Hi, here's a question . Would you know how the UBI compares to a bowling arm. I imagine the bowling arm takes a lot more practice but would probably get up better on heavier greens ? but what about accuracy ? Thanks for any reply.
@@toxophillus72 full disclosure. I developed the Ubi_Launcher as an alternative to the bowling arm over 10 yrs ago. We distribute bowls equipment in Canada for a major bowls manufacturer. We also were a local reseller for curling equipment and some gently used golf equipment. I play all 3 sports, although have stepped aside from curling during the Panny. At one time we had the bowling arm in our list of stock items. My opinion on it was, and this is not based on how incredibly long it took to move the devices from our shelf, but more on its method of application. It requires grip strength, a fluid shoulder joint, and the ability to release the bowl at ‘just the right time.’ Imo it is not for people who have arthritis - it is not for anyone who has had rotator cuff injuries or suffers from elbow tendonitis - it is not for someone who could not release a bowl smoothly from a traditional stance when they used that stance. I have witnessed bowlers using the bowling arm who, upon release, the bowls contacts the ground about 8 - 10’ in front of them. And, yes, the turf was flying - and the greenskeeper was crying! On the other hand, no greenskeeper will ever have a reason to cringe when a bowl is delivered with our Ubi_Launcher. The bowl never leaves the surface of the green - ever! At no point during the delivery does the Ubi_Launcher ever come in contact with the surface of the green. Just so, using our Ubi_Launcher does not require grip strength or a backward swinging shoulder rotation - as is necessary with the bowling arm. Using the Ubi_Launcher requires only forward motion (not unlike some methods of traditional delivery). Those who claim there is an advantage with our Ubi_Launcher are correct - the advantage lying in the fact that the bowler who it is intended for no longer has to bowl with the constant pain from their hips, knees, back - and that is the only advantage. The bowler still has to abide by the rules stating the foot (or part of it now) has to be on or above the mat at time of delivery. In curling they still haven’t figured it out. The use of the curling stick has been abused imo. Curlers run out to the hog line and rip missiles down the sheet - at a speed that exceeds even the hardest deliveries of the world’s top curlers. What makes this wrong is that a curler with a slide delivery decelerates as soon as they start their slide and the only method of delivering the rock faster is with extension of their arms as they release the rock - first hand experience as that is exactly how I delivered hits - successfully. On the other hand, too many stick curlers accelerate by running faster towards the hog line (and all too often over it) and then push even harder on release of the rock - missiles - dangerous to all standing at the other end. The point is - those who compare our Ubi_Launcher with the curling stick - which some naysayers do - are completely off-base. Again, The advantage one gets from using our bowls delivery aid is that they can now concentrate on - wait for it - line and length - instead of the pain they feel from their own body parts. As per advantage of one over the other for slower greens, I would remind everyone that my initial promo video was shot on our home green, that had not yet opened for the year and were running around 10 seconds at best 😱, and there was no issue getting the bowl from mat to other end in those conditions. Using the bowling arm would have meant increasing the backswing, and as we all know from watching my delivery sequence for The Draw videos I’m not a fan of the pendulum method being taught in other quarters as it, imo, results in inconsistent, greens damaging deliveries in most cases. This was a rather lengthy, passionate, response, and one that I should probably turn into a video all on its own, as I have heard of one country claiming the Ubi_Launcher does not conform to the rules of the game (utter nonsense) and that it’s downward force can cause damage to the greens (absolute bunk). This same country, I believe, has a vested interest in the bowling arm, and by not sanctioning use (as so many other countries already have) of our Ubi_Launcher they are in essence not being considerate of the needs of all bowlers with varying degrees of infirmity. We are not saying our Ubi_Launcher is the be-all, end-all bowlers delivery aid, rather we believe it to be the best option. Yup, a video will be forthcoming!
Sorry to hear about your back troubles, but wish you all the best moving forward. We developed our Ubi_Launcher for just the reason you have stated, “keep me in the sport a while longer.” The stick in curling has done exactly that. Many cur,ing clubs would not exist today without the high percentage of curlers who have extended their memberships by adopting the curling stick. We now have over 2000 Ubi_Launcher in play worldwide, many of which are being used to either extend bowling ‘careers’ or to allow those who would not otherwise make it past the first tryout to gain success and stick with this great game of ours. Playing Without Pain - Priceless!
Hi. We can’t guarantee there will be no scratching as the process of delivery does involve having the bowl rotate during the forward movement. We really haven’t had any complaints about scratching though. I would suggest however that more bowls get scratched when they are tumbled around with other bowls when gathered at the completion of an end using the ‘pushers’. This is especially true when greens have been freshly topdressed, fertilized or at night/rain when dirt and tiny stones will be tumbled with the bowls.
Sorry this had happened Mike! If you are referring to the thread snapping the only way this will happen is if the pole was not fully screwed into the head. We explain this in one of the videos here - how important it is to ensure there is no gas between pole and head, else the thread, as it does in all devices, would become the weakest link. The solution is a relatively easy fix: you will need to remove the broken piece of thread - drill two small holes into the broken thread, insert two smalls screws, use a screwdriver to unwind the broken thread until it is fully removed. A replacement pole can be purchased at any Dollar store for $3 - it is a common broom handle thread and when I checked a few years back there were 3 or 4 options there.
Thanks for the reply, great instructions on how to get the best out of the device. I've enjoyed your other videos, well done.
Thanks for your kind comment. If you have any questions, or need assistance with our Ubi_Launcher simply ask away and I’ll do my best to assist you.
Hi, here's a question . Would you know how the UBI compares to a bowling arm. I imagine the bowling arm takes a lot more practice but would probably get up better on heavier greens ? but what about accuracy ? Thanks for any reply.
@@toxophillus72 full disclosure. I developed the Ubi_Launcher as an alternative to the bowling arm over 10 yrs ago. We distribute bowls equipment in Canada for a major bowls manufacturer. We also were a local reseller for curling equipment and some gently used golf equipment. I play all 3 sports, although have stepped aside from curling during the Panny.
At one time we had the bowling arm in our list of stock items. My opinion on it was, and this is not based on how incredibly long it took to move the devices from our shelf, but more on its method of application. It requires grip strength, a fluid shoulder joint, and the ability to release the bowl at ‘just the right time.’ Imo it is not for people who have arthritis - it is not for anyone who has had rotator cuff injuries or suffers from elbow tendonitis - it is not for someone who could not release a bowl smoothly from a traditional stance when they used that stance.
I have witnessed bowlers using the bowling arm who, upon release, the bowls contacts the ground about 8 - 10’ in front of them. And, yes, the turf was flying - and the greenskeeper was crying!
On the other hand, no greenskeeper will ever have a reason to cringe when a bowl is delivered with our Ubi_Launcher. The bowl never leaves the surface of the green - ever! At no point during the delivery does the Ubi_Launcher ever come in contact with the surface of the green.
Just so, using our Ubi_Launcher does not require grip strength or a backward swinging shoulder rotation - as is necessary with the bowling arm. Using the Ubi_Launcher requires only forward motion (not unlike some methods of traditional delivery).
Those who claim there is an advantage with our Ubi_Launcher are correct - the advantage lying in the fact that the bowler who it is intended for no longer has to bowl with the constant pain from their hips, knees, back - and that is the only advantage. The bowler still has to abide by the rules stating the foot (or part of it now) has to be on or above the mat at time of delivery.
In curling they still haven’t figured it out. The use of the curling stick has been abused imo. Curlers run out to the hog line and rip missiles down the sheet - at a speed that exceeds even the hardest deliveries of the world’s top curlers. What makes this wrong is that a curler with a slide delivery decelerates as soon as they start their slide and the only method of delivering the rock faster is with extension of their arms as they release the rock - first hand experience as that is exactly how I delivered hits - successfully. On the other hand, too many stick curlers accelerate by running faster towards the hog line (and all too often over it) and then push even harder on release of the rock - missiles - dangerous to all standing at the other end.
The point is - those who compare our Ubi_Launcher with the curling stick - which some naysayers do - are completely off-base. Again, The advantage one gets from using our bowls delivery aid is that they can now concentrate on - wait for it - line and length - instead of the pain they feel from their own body parts.
As per advantage of one over the other for slower greens, I would remind everyone that my initial promo video was shot on our home green, that had not yet opened for the year and were running around 10 seconds at best 😱, and there was no issue getting the bowl from mat to other end in those conditions. Using the bowling arm would have meant increasing the backswing, and as we all know from watching my delivery sequence for The Draw videos I’m not a fan of the pendulum method being taught in other quarters as it, imo, results in inconsistent, greens damaging deliveries in most cases.
This was a rather lengthy, passionate, response, and one that I should probably turn into a video all on its own, as I have heard of one country claiming the Ubi_Launcher does not conform to the rules of the game (utter nonsense) and that it’s downward force can cause damage to the greens (absolute bunk). This same country, I believe, has a vested interest in the bowling arm, and by not sanctioning use (as so many other countries already have) of our Ubi_Launcher they are in essence not being considerate of the needs of all bowlers with varying degrees of infirmity. We are not saying our Ubi_Launcher is the be-all, end-all bowlers delivery aid, rather we believe it to be the best option.
Yup, a video will be forthcoming!
I've recently had a back operation, this device might keep me in the sport for a while longer.
Sorry to hear about your back troubles, but wish you all the best moving forward. We developed our Ubi_Launcher for just the reason you have stated, “keep me in the sport a while longer.” The stick in curling has done exactly that. Many cur,ing clubs would not exist today without the high percentage of curlers who have extended their memberships by adopting the curling stick.
We now have over 2000 Ubi_Launcher in play worldwide, many of which are being used to either extend bowling ‘careers’ or to allow those who would not otherwise make it past the first tryout to gain success and stick with this great game of ours.
Playing Without Pain - Priceless!
Does it scratch the bowls , I use size 3 heavy. Thanks
Hi. We can’t guarantee there will be no scratching as the process of delivery does involve having the bowl rotate during the forward movement. We really haven’t had any complaints about scratching though. I would suggest however that more bowls get scratched when they are tumbled around with other bowls when gathered at the completion of an end using the ‘pushers’. This is especially true when greens have been freshly topdressed, fertilized or at night/rain when dirt and tiny stones will be tumbled with the bowls.
What does it weigh, thanks.
Hi... sorry about not getting back to you sooner - off on a family visit. The Ubi_Launcher®, including the handle, weighs only 325 grams
Great thanks for the info.
I bought one of these has anyone had a problem with tread snapping. I have after 3rd time of using
Sorry this had happened Mike! If you are referring to the thread snapping the only way this will happen is if the pole was not fully screwed into the head. We explain this in one of the videos here - how important it is to ensure there is no gas between pole and head, else the thread, as it does in all devices, would become the weakest link.
The solution is a relatively easy fix: you will need to remove the broken piece of thread - drill two small holes into the broken thread, insert two smalls screws, use a screwdriver to unwind the broken thread until it is fully removed. A replacement pole can be purchased at any Dollar store for $3 - it is a common broom handle thread and when I checked a few years back there were 3 or 4 options there.