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One of the newest additions to Roto Grip's Shield Line.

Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" from PAP
Mass Bias Position - n/a
CG Placement - 1/2" right of center line and 1/2" up from mid line
Balance Hole - none

Surface Preparation - Out of Box

What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:
When I opened up the box for this ball I was happy to see a .5-1" pin. The reason is we hear a lot from customers that they received a shorter pin and they were told that it could not be drilled for them.

I will admit your options may be limited with these shorter pins but they are still very usable for almost everyone.

In my case the easiest thing to do was to stack the pin and cg right under my ring finger. This left the pin in a strong position, 4 1/2" from my PAP and I figured that would be a good layout for this type of ball.

Keep in mind when you get a ball with a shorter pin that the most dominant factors in ball reaction are the distance the pin is from your PAP and the coverstock finish. The fact that the cg is closer to the pin does not change how far you can get the pin from your axis.

What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:
What I ended up with is one of my favorite ball reactions for a performance line like this. The Dark Star not only reacted great but it had that look that I like. You could not see any logos going down the lane which to me always make the ball look better as it goes down the lane.

This ball gave me a very smooth roll from the time it left my hand to the time it cleared the pin deck. Because I knew what the ball was doing and since it did not ever seem to get jumpy off the friction, I could do almost whatever I wanted with it. With some slight adjustments to my hand position and minor speed changes I could hook the lane or play right up the boards.

I think all bowlers of all skill levels will fall in love with the Dark Star.