january-june 2013 ball review guide indexapi.ning.com/.../ballreviewguidejanjune13.pdf ·...

900 Global Bullet Train 2900 Global Hook! Black/Neon Green 3900 Global Rip It 4900 Global War Eagle 5

AMF King Cobra 6AMF Mamba Hybrid 7AMF Incinerate 8

Brunswick Meanstreak Brawler 9Brunswick Paranormal Aura 10Brunswick Ringer 11

Columbia 300 Enigma 12Columbia 300 Vow 13

DV8 Brutal Nightmare 14DV8 Diva 15DV8 Misfit Neon Yellow Pearl 16

Ebonite Champion 17Ebonite Exceed 18

Hammer Arson Low Flare 19Hammer First Blood 20Hammer Nail Titanium 21Hammer The Chalk 22

Jet Burner 23Jet Pilot 24Jet Turbulence 25

Lane #1 Bloody Panther 26Lane #1 Grind 27Lane #1 Grind/R 28

Motiv Thrash Frenzy 29Motiv Tank 30Motiv Venom Toxin 31

Radical Reax 32Radical Torrid Elite 33Radical Yeti 34

RotoGrip Defiant Soul 35RotoGrip Disturbed 36RotoGrip Wrecker 37

Seismic Dominion 38Seismic Raging Bull Long Horn 39

Storm Freak’n Frantic 40Storm IQ Tour Pearl 41Storm Lights Out 42Storm Reign of Power 43Storm Super Natural 44Storm Sync 45Storm Tropical Breeze 46

Track 503A 47Track 714C 48

Visionary Mixed Breed Crossover 49Visionary Warlock XV 50

Ball Tracking Test Results 51-63Ball Talk Notes 64At A Glance Ball Comparisons 653D Ball Comparisons 66-67

January-June 2013 Ball Review Guide Index

The ball reviews listed in this Ball Review Guide are a compilation of the reviews published in Bowling This Month magazine January through June 2013. The reviews are listed in the order by manufacturer and then by ball name. This booklet produced by Joshua Sports and Entertainment, Inc., 2013 ©. All Rights Re-served. No part of this booklet may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means.

BOWLING THIS MONTH

Page Page

Bowling This Month2

RATINGS*

CoverstockName: s79 HybridType: Hybrid ReactiveBox Finish: neAt Color: Plum/Copper Pearl

CoreDensity: DualSymmetrical

Lane Conditions & Drillings: P. 64Tracking charts: Page 52

GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS

*Scale: 1-10Ratings, drillings and diagrams listed in the following order: Stroker/Tweener/Cranker

Strengths: The Bullet Train uses the strongest cover to date on a 900 Global ball. Low rev players will enjoy the added traction in oil.

Weakness: At the box finish, the Bullet Train seemed to fizzle at the back end for us as the patterns broke down. Raising the surface will increase the response to dry.

Overall: The Bullet Train gave us less hook than the Freight Train, but offers more length and a bigger change of direction at the back end. The ball takes to surface changes very well.

BULLET TRAIN

OILY: 9/8.5/9MEDIUM: 7/7/6DRY: 6/5/4SPORT: 6/6/5

2.553 RG: The Bullet Train uses a variation of the Combustion weight block used in the previous Train balls. This version has the highest RG of the three.

.040 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is the lowest of the Train balls so far. We still saw flare around the four inch mark.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: We saw the Bullet Train kick over harder at the breakpoint than the Freight Train. The hybrid coverstock stores energy better than the Freight’s solid s77 cover.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: This is the first Train to use the neAt pad as the box finish. This finish is slightly smoother than the previous balls in this line, giving the Bullet Train the most length of the three.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball gave us the same amount of recovery down lane as the first two Trains. We saw the biggest difference in the three balls in the first 40 feet of the lane.

52Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Bullet Train gave us the least amount of hook of the Train balls. There will be some discussion about these results, but on our patterns the lack of continuation down lane kept the overall hook rating down.

Comments: 900 Global’s latest addition to their high performance line is the Bullet Train. This ball uses the same core shape as the first Train and provides a higher RG than we have seen from the other two. This ball uses a new hybrid formula of the s79 coverstock. This ball also uses a different box finish than the other two Trains which were finished with the “E” pad. The “A” pad used on the Bullet Train gives it more length than the other two and gave us our best reaction on our heavy test pattern. Stroker and Cranker liked the ball more than Tweener on this pattern. Both were able to play to their strengths - a more direct line for Stroker and Cranker able to grab a handful. Tweener got stuck in the middle of having too much hook trying to go straight and not enough hook to go around it. When we lowered the cover down to the “E” pad, the increased hook gave him a much better reaction. All three testers threw only a few shots before changing the finish to the “T” pad to get more length. The pearl in the cover helped push the Bullet Train down the lane once we were able to get the added length from the higher finish. As we moved deeper into the pattern, we ran into trouble getting it to turn the corner consistently. This cover is really strong and needs more oil than we had left on our test pattern. We did not quite like our reaction on our sport pattern. Cranker had the worst of it with his ball checking too early when he was in the track area and not having enough back end reaction when he tried to get left and swing it. As the Bullet Train tore up the front of the lane, the other two testers had similar issues until all three added polish. Even with polish, the short test pattern had nothing for any of the testers. Patterns like that will be a better match up for weaker shelled bowling balls.

Bowling This Month 3

BALL TALK REVIEWS

HOOK! BLACK/NEON GREENRATINGS*

CoverstockName: S43Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 4000 Abralon Color: Black/Neon Green



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The Hook! provides an adequate amount of motion on medium to heavy type oil patterns. The price tag makes it hard to ignore for beginners or tournament bowlers.

Weakness: There is actually very little this Hook! cannot do. For anyone who has not tried a Hook! for fear it lacks performance, give this one a go. At the box finish, this ball is not suited for drier lane conditions.

Overall: This latest Hook! gives users more overall motion than previous versions. The sanded cover can provide traction even on heavy volumes of oil.

OILY: 7/8/9MEDIUM: 9/9/9DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 7/6/6

2.551 RG: This new hook uses the same core as previous balls in this series. The core has been successful regardless of coverstock and finish.

.046 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is nearly five inches. The dull cover easily shows off the oil rings.

5.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The sanded solid coverstock blends out the lane more than the polished and pearl covered Hook! This also helps the ball handle heavier volumes of oil.

11Scale: 1-25

Length: This ball comes at a 4000 Abralon finish. The sanded cover hooks earlier than the polished finished from other Hook! balls.

14Scale: 1-20

Back End: This cover keeps the back end rating lower than some pearl counterparts. We still found this Hook! to have plenty at the back end for medium patterns.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: This Hook! gives as much motion as we have thrown since the Blue/Blue Hybrid. This is only the second sanded Hook! from 900 Global.

Comments: The Black/Neon Green Hook! is the latest introduction to the entry level performance line for 900 Global. The 4000 Abralon cover gives this ball more overall motion than all the other Hook! releases. While it was a close call, we had just a little better reaction overall on the medium test pattern. All three testers were really able to play to their strengths on this pattern. Stroker was able to stay on the outside part of the lane and the sanded cover would go right up to the hole. Tweener was able to stay firm with his ball speed without having to worry about shooting it past the breakpoint. Cranker could stand left and throw this Hook! right and watch it come back shot after shot. After the equivalent of a few games, only Cranker decided to change the ball surface on this pattern. He applied a coat of polish to keep the Hook! from checking up too early once the oil was gone in the heads. When we moved to the heavy pattern, all three testers were able to get to the pocket fairly easily. Tweener and Stroker just could not get the ball to hit as hard as it did on the medium pattern. We used a nEat pad on both balls to get them started just a little earlier. This did the job for these testers, as they were striking right along with Cranker. Our sport pattern gave us the next best reaction. Stroker’s more direct line to the pocket was best. Cranker and Tweener had to move farther left and swing the ball more through the front, which negatively affected their carry. Both these testers hit their Hook! with a neaT pad, which allowed them to move farther right where Stroker was playing on this pattern. Even applying polish was not enough for us to have a very good reaction on our short pattern. This Hook! gave us too much total motion than some of the pearls in this line.

Bowling This Month4

BALL TALK REVIEWS

RIP ITRATINGS*

CoverstockName: s55Type: Pearl Reactive Box Finish: PolishedColor: Emerald/Silver

CoreDensity: Dual Symmetrical


GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The Rip It is very clean through the front of the lane. The ball floats through the front and midlane with minimal effort.

Weakness: High volumes of oil and big amounts of carrydown will cause some trouble for the Rip It. This ball likes to skid and flip. Heavy oil or oil down lane will hamper this.

Overall: The Rip It is a good addition to 900 Global’s mid-performance line. A nice skid/flip type reaction is offered for the price.

OILY: 3/4/5MEDIUM: 8.5/9/9DRY: 9/7/6SPORT: 5/5/6

2.57 RG: The Rip It is powered by a core design used by 900 Global’s sister brand, AMF. The weight block from the OMG! Pearl pushes the Rip It down the lane while storing maximum energy for the breakpoint.

.045 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is the same as the OMG! Pearl. All three testers were be-tween four and five inches.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: Rip It describes the motion at the breakpoint. This ball rips when it sees some friction at the end of the pattern.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished s55 coverstock easily gets down the lane on almost any type of pat-tern. That makes it a good choice on anything but heavy oil.

15.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is strong from the Rip It. The majority of the Rip It’s movement comes from the breakpoint to the pins.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook from the Rip It puts it above the Wisdom and Jewels, but less than the Dirty Look. The motion is the same, just less than other pearls at a higher price point.

Comments: The Rip It is the latest mix/match of older cores with different coverstocks from 900 Global. The core of the Rip It was found in the OMG! Pearl. This high RG core helps the Rip It store energy for the breakpoint, providing a more angular move. This type of reaction was best for the testers on the medium test pattern. On the fresh we saw a big move from the Rip It when it got out of the oil pattern. The testers were able to move farther left with their feet and still see recovery down lane as long as they got the ball to the track area. After a number of shots, the oil began to push down and all three testers had to make small two and one adjust-ments back to the right. For a few shots we knocked the shine off with a 4000 Abralon pad on all three test balls. With the added traction, the Rip It was able to start up a little sooner and was much less sensitive to the oil that had pushed down lane. Our next best reaction came on the dry test pattern. The easy length was a benefit for us, especially Stroker, on this pattern. Tweener and Cranker’s high rev rates made it slightly more difficult for them to control the breakpoint on this shorter pattern. These two testers had to rely more on coming up the back of the ball and not getting around it as much as they usually do. It only took a few shots on the heavy test pattern to know we needed to make some surface changes. The ball traveled way too far before trying to make its move to the pocket and just ran out of lane. We used a nEat pad on Tweener and Stroker’s Rip Its while Cranker removed the shine with the neAt pad. The added surface helped the Rip It check up sooner, but the pearl shell and high RG core still made it difficult to consistently get to the pocket. The Train series would be better options for this type of pattern. The Rip It at the box finish was too angular for much success on our sport pattern. We removed the polish with a 3000 Abralon pad on each ball and it vastly improved our reactions. The added surface provided extra traction and smoothed out the breakpoint, reactions we like to see on this pattern.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: S70Type: Reactive SolidBox Finish: neaT Color: Red/Sky Blue

CoreDensity: DualEnhanced Mass Bias: .019Asymmetrical

Lane Conditions & Drillings: P. 64Tracking charts: 6

GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The more use our patterns got, the better our reaction with the War Eagle. The modifications to the weight block give this ball more length with a smaller change of direction.

Weakness: We had trouble on a few of our patterns while they were fresh. The ball wanted to skip past the breakpoint too easily. When we slowed down and tried to make the ball finish, we could not get it to hit with much impact at the pocket.

Overall: The War Eagle is not the ball you would want if you are looking to replace your Eagle or Break Out. This ball will make a great addition to an arsenal when one of those balls starts over-reacting.

WAR EAGLE

OILY: 8.5/8.5/8.5MEDIUM: 8/8/6DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 7/7/6

2.5 RG: The core used in the previous Eagles has been altered in the new War Eagle. While the core shape is the same, the RG has been raised.

.047 Diff/Flare: The alterations to the core continue in the reduction of differential. The War Eagle flares an entire inch less than the previous Eagles, Break Out, and Break.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The War Eagle is much smoother than the previous Eagles when it hits the break-point. This type of reaction is better as lanes break down and go through their transitions.

13Scale: 1-25

Length: This ball is finished with the neaT pad. We had just a slightly better reaction on our heavy test pattern than the medium pattern.

15.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end reaction is less than the previous versions of the Eagle. The smoother move at the breakpoint sets up the War Eagle for a smaller back end motion.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The high RG, low differential core design and neaT finish coverstock make the total motion less than a lot of other upper mid performance 900 Global products. Bowlers who saw too much motion out of the Eagles and Trains will find the War Eagle to their liking.

Comments: While the War Eagle carries the Eagle name, it has quite a few differences from the previous two versions. The first obvious difference is the multi-color shell instead of the solid black and solid purple colors of the first two Eagles. The differences continue with the change of densities to the core. While the War Eagle still uses the s70 solid coverstock and maintains the same core shape, the RG has been raised and the differential lowered. What this means for users is that the War Eagle will have more length and less total hook than the other two Eagles. Despite having less total hook, we still had the best reaction on our heavy test pattern. The solid cover tried to pick up the lane, but the core wanted to push this ball down lane and made it difficult to control the breakpoint. We had to make sure to stay slow with our ball speeds at the box finish. We used the nEat pad on all three balls and had a much more consistent reaction to the pocket. As we started to see the lane dry up, we returned the balls to the neaT box finish and had much more success with them. The high RG kept this ball from wanting to read the burned up fronts. Tweener and Stroker had just as good a look on the medium pattern as they did on the heavy. Cranker had issues on the fresh. The strong coverstock wanted to hook and forced him left, but he could not get enough angle down lane to carry shot to shot. His best look was moving back right and lofting it over the front of the lane. Once again, however, as soon as the pattern broke down, all three testers’ look improved vastly. The same applied on our sport pattern. The short test pattern offered no reaction and there are better choices than trying to make a ball like this work on this type of condition.

Bowling This Month6

BALL TALK REVIEWS

KING COBRARATINGS*

CoverstockName: F55Type: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 4000 Abralon Color: Black/Red



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: Power and predictability are the two best qualities a bowling ball can have and the King Cobra has both. All three testers were able to knock down a lot of pins on three of the four test patterns.

Weakness: Low volumes of oil can be tricky for the King Cobra. Weak layouts and lots of polish could make this ball usable on these types of patterns.

Overall: The King Cobra is one of the best AMF balls we have thrown in recent history. It picked up the lane in the right place without bailing at the breakpoint. If you were disappointed in the Cobra Special Edition, do not let the name keep you away from this ball.

OILY: 8.5/9/9.5MEDIUM: 8/8/8DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 7/7/7

2.46 RG: The King Cobra uses the same light bulb shaped core as the Cobra Special Edition but with modified densities. The RG has been lowered.

.030 Diff/Flare: The differential is nearly double what it was in the Cobra Special Edition. The change to the core and cover really give this ball a lot more performance than the Cobra offered.

5.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The coverstock is a weaker resin formation than was used on the Cobra. Combined with the modified core densities, this gives the King Cobra more bite at the breakpoint.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The F55 cover comes at a 4000 Abralon finish. The ball picks up quickly and creates plenty of friction even on heavy patterns.

15.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end reaction is much stronger than the Cobra Special Edition. While it’s smooth and predictable, it also can cover some boards at the back.

52Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: This ball convincingly outperformed the Cobra Special Edition on every pat-tern on which we threw it. It also covered more boards on every pattern.

Comments: The King Cobra is the second release using the retro Cobra name. The ball is not so much a remake of the ball nine years ago as it is a new release that has the same name. This King Cobra uses the same light bulb shaped core with a low RG and while the differential is still on the low side, it is almost double what was used in the Cobra Special Edition. The differences between the two do not stop there. The coverstock has been tamed from the F74 down to F55. The combination of all these elements gives the King Cobra a superior reaction on our test patterns. We started on the heavy. Cranker loved his reaction on this pattern. He could catch the King Cobra all he wanted at the bottom without it over-reading the friction. His carry was above normal. The King Cobra kept the pins low and he could strike light or high flush and everywhere in between. Tweener was also pretty fond of his reaction. The 4000 Abralon gave him plenty of hook early enough so that he could stay aggressive with his ball speed. Stroker was not far behind and with the help of a nEat pad, his look was even better. As we broke the pattern down, Stroker was able to return the ball to the 4000 finish and get it back in the pocket. All three testers had to make a move left into the oil to get to the pocket on the medium pattern at the box finish. After a few shots we added polish to increase the length and store more energy for the breakpoint. We had a good reaction on our sport pattern as well. The ball smoothed out the breakpoint and was strong enough to give us recovery on shots we missed right of target. We tried to take the venom out of this snake by heavily polishing the cover in an attempt to make it work on our short test pattern. Our layouts were just too strong. With weaker pin to axis layouts with the polish added, we think we would be able to make it work on shorter patterns.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: F74Type: Hybrid ReactiveBox Finish: neaT Color: Black/Purple Pearl

CoreDensity: DualAsymmetricalEnhanced Mass Bias: .020


GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The Mamba Hybrid is a nice step down from the Green Mamba. When the Green Mamba starts hooking too much, the Hybrid is the next logical choice.

Weakness: Lane conditions on the dry side or on the heavy side will force users to alter the surface on the Mamba Hybrid. We had a bit of trouble getting it to retain its energy as our patterns transitioned.

Overall: The Mamba Hybrid is the least hooking of the three Mamba bowling balls. The Self Righting Core is wrapped by the hybrid F74 coverstock, the first hybrid cover in the Mamba line.

MAMBA HYBRID


2.481 RG: The Mamba Hybrid has the same Self Righting Core used as the engine of the Green Mamba. The low RG core revs up quickly for all styles of bowlers.

.054 Diff/Flare: The SRC’s differential in the Mamba Hybrid is the same as in the Green Mamba. We saw plenty of oil rings on the sanded cover of this ball.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: With our layouts, we saw a very arcing shape from the Mamba Hybrid. The ball seemed like it wanted to rip at the back end, but could not quite get there. Drillings that place the pin above the fingers will see a bigger change of direction than we experienced.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The neaT finish appears rougher on the Mamba Hybrid than it did on previous balls like Green Mamba. The darker colors of the Mamba Hybrid could be the reason for the change in appearance. The length is right between the Black Mamba and the Green Mamba.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: Like the length rating, the back end rating fits right between the Black and Green Mamba.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Mamba Hybrid gave us less overall motion than the Black or Green Mamba. We had our best line to the pocket on our medium test pattern.

Comments: The Mamba Hybrid is the third ball in the Mamba family and the second one to use the Self Righting Core. The coverstock, which comes with the neaT finish, has been changed from the Green Mamba to a hybrid version of F74. The Mamba Hybrid’s slightly sanded cover gave us our best reaction on the medium test pattern. Stroker and Tweener liked how easily this ball created traction in the midlane. Cranker struggled with his reaction. When he tried to open up the lane, he did not see recovery down lane. When he tried to square up, the ball wanted to hook too early. He decided to increase his ball speed and add some loft to his delivery to keep the Mamba Hybrid on line to the pocket. Cranker’s rev rate allowed him to have the best look on our heavy test pattern. Stroker and Tweener needed some help to get the hook needed to get to the pocket on this pattern. We lowered the finish on their Mamba’s with the nEat pad to give them more total motion. Stroker had few problems lining up on the dry test pattern after a few shots, but Cranker and Tweener again needed to alter the surface to find the pocket. Both of these testers added a coat of polish to their Mamba Hybrid to delay the early hook they were seeing on this shorter pattern. The testers liked their look on the sport pattern. The cover did not hook too early or want to go sideways when it encountered friction. The strong rolling nature of this ball will put it in play on medium volume sport patterns.

Bowling This Month8

RATINGS*

CoverstockName: F90Type: Solid Reactive Box Finish: nEat Color: Black w/ Blue Shimmer



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: Traction is the biggest strength of the Incinerate. The rough finish and texture of this ball just scream traction.

Weakness: This ball needs oil. The warning engraved on half the ball gives a heads up to all consumers that this ball is designed to hook. This ball does not take well to surface changes. We had a difficult time shining it up as easily as other AMF releases.

Overall: The Incinerate is the latest hook monster from AMF. The Incinerate is along the lines of the OMG! and Mega Friction in terms of hook shape. The added back end motion of the Incinerate is what gives it the advantage.

INCINERATE


2.49 RG: The core from the Incinerate is the same shape as the core used in the Radar years ago. The RG in this version is lower to allow this monster to start revving up as soon as it touches the lane.

.050 Diff/Flare: This ball offers around five inches of track flare. All three testers had about the same amount of flare from this ball in small, tight oil rings.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: The aggressive nature of this cover/core combination naturally smoothes out the reaction at the breakpoint. This one has more pop down lane that other hook in a box releases like the Mega Friction and OMG!

11Scale: 1-25

Length: The superaggressive nature of the Incinerate keeps the length rating down. We had a difficult time shining up the cover, so make sure you have plenty of oil in the heads if you want to use the Incinerate with the most success.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The Incinerate offers more back end than other rough finish, highly aggressive releases from AMF. All three testers enjoyed the added motion down lane.

54Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Incinerate is the biggest hooking AMF release since the OMG! a few years back. While the ball comes at the nEat finish, it can be lowered to provide even more hook for the 1 percent of bowlers for whom this will not be enough.

Comments: Bowlers who struggle on heavy oil patterns or want a ball that will overpower most lane condi-tions will be looking forward to the release of the Incinerate. The F90 coverstock is the strongest to date from AMF and, combined with a low RG core with a pretty good differential, is all about hook. It is no surprise that we had the best reaction on the heavy test pattern. All three testers had no problem getting the Incinerate started up and back to the pocket. Our best carry came when we were going straighter through the front and not trying to go around the lane too much. It did not take long to open up a spot on this pattern and each tester made small moves deeper into the oil up front while throwing it to the hook spot. This ball showed no signs of losing energy at the pins or bailing at the back end on this pattern. The medium pattern was only kind to Stroker with his lower rev rate. Tweener and Cranker struggled getting enough length out of the Incinerate before it checked up. We went to the spinner and tried adding some polish to the cover of Tweener and Cranker’s Incinerates. After a few minutes on the spinner, it looked like we had not done much to the cover and our reaction did not change. We went back with the “A” and “T” pads to try to raise the finish before adding polish and had a little more success. We got added length but still not enough for this to be one of our top choices on this pattern. We had minimal success on the dry pattern since this ball was designed for its polar opposite. Combined with not being able to make our Incinerates look like marbles, we struggled on this pattern. We did not, however, struggle on our sport pattern. The Incinerate blended out the flatter pattern and made it look like a house shot. Sport patterns with higher volumes and longer lengths will offer an even better reaction for the Incinerate and for a longer period of time without having to change balls.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Addaptive f(P+F) HybridType: Reactive HybridBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff Color: Blue Solid/Bronze Gold Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The added motion from the Meanstreak Brawler is a nice addition for bowlers who liked the Meanstreak and would fit into an arsenal that includes it. The Brawler can handle heavier volumes of oil with the right layout.

Weakness: Floods will not offer enough friction for the Brawler. On the other end of the spectrum, really dry lanes will also force users to put this ball away.

Overall: The Meanstreak Brawler’s hybrid cover provides a motion that was not present in the Brunswick line. The symmetrical core with the hybrid shell can cover all types of medium patterns.

MEANSTREAK BRAWLER

OILY: 7/8/8MEDIUM: 9/9.5/8DRY: 5/4/4SPORT: 6/7/6

2.536 RG: The RG of the Meanstreak Brawler is slightly lower than the Meanstreak in this new addition to the upper mid line. The low RG helps the Brawler pick up the lane a little quicker.

.048 Diff/Flare: The Brawler shares the differential with the Meanstreak. All three testers were right around the five inch barrier.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The hybrid cover and rough box finish just slightly tame down the move at the breakpoint. What the ball lost at the breakpoint, it more than makes up for in the midlane.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The Brawler uses a hybrid cover at a 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff finish, compared to the High Gloss polish pearl finish of the Meanstreak Brawler. This gets the ball to pick up the lane earlier.

15.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball is not far behind the Meanstreak at the back end. Because of the slight difference in cover and box finish, the Brawler starts to pick up earlier and has a stronger move in the middle part of the lane.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Meanstreak Brawler is a great addition to the upper mid performance line. It’s a great ball to start with for bowlers who like the Meanstreak but want a ball that hooks more.

Comments: The Meanstreak Brawler utilizes the same shape core as the Meanstreak. The differential is the same and the RG is just slightly lower. The cover has been changed from a pearl finished with High Gloss Polish to a hybrid at a lower Rough Buff finish. These changes all give the Meanstreak Brawler more teeth in the oil than the original Meanstreak. This ball performed best on our medium test pattern. Tweener had a phenomenal reaction on this pattern. He could be fast with his ball speed and the Brawler made it back to the pocket for the duration of the testing session. Stroker was right behind him with a pretty good reaction himself. The slightly rough finish allowed these testers the extra read in the midlane that they lacked from the original Meanstreak. The added hook allowed them to crush the pocket on this pattern. Cranker had this ball picking up just a little too early for his liking. After a few shots he applied Brunswick’s High Gloss Polish and saw much better results. Even with the polish, the Brawler was still stronger than the Meanstreak on this pattern. Moving to the heavy test pattern, Cranker was the only one able to use the ball at the box finish. His higher rev rate allowed him to square up to the lane and let the ball get back to the pocket. Tweener and Stroker both needed some help getting the Brawler to the hole. We used a 2000 SiaAir pad to remove the Rough Buff and create more traction. The added hook was just what was needed to get the ball to the pocket. The sport pattern was next up and again Tweener had the best reaction of the three. His speed and rev rate really matched up well with this ball regardless of the pattern. We again knocked the Rough Buff off all three test balls with a 2000 SiaAir and this improved all three testers’ reaction. The short pattern did not offer much for such a high performing ball. Even adding the High Gloss Polish did not help with this much friction.

Bowling This Month10

BALL TALK REVIEWS

PARANORMAL AURARATINGS*

CoverstockName: Optimum Hook SolidType: Solid ReactiveBox Finish: 500/2000 SiaAir Color: Black/Blue Solid



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: This Aura’s read of the midlane and turn out of the dry are what make this ball shine. Bowlers wanting more hook need look no further.

Weakness: This ball needs oil. Simple as that. Without oil, this ball will be pretty useless for bowlers of any style.

Overall: The Paranormal Aura provides lots of hook in the oil while maintaining a big back end reaction. The strong box finish, combined with the low RG core, gave us a tremendous reaction on our heavy test pattern.


2.481 RG: The ultra low RG core revs up quickly and easily.

.052 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is the same as the Aura. Even our low rev Stroker saw nearly five inches of oil rings.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball packs a serious punch at the breakpoint. We were surprised how much it cornered considering how strongly it reads the midlane.

10Scale: 1-25

Length: This ball is rough out of the box. The texture is ideal for use on heavy oil conditions.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end rating is high for a ball at such a low box finish. We polished them and still saw more recovery than we did from the Aura.

55Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Paranormal Aura can give any HP ball a run for its money in total hook. This ball can create hook early and does not lose any energy going down the lane.

Comments: This is the follow up to the Aura and the change to a solid reactive coverstock makes it a monster. The core remains the same as the Aura, but the 2000 SiaAir finished Optimum Hook Solid cover provides much more hook than its predecessor. This ball was best for all three testers on our heavy test pattern. The Paranormal Aura provided each tester with much more area to hit on this pattern than the Aura. Each tester was able to chase the pattern left as the oil started to go away and none of them saw any loss of hook or carry. This makes the Paranormal Aura one of the best choices for high volume patterns. Stroker’s and Tweener’s low rates of revolution allowed them to have a lot of success on our medium test pattern as well. They were able to start farther left on this pattern and, as long as they gave the ball enough room to the right, they could keep it in the pocket. Neither of these testers had to make any surface adjustments to their test ball on this pattern. Cranker had too much hook from the Paranormal Aura at the box finish on this pattern. No matter how far left he got, this ball just hooked way too much. He added High Gloss polish and the added length got him to the hole. This ball put a shellacking on our sport pattern. Stroker led the way, having miss room both ways from the target. Tweener and Cranker were not far behind with all three able to just power through any OB. We never had to adjust the surface on this pattern. The 2000 box finish was the most versatile for attacking three of our four patterns. The only price the bowler pays for such a strong bowling ball is that it will be pretty close to useless on short dry patterns. Only those who throw rockets down the lane will be able to keep this ball on line to the pocket on these types of conditions.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Chemical Projection Technology (CPT)Type: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff/High Gloss Color: Burgundy Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: Cranker really liked the shape this ball provided. Even with polish, he was able to cover a lot of boards.

Weakness: There is little this ball cannot handle. With the proper adjustments and lane play, most players will be able to throw this ball on nearly any condition.

Overall: The Ringer uses a new core shape and surrounds it with a cover Brunswick has used before. The motion is different than any current Brunswick ball.

RINGER

OILY: 6/7/8MEDIUM: 9/9/9.5DRY: 7/6/6SPORT: 7/5/7

2.534 RG: The Ringer utilizes a new core shape for Brunswick called the Ringer Medium core. The name tells you all you need to know about the RG.

.038 Diff/Flare: This new core offers close to four inches of track flare. The ball has a smooth breakpoint and the perfect amount of flare for this reaction.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: The breakpoint is one you have to experience first hand to give it justice. While it is smooth and predictable, it has plenty of continuation.

15.5Scale: 1-25

Length: The High Gloss Polish box finish provides good length to the Ringer. Despite the shiny finish, it was hard to throw this one through the breakpoint.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end motion is strong and predictable. The Ringer does not turn on a dime. Instead, it provides a controlled arc to the pocket.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Ringer is being introduced into the price point with the Karmas. We have this one just under the Solid Karma with a different motion than the Purple/Pink.

Comments: Brunswick’s latest low mid-price addition is the new Ringer. This ball features a new medium RG core combined with the Chemical Projection Technology coverstock used on the C(System) balls. The solid version of this cover has been used on the Versa and Maxxed out, while the last time we saw a pearl version was on the Ulti-Max. This combination of cover and core matched up best with our medium test pattern. While all three testers liked their reaction on this pattern, Cranker liked it best. He had easy length through the front and a smooth, strong arc-shaped motion off the breakpoint. For him, this ball went through the pins the right way over and over. Stroker and Tweener liked their look but both had to move just a bit farther right to get the proper angle through the pins. Only Cranker was able to use this ball at the box finish on the heavy test pattern. He made a big move right with his feet and target while slowing down his ball speed. All three testers removed the High Gloss Polish with a 2000 SiaAir pad to get some added traction on this pattern. The added grip to the lane helped, but was still not as good as the motion from the Paranormal Aura. We had much better luck on our short pattern. The smooth arcing motion down lane controlled the breakpoint and got all three testers to the pocket. Tweener’s and Cranker’s reactions did not last too long, but they usually would be throwing balls with weaker shells on this type of pattern. Cranker and Stroker liked their reactions on the sport pattern. The predictable nature of this ball allowed them to play two very different lines to the pocket. Stroker was able to go down the second arrow playing very direct. Cranker was able to cross around the third arrow, giving it room out to around the eight board, and watching it come back without over-reacting to the friction. Tweener was stuck in the middle of these two reactions. He needed the aid of a 4000 SiaAir pad to get the Ringer started just a bit earlier on this pattern.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

ENIGMARATINGS*

CoverstockName: TFT – Total Friction Technology Type: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 800 Abranet, 800 Abranet, 1500 Abranet Soft, 1500 Abranet Soft Color: Red/Blue/Yellow



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The ability to tear through heavy oil patterns is the biggest strength of the Enigma. This ball can overpower nearly any oil pattern.

Weakness: Dry lanes will cause quite a debacle for the Enigma. Even after we raised the surface and added polish, this ball was still too strong for our dry test pattern.

Overall: The amount of traction this ball can create in the oil while maintaining a strong back end motion is a huge benefit for any bowler. The added back end, combined with the usual hook in the oil, will find a spot for any bowler who is struggling to see enough hook.

OILY: 9.5/9.5/9.5MEDIUM: 9/9/8.5DRY: 3/3/3SPORT: 7/8/8

2.5 RG: The Enigma uses the same core as the Dark and Wicked Encounters. The low RG and sanded cover revs up quickly for all styles of play.

.052 Diff/Flare: The differential remains the same as in the Encounter line. Even our lower rev Stroker saw over four inches of track flare.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Enigma continues the trend we have seen from Columbia 300’s bowling balls coming out of the box with a sanded cover. In addition to offering traction, they retain energy for a big move at the breakpoint.

10Scale: 1-25

Length: The Enigma is finished with a combination of 800 and 1500 Abranet. The rough box finish will easily create traction on the slickest conditions.

17.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: As we touched on in the torque section, the back end motion is very impressive from the Enigma. It is the same big move we saw from the Dark and Wicked Encounters.

56Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: While the back end is really similar to the Dark and Wicked Encounters, the total hook is more. This will provide a strong hooking motion on nearly any type of slick pattern.

Comments: The Enigma is the newest addition to Columbia 300’s high performance line. This ball utilizes the core properties and shape used in the last two releases at this price point, the Wicked Encounter and the Dark Encounter. The core is surrounded by the new TFT coverstock and finished with an 800/800/1500/1500 Abranet like the Wicked Encounter. This combination gives bowlers a ball that provides the same back end motion as other Columbia 300 products but even more traction in the oil. It is no surprise that we had our best reactions on the heavy oil test pattern. This is the slickest pattern we use and it did little to slow down the big move from the Enigma. All three testers had added room to the right because of the traction the Enigma created. Throwing it next to the Wicked Encounter, all three testers were at least four boards left with their feet and three boards left with their targets. Moving to the medium test pattern, we were able to keep these balls at the box finish and make a big jump left with our lines to the pocket. Stroker and Cranker were able to take full advantage of the hook created by the Enigma, allowing them both to increase their ball speed without sacrificing recovery at the back end. When Cranker gets deep on this pattern and really opens up the lane with sanded equipment, sometimes the ball uses too much energy crossing so many boards and either hooks out or hits flat in the pocket. Neither was the case with the Enigma. His only problem was trying to control the hook this ball provides. All three testers struggled on the short pattern. We rushed to the spinner to raise the surfaces to a 3000 Abralon and add Power House Factory Finish. Even with the shinier surfaces, the Enigma just hooked too much for this lower volume, shorter oil pattern. We were able to overpower our sport pattern rather easily. Despite being the most difficult test pattern, all three testers were able to see recovery due to how much this ball hooked.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

VOWRATINGS*

CoverstockName: Bend-It PearlType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500/800/1000/2000 Abralon w/ Power House Factory Finish PolishColor: Black/Red/Carmel



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: We loved this core and cover combination. Users can expect easy length without a violent down lane reaction.

Weakness: Only the heaviest volumes of oil can keep the Vow off the lanes. This is a great ball to start with on medium patterns or to shell down to from an Enigma, Oath, or Wicked Encounter.

Overall: The Vow fills probably the only gap in the Columbia 300 line - a ball that can get down the lane and not go sideways. This type of motion can find its way into any bowler’s arsenal.

OILY: 7/8/9MEDIUM: 9.5/9.5/9.5DRY: 7/6/5SPORT: 8/8/8

2.47 RG: The Vow uses the same Capsule core as the Oath and Omen. This core starts up easily for all bowling styles.

.054 Diff/Flare: The differential is the same as the previous two balls in this line. Cranker saw just over five inches of flare. Tweener and Stroker were both around the four inch mark.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball is smooth at the breakpoint due to the low RG core. The new coverstock pushes it down the lane and stores energy well for a core that wants to rev up quickly.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The pearlized polished cover is easily longer than the Oath and Omen. We have to go all the way back to the Ransom to find a polished pearl at this price point.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: This is another ball where words do not do the reaction from breakpoint to pins justice. Smooth, yet authoritative. It got to the pocket every time.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total amount of hook is closest to the original Eruption. The shape, however, is totally different.

Comments: The Vow is the latest offering from Columbia 300 at the upper mid price point. This ball uses the same Capsule core as the Oath and Omen and surrounds it with a brand new pearlized formulation of the Bend-It reactive coverstock. The low RG core and shiny pearl cover provide a must have reaction for bowlers on medium type conditions. It is no surprise we had our best look on our medium test pattern. All three testers were able to play wherever they wanted on this pattern. Cranker was able to start between the third and fourth arrows and swing the ball to the friction. After a few shots, he moved right and squared up to the lane to see what his reaction would be. The Vow easily cleared the front and got to the pocket. Tweener and Stroker both had similar results. They could move left or right and, with the right speed, all three players could strike and strike and strike. We had our next best reaction on our heavy test pattern. Cranker kept the Vow at the box finish and just moved his feet a few boards right. Tweener and Stroker removed the Power House Factory Finish with a 2000 Abralon pad. Without the polish, the pearl cover still got down the lane rather easily and now had the grip to get to the pocket more easily for these low rev testers. The Vow made all three testers say, “Wow!” on our sport pattern. Each tester attacked this pattern from a different angle through the front and each one of them had the same success. The ball did not pick up the pattern too quickly or over-react off the dry. This ball will be useful on difficult lane conditions. The short dry test pattern gave us the biggest challenge using the Vow. The coverstock was just too strong for the short length on this pattern. Weaker and smoother layouts will help combat these conditions.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Class 8 HybridType: Reactive HybridBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough BuffColor: Color: Blue/Orange/Lime Hybrid



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: This newest high performance DV8 ball will turn the corner much more strongly than the Nightmare. Once we lined up with this ball, we could not imagine having to change from it.

Weakness: We were not crazy about the box finish on this ball. We were in between trying to use it on our medium and heavy test patterns.

Overall: The Brutal Nightmare gave us less hook than the original Nightmare. We had more length with a bigger change of direction at the breakpoint.

OILY: 8/8.5/9MEDIUM: 9/8/8DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 7/6/7

2.505 RG: The Brutal Nightmare uses the same weight block with a face impression as the origi-nal Nightmare. The RG remains the same. The only difference is the new Class 8 reactive hybrid cover.

.052 Diff/Flare: The differential is just over five inches. When we lowered the box finish, we were able to see larger flare potential.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: Bowlers can expect the Brutal Nightmare to be stronger off the breakpoint than the original Nightmare. The higher box finish and hybrid cover both add up to a stronger change of direction.

14.5Scale: 1-25

Length: Once again we saw the difference in box finish and coverstock come into play by adding length over the first Nightmare. This ball will still be less length than the Hell Raiser Terror.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is one of the highest we have seen from the DV8 brand. Only the polished pearl cover of the Hell Raiser Terror has more recovery off the friction.

52Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Brutal Nightmare is not the biggest hooking ball in the DV8 line, but it does bring a new motion to the brand - angular with some traction in the oil.

Comments: The Brutal Nightmare takes the core from the Nightmare and uses a hybrid version of the Class 8 coverstock. This ball comes at a higher grit finish than the Nightmare and we were able to use to it with the most success on our heavy test pattern. The testers played straighter through the front of the lane on this pattern. We kept focus on trying to keep our ball speed in check. With the Rough Buff finish, if we got too fast it was not difficult to throw it past the desired breakpoint. We removed the Rough Buff with a 2000 SiaAir pad. This helped all three testers eliminate any squirt at the breakpoint. We had more traction in the oil and did not sacrifice back end reaction. We had just about the same success on our medium test pattern as we did on the wet test pattern. Cranker saw a less than desirable over/under reaction as the track area began to break down. He added a coat of High Gloss Polish on top of the Rough Buff to help get more skid and have the Brutal Nightmare store a bit more energy for the back end. This was the proper adjustment for him as he was able to get back into the pocket with increased pin carry. Stroker and Cranker liked this ball on our sport pattern. The ball was strong enough to create some miss room for these two players attacking this pattern from two significantly different angles. Tweener was stuck in the middle of having as good a reaction as Cranker or Stroker had so he decided to remove the Rough Buff finish with a 4000 SiaAir pad. This allowed him to move farther left and closer to Cranker and strike more than he did out of the box. For all three testers the only way we were able to find any kind of reaction on the dry pattern was to add a heavy layer of High Gloss Polish. Even then we would try to find a weaker ball for drier conditions.

BRUTAL NIGHTMARE


BALL TALK REVIEWS

RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Class 6GType: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff/High Gloss Color: Black/Pink



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: This ball provides a motion new to the product line. A stronger weight block and polished solid shell was a reaction missing in the DV8 line.

Weakness: There will be a number of bowlers who will not want to throw a pink and black ball with a heart on it, but doing so will be your gain and your competitor’s loss.

Overall: The Diva will fit between the Marauder and the Misfit line of bowling balls. The new Class 6 cover is a good addition to any arsenal.


2.516 RG: RG (2.516) The Diva uses a new core shape. This core provides a low RG, quicker revving core than was used in the Marauders or Reckless product lines.

.052 Diff/Flare: The Diva has a large flare potential. All three testers were right around five inches of total flare.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: We did not see an extreme skid/snap reaction. We had a strong controlled motion through the entire lane.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The High Gloss box finish provided enough length for us on our medium and dry test patterns. The polish can be removed to get the Diva started sooner.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: The polished solid coverstock has less back end potential than the polished pearls in the DV8 line. The three new releases this month fill any gaps that were in the product catalog.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook of the Diva is just slightly more than the new Misfit Yellow Pearl. The shape is earlier and smoother.

Comments: The Diva is all about more performance in the upper mid performance line from DV8. The ball has a “pretty and cute” look to it. It comes pink and black and the ball name is across a heart on the side of the ball. However, it has some bad intentions for the pins standing on the lane. The Diva uses a much stronger core than was used in the Marauder or Marauder Madness. The ball wants to rev up quickly and have some big motion when it sees some friction. Polished solids are personal favorite coverstocks for us and all have tested well on our patterns. The Diva fits this bill perfectly. The medium test pattern is where Stroker had the most success. Stroker really liked the motion this ball provided. The core revved up quickly and the Class 6G cover had no trouble handling the oil on this pattern. Tweener was right behind Stroker in reaction, just a few misses when Stroker did not kept his rating lower. Cranker had an average reaction on this pattern, but not as good as the look that Tweener and Stroker had. Cranker’s higher rev rate made his ball store too much energy and he had trouble controlling the strength at the breakpoint. This is the exact opposite of our results on the heavy test pattern. On this lane condition, Cranker had the best look. He could take advantage of catching all he wanted at the bottom of the swing without the ball over-reacting. Tweener and Stroker needed a little more help than just speed and lane adjustments, so we used a 2000 SiaAir to remove the polish on their two test balls. With the polish removed, their paths to the pocket were much easier to access. We had a fair reaction on our sport pattern. Stroker was able to go the straightest at the headpin and that is what the Diva liked. Our other two testers tried to stand farther left and swing the ball to the track area and saw some overhook when we did not get it out far enough. It was easy to catch the OB on shots we leaked right. These testers removed the box finish with a 4000 SiaAir to have the Diva burn off enough energy to keep it on line to the pocket.

DIVA


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Class 1LType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff/High Gloss Color: Neon Yellow Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: Our testers had a great reaction on our medium test pattern. The ball provides just the right amount of length for these types of patterns.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will require a different bowling ball. The weaker core and cover are not designed with these conditions in mind.

Overall: This is a really nice ball for the price. The color will draw some eyes to it and it’s a great performer.

OILY: 5/6/8MEDIUM: 9.5/9.5/9DRY: 8/7/6SPORT: 7/7/6

2.545 RG: The Misfit core has been modified in the new Neon Yellow Pearl. This new version offers a higher RG that revs up later down lane.

.032 Diff/Flare: The differential has been decreased from the first three Misfits. You would not be able to tell by watching this ball go down the lane.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: For us, the first two Misfit releases turned the corner pretty hard and this one is just as strong. Some bowlers will see more torque over the first versions because of the pearl coverstock.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The High Gloss Polish easily pushes this new Misfit down the lane. Despite the length, the ball was not sensitive to any carrydown.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: Like the previous Misfits, the new Neon Yellow Pearl offers plenty of bang for the buck at the back of the lane. We definitely saw more back end than the previous Misfits we reviewed.

47Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook is just the right amount for a majority of medium type patterns. The Misfit is just less than the Diva.

Comments: The Misfit Neon Yellow Pearl is the first change in the Misfit line since its birth at the start of the DV8 brand. This ball uses a modified version of the Misfit core with a higher RG and lower differential than the first three Misfits. It also has a new coverstock, a pearlized version of the Class 1L shell. Despite all these things pointing toward a less hooking ball, the Misfit Neon Yellow Pearl will catch the attention of bowlers not only because of its bright appearance, but for its exceptional performance. We had our best reaction on the medium test pattern. Stroker and Tweener really liked the added pop at the back end. Despite the low price tag, Cranker had almost too much hook from this ball on this pattern. That is pretty unheard of from a polished pearlized ball in this price range. He was able to keep moving left as the oil went away and was lofting the left gutter before the session was over. Even when he got that far left, the Misfit Neon Yellow Pearl retained plenty of hit at the pins. As a whole, we had our next best reaction on the dry pattern. Tweener and Stroker were able to take a page of out Cranker’s play book and move left and go around the lane. Cranker had to really amp up his speed to keep this ball on line. He used a 4000 SiaAir pad to take off the polish to help smooth out the back end. When we moved to the oily test pattern, Cranker was able to use this ball at the box finish. He had just a pinch more length than he wanted and again used a 4000 SiaAir to get it started just a bit earlier. The other two testers needed a little more help in the oil, so they removed the High Gloss Polish with a 2000 SiaAir. The added surface gave them the extra hook they needed to get to the pocket. They also had to make sure to not get fast with their speed or this ball wanted to skate past the breakpoint. The ball was strong enough to give us some success on our sport pattern. Stroker and Tweener liked this one as they were able to stay farther right. Cranker was forced farther left and had less miss room on this flatter pattern.

MISFIT NEON YELLOW PEARL


BALL TALK REVIEWS

CHAMPIONRATINGS*

CoverstockName: RCS Reactive PearlType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500, 500, 500, 1500 Abralon with Power House Factory Finish Color: Black/Light Blue/Red



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The traction this ball creates is impressive for a polished pearl. This ball will make its mark on medium to heavy conditions.

Weakness: There is little the Champion would struggle on with the proper layouts. We had the most trouble on our short dry pattern.

Overall: The newest Ebonite high performance release is cleaner through the front than the Challenge, with a bigger change of direction at the breakpoint. Bowlers of all styles who want to see a ball handle some oil and still have a move at the back end will want to pick up the Champion.


2.5 RG: The Champion uses a modified version of the AXS core used in the last high perfor-mance ball from Ebonite, the Challenge. The RG has been slightly lowered and revs quickly for all styles of bowlers.

.055 Diff/Flare: The core changes continue with the differential being lowered as well. The ball offers between five and six inches of track flare.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Champion is very strong at the breakpoint. A ball that can handle some volume and still have this much energy at the breakpoint is an attention grabber.

15.5Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished pearl cover is not as sensitive to oil as previous offerings from Ebonite. The new finishing process and new coverstock add some traction in the midlane and back end.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end motion is a big one from the Champion. The strong midlane read turns into a big down lane reaction.

52Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Champion can cover some boards on medium to medium heavy oil pat-terns. All three testers saw unexpected recovery on shots missed right at the breakpoint.

Comments: The Champion offers a reaction we have not seen from an Ebonite product in quite a while. The polished pearlized cover is stronger through the lane than any pearl ball Ebonite has offered in the last few years. We lined up with this one best on our medium test pattern. All three bowlers had the same motion from the foul line through the pins. The Champion cleared the front and really started to rev up in the midlane. We saw traction where other balls like the Innovate skated. Despite seeing the lane earlier, the Champion had plenty left at the breakpoint. All three testers were able to start in their comfort zones and migrate left with small two and one moves into the oil. We never even thought about touching the surface on any of the test balls with as good a reaction as we all had. Moving to the heavy test pattern, it did not take much for Cranker to line up. A small move right and lowering his ball speed slightly got the Champion all over the pocket. Tweener and Stroker needed a little help getting the Champion to the hole on this pattern. We removed the polish with a 3000 Abralon pad. The sanded finish gave these two testers the added traction they were missing on this pattern and they were back striking shot for shot with Cranker. The box finish was best for all three testers on our sport pattern. Usually we do not like to see the ball come off the pattern with as much angle as the Challenge did, but we were able to control the motion because we knew we had miss room right. Shiny balls usually give us wiggle when we send them too far right and we have to be really careful with them on this pattern. The Champion had no problems with anything and struck as much as any other shiny pearl for us. The dry test pattern was the only one to slow the Champion down. We had way too much hook on this condition. We raised the finish to 4000 and re-added the Power House Factory Finish Polish and it was still too much motion. We would rather drill something like a Cyclone than try and tame down the Champion to work on these patterns.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

EXCEEDRATINGS*

CoverstockName: HTR 3.0 HybridType: Reactive Hybrid Box Finish: 3000 Abralon Color: Red/Navy/Yellow



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The core/cover combination is what we liked the most about the Exceed. It allowed this ball to handle both medium and oily conditions alike.

Weakness: Dry lanes will cause the Exceed to pick up the lane too quickly. The cover and core are too strong for these types of patterns.

Overall: The Exceed gives us additional traction in oil and combines that with the big move in the back end that we liked from the Innovate. With this color scheme, we found it very easy to read ball motion.

OILY: 8/8/9MEDIUM: 8/8.5/9.5DRY: 7/6/5SPORT: 7/7/7

2.49 RG: RG (2.49) The Exceed shares the Verve core with the Innovate from the summer. The quick revving core is a benefit on medium and oily lane conditions.

.046 Diff/Flare: The sanded hybrid coverstock gave us more flare than we saw from the Innovate. While sharing the same core, the cover is the reason for the added oil rings.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Exceed has plenty of motion at the breakpoint for a ball with surface. All three testers enjoyed the ability to move farther into the oil pattern without sacrificing motion at the breakpoint.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The 3000 Abralon finish is ideal for matching up with patterns on the heavier side of medium. This cover takes very well to surface changes.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is rather high for a ball at 3000. The pearl in the cover helps the Exceed store energy for the back end.

52Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Exceed is a nice step down from the Challenge. It offers more hook when the Persevere is not quite making it back to the pocket.

Comments: The Exceed is quite a ball at the upper mid performance level. It takes the Verve core first used in the Warning Sign and combines it with the brand new HTR 3.0 Hybrid reactive coverstock. This cover is something special. We threw the Warning Sign and Innovate and like this ball much better. As you can see with the DigiTrax graph, Cranker was able to cover a good amount of the lane going around the line of the other two testers. This cover allowed him to stand farther left, creating a lot of traction in the oil, while still storing a big punch when it saw friction. Both the other testers had to start farther left than they usually start on this pattern and had just a little trouble getting comfortable being there. Moving to the heavy test pattern, the testers played pretty similarly to the medium pattern. The extra oil provided less overall motion, but the same hook shape. Our sport pattern was next on the list and the Exceed handled it rather easily. The strong move this ball made off the breakpoint was a benefit at first, but as the pattern started to break down, it was harder to keep the Exceed in the pocket. None of the testers needed to make any adjustments to the cover on any of these three patterns. We needed to take the Exceed to the ball spinner pretty quickly after trying to find a line to the pocket on our dry test pattern. The 3000 Abralon finish was just way too strong for these types of patterns. We raised the finish on all three balls to 4000 Abralon and then applied a healthy dose of Power House Factory Finish polish. The surface change increased the length and made it easier for all three testers to get to the pocket. Stroker’s low rev rate allowed for the best reaction on this pattern.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Max Control Reactive Type: Hybrid Reactive Box Finish: 500/500/500 Abralon w/ Power House Clean ‘N Sheen Color: Blue/Red/Teal



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The control provided by the Arson Low Flare is a motion not currently offered on the market. Control is the name of the game for this ball.

Weakness: This ball did not like being thrown away from the pocket too much with our layouts. Balls with pin up layouts will provide more back end than we saw.

Overall: The only thing not new on this ball is the coverstock. The ball uses a new low RG/low differential core and a new finishing process for Hammer.

ARSON LOW FLARE


2.48 RG: The core in the Arson Low Flare is the same shape as the rest of the Arsons and provides the same low RG.

.020 Diff/Flare: The big change in this ball is in the name and core densities. The differential has been enormously lowered to provide a new motion from this ball.

5.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The low flare potential and low RG make this ball very smooth off the friction. Anyone who needs help controlling the breakpoint will want to look into this offering.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The Arson Low Flare utilizes a new finish process for Hammer called Power House Clean ‘N Sheen. This provides more length than a 4000 Abralon pad and less than balls finished with Power House Factory Finish.

14Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is very smooth and predictable. This is a huge benefit for bowlers on short patterns or on over-walled wet/dry house conditions.

44Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The low hook potential is a bowler’s best friend at various times and patterns. The motion and shape provided was best on our medium test pattern.

Comments: Hammer has answered the call of many higher level bowler’s requests for a low differential core and medium aggressive cover to help control the over-walled house conditions many of us see on a regular basis. The Arson Low Flare has these conditions, as well as tough tournament patterns or late in tournament blocks when control is more of a requirement, covered. We had great success across the board with the Arson Low Flare so we will start where we gave the ball the highest ratings, our medium test pattern. All three players were able to get to the pocket with ease on this pattern. The Arson Low Flare’s box finish created just enough traction, while maintaining enough energy to still knock out the corner pins. This ball kept the pins low and we never saw any stone 9 pins standing as we see from large flaring bowling balls that change directions much harder than the Arson Low Flare. Each tester kept the ball at the box finish for the entire session on this pattern. The smooth rolling nature of this ball provided almost as good a reaction on our dry test pattern. Again, we were able to stay farther right and in fact, our carry was better the straighter we were able to play. Once again, we did not have to touch the surface of this ball on this pattern. The Arson Low Flare clobbered our sport pattern. All three testers were able to take full advantage of being able to stay farther right on all these patterns. Cranker was the only tester able to find success on our heavy test pattern with the box finish. Stroker and Tweener needed to remove the Clean ‘N Sheen finish with a 1000 Abralon pad to increase the total hook in the oil. Cranker was able to stay with the box finish by playing almost a straighter line to the pocket than Stroker and Tweener (once they removed the polish). Cranker lowered the finish but lost some of his carry when he tried to cover more boards on this pattern.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

FIRST BLOODRATINGS*

CoverstockName: NBT (Next Big Thing)Type: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 500/500/500/1500 Abranet w/ Power House Factory Finish Polish Color: Orange/Blue/Silver



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: Bowlers who like to see a big left turn at the breakpoint will love the reaction provided by the First Blood. Playing various angles through the front of the lane still allowed this ball to recover down lane.

Weakness: The surface needs the polish removed to be most effective on heavy oil. This ball will also struggle on short dry patterns.

Overall: The new cover, core, and box finish give us one of the biggest backending Hammer balls we have thrown. That is saying something after the big ratings we saw from the last two Taboos.


2.48 RG: The new core in the First Blood revs up quickly. The low RG will help bowlers with low rev rates get the ball started.

.056 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is nearly six inches for this new Hammer. We saw even more when we removed the polish.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The First Blood is one of the strongest Hammer balls to date at the breakpoint. The new cover and new finishing process add up to a big move off the dry.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The First Blood gets more length than we would expect from a low RG solid reac-tive. The added length turns into a big back end motion.

17.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball really lets loose at the breakpoint. Anyone worried about missing the Black Widow Core will have their minds put at ease after throwing the First Blood.

53Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The First Blood will be right between the Jet Black and the Deep Purple Taboos as far as overall hook. Any bowlers who do not see enough hook for their liking can easily increase the total motion by five boards by removing the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad.

Comments: The First Blood is the first step in a new direction for Hammer’s high end products. This ball marks the end of the Taboo line and the end of use of the legendary Black Widow Gas Mask Core. The new core has a lower RG than the Gas Mask core, while providing just a tad less differential. This new core is paired with a brand new coverstock named Next Big Thing. A new finishing process only makes sense with the new cover and new core of the First Blood. The Power House Factory Finish is applied to a lower 1500 Abranet. The polished finish matched up best for us on our medium test pattern. All three testers were grouped closely together as we started on this pattern. As we began to break down the pattern, Stroker was able to stay straight and Cranker and Tweener made their way left. The farther they got left, the harder the First Blood turned the corner. When we moved to the heavy test pattern, we made the move back right. Our look was pretty good being able to play straight. After a while on this pattern, we decided to open up the First Blood to see what she could do. We removed the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad. This gave us added traction in the oil while still maintain-ing the strong reaction down lane. We were able to attack our sport patterns from various angles. The First Blood was better on this pattern from farther left. The polished cover helped get the ball length before making its move to the pocket. Stroker and Tweener did not have as good as reaction on this pattern when playing it more directly. We removed the polish on these two test balls to permit these testers to get farther left and increase their strike percentage on this pattern.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

NAIL TITANIUMRATINGS*

CoverstockName: GTR IIIType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 800,1k,2k,4k Abralon w/ PowerHouse Factory Finish Color: Titanium (Purple/Silver/Yellow)



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The coverstock change into a pearl version of Grand Theft Reactive III is the biggest strength of this release. This ball handles oil much better than the Nail release from last summer.

Weakness: High volumes of oil will hinder the performance of the Nail Titanium. The polished pearl cover is not designed for these types of patterns.

Overall: The performance of the Nail Titanium over the Nail from last summer is unbelievable. If you had a Nail and were not impressed or even if you like it, be ready to like this release even more. Added performance at the same price tag is always a benefit.


2.55 RG: The new Nail Titanium uses the same core as the Nail. This core has the same shape as the Raw Hammer Doom with modified densities.

.042 Diff/Flare: The differential stays the same in the Nail Titanium as well. Bowlers can expect around four inches of flare potential.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: This new ball shares the same strength at the breakpoint as its predecessor. While it does not change directions any harder, the Nail Titanium definitely offers more recovery.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The Nail Titanium will have very similar length to the original Nail. The added recovery and hook are the differences.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: We saw this Nail hook more overall than the first one from last year. The strong coverstock slightly takes away from the back end motion.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The change in coverstock allows the Nail Titanium to have more hook than the Nail from last summer. We had our best reaction on the medium test pattern.

Comments: The Nail Titanium is the second release with the Nail name in the “modern” Hammer era. This time the coverstock has been changed into a pearl version of the Grand Theft Reactive III that was used on the Jet Black Taboo. The change in cover gives this Nail much more bite than last year’s version. We had our best reaction on the medium test pattern. The Nail Titanium was similar through the front and breakpoint to the Nail. The big difference was just how much more recovery we had with this new Nail. Where we would see the original Nail become sensitive to oil down lane, nothing could slow this one down. The added hook and power equated to more shots in the pocket. None of the testers needed to change the surface on this pattern. The next pattern we had success on was the dry test pattern. The polished cover pushed the ball down the shorter oil pat-tern and the coverstock reacted strongly to the friction. Stroker enjoyed the added movement, but Tweener and Cranker saw the change of direction too strong for their liking. We lightly scuffed the ball with a 4000 Abralon pad to smooth out the movement at the dry for these two testers. Our sport pattern offered an average reaction for the Nail Titanium. The strong reaction when this ball sees friction makes it slightly difficult to control on the flatter pattern. Again, we used a 4000 Abralon pad to remove the polished surface. The earlier friction smoothed out the back end reaction. Cranker was the only tester to have enough rotation to get the ball back to the pocket on the heavy test pattern. Even then it was very easy for him to shoot the Nail Titanium past the breakpoint. We again removed the polish, this time with a 3000 Abralon pad to give us extra hook on this slick pattern. The added surface bit through the lubricant on the lane. While the reaction was improved over the box finish, it was not as good as a stronger ball like a Taboo Deep Purple.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

THE CHALKRATINGS*

CoverstockName: Grand Theft ReactiveType: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 500/1000/2000 Abralon w/ Power House Factory Finish Color: Red/Purple/Blue



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The big move at the breakpoint is what impressed us from this release. The easy length is helpful for high rev or low speed players.

Weakness: The angle created down lane can be difficult to control on fresh lanes. We really liked this ball once some oil carried down.

Overall: The Chalk is the third release with the TNBA stamp we have tested. This is the first one that comes shiny out of the box and creates a different motion than the Swagga and Rhythm.


2.48 RG: The low RG Raw Hammer Assault core is used in The Chalk. This core starts up very early and helps keep the ball from over-skidding on medium conditions.

.056 Diff/Flare: The core shape has more differential than any other time we remember this core being used. The standard in the Raw Hammer lines was around .050. The increased flare potential equates to more total motion.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Chalk makes a good move at the breakpoint for a ball with a low RG core. The cover stores energy incredibly well.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: This cover is very versatile. With the sanded finish like the Taboo, it can handle heavier oil. With it polished, this ball provides easy skid down the lane.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is higher than the previous symmetrical core TNBA release, the Rhythm. The polished cover stores plenty of energy.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook is the lowest of the TNBA balls. The polished cover makes this one better on medium conditions.

Comments: The Chalk is the latest Hammer release for TNBA. This is the third TNBA ball we have received for testing and this is not The Chalk of black and white coloring that was released as a limited edition a few years ago. This ball combines the Raw Hammer Assault core and surrounds it with the Grand Theft Reactive coverstock from the original Taboo. The ball is finished at a 500/1000/2000 with Powerhouse Factory Finish polish which provides a lot of skid through the front of the lane. We were lined up on the medium test pattern and all three testers were striking with light mixers. While it may not be as "pretty" as throwing ten pins off the back of the deck, we knew if we were going light, in a few shots the pattern would break down and the ball would start going higher in the pocket. Between the polished shell “breaking in” and the lane drying up, it did not take long for the testers to see the ball high flush. We re-oiled the lane with the pattern to try and see if we would have had a better reaction by scuffing the surface right away instead of waiting for the transition. We removed the polish by hitting each ball with a 4000 Abralon pad. While the rougher finish gave us more hook, it took away some of our carry because the ball used too much energy before getting to the pins. The box finish gave us too much skid on our heavy test pattern. We tried it for a few shots but even when we got it to turn over, it was difficult to control the motion so far down the lane. We removed the polish on all three test balls with 2000 Abralon and had a much better reaction. With the added surface, the bowlers saw The Chalk start up sooner, allowing them to play fairly close to their lines on the medium pattern. The polished cover gave the testers a semi-decent reaction on our dry pattern. The length came in very handy as all the players were able to increase their ball speeds and keep this ball in the pocket on this shorter pattern. We had trouble on our sport pattern out of the box with The Chalk. We had a very inconsistent breakpoint with the polish on the ball. It wanted to over-squirt in the oil and was too violent when it got out of the pattern. We hit each test ball with 3000 Abralon and it tremendously improved our look. We had more hook in the oil and were able to bring our breakpoint closer to us with the surface adjustment.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: SRT-6 Reactive SolidType: Reactive Solid Box Finish: 1500 Polished Color: Vivid Yellow/Intense Orange



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The back end move is the best thing about the Burner. Even as the oil began to push downlane, this ball showed no signs of slowing down.

Weakness: Only our heavy oil pattern caused trouble for the shiny Burner. This was easily fixed by removing the polish.

Overall: The Burner would be our choice when we wanted to open up the lane. This ball gave us hook in the oil while still making a strong move at the breakpoint.


2.546 RG: The Burner has the RG rating in the middle of the two other Jet balls we tested this month. The medium RG, combined with the polished cover, push this ball easily through the front part of the lane.

.054 Diff/Flare: The differential is past the five inch mark. This ball saves up the majority of its energy for the breakpoint and back end.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: We found the Burner is the most angular of the Jet products we tested. The Turbulence will cover more boards, but the Burner can turn on a dime at the breakpoint.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The 1500 polished solid coverstock scoots through the front of the lane with mini-mal effort. This is one of the cleanest solid covered bowling balls we have tested.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball covered a ton of area in the last fifteen feet of the lane for us. The color tricked us a few times into thinking it was not picking up the lane but there was no mistaking the recovery down lane.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Burner was best for us on our medium test pattern. We were able to alter the surface on the other patterns to get us to the pocket.

Comments: The Burner is the first Jet release we have thrown that was not poured in the Texas ball plant. The Burner is a polished solid cover that surrounds a high differential, medium high RG weight block. The result for us was a ball that cleared the front easily and stored up for a big move at the breakpoint. This type of reaction is what we liked to see on our medium test pattern. All three testers liked the skid/flip motion we saw on this pattern. Stroker was able to go more down the lane and the ball turned over as it came out of the pattern while Tweener and Cranker started farther left and fed it into the friction in the track. Tweener and Cranker moved slightly right as the session progressed, going straighter through the front as the oil pushed down to the breakpoint. We tried removing the polish to see if that would open up the lane some, but we had too much early hook for our liking. Moving to the oily test pattern, Cranker was able to keep the ball at the box finish. He moved five boards with his feet and three right with his target and was able to strike away on the slicker pattern. We took the polish off Tweener and Stroker’s Burners with a 2000 Abralon pad. The added hook allowed them to keep from shooting the Burner through the breakpoint on this slicker pattern. The Burner’s box finish was best on the dry test pattern. All the testers took a step left and increased their ball speed to get it on track. Cranker added some loft to his delivery to keep the Burner from checking up too early. Balls cannot create friction if they are in the air so he likes to use this trick to keep balls from hooking too soon on this short dry pattern. Sport patterns that are shorter than ours would be the place for the Burner to shine. Ours forced us a little too far right for comfort because of the big move the Burner made when it got to the back end.

BURNER


BALL TALK REVIEWS

PILOTRATINGS*

CoverstockName: SR-95 NF Reactive (PEARL)Type: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 2000 grit Polished Color: Mercury/Inferno Orange Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The ability to not have to throw this ball away from the pocket is the biggest asset of the Pilot. We were able to keep straighter angles through the front and play the friction instead of chasing the oil left.

Weakness: The Pilot will struggle if there is no defined friction spot on the lane. This ball needs some help to get back to the pocket on medium conditions or patterns with more volume.

Overall: The Pilot is the go-to ball for bowlers once the Burner or Turbulence start to over-hook. This ball is also the one we want in our hands on short and dry patterns.


2.60 RG: The core used in the Pilot has a high RG rating which pushes it easily down the lane.

.030 Diff/Flare: In addition to the high RG, the core has a low differential, offering only three inches of flare potential. This made us go much straighter through the front of the lane than with other Jet products.

5.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Pilot is the smoothest at the breakpoint that we have thrown from Jet. This was a huge benefit as our medium pattern started to break down.

17Scale: 1-25

Length: The high RG core and 2000 polished pearl coverstock push this ball down the lane with the greatest of ease. This ball does not even see the first twenty feet of the lane.

14Scale: 1-20

Back End: The Pilot is about controlling the friction. The back end is smooth and predictable.

47Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total motion places the Pilot at the bottom on the list of Jet products we have tested. This came in handy as our pattern transitioned as well as allowing us to attack our short pattern.

Comments: The Pilot uses core densities we do not see too often. A high RG/low differential core surrounded by a weaker resin shell is something we have not seen much of. The change was nice for us and we had the best reaction on the medium test pattern. Cranker had the best of it, being able to hit this ball all he wanted at the downswing without it changing directions as it got down the lane. Tweener was not far behind when he moved a few boards right and closed off his angles through the front of the lane. Stroker had trouble getting the Pilot to hook enough on this pattern while it was fresh because of his lower rev rate. We knocked the polish off with a 4000 Abralon and the Pilot picked up a few feet sooner, getting Stroker to the pocket. We loved the way this ball kept the pins low on the deck. Pins were going into other pins instead of over the top of each other. Moving to the short dry test pattern, Stroker had the best reaction by far. The Pilot matched up perfectly, offering the perfect amount of traction in the right part of the lane. Cranker and Tweener were stuck for a bit. They saw way too much hook when they squared up to the lane and could not see the continuation through the pins when they got in and tried to loop it. Transition was in their favor as the oil began to push down the lane. Going straighter became easier for them as the Pilot did not start going left as early. By the time we thought about removing the polish by hitting them lightly with 4000 Abralon, the lane had already come to these testers. The sport pattern offered a good reaction for all testers. There was no over-reaction from the Pilot and all three were able to play right down the oil line. We could tug this one into the friction slightly and it would hold line to the pocket. The heavy test pattern offered little reaction for the Pilot. There are better balls like the Turbulence for these types of conditions.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: NF-40 Reactive PearlType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 4000 Polished Color: Titanium/Deep Sky Blue



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: This ball is strong and predictable. It gave us control when it saw friction and hook in the oil.

Weakness: There are few weaknesses to the Turbulence. So few, in fact, we could not find one to list.

Overall: The Turbulence is a terrific overall bowling ball. If a bowler was limited to a smaller arsenal, the Turbulence should be one of the balls in it.


2.50 RG: The Turbulence uses a new asymmetric core design. The RG is on the lower side, providing a quick revving action.

.054 Diff/Flare: The high differential provided lots of flare even for our low rev tester. The large flare potential also allows users to have success on a wide variety of oil patterns.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball packs quite a punch at the breakpoint and back end. We found it to be just a touch smoother than the Burner and start hooking a bit earlier as well.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The pearlized cover will not pick up the front of the lane even as the oil starts to go away. This ball hooks and as a result, we feel the Turbulence sacrificed some length in exchange for more total motion.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The Turbulence is not exactly a skid/flip motion. We saw a strong move at the breakpoint and a strong continuation through the pins.

51Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook is pretty impressive for a polished pearl ball. We had little trouble on any of our test patterns.

Comments: Jet’s first asymmetrical core design comes to us in the Turbulence. This ball combines a strong core shape with the most versatile cover we have tested from Jet Bowling. The Turbulence offered a phenomenal reaction on our medium test pattern. All three testers were able to produce hook in the oil, while maintaining a strong back end motion. All three could strike away from where they usually attack this pattern as well as when they cheated right or left with their feet. This ball kept the same motion as the pattern broke down. All testers just followed the oil and no matter how open their angles became, even Stroker with his lower rev rate got the Turbulence back to the pocket time after time. Usually when Stroker and Tweener start getting farther left, the flat 10 is right around the corner. Not with the Turbulence. The 6 pin managed to nudge the 10 out each shot. This ball will be hard to beat on patterns like this. Moving to the heavy test pattern, both Cranker and Tweener were able to keep the ball at the box finish. The Turbulence is strong, but not in any one particular part of the lane. Stroker needed a little help getting it back to the pocket, so we removed the polish with a 3000 Abralon pad. We went ahead and hit all three test balls with the 3000 pad and saw earlier hook, while taking away just a little bit of motion at the breakpoint. We really liked this ball at the box finish on our sport pattern. We had miss room right and left with this ball, always a big benefit on a flatter pattern. We were able to attack this pattern from farther right and move in as we opened up an area to throw to. This ball did not offer much reaction on the short pattern. Patterns like this are where the Pilot would come into play.

TURBULENCE


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Bleeder Hybrid 9.7Type: Reactive HybridBox Finish: 6421 Compound x2 Color: Black and Blood Red



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: All three testers had virtually the entire lane on the medium pattern. This core and cover combination is a winner.

Weakness: There is little not to like from this release from Lane #1. A good looking ball and a good reaction are hard to beat.

Overall: We were big fans of the Pink Panther and this one might be even better. The hybrid coverstock makes this ball useful on an even wider variety of patterns.

BLOODY PANTHER


2.46 RG: The RG is the same in this ball as the Black and Panther Pearls. The polished finish is almost a necessity to get this ball down the lane for high rev players.

.043 Diff/Flare: The differential is also the same as the Panther Pearl and Black Panther. Bowlers of all styles will see nearly four inches of flare potential.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball is pretty angular for one that revs up so quickly. It is the perfect combina-tion of power and control.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The 6421 x2 compound box finish is the same as on the Panther Pearl. The solid in the cover starts this one sooner than the all pearl Panther Pearl.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball offers as much hook at the back end as the Panther Pearl. Combine that with more traction and you have a stronger bowling ball.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Bloody Panther out hooks all of the previous Panthers except the Black. However, this ball is much less condition specific than the Black Panther.

Comments: Lane #1 has let their newest cat out of the bag with the Bloody Panther. This latest addition might be the most impressive of all the Panther line. That is saying something considering how much we liked the original Pink Panther. All three testers liked this one best on our medium test pattern. The Bloody Panther clawed its way through the oil providing all three bowlers with a strong read of the midlane and a big move at the breakpoint. We know it is a very cliché way to describe pin carry, but this ball hit like a truck and a ton of bricks at the same time. Stroker and Tweener were throwing pins around the deck with no problem shot after shot. This ball rolls so heavy from the midlane all the way through the pins, it can easily find its way to any bowler’s bag. We could not think of any reason to alter the surface of the ball on this pattern. Our sport pattern offered the next best reaction to our testing group. The strong midlane read and back end reaction worked on this pattern more than the other two test patterns. We liked our look on the pattern and removed the 6421 Compound X2 finish with a neAt pad. The added surface did not improve our reaction as much as we thought it would. What it did was give us a smoother arcing motion and took away from our back end recovery. Any type of medium condition can easily fall prey to the Bloody Panther at the box finish. We had a fair reaction on our heavy test pattern. This reaction improved to a great extent once we lowered the box finish with a 2000 Abralon pad. The added surface texture cut through the heavier volume of oil and made it much easier to get back to the pocket. The rougher surface also allowed the testers more tolerance with their ball speed. No longer did we have to make sure to keep the speed down at the risk of shooting this ball past the breakpoint. We would not recommend the Bloody Panther for short patterns or dry lanes without a weak layout. Even then, only the lower rev and higher speed players will be able to see much use on these conditions.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

GRINDRATINGS*

CoverstockName: Pure ExplosionType: Reactive SolidBox Finish: nEatColor: Purple/Berry



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The amount of friction this ball can create is pretty impressive. This ball tore through our heavy oil test pattern rather easily.

Weakness: Short dry patterns will force the Grind to be in the bag quickly. Even polished, we had trouble when the lanes hooked.

Overall: The Grind uses a low RG core and surrounds it with the solid reactive coverstock used on the Buzzbomb Carnage. The result provides users with a large amount of hook on heavily oiled lanes.

OILY: 9/9/9.5MEDIUM: 9.5/8/8DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 6/6/6

2.479 RG: The Center Cut Patented Diamond core has a low RG. The nature of this core is to get into a roll fairly quickly off the bowler’s hand.

.052 Diff/Flare: This core shape offers just over five inches of flare potential. Cranker was at the five inch mark, Tweener and Stroker both had just over four inches of oil rings.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: Despite a low RG core and solid sanded cover, the Grind still offers a strong change of direction when it exits the oil pattern. It is not a snap type response, but still noticeable.

11Scale: 1-25

Length: The Grind comes at the nEat finish. This rough texture is enough to grind through the heaviest oil patterns.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: There is a noticeable move from the breakpoint to the pins. Usually rough finished solids hook early and are smoother down lane. This is not the case with the Grind. We still saw movement downlane.

54Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Grind is just under the Stealth Bombers in the total hook department. This ball creates plenty of traction on heavy oil patterns.

Comments: The Grind is the newest solid reactive release from Lane #1. This ball takes the Pure Explosion coverstock that has shown up in a few different forms over the years and combines it with the low RG/high dif-ferential Center Cut Patented Diamond core. The ball comes at the nEat finish, which gives the Grind plenty of bite for our heavy oil test pattern. Because of his higher rev rate, Cranker saw a bigger change of direction at the breakpoint. This added move at the back end is why he gave it a slightly higher rating than the other two testers. The combination of cover, core, and finish provided plenty of motion and the other two testers were all over the pocket on this pattern. Moving to the medium pattern, Stroker fell in love with his reaction. He saw the added pop at the back end that Cranker had on the medium pattern. In addition to that, his ball would not over-react to shots missed right early. Instead, the ball would hook out right at the pocket, while still kicking the corners. Tweener had to be really aggressive with his ball speed to get the ball far enough down the lane before it hooked. Cranker needed to get really deep with his feet to avoid the early hook Tweener was seeing. Raising the cover up with a neaT pad on both balls really helped add the extra length they needed to get the Grind to the pocket. The Grind was just a bit too strong for our sport pattern. We were able to overpower what usually plays as out of bounds, but we had little hold to keep the ball on line. Sport patterns with more volume or that are longer would be ideal for the Grind. Again, we raised the finish on all three test balls with a neaT pad to tame down the friction and make the ball more useable on this pattern. Only bowlers with rocket type ball speeds should even consider using this ball on dry short patterns. We added a high gloss polish on top of a neaT finish and still had way too much hook for our dry test pattern.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Pure ExplosionType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 400 grit polish Color: Purple/Silver



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The length and continuous back end reaction on medium patterns is the perfect complement to the Grind. The cover stores energy very well for a more angular motion when it sees some dry boards.

Weakness: The Grind/R was designed for medium type lane conditions, so that will cause this ball to over-skid on high volumes of oil.

Overall: The Grind/R will be the ball to go to once the Grind starts hooking too much or too early. We enjoyed throwing this one on the medium pattern.

GRIND/R


2.497 RG: The same Center Cut core used in the Grind is the engine in the Grind/R. The low RG core revs up easily for all release types.

.052 Diff/Flare: The big differential means big flare and big recovery from the Grind/R. This ball puts out just over five full inches of flare.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: We believe this is the first time Lane #1 has used the pearlized Pure Explosion coverstock since the Time Bomb. This cover provides a skid/flip reaction, setting it up for a big back end move.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The finishing process is a 400 grit polish. This gives the ball good length, without squirting as oil pushes to the breakpoint.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The pearl polished cover is what gives this ball its big move at the back. Bowlers who need less hook or a ball to go to once the Grind starts burning up will like what they see from the Grind/R.

51Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Grind/R has plenty of total hook for a polished cover. Removing the shine will increase the hook even more.

Comments: The Grind/R is the pearl follow up to the last Lane #1 release and features a pearl version of the Pure Explosion coverstock. This polished pearl cover provides easier length on medium patterns than the Grind. That being said, it makes perfect sense that we would have our best reaction on our medium test pattern. All three testers were able to keep the Grind/R at the polished box finish for the entire testing session on this pattern. All were able to play in their comfort zones and just make small parallel moves left as the pattern went through its transitions. We moved over to the dry test pattern next. Again, we were able to keep the ball at the box finish. All three testers were able to amp up their ball speed to keep the Grind/R on line. Cranker had to stay behind the ball longer and loft it out to the dots to get the added length needed to get to the pocket on this pattern. As a whole we had equal reactions on our heavy and sport test patterns. On the heavy pattern all three testers took down the cover with a nEat pad. The added traction got us to the pocket on the fresh heavy pattern. When we compared it to the Grind, the Grind was stronger in the oil, but not as angular as the Grind/R. As the hook spot began to develop on this pattern, we put the Grind/R back to the box finish and were able to ball down to it once we saw too much hook from the Grind. On the sport pattern, we did not like the violent reaction the Grind/R was giving us when it saw friction down lane. We had to open up our angles too much for our liking on this flatter pattern and it was easy to shoot the ball past the breakpoint. To combat the sensitivity the Grind/R had to our sport pattern, we chose the neAt pad. This finish smoothed out the reaction at the breakpoint without taking away too much length.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

THRASH FRENZYRATINGS*

CoverstockName: Whiplash Pearl ReactiveType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 2000 Wet Sand/Power Gel Polish Color: Blue/Aqua Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The big, big move off the friction is by far the strength of the Thrash Frenzy. This ball will allow bowlers to really open up their angles on a variety of conditions.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will cause some trouble for bowlers who do not have Cranker type rev rates. Surface adjustments removing the polish can help combat these oil slicks.

Overall: The Thrash Frenzy is easily the most angular motion to date from Motiv. The massive skid/flip motion adds another new reaction shape to the Motiv line.


2.55 RG: The Thrash Frenzy uses the same Quadfire core as the Thrash. The medium RG revs up in the midlane.

.043 Diff/Flare: The differential is also the same as the Thrash. All the testers were right around the four inch mark of track flare.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Thrash Frenzy offers the biggest move at the breakpoint for any Motiv product to date. This ball is all about going left when it sees friction.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished pearl cover easily pushes the Thrash Frenzy down the lane. The underlying 2000 grit can be raised before reapplying polish to increase the length.

17.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The strong move off the friction sets the Thrash Frenzy up for a big move at the back end. We gave it plenty of room and watched it snap back time after time.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: This ball might not cover as many boards as other Motiv products, but the big difference is the strong angularity of this ball down lane.

Comments: Motiv follows up the smooth arcing reaction of the Thrash with the violent, skid/snap motion of the new Thrash Frenzy. This type of reaction was best suited for our medium test pattern. All three testers took full advantage of the long and strong motion. Stroker was able to see a defined move at the breakpoint, something he usually does not see. Tweener was able to stay firm with the ball speed and watched the ball come back shot after shot. Cranker could stand as far left as he wanted and feed it as far right as he wanted while maintaining his pin carry. As the lane started to transition, he was affected most by the oil pushing downlane. He was forced to move his feet a few boards right to get back into the pocket. Cranker was the only one able to get the ball to the pocket on the heavy test pattern at the box finish. His higher rev rate allowed the ball to get to the hole. Tweener and Stroker did not have enough hand to get it back to the pocket at the box finish. We removed the polish by wet sanding to a 2000 grit finish. Removing the shine got these balls to pick up the lane quicker and they saw the big move down lane they had on the medium pattern. Moving to the dry pattern, we had too much movement off the friction. All three testers had to move farther right, go more up the back of the ball, and increase their ball speed. We had to really make sure and have as much forward roll as we could, otherwise we could not control the back end motion. Balls that have such a drastic response to the dry generally are not the best match up for our sport pattern. This was the case with the Thrash Frenzy. We again removed the polish, this time to a 1000 wet sand to smooth out the breakpoint and make the ball more usable on this pattern.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

TANKRATINGS*

CoverstockName: Ballistic UrethaneType: Solid UrethaneBox Finish: 2000 Grit sandedColor: Green Camo



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: This urethane release has a much more “old school urethane” reaction. The move is smoother and earlier than other modern urethane covered bowling balls.

Weakness: The Tank does not like oil. We struggled on our test patterns that had more volume and distance than our short pattern.

Overall: Keep the Tank on the conditions it was designed for. The hitting power provided is a bonus for a ball that does not cover a lot of boards. Bowlers who think that modern urethane equipment is too different from the originals of the 1980s will appreciate how close this ball is to that motion.


2.48 RG: The Gear core is the engine that powers the new Tank. This low RG core revs up quickly to get the Tank started up for all styles of bowlers.

.034 Diff/Flare: This core offers just over three inches of track flare. All three testers were right around the three inch mark.

5Scale: 1-10

Torque: This urethane release is very smooth at the breakpoint as well as throughout the entire lane. If a big change of direction when your ball sees friction is putting a hurt on your game, the Tank is the ball shape you are looking for.

13Scale: 1-25

Length: The 2000 wet sand finish of the Tank is needed for any kind of traction on the lane. The sanded urethane cover hooks early and holds the line to the pocket.

11Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball has to be going left by the 40 foot mark or it will not get back to the pocket. Urethane is used for its early hooking nature.

40Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Tank’s low hook rating allows it to be the perfect match for dry lane conditions. This is the least hooking ball in the Motiv line.

Comments: The Tank is Motiv’s answer for when the Ascents offer too much snap for bowlers on dry lane conditions. The Tank’s low RG core and urethane cover make it a no brainer for our dry test pattern. The testers were all playing closer to each other on this pattern than they do with other balls. We were trying to not throw the Tank away from the pocket, taking full advantage of the hold created with a urethane coverstock. We kept the Tank at the box finish, but made sure we had our microfiber towel handy to remove oil before each shot. Urethane does not have the oil absorption rate of resin so leaving the oil on the ball shot to shot will change the reaction more noticeably. On the medium pattern, we moved our feet further right and our eyes even more left. We had to make sure not to miss right at all on this pattern in order to get the Tank to the pocket. We lowered the grit to a 1000 wet sand on all three test balls to get more traction. We saw just a little more total motion, but we still felt we had unlimited yank room left with the Tank. The hook/set motion made it nearly impossible to go high. We had little to no reaction on our sport and heavy oil patterns. There are plenty of better options from Motiv for these types of patterns.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Atomix Hybrid Radial ReactiveType: Hybrid ReactiveBox Finish: 2000 grit/Power Gel Polish Color: Neon Green/Green Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The ability of the Venom Toxin to clear the front without over-shooting the breakpoint is the big selling point. This ball is strong enough down lane without being too similar to other products.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will cause the Venom Toxin to have an inconsistent breakpoint. Keep this one on medium to lighter patterns for best results.

Overall: The Venom Toxin is the second release from Motiv in the last few months with a skid/flip motion. Motiv is filling any gaps in their product line with these new angular coverstocks.

VENOM TOXIN


2.48 RG: The Venom Toxin is powered by the Gear core. This low RG core revs up quickly and keeps the Toxin from going too far down the lane without hooking.

.034 Diff/Flare: The Gear core offers between three and four inches of flare. This ball saves the majority of the flare for the back end.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The motion of the Venom Toxin puts it in the skid/snap category. It really stores energy for the back end of the lane.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The coverstock has been changed to a polished hybrid reactive. This ball does not read the fronts at all and showed no signs of checking up early.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: The Atomix Hybrid cover stores all its energy for the breakpoint and back end. This ball is just slightly smoother than the Thrash Frenzy.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Venom Toxin offers the right amount of hook for most medium patterns. It is a good step down from a number of Motiv products, including the Venom Strike.

Comments: The Venom Toxin will be easy to spot going down the lane and sitting on the ball returns. The bright green colored ball uses the low RG Gear core from the GT1 and Venom Strike and a new veneer called Atomix Hybrid Reactive. This new cover comes at a 2000 grit with Power Gel Polish box finish and is the second release from Motiv in the last few months that is really clean through the front and makes a big move from the breakpoint to the pins. This type of reaction was best on our medium test pattern. All three testers felt like they had hold room left and recovery to the right of where they wanted to play this pattern. As the pattern broke down, they slowly migrated farther left and the Toxin kept making the move back to the pocket. We pulled out the Venom Strike and each tester was forced at least five boards right with their feet to find the pocket. The short dry test pattern gave us the next best reaction. The added friction built into this pattern had each tester moving left and getting the ball to the right with ease. Stroker was able to take advantage of the big back end motion from the Toxin, while Tweener and Cranker added ball speed to keep it in the pocket. When we moved to the oily test pattern, all three testers needed to alter the surface to get the Toxin back to the headpin. We removed the polish from all three test balls with a 2000 wet sand. The added surface picked up the lane quicker, making the Toxin less sensitive to the longer pattern. We still liked the Venom Strike better on this pattern, but when they got burned up enough to force us to get too deep with the Strike, the Toxin back at the box finish was the perfect step down. Our sport pattern had us making the same 2000 wet sand adjustment to the coverstock. We needed to create traction earlier and smooth out the breakpoint from the Toxin on this pattern. After the surface change, all three testers had a much better reaction than they did at the box finish.


RATINGS*

CoverstockType: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 500/1500 SiaAirColor: Black Solid

CoreDensity: DualEnhanced Mass Bias: .013 Asymmetrical


GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The ability to create hook in the oil while maintaining sufficient back end reaction is the biggest strength of the Reax. Heavy oil patterns will be no sweat.

Weakness: Everything that makes this ball so good on oil hurts it on dry lane conditions. Try to find a Time’s Up! or a Torrid to use instead of trying to make this ball work on these dry conditions.

Overall: The Reax is a hook monster, so make sure there is some oil up front. Cores that can still retain energy with a coverstock this strong are winners in our book.

REAX


2.492 RG: The new asymmetric core used in the Reax offers a low RG, although not as low as the Yeti. This ball started up easily for all three testers.

.054 Diff/Flare: The Reax gave all three bowlers over five inches of flare potential. We have never seen a Radical ball with oil rings covering as much of the ball as the Reax.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: As easily as this ball tore through the oil, it still had plenty of motion left at the breakpoint. When we shined the cover, this ball changed directions even harder.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The Reax comes out fairly rough. The added texture allows the ball to create fric-tion on the slickest oils.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball offers amazing continuation for as much as it hooks in the midlane. Even with our pin down layouts, the ball had no stop to it.

54Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: With this cover and core combination, Radical has produced its biggest hook-ing ball to date. The Reax out-hooks all the previous Slant line high performance balls.

Comments: We will start by saying that the Reax is the strongest ball to date from Radical Bowling Technologies. The ball uses a new solid coverstock at a rough 1500 SiaAir finish that surrounds a brand new asymmetric core design. The result is heavy oil’s nightmare. The Reax made our slick test pattern look like it was not a long pattern with a high volume of oil. All three testers were able to be farther left than they usually play on this pattern and the Reax had no trouble getting back to the pocket. The sanded cover easily chewed through the pattern and still had plenty of drive from the breakpoint through the pin deck. We had little to no problem on this pattern for the duration of the testing session. We cannot say enough good things about this ball on heavy oil. When we moved to the medium test pattern, only Stroker was able to keep the Reax in the pocket at the box finish. He made a big six and four move left with his feet and target. He tried to feed it to the track area and even shots missed left that usually result in a 2 pin leave, got back to the pocket due to the vast amount of friction the Reax can create. The other two testers had too much early hook from the ball at this finish. Both testers added Rough Buff finish to create more length through the midlane and not increase the back end as much as polish would have. The extra skid allowed these testers to catch up to the reaction of Stroker. We were able to overwhelm our sport pattern with the aggressive nature of the Reax. All the testers could get to the pocket when they made sure to trust the ball and actually go away from the pocket on this pattern. As it broke down, we raised the surface with a 4000 SiaAir pad to get the Reax to clear the front a little better. We had no reaction on our short dry test pattern with this ball. It is simply too strong a cover/core combination for our layouts to be of any use.


RATINGS*

CoverstockType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff Color: Blue/Purple/Gold Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: This ball cleared the lane easier than the Torrid and provided more recovery at the back end. This ball allowed us to open up the lane more than we could with the original Torrid.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will cause some problems for the Torrid Elite. This ball is best on medium type patterns.

Overall: The Torrid Elite is the first offering from the new Radical Bowling Technologies. This is a new coverstock, new core shape, and new finish process for Radical since moving its production under the Brunswick umbrella.

TORRID ELITE

OILY: 4/5/5MEDIUM: 9/8.5/8.5DRY: 7/6/6SPORT: 7/7/7

2.48 RG: The Torrid Elite has a lot of new elements to it. The new core shape used in this ball has a slightly higher RG than last summer’s Torrid.

.047 Diff/Flare: Although the differential is almost identical to the original Torrid, the Torrid Elite pushes flare to nearly the five inch mark.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: This release uses a new pearl coverstock formulation. The cover and core combina-tion gives the Torrid Elite a big change of direction at the breakpoint.

14.5Scale: 1-25

Length: The new pearlized veneer comes at a 500 SiaAir pad with a Rough Buff finish. This finishing process and cover give the Elite more length than the original Torrid.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is more than the Torrid and along the lines of the Time’s Up releases. The polished pearl cover and new core shape set this ball up for more motion down lane.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook of the Torrid Elite places it above all Radical’s previous mid-price offerings besides the Time’s Up Solid, but still well below the high performance products.

Comments: Radical has moved its production from the San Antonio location to the Brunswick factory. This means everything new for Radical - new coverstocks, colors, and cores while adopting the Brunswick finish processes. The first release is the Torrid Elite and we had our best reaction on the medium test pattern. Stroker had the best look of the team, enjoying the added motion at the back end. Tweener moved a little farther right to get closer to where Stroker was lined up and found more success. Cranker moved right from where he usually starts on this pattern and started striking away. We did not make any surface adjustments on this pattern. This ball was cleaner through the front of the lane with an added pop at the breakpoint over the original Torrid. Stroker had the best reaction on the dry test pattern as well. Moving his feet and target an arrow left projected the Torrid Elite far enough down the lane before it made its move. Tweener and Cranker were having trouble keeping the Torrid Elite off the nose. We added Brunswick Factory Finish Polish to Tweener’s and Cranker’s test equipment to get more length for the shorter pattern. This allowed both to get back to the pocket. Moving to the sport pattern, the box finish gave us the best reaction. It was the right amount of length and hook for all three testers. We lowered the finish with a 2000 SiaAir pad to see if we could add recovery, but it just gave us too much early hook. The heavy test pattern did not offer much reaction to any of our testers. All three shot the ball past the breakpoint at the box finish. We removed the polish with a 1000 SiaAir pad to give us added traction. In addition to the surface change, all three testers made a big move right. With these two adjustments, we were able to find the pocket on this heavy oil.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

YETIRATINGS*

CoverstockType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff Color: Red/Purple Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The Yeti revs up quickly but still leaves something for the back end. The pearlized coverstock at this box finish gives just enough push without skidding past the breakpoint.

Weakness: Only extremes of oil will keep the Yeti hiding in the bag. With the proper layouts and surface preparation, you could actually make the ball work on almost anything.

Overall: Radical has really found their groove with their last three releases. These balls offered terrific reactions for all three of our testers.


2.482 RG: The Yeti features a new symmetrical core from Radical. The RG is slightly lower than their other release this month, the Reax.

.054 Diff/Flare: The Yeti offers nearly five and a half inches of flare potential. Stroker saw five inches while Tweener and Cranker saw just over five inches of oil rings.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Yeti pops pretty hard at the breakpoint. The polished pearl cover stores energy well.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The box finish allows the Yeti to be strong on medium patterns. Bowlers who need more length have a few options. They can either add High Gloss Polish to the Yeti or they can raise the underlying grit and reapply Rough Buff.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: This ball wants to go left when it sees friction downlane. This is one of the bigger moves we have seen from a Radical product.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Yeti offers plenty of hook for a shiny pearlized ball. We had no problem on our medium test pattern with the box finish.

Comments: The Yeti is the second release this month from Radical Bowling Technologies. This ball differs from the Reax by using a symmetrical core and pearlized coverstock. The ball gave us the best look on our medium test pattern. We really liked the reaction we got from the Yeti. The core revs up quickly, but the cover still pushes the Yeti far enough down the lane to prevent it from burning up before it gets to the pocket. We did not touch the coverstock during our use of the Yeti on this pattern. We also liked our reaction on the sport pattern. We like balls that rev up quickly and maintain energy at the breakpoint. While the Reax provides that reaction on heavy oil conditions, the Yeti does the same on medium patterns. We saw the shape we liked; we just had to play farther right on this pattern than we did with the Reax because of the volume of our sport pattern. After a few shots with a decent reaction at the box finish, we removed the shine with a 2000 Abralon pad. This helped give us more miss room on this pattern. Cranker was able to play the heavy test pattern with the same line as he did on the sport pattern. Moving closer to the friction and squaring up to the lane, he still was able to get the Yeti to tip over at the back end on the heavy pattern. The other two testers needed to remove the Rough Buff with a 3000 SiaAir pad. Along with removing the shine, these testers also made a move farther right to get lined up on this pattern. We raised our ball speeds and made a move left on the short pattern and had some success. We had to be sure and stay up the back of the ball at the release. To improve our look even more, we added a heavy layer of Factory Finish polish to the box finish of the Yeti to find an even better reaction on our short dry test pattern.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

DEFIANT SOULRATINGS*

CoverstockName: 77HType: Hybrid ReactiveBox Finish: 4000 Abralon Color: Green and Gold Pearl/Purple Solid



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The Defiant Soul is the hybrid cover addition to the Defiant family. Users can expect less total motion than the Defiant, but stronger than the Edge.

Weakness: Trying to make this ball work on dry lanes will give users a headache. There are better options for these types of patterns.

Overall: The Defiant Soul sits in the Roto Grip H4 line right between the Defiant and Defiant Edge. The Soul can be an addition to a current arsenal or can be a replacement for anyone still holding on to their Rogue Cell.


2.49 RG: The Defiant Soul uses the same weight block as the previous two Defiants. The low RG core can handle medium and some heavier patterns for bigger handed players.

.054 Diff/Flare: The nearly six inches of flare potential give this ball a strong midlane reaction. The hybrid cover allows it to keep some energy for the back end.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: Like all the ratings on the Defiant Soul, the torque is right between the Defiant and Defiant Edge. With the box finish, the breakpoint is a strong arc. When polished, it is closer to a skid/flip reaction.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The box finish gives this ball its read of the heads. The hybrid cover helps it store energy at the breakpoint.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The oil pattern will dictate how strong the back end reaction will be. We saw much more back end on our medium pattern than we did on the heavy pattern.

53Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: This ball fills the space between the Defiant and Defiant Edge. The majority of the hook from this ball takes place from the midlane.

Comments: The Defiant Soul is smack dab in the middle of every category of performance between the original Defiant and the Defiant Edge. By using the same weight block, the differences in reaction are all at-tributed to the coverstock. This one comes out of the box at a 4000 Abralon finish and uses the 77H hybrid cover. This combination will give the masses the best reaction on heavier type oil patterns. We matched up best with the Defiant Soul on our heavy test pattern. The Soul pushed down the lane and was able to give us more recovery on the slicker pattern than the Defiant Edge. We lowered the cover even more (down to a 2000 Abralon) and saw the same amount of hook as the Defiant, but the Soul was more angular down lane. Moving to the medium pattern, Stroker and Tweener had a better reaction than Cranker. These testers were able to keep the Soul at the box finish by starting their ball deeper in the oil pattern and getting it to the friction. Cranker did not have this luxury and was forced near the left gutter pretty quickly. He took his ball to the spinner and applied Storm’s Step 2 Compound finish to give the ball a 1500 grit polish. The added length was what he needed to move back farther right and have the proper angles to strike on this pattern. Stroker and Tweener also had the best reaction on our sport pattern. The 4000 finish gave them traction in the oil and miss room right of their targets. Cranker had too much hook again on this pattern, but this time he lowered the surface with the aid of a 2000 Abralon pad. The grittier finish smoothed out the breakpoint and made the Soul much easier to use on this pattern. Only players who lack RPMs or have high ball speeds should even consider using the Defiant Soul on anything less than medium volume patterns. Even then, we have plenty of Roto Grip balls that are better options for short dry patterns.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: 66MHType: Solid ReactiveBox Finish: 2000 Abralon Color: Green/Black



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: Raw, unadulterated hook is the biggest asset of the Disturbed. When we managed to get this one through the front, it had no problem storing enough energy to kick out the corners.

Weakness: Short dry patterns or when the heads start to go away will be disaster for the Disturbed at the box finish. This ball hooks early and often and needs some help from the lane lubricant.

Overall: This ball hooks as much as any ball in the Roto Grip line. Bowlers who prefer symmetric cores and are looking for a monster oil ball need look no further than the Disturbed.

DISTURBED


2.50 RG: The core used in the Disturbed has a lower RG than the previous H3 release, the Berserk. This lower RG, combined with the strong cover and box finish, allows the Disturbed to easily handle heavy volumes of oil.

.043 Diff/Flare: The core shape has a lower differential than the core used in the Berserk, Outlaw, and Bandit balls. With such a strong cover, the differential provided is plenty.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball offered a nice amount of reaction at the breakpoint for such a strongly shelled ball. There are plenty of other ball options for bowlers looking for more skid/snap.

11Scale: 1-25

Length: The cover creates traction quickly on any type of lane condition. Polish will be a must for slow speeds or high rev rates on medium patterns.

15.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end hook is one of the larger ones from a sanded Roto Grip product. Even at the low box finish, this one still has a good move at the back.

54Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Disturbed can hook with the big boys in the HP line. This ball will be ideal for long and heavy type oil patterns.

Comments: The Roto Grip Disturbed is the newest entrant into the H3 line. We could easily end the review and test results by summarizing it up in one sentence: This ball just flat out hooks. For the sake of our readers, however, we will go into more detail. We started on the heavy test pattern and never had a doubt this ball was going to make it back to the pocket. Shots missed right usually result in 2-10 combinations or washouts, but not with the Disturbed. Even when we thought we threw it out the window on this pattern, the Disturbed screamed back to the pocket. The 2000 Abralon box finish can put an indention in even the slickest oil pattern. Bowlers who compete on lots of volume or want to see more total motion will have the most to gain from the Disturbed. Moving to the medium pattern, Stroker had the best reaction. His lack of revs were what was needed to get this rough finished ball down the lane. Tweener’s high ball speed got him in the pocket to start, but soon after it was too hard to keep it off the nose. Cranker had no chance from the start and after a shot or two, he took it right to the spinner. He added Storm Step 2 compound and made that same adjustment to Tweener’s test ball. The added length helped, but the Disturbed still had too much hook for our liking on this pattern. The short dry pattern made Cranker give up trying to make it work after he raised the surface to 4000 Abralon and laid into the Disturbed with Storm’s Reacta Shine and still could not keep it right of the headpin. Tweener and Stroker made the same surface adjustment and actually had a fair reaction on this pattern. The Disturbed beat our sport pattern into submission. The pure raw strength of this ball overpowered our pattern and made it look fairly easy. Longer sport patterns or ones with higher volumes of oil will be right up the Disturbed’s alley.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

WRECKERRATINGS*

CoverstockName: 52MLType: Hybrid ReactiveBox Finish: 1500 grit polishColor: White Pearl/Blue Solid



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: Bowlers looking for a skid/flip type reaction will find what they are looking for with this latest release at the H2 price point. This ball does not see the first 20 feet of the lane.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil or patterns that become over-walled will wreak havoc for the Wrecker.

Overall: Of the three balls in the H2 price point, the Wrecker is the strongest at the breakpoint and back end. The majority will find success on medium patterns while some will have a little trouble with the breakpoint on short or long patterns.


2.55 RG: The Wrecker uses the same core as the last H2 line ball, the Shatter. The high RG core pushes the Wrecker down the lane pretty easily.

.042 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is also the same as the Shatter. The Neutron core maintains all its properties in the Wrecker.

7.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: We found the Wrecker to be even more skid/flip than the Shatter. This is the Roto Grip ball to own for bowlers looking for an angular breakpoint.

16Scale: 1-25

Length: The Wrecker comes at the standard shiny box finish (1500 grit) for a Utah product. This finish combined with the core will clear through the driest heads.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The easy length leads up to a big move at the breakpoint. This ball is all about going sideways at the back of the lane.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hook of the Wrecker will be enough for most bowlers on medium type patterns. The majority of the hook takes place at the back end.

Comments: The Wrecker is the Roto Grip ball for bowlers who want to see a sharp change of direction when a ball sees some friction. This ball uses a new coverstock called 52ML and combines it with the Neutron core Roto Grip has used a few times. This ball wrecked our medium pattern. Cranker likes a ball that allows him to go around the lane. That is why he gave this ball the highest rating of the testers on this pattern. His style matches up to balls that let him open up the lane and that is what the Wrecker let all three testers do. Tweener and Stroker enjoyed the added back end motion, too. They had to start farther right than Cranker, but they could feed it to a similar spot down lane. The colors of this ball made even Stroker look like the cover was being ripped off. The strong coverstock allowed us to have our next best reaction on our heavy test pattern. All three players needed a little help from some Abralon pads to improve our reaction even more. We went with a 3000 grit to take off just enough polish to help get it rolling a little quicker on this slick pattern. The Wrecker is sneaky strong and, with the proper drilling and surface, can cover a wide variety of patterns. The big snap reaction was still present, even with the slightly rougher cover. The big hockey stick shaped reaction is what hurt us on our dry and sport patterns. Both of these patterns are more forgiving with balls that are smooth rolling and have a more arcy nature. The Wrecker would have more success on these patterns with tamer, smoother layouts. We knocked the polish off the ball with a 4000 Abralon pad by hand just to try and get the Wrecker to start earlier and quit more down the lane. We had a little success with this adjustment, but balls with the pin drilled closer to the axis would help bowlers on these types of conditions.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: LNC/S Type: Hybrid Reactive Box Finish: 4000 Abralon Color: Red Pearl/Black



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


DOMINION

OILY: 9/9.5/9.5MEDIUM: 9/9/8DRY: 5/4/3SPORT: 7/7/7

2.508 RG: The new Seismic Dominion uses the Insignia asymmetric core shape as the Epicenter with alterations to the densities. The Dominion has a slightly higher RG.

.045 Diff/Flare: The differential has been increased from the last time the Insignia asymmetric core was used. We saw between four and four and a half inches of track flare.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The hybrid cover does a good job of storing its energy for the breakpoint. The ball still has some go at the back end in addition to hook in the oil.

11Scale: 1-25

Length: The 4000 Abralon surface looked a lot rougher than advertised. The length was easy to alter with surface changes.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end move from the Dominion was impressive. Balls that provide hook in the oil and still make a move in the back really strike a lot on our heavy test pattern.

56Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: We saw as much hook out of the Dominion as we have with any previous Seismic ball. The Raging Bull Charge provided a bunch of hook and having more is quite a feat.

Comments: Seismic rolls out their latest product with an older core design and brand new coverstock. The Dominion features the same Insignia asymmetric core as used in the Epicenter. The cover is new in that it is the first time a combination of two existing coverstocks have been mixed to create the new veneer. This shell combines the LNC cover from the Blackout and the LNS cover from the Euphoria. This combination has been finished at a 4000 Abralon grit to give it traction on heavy and medium oil patterns. It matched up best for us on our heavy test pattern. The Dominion was strong enough for Stroker to be able to move farther left and play a little more swing on this pattern. Cranker and Tweener loved the moderate length and big move the ball made as it exited the pattern. They also liked that they could stay aggressive with their ball speed without worrying about the Dominion sliding past the breakpoint. Stroker and Tweener led the way on the medium pattern. They started deeper in the oil to get the Dominion down the lane before it made its move to the pocket. Cranker liked his look for the first few shots, but quickly was forced in front on the ball return because of how much friction this ball creates. He added a light layer of polish to increase the length and tame down some of the hook. The sport pattern was little challenge to the Dominion. The ball created the right amount of control and power to open up the lane on this more demanding pattern. The testers were able to start farther right with a more direct approach to the pocket. The surface of the Dominion soon opened up the track area and gave the testers miss room right. The dry pattern offered little reaction for any of our testers. We added boat loads of polish to get added length, but it also increased the move off the friction.

Strengths: The Dominion will be the ball to go to when you are looking for a ball to back end on heavy volumes of oil. The blend of the coverstocks is a real winning combination.

Weakness: At the box finish the Dominion will struggle on short and dry lane conditions. Keep this one on the slicker stuff or be ready to add lots of polish to the surface.

Overall: The Dominion offers a strong hooking motion on heavy volumes of oil. Bowlers wanting to see more back end hook than the Raging Bull offered will want to look into Seismic’s latest product.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: S F 9/8 Pearl ReactiveType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: Polished Color: Bright Denim/Goldenrod



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The big move at the breakpoint reminds us of the Raging Bull Charged with added total hook. We really liked the motion this ball provided on our medium test pattern.

Weakness: At the box finish, the Long Horn will struggle on heavy volumes of oil. Once they break down, however, this Raging Bull will be in play.

Overall: The Horn core again provides a ball with a great down lane movement. This coverstock gave us more traction in the oil than the previous pearl in this line, the Raging Bull Charged. Hook ‘em with the Long Horn.

RAGING BULL LONG HORN

OILY: 6/7/7MEDIUM: 9.5/9.5/9DRY: 7/6/6SPORT: 6/6/5

2.53 RG: The Horn core is back, this time with different densities. The RG has been raised, giving the Raging Bull Long Horn more lope through the front.

.045 Diff/Flare: The differential has also been changed in this version of the Horn core. This time it has been lowered, providing bowlers between four and five inches of track flare.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Long Horn stores its energy for the breakpoint. The shiny cover and altered core are designed to increase the down lane reaction.

13Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished cover helps get the ball to the breakpoint without wasting energy. The cover is still aggressive in nature so it does not push too far down the lane.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The strong breakpoint sets up the big back end reaction from the Raging Bull Long Horn. The back end is where most of the hook takes place.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: This is the most hooking polished pearl covered bowling ball in Seismic’s short history. There will not be many bowlers who can't find room in their bag for this one.

Comments: The Raging Bull Long Horn took the proven Horn core, modified the densities, and surrounded it with a new pearl coverstock. The cover is the base resin used in the Raging Bull Stampede but with a pearl additive to allow bowlers to use it for longer amounts of time without having to change balls. This was proven to us as we were able to be in the pocket for the entire testing session on our medium test pattern. As the session went on, all we had to do was keep moving left when the Raging Bull Long Horn started to creep high. The Raging Bull Long Horn was very clean through the front but still had some pick up in the oil. As the pattern transitioned and oil began to carry down, we just moved in and found more oil in the heads to keep the Long Horn going through the pins correctly. We could have bowled for another hour on our pattern without having to change the surface or get out of the Long Horn. The ball retains enough energy to keep it from being lazy down lane as long as there is a trace of oil in the front. None of the three testers needed to touch the surface on any of the test balls on this pattern. We had the next best look on the slick heavy oil pattern. Tweener and Cranker had some success at the box finish, moving farther right with their feet and target. Stroker needed some added help, so he removed the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad. With the extra surface, he was back in the pocket in no time. He liked that even at the rougher finish, the Raging Bull Long Horn still had a good change of direction at the breakpoint. We had the most success on the dry test pattern with the box finish. We tried to stay behind it more and increased our ball speed to keep the Long Horn on line to the pocket. We started to have trouble when the oil up front went away. We would suggest balling down into something a little less flippy at the back end. The sport pattern gave us some trouble at the box finish. We removed the polish with a 4000 Abralon pad on all three test balls to help smooth out the jumpy back end reaction we were seeing.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: R2S Pearl ReactiveType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 1500 grit polish Color: Lime/Violet



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The strong change of direction at the breakpoint is what we liked best from the Freak’n Frantic. The color is eye-catching and gave us the reaction we loved from the 2 Fast.

Weakness: The Freak’n Frantic will struggle in oil for low rev and high speed players. Longer patterns will cause an inconsistent breakpoint.

Overall: This newest Hot line release will be the pearl covered ball for the year. The R2S cover has proven time and time again that it works for every type of reaction.

FREAK'N FRANTIC


2.53 RG: The Freak’n Frantic is the ball to replace the Fringe from last summer. This ball utilizes the same N.O.S. core used in the Fringe, Frantic, and Manic.

.045 Diff/Flare: The differential remains the same as other balls with this weight block. Bowlers can expect between four and five inches of flare potential.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: This ball’s polished pearlized cover allows it to make a good move at the break-point. This ball is just as strong as the Fringe off the spot.

15Scale: 1-25

Length: The 1500 grit polished box finish is the standard for Storm’s polished equipment. This finish provided enough skid for our medium test pattern.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end move is the same as the Fringe and 2 Fast before it. The move at the breakpoint translates into a strong back end motion.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Freak’n Frantic hooks just slightly more than the Fringe. The only differ-ence in the two balls is the color.

Comments: The Freak’n Frantic is the latest Hot line release for Storm. This ball uses the same cover/core combination as the Fringe from last summer and the 2 Fast from a few years ago. The color is closer to the 2 Fast and so is the reaction. We had our best reaction on the medium test pattern. All three testers favored the box finish on this pattern. The ball cleared the front easily, created a good read in the midlane, and turned over hard at the breakpoint. As the pattern broke down, Stroker moved farther right and increased his ball speed, while Tweener and Cranker moved left and got the Freak’n Frantic to the hook spot. The ball showed no signs of losing energy as we moved inside. The dry test pattern was the condition that provided us with our next best reaction. We kept the ball at the box finish and moved left with our feet. The pearlized polished cover gave us the length we needed. As the oil began to go away in the front, we added ball speed and loft to get the Freak’n Frantic the length needed before it made the move to the pocket. For our heavy test pattern, we needed more surface than the 1500 polish that the Freak’n Frantic has out of the box. While there are better options for these types of patterns, we were able to get to the pocket by removing the polish. Stroker and Tweener used a 2000 Abralon pad, while Cranker went with a 3000 to get the added hook for the slick stuff. Even with the added surface, our ball speed had to be on the low side to get the ball back to the pocket. The Freak’n Frantic was a bit too jumpy off the dry boards for our liking on our sport pattern. We liked it much better when we were able to smooth out the response to friction by hitting the balls with a 4000 Abralon pad.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

IQ TOUR PEARLRATINGS*

CoverstockName: R2S Pearl ReactiveType: Pearl ReactiveBox Finish: 1500 Grit Polished Color: Gold Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY



2.49 RG: The Centripetal Control Core used in the new IQ Tour Pearl is the same as the IQ Tour. The lower RG revs up quickly.

.029 Diff/Flare: The differential is the same as the IQ Tour. We saw around three inches of flare for all three testers.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: Despite the low flare potential and low RG, the IQ Tour Pearl’s R2S cover can create some torque at the breakpoint. All three testers could definitely see the change in direction when this ball saw friction.

14Scale: 1-25

Length: The 1500 grit polished pearlized cover is what gives the IQ Tour Pearl the length it needs to excel on medium volume patterns. The biggest advantage to the added length is the larger back end and continuousness through the pins.

16.5Scale: 1-20

Back End: The energy retained from the pearl cover is unleashed when the IQ Tour Pearl gets out of the oil. Anyone who saw their IQ Tour stop too much when playing deep inside lines will like the added motion from the IQ Tour Pearl.

51Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: When we threw the IQ Tour and IQ Tour Pearl, they covered the same number of boards. The difference was in the shape. The IQ Tour Pearl was cleaner through the front and harder off the breakpoint while the IQ Tour was earlier and smoother.

Comments: The IQ Tour Pearl uses the same C3 core found in the IQ Tour. The bright gold pearl cover is a pearlized version of one of the most successful coverstocks in the history of bowling, R2S. The 1500 grit polished box finish matched up exceptionally well on our medium test pattern. The IQ Tour Pearl provided more length and offered a bigger punch at the back end than its solid counterpart. All three testers saw easy length without ever having a worry about throwing it through the breakpoint. This ball continued to go through the pins the right way even as we moved right and left to see how much room we really had. We had our next best reaction on our heavy test pattern. All three testers moved to the right to get closer to the track. All three were able to get to the pocket with the ball at the box finish with the move right and slowing down their ball speed. We removed the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad to see what the IQ Tour Pearl could do. We were able to move back almost on top of where we played on the medium pattern and, even without the polish, the IQ Tour Pearl still retained enough energy to see a distinct back end movement. We had a little trouble on our dry test pattern. We just had too much hook from this ball. We hit the three test balls with a 4000 Abralon pad and then used Storm’s Reacta Shine polish but still could not tame down the total hook. The IQ Tour Pearl offered a consistent reaction on our sport pattern for all three testers. We had the same total hook as we did with the IQ Tour, but the pearl was cleaner with a more defined move at the breakpoint.

Strengths: We loved how versatile the IQ Tour was and the IQ Tour Pearl gives us the same amount of hook, while being cleaner through the front and more angular at the breakpoint. The Pearl also offered more continuation through the pins when we moved farther left.

Weakness: Bowlers who expected the IQ Tour Pearl to have less hook because of the pearlized cover are in for a disappointment. The Pearl still provides a big move at the dry.

Overall: The IQ Tour Pearl had some big shoes to fill as the follow up to the highly successful IQ Tour. The Pearl is up to the challenge and will offer the same amount of hook while providing a totally different shape than the IQ Tour.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

LIGHTS OUTRATINGS*

CoverstockName: R2S Hybrid ReactiveType: Reactive HybridBox Finish: 1500 grit polish Color: Midnight/Charcoal Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The addition of arguably one of the greatest coverstocks in the history of the game is a big strength to any Storm release. The core is a proven winner going all the way back to the first time it was used in the Street Rod series.

Weakness: This cover is so versatile, it can handle almost anything with the right finish. Only flooded conditions could keep the Lights Out out of action.

Overall: The Lights Out can find a spot in any bowler’s bag. At the price tag, users could pick up more than one and with different layouts and cover preparation, handle nearly anything they come across.


2.55 RG: The Lights Out has the Turbine core used in the Tropical Heat line. Its high RG pushes the polished Lights Out down the lane easily.

.038 Diff/Flare: The Turbine core remains unaltered in the Lights Out and offers the same nearly four inches of flare we saw from the polished Tropical Heats.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The change of direction is just as strong as the polished Tropical Heats. However, we saw a big difference when we changed the cover.

14.5Scale: 1-25

Length: The cover gets the Lights Out down the lane with no effort. We were able to adjust this number easily with surface changes.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end is right there with Tropical Heat releases. The big difference is what we were able to do with this ball as we moved to different patterns and adjusted the surface.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: At the box finish, the Lights Out offers slightly more hook than the ball closest to it in make, the Tropical Heat Black/Silver hybrid. The change to R2S hybrid from the Reactor hybrid is responsible for the change.

Comments: If you have this ball, it might be “lights out” for your opponents on medium oil lane conditions. This ball tested best on ours. It takes the core from the Tropical Heat and pairs it with the cover made famous by the Hyroad, the R2S reactive hybrid cover. It is no surprise this ball got high ratings on this pattern as all three testers were fans of the Heat series and the Hyroad. The Lights Out fills the reaction shape between these two pieces. The cover is clean enough to not pick up any transition in the heads, but strong enough to recover from nearly anywhere on the lane. As a whole, we had equal reactions on our heavy and dry test patterns. Our difference in rev rates flip-flopped the reactions for our testers on these two patterns. We liked our look better on our heavy test pattern after a surface change to all three balls. We removed the polish with a 3000 Abralon pad to make the Lights Out see more of the lane instead of skidding past the breakpoint like it did from time to time with the box finish. On the dry test pattern, Stroker did not need to change the surface. With a little move left with his feet, the Lights Out cleared the front just as easily as it did on the medium pattern. Tweener and Cranker needed a little more help getting down the lane, so they raised the finish by adding Xtra Shine on top of the box finish. This gave them the added length they needed for this shorter pattern. Our reaction on our sport pattern was pretty good. The hybrid cover did not over-skid or go sideways when it exited the pattern like some polished balls do.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

REIGN OF POWERRATINGS*

CoverstockName: PFT – Progressive Friction Technology Type: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 1000 Abralon Color: Sky Blue/ Dark Purple



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The Reign of Power will be most useful on heavy oil conditions and to smooth out over/under reactions. The CAM core gives us some of the hardest hitting balls we have thrown.

Weakness: We struggled with the Reign of Power on the majority of our test patterns. We needed more volume spread more evenly across the lane. We had to be sure and get the ball to the friction as the patterns transitioned.

Overall: The Reign of Power will give users a different reaction than they are used to seeing from Storm. This one is super smooth and controllable.


2.57 RG: The CAM core from the previous Reign releases makes its return to the Thunder line in the new Reign of Power. The high RG is needed to keep the sand-blasted cover from using all its energy in the first part of the lane.

.048 Diff/Flare: The Reign of Power produces around five inches of track flare. All three testers saw about the same amount of flare on our heavy test pattern.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Reign of Power is much like the Reign of Fire at the breakpoint. This ball does not respond quickly to friction.

10Scale: 1-25

Length: The 1000 grit finish can bite through the slickest oils. We had the most success keeping tighter angles through the front of the lane.

13Scale: 1-20

Back End: For the members of Storm Nation who have been calling for a ball that does not go sideways at the back end, this ball is for you. There is nothing angular about the Reign of Power.

51Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The low box finish will get even rev challenged bowlers to the pocket on heavy volumes of oil. We cannot repeat enough how crucial it was for us to not open up the lane on any of our test patterns.

Comments: Storm went away from the Reign name and CAM core for a bit when the Victory and Cross Road balls were introduced. The Reign of Power marks the return of the name and core to the upper mid price point. This ball comes out of the box at a rough 1000 grit finish. We had our best reaction with this ball when our heavy test pattern was fresh. The cover dug in and got us to the pocket. As the oil started to go away in the front, we made our normal adjustment inside trying to catch more oil up front. When we moved left, we had a hard time getting the corner out. The high RG core just seemed to lope more than we wanted and we could not get the Reign of Power to go through the pins correctly. This is also the type of reaction we had to start on the medium pattern. The finish of the cover wanted to grab too early and, when we got it through the front, it just could not retain the energy needed to strike consistently. We made some surface adjustments to the test balls to try and improve our look. Stroker and Tweener raised the cover up with a 4000 Abralon pad and Cranker applied Step 2 Compound. This helped the ball clear the front easily but we still had more success by staying right and increas-ing our ball speed than we did trying to move left and cover more boards. The sport pattern provided us with a useful playing field for the Reign of Power. The smooth and continuous nature of this ball will come in handy on flatter, tougher lane patterns. If we saw a sport pattern that had more volume, there is no doubt the Reign of Power would be the choice for it. We had no chance of striking on our short pattern and do not recommend this ball for anything with low volume.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: U3S Hybrid UrethaneType: Urethane HybridBox Finish: 1500 grit polish Color: Red Pearl/ Red Solid



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The added motion at the breakpoint compared to other urethane releases is what really stands out about the Super Natural. Short patterns will provide the perfect environment for this ball to show its stuff.

Weakness: Oil will be disaster for most players trying to use the Super Natural. Only the slowest ball speeds should attempt to use this ball on medium or slicker conditions.

Overall: The Super Natural provides more angle down lane than the Natural and Natural Pearl. Bowlers who would like more length with a stronger down lane reaction than either of these releases will find what they are looking for with this ball.

SUPER NATURAL

OILY: 3/3/3MEDIUM: 4/4/6DRY: 9.5/9.5/9.5SPORT: 4/4/4

2.55 RG: The Turbine core is what powers the Super Natural. This core remains unaltered in densities from the previous Naturals, Tropical Heats, and the Lights Out.

.038 Diff/Flare: The differential is the same as in other uses of the Turbine core. We saw be-tween three and four inches of flare rings.

5.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: We saw a smoother move at the breakpoint and a noticeable increase over a few previous urethane pieces. The unique blend of coverstock composition as well as the polished box finish helps the Super Natural have a little more pop at the breakpoint.

18Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished cover easily cleared the front better than other urethane covers. This combination of coverstock pushed even on our short dry test pattern.

13Scale: 1-20

Back End: While the Super Natural kicked over hard at the breakpoint, it still does not have a lot of recovery at the back end. It is a urethane cover, so keep your angles straighter through the front for the most success.

42Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total amount of hook was perfect for us on our dry test pattern. We would use it on short patterns or to help smooth out the over/under on most THS.

Comments: The Super Natural might be the first hybrid urethane covered bowling ball ever. It is certainly the first ball ever marketed as a hybrid urethane. The half pearl/half solid blend comes at a shiny 1500 grit polished finish. The tame nature of urethane, especially a polished one, was a natural fit for our short dry test pattern. The hybrid cover, combined with the polished finish, created a different look than we have seen from the “modern urethane” releases the last few years. The Super Natural still gave us urethane motion in the front and an early smooth, arc-shaped hook in the midlane. The big difference we saw was the continuation from the Super Natural. The added motion down lane allowed the testers to cheat left as the pattern started breaking down, something we could not do with other urethanes and get the back to the pocket with any kind of power. Cranker was able to move to the extreme outside line on the medium pattern and had to be sure to slow his speed down. We removed the polish on all three balls to try and give our testers a better reaction. The 2000 Abralon pad gave us more traction, but also took away the back end continuation. If we had a lower volume or shorter sport pattern than we use for testing, we would have had a better reaction. We made the same 2000 Abralon surface change with some success. Our only chance to strike on our heavy test pattern was trying to throw the Super Natural directly at the head pin. Seniors or other players with minimal ball speed, who struggle to keep anything reactive in the pocket, could look to this ball as a possible solution.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: NRG Solid ReactiveType: Solid ReactiveBox Finish: 4000 Abralon Color: Cranberry/Tangerine/Black



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The NRG coverstock is back this time with a new engine. This is one of the most successful covers in recent history and provides traction in oil for all types of players.

Weakness: Dry boards will cause trouble for the Sync. Keep this one on oil.

Overall: The Sync fits right under our Virtual Gravity Nano Solid and the Lucid. With a stronger layout than the Nano, we could see where it could be more total hook. With the same layout, we give the edge just slightly to the Nano.

SYNC


2.47 RG: The Sync uses a brand new weight block for Storm. The RG is lower than the M.A.D. core used in the Vivid and Lucid.

.058 Diff/Flare: The differential is much higher than the M.A.D. core and the Shape Lock core in the Nanos. Our low rev tester still saw over five inches of track flare.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Sync turns the corner harder than the Lucid and the Vivid. This ball goes back to the strong reaction that made the Virtual Gravity and Virtual Gravity Nano so popular.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The 4000 Abralon finish is just rough enough to make a serious dent in a heavy oil pattern without burning off energy at the breakpoint. Bowlers who need extra length can apply Storm’s Step 2 compound to get the ball farther down the lane.

17Scale: 1-20

Back End: The Sync can back end with the best of them. We saw added back end move-ment over the Lucid and much more than the Vivid.

55Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: We found the Sync to have just a hair less hook than the Virtual Gravity Nano. We had them very similar, but the Sync will still be plenty of ball for heavy oil patterns.

Comments: This newest high performance release for Storm takes a proven industry changer in the NRG coverstock from the Virtual Gravity Nano and combines it with a brand new weight block called G2, the de-scendant of the Shape Lock HD core that was so popular. For nearly a year, the Nano held the title of biggest hooking ball we had reviewed, so it is no shock to anyone that with these two components, this ball gave us our best reaction on our heavy oil test pattern. All three testers saw easy traction on this pattern like we did from the Nano. We had slightly less length and just a little smoother reaction from the Sync. These balls, with different layouts, could pack a pretty devastating one-two combination on patterns with a large amount of volume. We tried lowering the box finish to see if we could get more reaction from the Sync, but all we did was create earlier traction and take away some of the recovery down lane. Moving to the medium pattern, we needed to add some length to get the Sync into the pocket. We had way too much early hook at the box finish, so we used Storm’s Step 2 compound to get the ball down the lane. Not only did this adjustment help with the length, but it helped our pin carry substantially by providing a bigger change of direction. We were able to clobber our sport pattern with the power of the Sync. We could play different parts of the lane with the same success with this high performance, hooking beast. We had little to no reaction on our dry pattern. There are plenty of better options than wasting a Sync on these types of conditions.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

TROPICAL BREEZERATINGS*

CoverstockName: Reactor Pearl ReactiveType: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 1500 grit polish Color: Blue/Green/Yellow; Purple/Gold/Cherry



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The new colors and scents are an easy sell to beginner bowlers. Bowlers with more experience will find the easy length and low flaring core to be a useful tool on dry lane conditions.

Weakness: Oil is the enemy of the Tropical Breeze Pearl. Find the friction and stay close to it to have the best reaction.

Overall: Storm adds two new colors to their Tropical Breeze line. These pearlized covers are best on dry conditions and on broken down shots when other balls are creating too much of an over/under reaction.


2.57 RG: The Camber core is the center of the new Tropical Breezes. This high RG core allows bowlers to scoot the Breeze through the front of the lane effortlessly.

.009 Diff/Flare: The low flare of the Camber core in these two new balls is a big benefit on drier lane conditions.

6.5Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Tropical Breeze still offers a decent move when it sees friction down lane. Even our low rev tester could see a good change of direction.

17Scale: 1-25

Length: The polished cover easily clears the front of the lane on nearly any condition. Easy length has become a trademark for the Tropical Breeze.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: The low flare potential keeps this one relatively tame at the back end. Despite the low flaring core, we saw good continuation from the breakpoint through the pins, particu-larly on dry patterns.

42Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: Even with a similar total hook rating, the Tropical Breeze creates a totally different motion than the Super Natural. This ball provides a more angular movement.

Comments: The Tropical Breeze is back, this time in a few new colors and a pearl version of the Reactor coverstock. These new colors have new scents and are best suited for drier lane conditions. We quickly lined up on our short, dry test pattern. Despite the low flare potential, the Breeze was able to get back to the pocket without losing much hit at the pins. We kept the pins much lower on the deck with the Breezes than we did with the Freak’n Frantic or Lights Out. As long as we stayed straighter through the front of the lane with the Breeze, we saw hook back to the pocket at the back end. The more we threw this one away from the pocket, the lower our strike percentage was. Moving to the medium test pattern, none of our testers was too comfortable with the Breezes at the box finish. We removed the polish with a 2000 Abralon pad to give us added friction on this pattern. We could get it back to the pocket much more easily with this finish, but we still needed to stay straighter through the front to avoid the ball hitting flat at the pins. On both patterns and even at different surfaces, we noticed the Blue/Green/Yellow went slightly straighter than the Purple/Gold/Cherry. The Breeze was not designed for heavier volumes of oil, so it struggled on our oily test pattern. We lowered the finish all the way down to a 1000 Abralon surface before we could get the ball back to the headpin. We struggled on our sport pattern as well. We lowered the finish to a 2000 Abralon to try and make it pick up the pattern more quickly. Again, we had to square up to our target and go fairly straight down the lane. This type of reaction would be good on shorter sport patterns or ones with less volume.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Gen MA (Moderate Angle)Type: Reactive PearlBox Finish: 800/1000/2000 Abralon with Powerhouse Factory Finish Color: Black/Purple/Red

CoreDensity: DualEnhanced Mass Bias: .003Asymmetrical


GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The skid/snap nature of the 503A is its strongest asset. Bowlers who like to see a ball go long and flip hard will want to look into the 503A.

Weakness: Heavy volumes of oil will keep the 503A in the bag. There are better options in the Track line to handle these types of conditions.

Overall: The 503A falls between the 300A and the 706A in the ball motion line. This is the closest thing we have thrown to replace the 505A from years ago.

503A


2.51 RG: The core shape is the exact same shape as was used in the last 5 series ball, the 503T. The low RG core revved up pretty quickly for all three testers.

.057 Diff/Flare: The differential and RG are the same in the 503T and the 503A. Cranker saw over five inches of track flare. Tweener was around four inches and Stroker was just over three.

7Scale: 1-10

Torque: The 503A falls into the skid/flip category of ball reaction. This ball clears the front using hardly any energy at all.

16.5Scale: 1-25

Length: The pearlized polished cover skates through the front part of the lane. Even as we broke down the test patterns, the 503A never had problems clearing the heads.

16Scale: 1-20

Back End: The 503A makes quite a move at the back end. If the pattern offers enough friction, this ball stores the energy to get back from nearly anywhere.

49Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The majority of the total hook of the 503A occurs between the breakpoint and headpin. This ball can cover most medium patterns rather easily.

Comments: The 503A joins the 503T and 503C to complete the trilogy of the Packman core. This core is surrounded with the new Gen MA coverstock. The Moderate Angle cover is a less aggressive cover than the Gen XA shell used on the 706A. This combination matched up best on our medium test pattern. All three testers whacked this pattern pretty well. The 503A cleared the front and made a big move at the breakpoint. This gave us the best angle to strike. We had push on shots missed slightly left and shots missed slightly outside went right into the friction and were pushed back toward the pocket. We never had a reason to change the surface on this pattern because our reaction just got better the more we bowled on it. Stroker and Tweener were able to use the length to their advantage on the dry test pattern. They were able to keep the 503A at the box finish and increase their ball speed. Cranker found it difficult to control the change of direction on this shorter pattern. He raised the underlying surface to 4000 and then applied the Power House Factory Finish polish. The added length got him to the pocket. We had some trouble at the box finish on the sport pattern. Skid/flip reactions are not what you want to see when you are on a flatter pattern with less miss room than house shots offer. We removed the polish on all three test balls with a 3000 Abralon pad to help control the reaction as the ball exited the pattern. This surface change worked well for us. We recommend using an even lower grit for bowlers on heavier volume sport patterns. Cranker was the only tester who could even get the 503A to the headpin on the heavy pattern. He removed the polish after a few shots with a fresh 3000 Abralon pad. Stroker and Tweener needed a little more help than the 3000 Abralon and, after a trip to the spinner with a 1500 Abranet soft pad for them, all three testers were able to get the 503A to the hole much easier than with the box finish.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: Gen XC (Xtra Continuation)Type: Solid ReactiveBox Finish: 800 Abranet, 1000, 2000, 3000 Abralon Color: Blue/Black/Gold



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The way we could stay right with our feet on the test patterns was the biggest advantage we had from the 714C. The ball also took very well to surface adjustments.

Weakness: We saw a little bit of trouble getting the 714C to go through the pins correctly when we moved deeper into the oil pattern. When we really tried to open up the lane, we saw the corner pin standing a lot more than we wanted.

Overall: The 714C controls the breakpoint and back end very well on patterns that need to be attacked with a more direct line to the pocket. We could get this ball to set up nicely where other balls wanted to go sideways when they exited the pattern.

714C


2.52 RG: The 714C uses a new core named Modified Robot 2.0. The core shape is similar to the 716T and 716C, but the densities have been altered, giving this new release just an ever so slightly higher RG.

.052 Diff/Flare: The differential is slightly lower due to alterations to the core design. The inter-mediate differential has also been lowered.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Gen XC cover used on the 714C was seen in part in the 811 C/T. It used a combination of two coverstocks, one being the Gen XC shell. It is the smoother of the two covers used in the 811 C/T. This is the first time this cover has been used alone on a release, giving it a smoother motion at the breakpoint.

12Scale: 1-25

Length: The 3000 Abralon finish can create some movement in the oil. Make sure there is oil up front or it will be tough to get this ball through the front.

14Scale: 1-20

Back End: We found the back end to be more controlled than continuous. That is not a bad thing, as this ball came in very handy in controlling the breakpoint on our fresh test patterns.

50Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The total hooking motion of the 714C will place it above the 706A and below the 811 C/T. It is also just slightly less than the 716T.

Comments: Track has introduced its latest addition to the upper mid category with another “7” series release. The 714C uses a new version of the Modified Robot core and surrounds it with one of the newer coverstock formulations named Gen XC. The 3000 Abralon finished cover easily bit through oil and gave us the best reaction on the heavy test pattern. We started just a little further right on this pattern and the 714C handled it very well. The ball showed no signs of wanting to jerk left when it exited the pattern. We lowered the finish to 1500 Abranet soft to see how much more hook the 714C would offer. At the rougher finish, all three testers easily saw four to five extra boards of hook. The box finish was best on our fresh medium pattern. Balls that perform well on our heavy pattern sometimes are hard to control moving to the shorter medium pattern. The 714C did not over-read the friction as the track area started to hook or down lane. Cranker started having some problems getting the ball to tip over at the back end when the pattern started breaking down and he started throwing it farther away from the pocket. He applied a dab of Power House Factory Finish Polish and this allowed the ball to keep the energy needed to get back to the pocket. On our dry pattern, the other two testers saw the same reaction Cranker was getting toward the end of the session on the medium pattern. The pattern offered too much hook and the ball could not retain enough energy to go around the lane. We raised the finish up to 4000 Abralon and applied Power House Factory Finish. The added length helped combat the drier condition and the back end shape increased our reaction greatly on the shorter pattern. We had a good reaction on the sport pattern. The 714C controlled the back end and the dry parts of the pattern as the lane transitioned. This ball will be a very useful tool on patterns that require a more direct line to the pocket.


BALL TALK REVIEWS

MIXED BREED CROSSOVERRATINGS*

CoverstockName: React-A-TackType: Reactive HybridBox Finish: 2000 Abralon Color: Blue/Yellow Pearl/ Green Pearl



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY


Strengths: The coverstock uses little energy despite having a sanded cover. This is a huge benefit to keeping the Mixed Breed Crossover on the path to the pocket.

Weakness: Flooded or really dry conditions will call for surface changes to this ball. The Mixed Breed Crossover will be ready for action on anything in between.

Overall: We do not have many Visionary products to compare to, but we would use this ball when we wanted something a little cleaner with more pop at the back than The Classic.


2.56 RG: The Mixed Breed Crossover uses the new Mixed Breed Core. This core has a higher RG than the Mixed Breed core used in the Pearl and Solid Mixed Breed bowling balls.

.045 Diff/Flare: The flare potential is around four and a half inches. All three testers saw around the same flare potential.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: This is not the most angular ball we threw this month. The 2000 Abralon finish provides a strong midlane read and continuous motion through the pin deck.

13Scale: 1-25

Length: The 2000 Abralon finish keeps the length rating down. We changed the surface quite a bit to see what the Crossover could do and we liked what we saw.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: We liked the back end motion from the Crossover. We did not have as much recovery as we did from The Classic, which we attribute to the rougher box finish.

48Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: The Mixed Breed Crossover did not give us quite as much overall reaction as The Classic. This was our first time throwing an asymmetric Visionary ball and we were impressed with the reaction.

Comments: The Mixed Breed Crossover is the latest upper mid-price introduction from Visionary. This new piece features a modified core from the previous Mixed Breed balls as well as a new hybrid cover. The Mixed Breed core is a combination of the Mohawk core used in the Spartans and the Serpentine core featured in the New Breed line. This core is wrapped with a new hybrid coverstock finished at 2000 Abralon. All of our testers found the Mixed Breed Crossover to match up best with our medium test pattern. For us, the Crossover read strongest between the midlane and the breakpoint without losing too much energy. The Crossover gave all three testers the ability to create a good angle through the pin deck. The dry test pattern provided the best look for Stroker. He was able to make a small move deeper into the oil pattern and find similar success to the medium test pattern. Tweener and Cranker had to make larger moves in order to create the proper angle through the front of the lane. Both found the Crossover to have plenty of energy left for the back end despite the large number of boards they were required to cover on this pattern. We would suggest that those with higher rev rates try raising the surface with a 4000 Abralon finish and add polish for drier volume patterns so that they will not have to start so deep. Heavy volume patterns might require a surface adjustment for all except those with slower ball speeds. We roughed up the cover with 1000 Abralon on all the test balls. These surface adjustments allowed each to find the pocket much easier. The Mixed Breed Crossover showed plenty of potential when we tried it on our sport pattern. As much as we liked it on the sport pattern, with different layouts, we think we would like it even more.


RATINGS*

CoverstockName: XV ReactiveType: Reactive SolidBox Finish: 2000 Abralon Color: Cream/Purple



GENERAL INFO

SUMMARY

BALL TALK REVIEWS


Strengths: The ability to handle heavy volumes of oil is the biggest strength of the Warlock XV. The ball keeps going and does not seem to stop as the oil up front went away.

Weakness: This ball needs oil to allow it to kick out the corners. On the medium pattern, we needed to add loft and ball speed to get it to carry consistently.

Overall: The Warlock XV is easily the strongest Visionary ball we have tested. The ball handles heavy volumes of oil with ease.

WARLOCK XV


2.57 RG: The Warlock XV uses a large weight block. The best we could tell when we drilled them was that there is very little filler core material if any at all.

.038 Diff/Flare: All three testers saw nearly four inches of flare from the Warlock XV. This was plenty of flare to handle our heavy test pattern.

6Scale: 1-10

Torque: The Warlock XV is stronger in the midlane than it is in the back end. The ball offers excellent continuation.

11Scale: 1-25

Length: This is the second Visionary product this month that comes out of the factory at a 2000 Abralon finish. This is a solid covered ball that starts hooking earlier than the hybrid cover on the New Breed Crossover.

15Scale: 1-20

Back End: The back end reaction is a strong arc shape. With as much traction as the Warlock XV provided in the midlane, we certainly did not miss seeing a boomerang shaped back end.

53Scale: 1-100

Total Hook: From the three balls we have gotten recently for review from Visionary, the Warlock XV provides the most overall hook. This ball is suited for heavy oil conditions.

Comments: The Warlock XV is the second of two upper mid performance releases from Visionary Bowling Products this month. For people not familiar with Visionary or for some of our younger readers, the Warlock was a series of balls produced between 1997 and 1998. The sanded XV Reactive is a new coverstock and surrounds the Warlock weight block. The combination of the two had us striking the most on our heavy oil test pattern. All three testers enjoyed how easily the Warlock XV cut through the oil on this pattern. Stroker was comfortable once he saw the extra recovery on shots missed right. Tweener liked that he could throw it nearly as hard as he wanted without shooting the ball too far down the lane. Cranker’s favorite thing about the Warlock XV was that he could be aggressive with his speed and hand without seeing the ball react too violently when it saw friction. Even as the pattern went through its transitions, these things all held true for the entire session. The medium pattern was up next and Stroker and Tweener liked the control they saw at the breakpoint. Even with the rougher finish, the high RG got it down the lane rather easily for these testers. Only Cranker’s higher rev rate had a problem with too much friction on the pattern. It only took a 4000 Abralon pad raising the finish slightly to get him back in the pocket. The unique thing about this ball was even though we knew we were tearing up the oil pattern, we never saw the Warlock XV want to check up early. At worst, we started seeing a flat 10 type reaction and it was remedied by a few board adjustment into the oil. We enjoyed our reaction on the sport pattern. Again, we had a ball that could bite into the pattern without starting too early or reacting too hard at the breakpoint. All three testers had the same reaction on this pattern and all were able to keep the ball at the box finish for the entire test. The dry test pattern was the only one to give us any trouble. The aggressive nature of this ball is just too strong for shorter patterns like our dry test pattern.


ball tracking test results - january

amfmamba hybrid

Full Review on Page 7

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EntryAngle

7.7 4.63 3.6

BBC 10 8 6HookPower

81.6 44.34 30.02

TBC 30 16 10AlphaAngle

10.5 5.9 4.15

columbia 300enigma


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6.45 3.87 3.57

BBC 11 7 8HookPower

55.22 35.06 22.91


9.05 4.97 4.17

STORM IQ TOUR PEARL


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7.5 4.53 5.1

BBC 10 8 10HookPower

74.27 49.59 35.86


10 5.9 6.05

Entry Angle: The angle the ball is traveling just prior to entering the pocket. Backend BC (BBC): The total number of boards crossed from the breakpoint to the entry board at the pocket.Hook Power: This is not about ball speed but rather is an indicator of how strongly the ball moves horizontally toward the pocket from the breakpoint. A higher number indicates a strong move to the pocket while a lower number indicates a smoother movement. Total BC (TBC): The total number of boards crossed from the time the ball contacts the lane until it enters the pocket.Alpha Angle: Calculated by using the launch angle and the entry angle to compute a total angle change (the movement of the shot).

DEFINITIONS

SEISMICdominion


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EntryAngle

6.2 4.28 4.47

BBC 10 7 9HookPower

53.12 45.14 35.33


8.8 5.44 5.53

MEDIUM-41’

OILY-44’ MEDIUM-41’

OILY-44’


ball tracking test results - January-February

TRACK 714C


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6.5 4.07 4.3


53.92 39.07 26.01


8.7 5.4 4.9

OILY-44’

900 globalbullet train


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EntryAngle

5.3 4 3.25

BBC 9 9 8HookPower

52.53 35.15 28.23


7.6 4.9 4.2

brunswickparanormal auraFull Review on Page 10

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EntryAngle

6.85 6 4


58.97 51.26 34.03


9.55 7.5 5.2

brunswickringer

Full Review on Page 11C

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EntryAngle

8.45 3.53 4.45

BBC 14 6 9HookPower

61.83 32.65 29.88


10.6 4.5 4.9

OILY-44’

OILY-44’

MEDIUM-41’


columbia 300vow


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EntryAngle

6.5 2.75 3.6

BBC 10 6 8HookPower

58.47 25.55 16.78


8.45 3.55 3.8

MEDIUM-41’

dv8brutalnightmareFull Review on Page 14

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EntryAngle

7.35 3.25 3.4

BBC 11 6 7HookPower

63.65 27.8 22.18


9.95 4.15 4.1

OILY-44’

dv8diva


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EntryAngle

7.3 4.7 4.75


60.1 48.8 30.58


9.5 5.9 5.05

MEDIUM-41’

dv8misfit neon yellow pearlFull Review on Page 16

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EntryAngle

7.8 3.5 4.8


63.39 33.78 30.73


10.2 4.3 5.37

MEDIUM-41’

ball tracking test results - February


ebonite exceed


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EntryAngle

8.9 4.3 3.3

BBC 15 8 9HookPower

71.21 45.01 23.7


11.8 5.3 4

MEDIUM-41’

hammerarson low flareFull Review on Page 19

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EntryAngle

5.7 3.8 3.2

BBC 9 7 7HookPower

53.75 32.39 24.68


7.45 4.7 3.9

MEDIUM-41’

Hammerfirst blood


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EntryAngle

6.3 4 3.6

BBC 10 7 7HookPower

63.27 38.24 37.03


8.1 4.9 4.6

MEDIUM-41’

lane #1bloody pantherFull Review on Page 26

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EntryAngle

6.7 4.3 4.1

BBC 11 8 7HookPower

64.47 40.65 38.43


9.15 5.1 5.1

MEDIUM-41’



roto grip defiant soul


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EntryAngle

5.2 5.3 3.8

BBC 8 12 8HookPower

55.66 44.58 31.57


6.9 6.4 4.5

OILY-44’

roto gripdisturbed


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6.05 4.6 4


55.24 44.17 39.59


8.8 5.6 5

OILY-44’

roto gripwrecker

Full Review on Page37

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EntryAngle

6.5 4.95 4.4


70.51 42.55 39.3


8.7 5.95 5.6

MEDIUM-41’

stormsync


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EntryAngle

6.5 3.8 4.5

BBC 9 6 8HookPower

55.86 36.08 35.24


8.8 4.95 5.1

OILY-44’



visionary mixed breed crossoverFull Review on Page 49

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EntryAngle

6.5 4.3 2.7

BBC 10 7 6HookPower

64.41 45.62 21.92


8.3 5.5 3.3

MEDIUM-41’

visionary warlock XV


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7.6 4.85 2.1

BBC 13 9 6HookPower

54.92 41.97 17.44


10.3 6.1 2.75

OILY-44’

900 globalhook! black/neon greenFull Review on Page 3

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EntryAngle

5.57 5.1 4.2

BBC 8 8 9HookPower

63.32 48.58 34.82


8.47 6.5 5

900 globalwar eagle


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EntryAngle

4.65 3.17 3.23

BBC 6 6 7HookPower

45.8 26.03 22.39


6.65 3.97 3.8

OILY-44’MEDIUM-41’

ball tracking test results - February-March


brunswickmeanstreak brawlerFull Review on Page 9

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EntryAngle

7.2 4.85 4.8

BBC 10 8 9HookPower

77.97 48.74 42.79


10.45 6.25 5.9

amfking cobra


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EntryAngle

6.9 3.35 2.7

BBC 11 6 8HookPower

57.79 32.83 24.73


9.35 4.6 3.4

MEDIUM-41’OILY-44’

motivthrash frenzy


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EntryAngle

7.5 3.9 3.8

BBC 11 7 6HookPower

71.8 36.96 32.19


10.33 4.85 4.35

radicaltorrid elite


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EntryAngle

7.78 4.1 3.6

BBC 11 8 9HookPower

74.83 36.97 17.72


10.88 5 3.8

MEDIUM-41’MEDIUM-41’

ball tracking test results - March


track503A


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6.55 4.67 5

BBC 10 8 9HookPower

67.17 44.25 37.47


10.1 5.57 5.3

stormreign of powerFull Review on Page 43

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4.8 5.1 2.95


47.68 42.5 22.92


6.9 6.5 3.3


ball tracking test results - March-April

ebonitechampion


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7 4.5 5.05


65.44 43.09 30.36


9.65 5.4 5.4

jetburner


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EntryAngle

5.87 3.65 2.5

BBC 9 8 8HookPower

52.83 25.31 24.86


8.3 4.2 3

MEDIUM-41’ MEDIUM-41’


ball tracking test results - April

JETTURBulence


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6.85 5.1 5.25


66.04 50.78 30.96


9.1 6 5.95

jetpilot


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EntryAngle

6.7 4.4 3.9

BBC 10 9 9HookPower

56.23 37.2 24.65


9.05 5.3 4.3


lane #1grind


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EntryAngle

5.7 4.3 3.1

BBC 8 8 7HookPower

56.68 36.96 22.35


8.3 5.35 3.65

motivvenom toxin


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6.8 4.7 3.5

BBC 9 9 9HookPower

61.03 45.07 17.96


8.9 5.6 3.9



ball tracking test results - May

hammerthe chalk


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EntryAngle

8.2 4.1 4.2

BBC 12 7 9HookPower

65.08 39.6 26.25


11.15 5.1 4.9

radicalreax


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EntryAngle

6 4.2 3

BBC 8 7 6HookPower

70.78 38.54 21.42


9 5.3 3.7

stormfreak'n frantic


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EntryAngle

6.3 5.1 5.9

BBC 8 8 11HookPower

65.73 51.08 39.89


8.6 6.35 6.9

radicalyeti


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EntryAngle

8.1 4.7 5.5


67.68 44.87 40.38


10.9 5.7 6.65

MEDIUM-41’

MEDIUM-41’

MEDIUM-41’

OILY-44’


stormlights out


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EntryAngle

8.7 4.75 5.1

BBC 13 8 9HookPower

69.99 46.61 43.07


11.3 5.9 6

stormsuper natural


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EntryAngle

6.75 3.2 3

BBC 11 6 6HookPower

59.3 28.28 21.42


8.7 4 3.7

stormtropical breeze purple/gold/cherry


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EntryAngle

6.45 5.3 5


61.68 43.97 33.18


8.7 6.4 5.85

stormtropical breeze blue/green/yellow


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EntryAngle

7.3 4.4 4.45

BBC 10 8 8HookPower

79.38 43.67 34.42


10.1 5.53 5.45

MEDIUM-41’ DRY-38’

DRY-38’ DRY-38’

ball tracking test results - May


900 globalrip it


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EntryAngle

3.35 3.8 2.9

BBC 4 6 6HookPower

39.33 40.56 24.78


5.25 4.7 3.5

AMFincinerate


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EntryAngle

6.4 4.55 2.8

BBC 11 8 6HookPower

50.69 39.19 21.22


8.6 5.9 3.33

MEDIUM-41’ OILY-44’

hammernail titanium


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EntryAngle

5.7 3.8 3.58

BBC 9 7 8HookPower

53.94 33.51 27.92


7.7 4.85 4.2

lane #1grind/r


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EntryAngle

7.05 4.37 3.8

BBC 10 8 7HookPower

66.56 35.17 28.76


9.35 5.3 4.55


ball tracking test results - June


motivtank


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EntryAngle

4.8 3.6 4.05

BBC 9 7 10HookPower

38.58 31.4 26.28


6.5 4.3 4.88

seismicraging bull long hornFull Review on Page 39

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EntryAngle

5.5 4.9 4

BBC 8 8 8HookPower

54.31 42.11 28.26


7.75 5.95 4.7

MEDIUM-41’DRY-38’

ball tracking test results - June


These figures are provided in order to help you be able to identify the tester closest to your style so that you will be able to make a more informed choice when purchasing a bowling ball.

We have recently modified the images below to better match the layouts with each bowler’s positive axis points. We have not changed the actual layouts used on the test balls.

The numerical ratings listed at the upper left hand side of each ball review reflect our three testers’ opinions of how the ball performed for them on each of four different “fresh conditions,” as described in the lane conditions section. Any noteworthy observations during the “break-down” of that particular shot will be stated in the text, but the numerical value will be from the ball’s performance on a “fresh condition.” 1-3 signifies below average performance, 4-6 average performance and 7-9.5 good to excellent performance. Stroker’s rating is always listed first, then Tweener’s, and finally Cranker’s opinion.

For example:

This means that on the dry condition, Stroker gave the ball a 7.5 rating, Tweener gave it an 8 and Cranker gave it a 9.

BALL TALK REVIEWS

BALL TALK NOTESBALL TESTER’S RATINGS

DRY: 7.5/8/9

CATS ANALYSIS & BALL DRILLINGS

AXIS ROTATION ANGLE ARC OF THE BALL TRACK - AXIS TILT

CHANGES TO THE RG AND DIFFERENTIAL NUMBERS BTM now lists RG and Diff numbers on our ball reviews and At-A-Glance charts using manufac-turer's numbers, the industry standard.

BTM's official supplier of surface adjustments

BTM’s official supplier of grips and thumb accessories.

StrokerAxis angle: 40 degreesAxis point: 3.875 over, 0.625 upRPM: 225MPH (at 10'): 16.4

A stroker is a more traditionally styled player with adequate speed and a rev rate that gets the job done. This type of player will frequently play further outside on the lane than a higher rev player. Norm Duke and Mika Koivuniemi are examples of strokers.

Lane ConditionsBrunswick Pro Anvil Synthetic LanesKegel Patterns used in tests:Oily: 44’ oil (High Street)Medium: 41’ oil (Main Street)Dry: 38’ oil (Easy Street)Sport: 39’ oil (Winding Road)

CrankerAxis angle: 75 degreesAxis point: 4.5 over, 1 upRPM: 450MPH (at 10'): 19.0

A cranker is generally considered to be a player with high speed and a fairly high rev rate. Players like Sean Rash and Tommy Jones would fit this profile.

TweenerAxis angle: 65 degreesAxis point: 4.5 over, 0 up/downRPM: 320MPH (at 10'): 17.8

A tweener is a player who’s not quite a stroker and not quite a cranker, often called a power stroker. They have a fairly high rev rate and good speed. Chris Barnes and Bill O’Neill are examples of the tweener genre.

55 x 4 x 70 70 x 3-3/8 x 50 65 x 4-1/2 x 75

Pin

VAL50º

X Hole

PAP

70º

CG

3 3⁄8"

MB

PinVAL

55º

X Hole

PAP

70º

CG

4"

MB

3"

PinVAL

75º

PAP

65º

CG

4 1⁄2"

MB

4"


BALL TALK REVIEWS

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At-A-Glance® Ball ComparisonsJanuary-June 2013

(6-months)

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S: Symmetrical A: Asymmetrical S/Prl U Solid Urethane/Pearl Urethane, lt. light , g.s. grit sanded, nb no buff, rb rough buff, ms. micron sanded, snd. sanded, smo. smooth, cp. compound, fn. fine PH. powerhouse, pl. polish, w.s. wet sand, f.f. factory finish, P particle, R reactive, Prl Pearl, Abrln pol. Abralon polished, gt. grit, gls. gloss,

pgp power gel polish m.p. Micro Pad, ** 800/800/1000/1000 Abralon w/ Powerhouse Factory Finish APHff Abralon w/ Powerhouse Factory Finish, Abnt. Abranet

HIGH PERFORMANCE

900 Global Bullet Train neAt 2.553 .040 4" 6.5 12 16.0 52 S R Hyb 2/13900 Global War Eagle neaT 2.50 .047 4.5" 6.5 13 15.5 50 A R 3/13AMF Incinerate nEat 2.49 .050 5" 6.0 11 16.0 54 S R 6/13Brunswick Paranormal Aura 500/2000 Siaair 2.481 .052 5+" 7.5 10 17.0 55 A R 2/13Columbia Enigma 800/800/1500/1500 Abranet 2.50 .052 5+" 7.5 10 17.5 56 A R 1/13DV8 Brutal Nightmare 500 Rough Buff 2.505 .052 5+" 7.0 14.5 16.5 52 A R Hyb 2/13Ebonite Champion 500,500,500,1500 Abrln, PHff 2.50 .055 5-6" 7.0 15.5 17.0 52 A R Prl 4/13Hammer First Blood 500/500/500/1500/PHff 2.48 .056 5-6" 7.5 16 17.5 53 A R 2/13Lane #1 Bloody Panther 6421 Compound x2 2.46 .043 4+" 7.0 14 16.5 48 S R Hyb 2/13Lane #1 Grind nEat 2.479 .052 5+" 6.5 11 16.0 54 S R 4/13Lane #1 Grind/R Polished 2.497 .052 5" 7.0 15 16.5 51 S R Prl 6/13Jet Burner 1500 Polished 2.546 .054 5-6" 7.5 16 17.0 50 S R 4/13Jet Turbulence 4000 Polished 2.50 .054 5-6" 7.0 14 16.5 51 A R Prl 4/13Radical Reax 500, 1500 SiaAir 2.492 .054 5.5" 7.0 12 16.5 54 A R 5/13Roto Grip Defiant Soul 4000 Abralon 2.49 .054 5-6" 6.5 12 16.0 53 A R Hyb 2/13Seismic Dominion 4000 Abralon 2.508 .045 4-5" 7.0 11 16.0 56 A R Hyb 1/13Seismic Raging Bull Long Horn 2000 grit polish 2.53 .045 4-5" 7.0 13 16.5 50 A R Prl 6/13Storm Sync 4000 Abralon 2.47 .058 5-6" 7.0 12 17.0 55 A R 2/13Track 912T 1500 Abranet Soft 2.5 .046 4-5" 6.0 12 15.5 54 A R 7/12

UPPER-MID-PRICE

AMF Mamba Hybrid neaT 2.481 .054 5.5" 6.0 12 16.0 50 A R Hyb 1/13Brunswick Meanstreak Brawler 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff 2.536 0.048 5" 7.0 14 15.5 50 S R Hyb 3/13Columbia 300 Vow 500/800/1k/2k/PHff 2.47 .054 5-6" 6.5 14 16.0 48 S R Prl 2/13Ebonite Exceed 3000 Abralon 2.49 .046 5-6" 7.0 14 16.5 52 A R Hyb 2/13Hammer The Chalk 500/1k/2k Abrln PHff 2.48 .056 5-6" 7.0 15 15.0 48 S R 5/13Motiv Tank 2000 grit Sanded 2.48 .034 3-4" 5.0 13 11.0 40 S Ure 6/13Motiv Venom Toxin 2000 Power Gel Polish 2.48 .034 3-4" 7.0 16 17.0 48 S R Hyb 4/13Radical Yeti 500/1500 SiaAir, Rough Buff 2.482 .054 5.5" 7.5 12 17.0 50 S R Prl 5/13Storm IQ Tour Pearl 1500 grit Polish 2.49 .029 3" 7.0 14 16.5 51 S R Prl 1/13Track 714C 800/1k/2k/3k Abralon 2.52 .052 5+" 6.0 12 14.0 50 A R 1/13Visionary Mixed Breed Crossover 2000 Abralon 2.56 .045 4-5" 6.0 13 15.0 48 A R Hyb 2/13Visionary Warlock XV 2000 Abralon 2.57 .038 3-4" 6.0 11 15.0 53 S R 2/13

MID-PRICE

900 Global Rip It Polished 2.57 .045 4-5" 6.5 15 15.5 48 S R Prl 6/13AMF King Cobra 4000 Abralon 2.46 .030 3" 5.5 12 15.5 52 S R 3/13DV8 Diva 500/Rough Buff/Hi Gloss 2.516 .052 5+" 6.0 15 15.0 48 S R 2/13Hammer Arson Low Flare 500x3/1000 PH Clean 'N Sheen 2.48 .020 2" 5.5 15 14.0 44 S R Hyb 2/13Jet Pilot 2000 Polished 2.6 .030 3" 5.5 17 14.0 47 S R Prl 4/13Motiv Thrash Frenzy 2000 Wet Sand/Power Gel 2.55 0.043 5" 7.5 15 17.5 49 S R Prl 3/13Radical Torrid Elite 500 SiaAir/Rough Buff 2.48 0.047 5" 6.0 14.5 15.0 48 S R Prl 3/13Roto Grip Disturbed 2000 Abralon 2.50 .043 4+" 6.5 11 15.5 54 S R 2/13Storm Freak'n Frantic 1500 grit polish 2.53 .045 4.5" 7.0 15 16.5 49 S R Prl 5/13Storm Reign of Power 1000 Abralon 2.57 0.048 5" 6.0 10 13.0 51 S R 3/13Storm Super Natural 1500 grit polish 2.55 .038 4" 5.5 18 13.0 42 S Ure Hyb 5/13Track 503A 800/1k/2k PHFF 2.51 0.057 5-6" 7.0 16.5 16.0 49 A R Prl 3/13

LOWER-MID-PRICE

Brunswick Ringer 500/Rough Buff/Hi Gloss 2.534 .038 3-4" 6.0 15.5 16.0 48 S R Prl 2/13Hammer Nail Titanium 800/1k/2k/4k PHFF 2.55 .042 4" 6.0 16 16.0 49 S R Prl 6/13Roto Grip Wrecker 1500 grit Polish 2.55 .042 4+" 7.5 16 16.0 49 S R Prl 2/13Storm Lights Out 1500 grit polish 2.55 .038 4" 7.0 14.5 16.0 49 S R Hyb 5/13

ENTRY LEVEL

900 Global Hook! Black/Neon Green 4000 Abralon 2.551 0.046 4-5" 5.5 11 14.0 50 S R 3/13 DV8 Misfit Neon Yellow Pearl 500/Rough Buff/Hi Gloss 2.545 .032 3+" 6.5 16 16.0 47 S R Prl 2/13Storm Tropical Breeze 1500 grit polish 2.57 .009 1" 6.5 17 15.0 42 S R Prl 5/13

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january-june 2013 ball review guide indexapi.ning.com/.../ballreviewguidejanjune13.pdf ·...

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