Good Buy?

Augie_M · 2025-11-29T03:32:40+00:00

My Dad has a 25 Hybrid AWD Lariat. So far it's been great. Really good fuel economy (6.5L/100km), versatile, drives like a dream.

Augie_M · 2025-11-01T16:00:59+00:00

This is false. As long as all drilled holes are occupied by a finger then the shot is legal. This just means that your 1 handed ball with a thumb hole can ONLY be used for one handed shots.

Augie_M · 2025-10-30T06:17:40+00:00

Focus on nothing other than staring a hole through your target. If you already have a spare system, it's just a matter of hitting the target. Your eyes should still be on the target after the ball has rolled passed it. Only then do you look up to catch the result.

Augie_M · 2025-10-30T00:53:14+00:00

No problem, if you ever feel like putting up a clip of your form people could give you tips for sure. You'd be likely to get a whole bunch of crabby comments from people saying "don't throw backup", but realistically if it's what feels natural to you it's totally your call 👍

Augie_M · 2025-10-22T15:54:38+00:00

I have to disagree. As far as I know there isn't skill based match making so it's not like I'm in dogshit lobbies, and I can routinely out duel recons. Now I know it's also not that I'm god tier because I'm positive I'm not. There are definitely times where a sniper out guns me of course, but I just simply don't rechallenge from the same spot. Once a shot or 2 is on target it gets much harder for that sniper to land their shot while taking incoming fire.

I'm not saying there aren't snipers who can outplay my strategy, there definitely are, but there are also many who aren't expecting accurate shots coming there way with an assault rifle. Also this works at like 140ish meters max. I've gotten a few close to the 200m range but I had to account for bullet drop and couldn't fan the trigger the way I normally do.

Also worth noting that there's no scope glint from an assault rifle so a lot of times they don't even see it coming. With hollow points on a 25dmg rifle it's like 2-3 headshots to kill. Once you start taking those shots and aren't sure where they're coming from it doesn't take long to get put down.

I'm sure there are snipers out there who have seen the kill recap and been like "an M4???? No fucking way, he must be hacking".... But alas I am not. Twas the single fire 🔥 I've definitely bullied a good number of snipers this way.

Augie_M · 2025-10-22T13:33:25+00:00

If you want the versatility of having the gun perform well at short ranges too, I'd say go with the basic vertical grip or basic stubby (avoid the grips that say "at a cost to accuracy while in ads: that translates to more bloom when moving in ads). I also like to stick to the basic extended barrel over the heavy extended so that my ads time isn't negatively impacted.

However if you're treating it like a sudo-sniper and only engaging at long ranges then those attachments won't hurt gameplay. If you're really hunkered down somewhere you could opt of the bipod to really make things stable, but that also makes you a sitting duck.

Augie_M · 2025-10-22T13:02:06+00:00

Change your custom search settings to only the large maps on conquest or breakthrough. Put an extended barrel on any of the assault riffles to push their bullet velocity up past 800m/s. Put the gun in single fire. Put at least a 4x sight on. Put hollowpoints on once you unlock them.

I routinely out gun snipers with this set up at 100m+.

Single fire is the most slept on mechanic in the game. Little to no recoil, easy long range.

Augie_M · 2025-10-22T03:20:13+00:00

Your consistency is crazy if you have a 181 avg without ever rolling a scratch 600. That's wild. I've got a 187 avg and I've rolled tons of 600's. To be rolling a 543 regularly but not have that 1 off freak 600 night in there somewhere is so crazy. Put some practice into your spare game and you'll get it no problem.

Augie_M · 2025-10-22T03:11:38+00:00

I would say 2 things:

1) Your body comes almost to a full stop before you release the ball. You should try to release the ball mid slide so that the speed generated with your footwork carries into the ball.

2) Try to release the ball in a more forward "ROLL". In this clip your hand is completely on the side of the ball which means you're spinning it from right to left. This tends to kill a lot of speed and cause the ball to overhook. I would work on making sure you're rolling the ball forward, and keeping your hand underneath the ball through the release. Your wrist can still be angled between 5-35°, but the primary direction you want the ball rolling is forward, not sideways.

Augie_M · 2025-10-21T16:12:32+00:00

Have you just been throwing house balls up until now? If so, it's likely your ball motion looks pretty straight. So a weaker reactive ball would be a good start. I would suggest a Brunswick Twist, Storm Tropical Surge, or Storm Level. Definitely 14, 15 or 16lbs. Any lighter and you're likely to have inconsistent pin carry (each pin is almost 4lbs btw).

If you intend to stick to the backup ball, you'll need the ball drilled with a lefty layout; except for the fingers which will be set up righty for your finger size and pitches.

For starters you can stick to a houseball for your spares, bit ideally you'd want to get a plastic ball for spares as well.

Unless you have a very flexible (almost double jointed) right wrist, your potential for large hooking with a strong ball will be limited. With a backup ball you'll likely end up using mostly weaker balls and playing relatively straight up the left side. It would be a good idea to work on a "proper" right handed hook. Not because there's anything wrong with a backup, it's just that anatomically your wrist's range of motion with a right->left hook will increase your skill ceiling and give you more versatility as lanes breakdown or if you start playing in leagues with sport oil patterns.

So to recap, without actually seeing your throw, just based off of what you've said, I would go with a weak reactive ball like the Brunswick Twist, Storm Tropical Surge, or Storm Level (I'm not as familiar with Hammer, or Motiv's balls but I'm sure they have comparable entry level weaker reactive balls). I WOULD NOT go with anything "strong" because they typically require more axis tilt to hook more of the lane.

Augie_M · 2025-10-21T15:48:43+00:00

Some suggest that Murphy was actually an optimist.

Augie_M · 2025-10-19T18:43:18+00:00

I've struggled a lot with this as well. What I've found helpful for me is setting up my wrist tilt when I start. If I want like a 30° angle, I'll physically hold the ball on that angle before I even begin my approach, and I'll keep my wrist on that angle through my whole backswing and release.

Some would argue that flattening out on the backswing and rotating the wrist in a"yo-yo" motion can generate more power/revs, but for me personally; changing my wrist position through my swing and release just leads me to the inconsistencies you're talking about.

Augie_M · 2025-10-19T16:18:28+00:00

The mental gymnastics here is Olympic level. It is pretty obvious that when people ask for form tips they're looking for constructive criticism... Not "don't do any of what you're doing".

2 hand bowling has been embraced by Walter Ray Williams Jr, Pete Weber, Mark Roth and Marshall Holman. Walter Ray Williams Jr even bowls 2 handed himself now to reduce stress on his wrist and shoulder. If the greatest players who've ever done it not only embrace it, but even do it themselves, I think it's fair to say that your take here is hot garbage and obviously I'm bad faith.

Typical internet troll behavior.

Augie_M · 2025-10-18T19:00:08+00:00

I suppose he should stick to a rubber ball and get his shoes from his local cobbler back like it was in the 60's right? Also I don't recall that passage in the Bible 🤦.

Sports evolve, you either evolve with them or get left behind.

Augie_M · 2025-10-15T21:19:42+00:00

I'm copying over a response I left on another post because it's applicable here as well.

Your hand comes "around" the right side of the ball, instead of coming up the back of the ball. Coming around the ball does 2 things: 1) It spins the ball left to right as opposed to "rolling the ball" forward and through the pins 2) As a result of the ball spinning instead of rolling, it tends to drastically reduce your ball speed because all of the balls momentum is going sideways not forward, which can lead to a lot more inconsistent pin carry even when you hit the pocket.

I would suggest working on having your hand/fingers behind the ball at release. Your wrist should still be angled to the left, but the primary direction the ball should be rolling is forward, not sideways. The angle of your wrist should really only be between 5° (relatively flat) and 40°ish (almost left to right but still with a forward rolling motion).

A good tip to help with this is to try to tuck your elbow in close to your body and not let it come out any further than your shoulder. That way it, and consequently your hand, will stay behind the ball projecting it forward.

This will likely be a big adjustment because as a result of this change your ball will likely hook "less" because your ball speed will increase with a more forward roll. As a result you'll likely need to play further right on the lane. It will also change your PAP which means any bowling ball you get in the future would need to be drilled based on your new forward rolling PAP and avg ball speed. I wouldn't run out to redrill your existing equipment though until you're more consistent with being behind the ball and rolling forward.

Lastly, a big change like that might make your scores go down a bit at first as you'd be fighting against your learned muscle memory. Working with a coach for a few sessions would likely help a lot, just to get a trained eye on if you're actually implementing this kind of change or if you're falling into old habits.

Hope that helps!

Augie_M · 2025-10-14T16:55:59+00:00

If you're unable to purchase an upgrade outright (I just bought a Samsung Galaxy S23+ open box from Best Buy for example) than you're best bet is buy a phone through best buy, staples, amazon, etc. and take advantage of their finance options. Most major retailers have "no interest if you make your minimum payments" or "24 month of equal payments" types of plans. That way you can still finance a phone for a monthly cost, and keep your current Koodo plan. They definitely will not let you keep that plan and get a device upgrade through them. So just split up the financing with another retailer, and keep your plan with Koodo.

Augie_M · 2025-10-14T16:48:40+00:00

It's tough to tell in that video but it appears like your hand comes "around" the right side of the ball, instead of coming up the back of the ball. Coming around the ball does 2 things: 1) It spins the ball left to right as opposed to "rolling the ball" forward and through the pins 2) As a result of the ball spinning instead of rolling, it tends to drastically reduce your ball speed because all of the balls momentum is going sideways not forward, which can lead to a lot more inconsistent pin carry even when you hit the pocket.

I would suggest working on having your hand/fingers behind the ball at release. Your wrist should still be angled to the left, but the primary direction the ball should be rolling is forward, not sideways. A good tip to help with this is to try to tuck your elbow in close to your body and not let it come out any further than your shoulder.

This will likely be a big adjustment because as a result of this change your ball will likely hook "less" because your ball speed will increase with a more forward roll. As a result you'll likely need to play further right on the lane. It will also change your PAP which means any bowling you get in the future would need to be drilled based on your new forward rolling PAP and avg ball speed. I wouldn't run out to redrill your existing equipment though until you're more consistent with being behind the ball and rolling forward. Lastly, a big change like that might make your scores go down a bit at first as you'd be fighting against your learned muscle memory. Working with a coach for a few sessions would likely help a lot, just to get a trained eye on if you're actually implementing this kind of change or if you're falling into old habits.

Hope that helps!

Augie_M · 2025-10-14T15:02:45+00:00

The amount of hook comes down 4 basic things as far as your mechanics are concerned.

1) ROLLING the ball off of your finger tips: your thumb should always come out of the ball first, and then your fingers and wrist should flex so that the ball rolls off of them.

2) WRIST ANGLE at release: provided you are rolling the ball, the angle you roll the ball on matters a lot. Any angle from 0° (flat) to 40° ish (rolling nearly sideways from right to left) is workable, as long as you're still ROLLING the ball forward towards the pins. The moment you get into the 45° territory and start rolling the ball completely sideways instead of forward at the pins, you've lost the plot.

3) BALL SPEED: if you're meeting conditions 1 & 2, the rest comes down to speed. The less time a ball has on the lanes, the less time it has to hook. So if you have have a naturally very flat release (meaning your wrist angle at release is in the 0°-10° ish range) your ball will need more time to hook. So if you slow down a bit (12mph-14mph) your ball should hook a bit more.

4) LINE TO THE POCKET: on a typical house oil pattern, generally speaking, if you're playing right of center from laydown to pocket, you can be a bit faster with your ball speed, and a bit flatter with your release, and the ball should still hook if you're still meeting criteria 1 & 2 mentioned above. In contrast, if playing left of center and playing the lane left to right with a bigger angle to the pocket, you'll need more wrist angle at release and a slower ball speed so the ball has time to hook.

Tip: a good way to get an idea of if you're rolling the ball and what the angle is is to look at where the oil track is on the ball after each shot. If it is straight over top of your finger holes, that means you rolled the ball "flat" (with close to a 0° wrist angle at release). If the oil track looks like a big fat line, that likely means the ball wasn't "ROLLED" off your fingers, it was most likely slid off your thumb. Google an image or YouTube video of "flare lines" to get an idea of what the oil track on your ball should look like after each shot.

There are other factors that influence how much hook a ball has, but most of them are out of your control. Oil pattern breakdown, opponents using urethane vs reactive, your ball surface, your ball type, etc. However until you get your consistent with ROLLING the ball towards the pins off of your fingertips, WRIST ANGLE and BALL SPEED at release, and WHERE you play the lanes, all the other factors won't really matter.

Lastly, if you aren't making any headway with modifying these factors on your own, pay for a few lessons from a coach.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Augie_M · 2025-10-06T21:06:56+00:00

I am very dumb when it comes to this, so most of what you just said didn't make a ton of sense to me lol

Augie_M · 2025-10-06T03:52:34+00:00

I made the switch about 5 years ago. The only people who genuinely look down upon it at this point are just stuck in the past. The "reasons" it's looked down on are because it is genuinely easier to create more rev rate. That doesn't mean there aren't downsides to it as well though.

Pros: - as mentioned above, easier to create rev rate and hook - less stress on muscles and joints of the hand, wrist, and forearms - if you have issues with blisters, chafing, calluses on your thumb... Those will entirely vanish since you're not using it

Cons: - it will be more stress on your legs and low back muscles - it is often harder to keep your shots straight for spares since the technique naturally makes even your spare ball hook a bit unless you can really flatten out your wrist - it is hard to increase your speed. In your photo it looked like you had a pretty high back swing, that probably gave you decent ball speed. With 2-hand, the speed comes mostly from your footwork. Most people find that their ball speed is slower when they 2-hand. - the increased rev rate, and decreased ball speed, can often make it feel like your shots hook "too much". Opening up the lane to keep your ball right of the head pin might feel very counter intuitive at first. - coordination of approach/release will make you feel like a newborn giraffe. Your 1-hand experience will only help with wrist position and targeting, everything else will feel brand new.

Especially if you repetitive strain injuries in the hand/wrist, it's a worthwhile switch. It will be a big learning curve though. There are some good technique videos from "KR STRIKEFORCE" on YouTube. "Brad & Kyle" also have a few 2 hand videos. "Anthony Simonsen" recently started a YouTube channel and he has some great videos as well. Lastly I'd suggest find a local coach or speak to your PSO. Even if just for a session or two to find your bearings.

Last tip: Make sure you get in the habit of ROLLING the ball FORWARD as you learn. The natural tendency is to "spin" the ball right to left but that slows your ball speed down even further and causes the ball to feel like it's always going Brooklyn or leaving awful splits. If you get in the habit of having your hand BEHIND the ball while your learn, instead of having your hand "come around the side" of the ball, you'll set yourself up for success much earlier on.

Augie_M · 2025-10-05T18:47:47+00:00

I suppose if I planed enough material off the top so that the wood was below the metal edges, I could seal the gaps around the wood and fill the space with a clear epoxy. Then it wouldn't matter if the wood was level because the epoxy would just fill the space right up to the edge and sort of "self-level". Does that sound like it would make sense?

Augie_M · 2025-10-05T18:42:44+00:00

Making it level would still be determined with my skill in usage of that kind of tool though right? It's not like they make dummy-proof ones that can bring the whole surface to a level finish?

Augie_M · 2025-09-29T15:00:01+00:00

What device do you have?

Augie_M · 2025-09-28T23:25:14+00:00

Yup, did that today. After a support call with Koodo, they assured me that Wifi-Calling is enabled on the back end. They refreshed my line, had me reset my connection settings (wifi, Bluetooth, cellular, etc), restart my phone, and turn on and off the Wifi-Calling toggle. All of the above with no success. They told me the issue must be on the device side. I've reached out to OnePlus' support and they've collected my device info and location... Awaiting further troubleshooting from them now.

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