Adding Some Innovation to a Spare Bowling Ball

Posted by Bold Commerce Collaborator on

Creating the Difference is an educational company.  Our goal is to help bowlers become better through education and innovation.  With every product we come out with, we seek to educate the bowler to help them achieve a higher level of success. This is key as one of the top reasons people quit bowling - or anything for that matter - is because they do not get better.  One of the most important aspects of bowling is making spares. The ability to fill frames is paramount to the success of an individual or a team. This is also one of the least fun things to do in bowling. Everyone loves to throw strikes. CtD set out to help educate its staff on some spare techniques and things you can do to become better at making them. Did you know you can shoot 190 and never strike? Most people don’t know that. Many people are unwilling to purchase a spare ball; but really, this could be the most important ball you own. A spare ball is designed to go straight. It is typically plastic or urethane and is polished to help it not hook.

Why A Spare Ball?

Since a spare ball is made to go straight, it takes the lane condition out of play. That means you can stand in the same spot and aim at the same target no matter what condition you are bowling on - or what continent for that matter. Think about how much easier it would be knowing that the lane is not in play. This is actually a key used by professional bowlers all the time.

I got to work with some of the top pros recently and asked them how important they thought their spare ball was. They agreed that it is critical to be able to make spares. They said throwing it straight is the key. However, they may have used different methods to get it to go straight. For instance, some threw it hard while others switched balls; but no matter what, every single one of them threw it straight at spares - especially at single pins.

Being Told No

In June of 2019, CtD contacted a leading manufacturer making balls that with images on them. The purpose was to have them make a ball with the CtD logo on it for an upcoming trade show. When we inquired about having a ball made for us, we were turned down. The company saw us as a competitor and said they would not make us a ball. We were disappointed in this because we prefer to work with companies not against them.  We weren't trying to compete against them. We were trying to buy product from them. Our philosophy is we will work with and support anyone who is trying to help grow bowling. If we can grow the bowling pie, then there is enough for everyone to get a piece.  We saw this opportunity as a win/win because we were going to pay for the ball, and they got free advertising because they were the ones who made it for us. Interestingly enough (and in a bit of fate), another person had inquired about the same type ball with our logo. This person was told yes as long as they could provide proof we gave them permission to use our logo. When the person contacted us for the permission, we asked them to order another one for us and they agreed.

Here is the ball we ended up getting.

Spare Ball Opportunity

To our surprise, the staff of Creating the Difference loved the spare ball. They demanded we make it.  We thought since spares are so important to becoming a better bowler, we should revisit having one made for the staff.  This time we went and spoke with Brunswick, the makers of Vis-A-Ball. They too make bowling balls with graphics on the surface.  We explained our situation and asked them if they could help us in getting a CtD spare ball for the staff. They agreed and we sent them the new design.

Innovation as a combination of technologies

One of the things we like to incorporate into our products is innovation, but how do you innovate a spare ball? We decided to add some technology to the image and we ended up designing a new type of spare ball for bowling.  Using the Brunswick Vis-A-Ball technology and combining it with the technology found in QR codes, Creating The Difference has created a limited edition 2020 Spare Ball.

What is a QR Code?

QR or Quick Response code is a type of barcode image that allows a cell phone camera to direct the user somewhere. It can be to a link, to an image, to a contact card, etc.  All the user has to do is download a free QR code reader and point their camera at the code and a redirect link pops up. Many phones even come with a QR reader built in. The idea is simple. We embedded a QR Code on the image of our limited edition spare ball. This now allows us to directly educate our consumers on how to use it. As an educational company, it is not only important to help our consumers become better, but make it as easy as possible. With most people having a cell phone, putting the QR code right on the ball surface makes it very convenient.  The type of code we are using will allow us to stay in better contact with our consumer as well. We have the ability to change where the code sends people. So one month it can be a bowling tip. The next month it can to go to a special offer or to something unique to the owners of the ball who have that code.  At this time, the product will be available to our staff only. We will be able to communicate any update or change to the code immediately through our private Staff Facebook group.  This is something that no one else is doing in our industry. Think of it as a spare ball that can get updates, and has the ability to help you get better. 

If cars can get better with updates why can't a bowling ball?

Some of the inspiration for this project has come from Tesla, a company that is always innovating. They make cars which receive updates sent over the internet to the car and make it better. For example, there was an update that actually increased the horse power of the car by making the systems more efficient. Another update extended the range of the battery.  Though we are not there yet, what we are doing is a pretty simple and a cool step in that direction.

Creating the Difference Staffing Opportunity  

We want to help all levels of bowler from kids to seniors, beginning bowlers to professionals. Within our private staff group, we offer education and opportunities to get better. We have two types of staff membership. One is the free Regional Staff. The other is a paid National Staff Membership which comes with monthly product deliveries which exceed the value of the subscription.  The best part of joining our staff is the free education.  That is how you can improve your game.  The private Facebook group gives you access to Certified Coaches and even professional bowlers. 8 time PBA Champion Ryan Ciminelli recently signed a professional contract with Creating the Difference, and is an active member in the group providing insight for the members.  The Staff is 2500 members strong and growing. In summary, staff is about bowlers helping to make bowlers better. If you are interested in joining or more information you can join right here.

Free Regional Staff

Click the link here: https://ctdbowling.com/pages/staff-inquiries

Paid National Staff

Click the link here: https://ctdbowling.com/collections/national-staff-choices

OR

Scan the QR Code to learn more.

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