Guest Author - Gary King

The past few weeks I have been writing articles about bowling manufacturers and I sort of jumped on some of them but, it was worth it, because Ebonite, Columbia 300 and Storm responded and I not only published specials about them, I got to know them and their ideas better. They all have their places in this sport of bowling and we need all of them.

Brunswick? Track? Who are they? I went to the Brunswick site and tried to find a plain old e-mail address so I could ask about their history, etc., and all I could find was a sort of maze to lead me to places that allow you to ask questions but no where you can actually have someone reach out and talk to, either via message or otherwise.

I used to own a Brunswick ball and they used to have some good ones. Maybe they still do, but no one seems to be telling me about the benefits of owning one. In fact, many of the bowlers I bowl with do not even have a Brunswick ball. But that does not mean their equipment is not good. They used to make good equipment and they probably still do. But I just never seem to hear much about their equipment.

I have never owned a Track ball because I have not found anyone who will tell me how good they are or what benefits I could get from owning one. I did have a pretty good Track bag and it held up well, however, when Columbia 300 found out I owned a Track bag and was carrying my Columbia equipment (three Columbia balls) in the Track bag, they decided to send me a new four ball bag they were marketing. The bag they sent me is an exceptional bag and of the highest quality. It looks as new as the day I got it. So if I sound like I am tooting my horn for Columbia, maybe it is because Columbia 300 has been one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. They also sent me a new ball to replace a ball of theirs that got messed up in a certain house.

But Ebonite has also been good to me and so has Storm. All of these companies are high quality companies and they proved to me, after I wrote my articles, that they are in the business of providing quality equipment to YOU our there and THEY DO CARE what you think and how their equipment performs. Make no mistake about that.

I have not understood why it is so hard to deal with Brunswick and Track but I am sure they have quality equipment also. But perhaps, some marketing changes could help both of them to get a better foothold on the market. They need to reach out and touch us bowlers instead of leaving some of us out there in left field to try to figure when a fly ball is coming our way. Ebonite, Columbia and Storm seem to know where to hit the ball and they are making moves to see that we get our share of hits.

Brunswick and Track are good companies and they have been in business for bowlers but I have not been able to really touch base with either of them and it is a shame because, as some of my friends told me, both of those companies are making some mistakes in HOW they are marketing what they are marketing.

I tell it like I see it in bowling and what I see coming out of the chutes at both Brunswick and Track is a line of products that are not directed correctly and the express they are on is heading in the wrong direction, or, perhaps, they have somehow been directed to the wrong track.

Have a good day, keep up the good bowling and I have been researching some new bags coming out of another dimension and I am exploring that area. Some are ingenious, to say the least. I also have an idea I am exploring for a new kind of system for you to carry your balls in and it has captured some interest. And what makes it so great is that the cost will be more than affordable. I will elaborate on that in the next article as soon as responses have come from a manufacturer who can make the product for me.