A urethane model — that’s right, urethane — breaks the ranks among this month’s batch of new releases.

Although it never rains inside a bowling center, it must still be said at this point that April showers bring May flowers. How does that apply to bowling? Well, let’s just hope some of April’s 8.5”-diameter “bulbs” bring in plenty of luscious green just in time for Mother’s Day (May 11, for those interested). The more green we win on the lanes, the more we can shower upon our significant others/mothers with on this well-deserved day of love and appreciation. The feature ball this month is the Lane Masters Terminator Rebellion. We enjoyed its high rate of usability on a wide spectrum of lane conditions and its high quality construction. The Rebellion is a ball around which bowlers can build an arsenal as it matches up great on any medium oil pattern, regardless of oil pattern shape. Our next entry is the AMF Code, a super fast-revving solid reactive which offers great midlane response with a controlled back-end motion off friction. The Code is another benchmark ball around which to build a collection. Last up to the plate is a solid dull urethane ball with a two-piece core design. That’s right, urethane. Lane #1 is the company “ballsy” enough to introduce this new throw-back urethane cover. The cover is similar to that of the old Black U Dot, while the internal dynamics are powered by Lane #1’s famously strong Diamond core. Granted, this is a niche ball, but what an important niche to fill.

LANE MASTERS: TERMINATOR REBELLION 50 Hook 13 Length 14 Breakpoint Shape
Storm Rapid Fire Pearl	Core Design: The symmetric core is rated medium-high at 2.56 with a Diff of .040. This design gave us 5” of track flare with our 3.5 and 4.5” pin distance layouts.
	Coverstock: The solid reactive Evolution Cover is finished for an 800-dull matte surface. Coloring is a medley of medium blue and grey, with ribbons of lighter blue phasing. Response time off friction is rated moderate with the 800-grit finish.
Manufacturer’s Intent: “The Terminator Rebellion is Lane Masters’ first two-piece solid reactive ball since the Extreme Impact of 2002,“ says Galen Gentry of the Lane Master design team. “By combining the highly successful Terminator core (RG 2.562 / Diff 0.040) with a solid reactive cover, we were able to create a smooth and deliberate ball motion that is capable of delivering a high level of control with unrelenting hitting power.”
Test Results: The Rebellion hooked a few boards less than last month’s Counter Strike (particle pearl), yet reads the lane slightly earlier with a smooth arc off the friction. The 800-grit surface gave us plenty of midlane presence with a surprising ability to handle carrydown from deeper inside angles to the pocket. Smoothing the surface with 4000-abralon created an additional few feet of length and only reduced total hook a board or two, at most. Players attempting to use this ball on drier patterns will find polishing the surface and longer pin distances will help achieve the desired length and entry angle.
When to Use: The ball reaction shape and total hook amount basically fi ts in the middle of all Lane Masters’ high-performance equipment. We felt the Rebellion matched up best on most medium volumes for the majority of release styles. Heavy-handed players — or those with higher rev-rate-to-ball-speed ratios — will surely be able to use this ball on heavier volumes, aided by the 800-grit finish and strong base resin formula. The breakpoint motion offers an extremely easy-to-read ball path with vintage Lane Masters hitting and carry power.

AMF: CODE 50 Hook 13 Length 13.5 Breakpoint Shape
Storm Rapid Fire Pearl	Core Design: The symmetric power core revs quickly and easily with its super low 2.47 RG rating. Flaring was in the 5” range with its .048 Diff and the 4.5” pin distance layouts.
	Coverstock: The hybrid cover is a mix of red pearl and black solid reactive; AMF calls it Code Plus. The box fi nish is a sanded 2000-grit with a compound fi nish applied. Response time off friction is moderate.
Manufacturer’s Intent:Eric Thomas of 900 Global had this to say: “After several different tests with different configurations and many long hours, we discovered what appears to be the best core/cover combo we have ever had in an AMF ball. Our intent was to design a ball that could be used by a variety of styles on a variety of conditions; versatility was the key. We got it.”
Test Results: The Code is all about midlane roll with a subdued response in the last 20 feet. In fact, on some patterns, we experienced moderate hook-out on medium volume and shorter patterns (39’ or less). Hitting power and pin carry was very good, as long as the midlane oil volume held up; otherwise, it suffered some. Our favorite layouts were the 4.5 and 5.5” pins above the fi ngers; these layouts gave us a slightly more angular reaction compared to the 3.5 and 4.5” pins below the fingers.
When to Use: Our best look and highest percentage of carry was on 40-ft. and longer patterns on both wood and synthetic. We also preferred the motion on fresh oil moreso than on broken-down patterns. The Code should match up better for players with higher ball speeds as well, since the midlane read is so secure. When we experimented with varying cover surfaces, we had very good results with sanding the surface with 2000- or 4000-abralon and applying higher grit polishes such as found in a product called Bean’s Secret Sauce. Duller grits such as 500- or 1000-abralon will match up only on heavier and longer patterns such as the USBC Open or PBA Shark.

LANE #1: LIBERATOR 42 Hook 12 Length 12 Breakpoint Shape
Storm Rapid Fire Pearl	Core Design: The power supplying this 21st century urethane is the patented Buzzsaw Diamond-shaped symmetric core. The RG is medium at 2.53, and the Diff comes in at a conservative .032. Testing displayed a maximum 3.5” of track flare.
	Coverstock: The Liberator cover is a variation of the original Black U Dot cover of the 1980s. This cover is extremely durable and comes sanded at a 1000-grit. Response time off friction is rated as slow.
Manufacturer’s Intent: Lane #1 knew there was a large performance gap between polyester and reactive resin coverstocks. So rather than simply make a good three-piece urethane, Richie Sposato decided to make a very good twopiece urethane. The two-piece construction utilizes a larger Diamond-shaped core, which delivers stronger internal dynamics for improved pin carry. We even saw the Liberator send a few messengers, which isn’t a common occurrence when using urethane.
Test Results and When to Use:The Liberator’s urethane cover has friction characteristics somewhat opposite of reactive resin. Urethane has increased friction in oil compared to reactive resin, yet reduced friction when encountering drier boards. This difference can be a welcome positive when encountering either too much friction or extreme wet/dry oil patterns. The Liberator is extremely easy to read on any type of oil pattern, and will not fool any of us on trickier or spotty oil patterns. Naturally, the stronger a bowler’s release, the higher the carry percentage one will likely see. In fact, our high-rev tester (400 rev rate) easily carried with a similar carry percentage to that of reactives from angles of 13-board and out. Naturally, inside angles carried somewhat better with reactive-based covers. Nonetheless, the Liberator should fill a huge void for league or tournament bowlers looking for a controllable reaction when reactives are simply too finicky.

Reprinted with permission from Bowlers Journal International.
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