the art of scoring strikes. The sweet clang of scattering pins echoed through Western Bowl, a cavernous 68-lane bowling alley on the edge of Cincinnati. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.