Ebonite Over Time Bowling Balls

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Pin to PAP Distance: 6"
Preferred Spin Axis to PAP Distance: 4 1/4"
Balance Hole: None
Surface Preparation: Box Condition

What I Was Looking For in this Ball and Layout:

If you didn't get a chance to check out my Big Time ball review, please read that before moving forward with this review for the Overtime. You'll see how making and realizing mistakes in pro shop work can be beneficial in the future. In the Overtime, I was looking for a ball that would skid down lane very easily. I also needed a ball reaction that would allow me to open up my launch angles and play the lane left to right.

What I Ended Up With in this Ball and Layout:

Earlier I told you about the mistakes of using a pin position that was too weak in a Big Time ball. But I too can learn from my mistakes. I knew I was looking at the same core as the Big Time. I knew that the core would hook given friction, and I knew that I had made an error using the layout I did in the particle cover Big Time. The solution for this desired reaction was easy. Select the same core in a non-particle coverstock that would allow for those higher launch angles and capitalize from my earlier errors.

The Overtime gets through the front part of the lane extremely well. This is due to two things. First, the coverstock is a very shiny phased bomber reactive. This delays hooking action significantly as the ball senses friction. Second, the pin position (6") I chose in this ball is so weak that the ball simply cannot flare early. The core is virtually standing straight up as I release the ball. With the core so close to it's high rg axis, it can't help but tumble through the front part of the lane.

Here's where my knowledge of ball reaction really made for an excellent bowling ball. I knew that I would have a reaction that pushed through the front very easily. I also knew that if I didn't have some help in the backend, I'd be watching something similar to a high-dollar Maxim. So I throw a 4 1/4" PSA location in this rock to make sure I am going to get some down lane reaction. Hopefully you can see that if I had used any PSA location much weaker than this, combined with a weaker shell and a weaker pin position, I would have had an incredibly bad reaction. This PSA location gives me a massive amount of late track flare and ball reaction.

The overall hook of my Overtime is not that much in overall boards. The impressive thing about the reaction is the way it gets to the pocket. This Overtime is definitely straighter than my One and Big One, and slightly less than my Big Time. But when this Overtime makes its move, the entry angle into the pins is absolutely stupid. In the first week, this ball won me a nice tournament victory simply because of the angles I was able to play. When you miss 5 single pins, crack 2 first shot balls off your ankle into the gutter, and still win a 10-game sweeper with a great field of players, you have incredible ball reaction.

A great example of how some thought, combined with learning from other experiences, can create exactly what you need in ball reaction.

• Ebonite The One - Original
• Ebonite The Big One
• Ebonite Big Time
• Ebonite Big Time Pearl
• Ebonite Black Ice
• Ebonite SR300
• Ebonite Infinite One
• Ebonite No Limit
• Ebonite Whirl Wind
• Ebonite Smash Time
•      See all products reviewed by proshoptraining.com review by Jeff Ussery