Reviews by Tony Ruocco
900 Global Bank
900 Global Black Eagle
900 Global Bounty
900 Global Bounty Hunter
900 Global Bounty Hunter Pearl
900 Global Break Out
900 Global Break Point Pearl
900 Global Bullet Train
900 Global Profit
900 Global The Break S75
900 Global The Eagle
900 Global Train
AMF 300 Hybrid Mamba
Brunswick Anaconda
Brunswick Aura
Brunswick Aura Mystic
Brunswick Aura Paranormal
Brunswick Brute
Brunswick BVP Sidewinder
Brunswick C (System) alpha-max
Brunswick C (System) maxxed-out
Brunswick C (System) ulti-max
Brunswick C (System) versa-max
Brunswick C (System)2.5
Brunswick C (System)4.5
Brunswick Damage
Brunswick Diamondback
Brunswick Fury
Brunswick Fury Pearl
Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Vintage LT-48
Brunswick Karma Black/Blue Solid
Brunswick Karma Blue/Green Pearl
Brunswick Lethal Revolver
Brunswick Loaded Revolver
Brunswick Massive Damage
Brunswick Mastermind
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Brunswick Mastermind Intellect
Brunswick MaxXX Zone
Brunswick Meanstreak Beatdown
Brunswick Meanstreak Brawler
Brunswick Melee
Brunswick Nexus f(P) Pearl
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Brunswick Nirvana
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Columbia 300 Action Packed
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DV8 Brutal Nightmare
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Ebonite Adrenaline Shot
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Ebonite Mission Unknown 15 lb LAST ONE
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Etonic Men's Tony Ruocco Stabilite Plus Lava RH
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Linds Easy Flip
Morich Awesome Finish
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Motiv Cruel C51
PBS Horseshoe Blue/Lemon
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PBS Pocketability
PBS Sniper M24
PBS Sniper SG 550
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Pyramid Antidote Pearl
Pyramid Blood Moon Evolve
Pyramid Blood Moon Infinity "International Release" Ltd Ed of 250 RETIRED
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Pyramid Blood Moon Rising Pearl
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About the Bowler
Click Layout Image to Enlarge
900 Global's Bank features their new Self Righting Core.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4 1/2" from PAPCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 Grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:With the new 900 Global Bank I was wanting to see how aggressive this ball could be while still keeping it smooth enough that it could be used during normal league play. Some of the high performance balls we drill are so strongthat really they would not last an entire game on a house shot because they react so strong.By placing the pin 5 1/2" from my PAP and placing it above the fingers I figured I would create enough skid to have the ball retain energy for the back making it very angular off the break point.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Sometimes when you read up about a ball you think it is all just hype and course it is the best ball they ever made.Not the case with the Bank, I really feel that to this point this is the best ball 900 Global has ever made. I guess I am a believer in their new Self Righting Core and its effect on ball motion.For a 4000 Grit Abralon finish the ball clears the heads smoothly and allows you to play anywhere you want on the lane. As the ball transitions through the mids and into the backend you can see the ball wanted to just go left off the point, and it does.If you think about what they are saying with this core; "the core shape contains only one stable point" You can see that the ball is justtrying to get to that point and that is what makes the ball react so strong off the break point. My discussions with 900 Global are thatthe use of this core with variable coverstock will allow them to really give you multiple ball reactions using stronger coverstocks because of this core shape.
900 Global's Bounty offers performance and control on heavily oiled lanes.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 6"Mass Bias Position - Above thumb hole on center lineCG Placement - just right of center lineBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:One of our shops had already drilled a few of these balls. They stated that everyone who threw it got a lot of hook. Not crazy u turn type of hook but strong overall hooking motion.I figured the only other ball I had in my bag was the Virtual Gravity so I drilled this ball identical to that. This is one of my all time favorite drillings and I use it a lot, especially at the house where I bowl league.It just seems to roll good there and produces just enough hook without getting me in trouble.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I got what I thought I would get, a really strong ball motion that is predictable and controllable. The Bounty rolled as well as anything else in my bag. As you will see if you watch our video it hooked plenty but youwill notice it was a good type of hook. I still got plenty of clearance through the heads even with the 1000 grit Abralon surface. In the mid lane it did read the friction a little harder then I normally like but it did not jump off of it. It maintained plenty of energy for a good solid backend reaction.This ball hit as hard as anything I have. I am sure this would not be a good ball for anything less then medium conditions but if you know that going in then you will be set. For my first time with a 900 Global ball I would say it is worth the investment to try one of these balls. I look forward to more good balls from Texas.
900 Global has doubled the ante - Get your share of the Bounty today. - Bounty HunterPin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4" from PAP - right of thumbCG Placement - 1" right of center and 1" above mid lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 Grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:After looking at the Bounty Hunter and reading a little about it I went ahead and drilled this to HOOK. The ball just has that look like it is going to cover every square inch of the lane and have more left overwhen it is done.This layout usually optimizes the amount of length I can get out of a stronger ball like this leaving me with enough energy to make the ball really turn the corner hard.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:OMG!! I thought the original Bounty hooked - The Bounty Hunter literally runs laps around my Bounty. Everything I thought this ball would do, it did and more. Sometimes when you get these super aggressive balls you get all this reaction but no hit because the ball is just done by the time it gets to the pocket. Not the case here, the Bounty Hunter seemed to maintain plenty of energy even with the extremely strong ball motion it has.Obviously this ball is not meant to be thrown on every lane condition and as we saw more friction early, the ball rolled earlier. But on a fresh shot the Bounty Hunter got through the heads with ease and oil was no match for it.We could hook this ball from basically everywhere on the lane and just watch in awe as it reacted and hit as hard as some of the best balls on the market.I think 900 Global is a company to watch and throw if you get the chance.
900 Global has sharpened their point with the all new Break Point Pearl.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5" under fingersMass Bias Position - 5" from PAP right of thumbCG Placement - 1" left of centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:As you have seen from our past reviews sometimes the balls just do not work out for us. The original Break Point and I did not match up well. Do not know why but it was not one of my favorite balls. The pearl looks like a ball I would like. I went with a pretty standard layout so that I could get a good read on this ball. The pearlized S73 cover combined with a even stronger weight block from the original made me think this was going to be a good piece of equipment.This layout usually lets me do a lot on the lane. I can generally play anywhere from up the outside to extremely deep and still get the recovery and power I need at the pins.Lets see!What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Perfect, perfect, perfect. Every once in a while the ball that you were maybe a little up int he air about comes through. I loved the way this ball rolled for me. It was a perfect mixture of control and power. After throwing this ball I actually think that if I would have taken the time and played with the coverstock on the Break Point I may have liked it more.The Break Point Pearl got through the heads with ease and did not seem to be too effected by any early friction. It picked up a super strong roll in the mid-lane (reminded me of my Break S75) and continued that strong motion right through the back ends and straight through the pins.This is the type of ball I love, it makes my job easy....Get a Break Point Pearl!
Turn A Profit Like No Other with 900 Global's Profit.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 5" from PAPCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (Polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I was looking for a smooth ball motion that would not get jumpy as it read friction. My thought was that this would be a good compliment to the Bank from 900 Global. This layout would allow the ball to still be aggressive but not over react in any part of the lane.The 5 1/2" by 5" pin/mass bias layout allows the ball to generate a good amount of length and still recover but not too much.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with exactly what I wanted. The Profit cleared the heads very smoothly and just got through the middle part of the lane without jumping as the lanes broke down. Once the ball came off the break point it reacted plenty and continued very nicely through the pins.I think the Profit does serve a great purpose as a compliment ball to the Bank. If you wanted your Profit to react stronger on a fresh pattern I think a little stronger layout and maybe a cover stock tweak would give you what you wanted.All in all the Profit is another great release and addition to the 900 Global line up.
The Break S75 adds an additional weapon to the Break arsenal.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 3/8", just under middle fingerMass Bias Position - 3" right of thumbCG Placement - just above thumb on center lineBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1000 grit w/ brown compound)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I really had no expectations when drilling this ball. We have just started carrying the 900 Global brand and we are doing tests on all the equipment in their line. I had heard that this one was one of their best performance balls to date.Up to this point I have only thrown the Bounty which was great but I was hoping for more of a utility ball with this one. Something I could throw on a bunch of different types of conditions and maybe use a good way to read the lanes and the ball reaction.This layout works really well for that purpose for me. I can hook the ball or go straighter down the lane with this layout.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Man, so far I am very impressed with 900 Globals ball reaction. This ball is great, it does exactly what I wanted which was pretty much everything. I could use this ball early in the night when they were fresh and throughout the night as they broke down and transitioned it worked like a charm.The ball was clean through the front part of the lane while still showing a very strong revving motion. This is what allowed me to play the lanes when they were still a little tight. As the ball transitioned it read the dry very clean and did not really get jumpy at all.I got plenty of movement on the back end and the ball hit as hard as anything I've thrown recently. This was one of those balls that after just a a few shots I could tell I was going to like.
The biggest snake brings the biggest hook yet.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - lower right quadrant of gripBalance Hole - 1" x 2" from center of grip through cg on VALSurface Preparation - Out of Box (500 Siaair/Rough Buff)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Again I decided to drill this ball using one of my favorite and more common layouts for reviews. I also wanted to drill this the same as my Revolver so I could get a ball to ball comparison of the two. Obviously but the performance line this ball is in and the nature of the ball it will be weaker then the Revolver but we will see how much and where this fits in the line up.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:WOW, one of my favorite ball motions from Brunswick. As much as people raved about the previous balls in the line (Snake balls) I never tried one. The Anaconda surpassed all my expectations and then some.The ball was so smooth through the heads, even with this stronger layout it rolled awesome and did not jump at the first sign of friction.As the ball got into the lane I saw a smooth motion off the breakpoint without a jumpy ball motion but it was still very strong. I still had that feeling that even though I knew the ball was not going to go left off the break point it was still going to get back from anywhere because it was so strong.The cover allowed the ball to store up enough energy that when it got the the backends it rolled up perfectly and hit as hard as the high performance balls on the market.I could easily see this ball being a go to ball in the second and third games during league or for those transition times in a tournament format. All in all the Anaconda is a great addition to the 2010 Brunswick line up of balls.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Introducing the Sidewinder with Brunswick's first Solid/Pearl Hybrid Low Load Particle Coverstock.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - N/ACG Placement - 1 1/8" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish (Rough Buff)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:After I loved my new Twisted Fury, I decided I wanted to try something particle since it had been a while. I had heard some good things from the tour and other Brunswick Staff members about the Sidewinder. In an effort to really see what this ball did with Brunswick's new hybrid cover we kept everything very simple. I was hoping to see something with a strong early revving motion in the front and a nice smooth breakpoint and backend reaction. Since this ball comes with Rough Buff we left the cover alone. Keep in mind normally with a particle cover we would be polishing the heck out of it to get it through the heads but this ball looked nice and shiny so we went with it.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Exactly what I wanted. I love when this happens. I wanted something strong in the front, GOT IT. I wanted something smooth and predictable in the middle part of the lane with a nice transition to the back, GOT IT. So far this review is going great for my ball selection and layout. The Sidewinder was so strong in the front without a jump type of motion. I even got into some friction early and this ball did not read it and go left, it stayed right online and kept revving into the mid-lane.In the mid-lane this thing just tore it up. Most of my movement came in this part of the lane which was exactly what I was looking for. It was strong and steady and set itself up perfectly for the backend.Once the ball made it to the back part of the lane we did not see much movement from there but it drove through the pins as well as any high performance ball from any company. Brunswick's big push with the BVP Series in general is high performance balls at mid performance prices. I love these balls because without getting into a high performance higher price ball you can get a great ball reaction. I think on heavier oiled lanes or when they get a little tricky and your skid/snap stuff is too much on the backend the Sidewinder would fit right into your arsenal. I have always been on the fence with Brunswick's equipment. It was always hit and miss for me personally. The last few balls I have drilled have been fantastic and will definitely earn a spot in my bag for this season.
Brunswick's new C System brings Chemical Friction Technology (CFT) to life.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - Ball 1 45* x 5" x 70* & Ball 2 55* x 5" x 30*Mass Bias Position - CG Placement - Balance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 Grit Micro Pad)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:The C System 2.5 is a entirely new core and coverstock from Brunswick. The thought behind this technology is to eliminate slippage on the back part of the lane. This would in turn cause the C System 2.5 to be very aggressive as it makes it final move towards the pins.After some discussion with R&D guys at Brunswick we decided to drill two of these balls. One with the pin under the fingers and one with the pin above. Dual angles layouts were used on both balls. We wanted to do this so that we could show you the differences in the two more common layouts used.Since everything is new on this ball we did not have any thoughts on what we were looking for on these layouts. We knew that we wanted to see if the ball motion was stronger then some of the past Brunswick balls and see the differences in a pin down layout compared to a pin up layout. We did decide to leave the surface alone on both balls so that there was more a true test from ball to ball.If you watch our ball reaction video, the pin down layout is the first ball you will see followed by the pin up layout.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Pin Down Layout:WOW! I don't know if it was the core or cover or the combination of both but the C System gives Brunswick a look they never really had before.Even with the stronger pin down layout I got plenty of clearance through the heads and mid section of the lane. I saw very little to no signs of the ball burning any energy as it transitioned into the back portion of the lane. Every once in a while if I started it out a little early it would obviously read the friction quicker but not enough to slow it down on the backend.As I squared up a little and went straighter through the fronts I saw the ball read a little earlier but it still roller very strong and recovered nicely on the backend. The main part of the ball description that stood out to me was Brunswick's goal of eliminating any "slippage" on the backend. This I think was accomplished, the ball rolled as strong as anything as it got closer to the pins and I was never concerned with the ball "rolling out" or "burning up" as it made its move.Pin Up Layout:After I sat down and thought a little about my ball test to myself, I think I would have like to see a larger gap in the two layouts. I saw enough to say they did not roll identical but they were fairly close for me. This layout as expected did push a little further down the lane then the pin down layout with a sharper motion on the back. I was actually able to play the same part of the lane as the first ball but because of the angles saw a few more hanging ten pins. As I moved right I got a awesome reaction with this pin up layout.I think in my perfect world I would have polished this pin up ball and played much straighter down the lane. Overall I think either layout rolled well and offered a ball motion that I have not seen so far this season.For Brunswick I think the C System is a great ball for them and definitely fills some holes that they may have had in their performance ball line up. My prediction is that if some of the Brunswick staffers make some shows this season on the PBA then you will see a few of these going down the lane.
The C System 4.5 continues Brunswick's quest back to the top in High Performance bowling balls.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above fingersMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I did some early testing of this ball with Brunswick and was excited for it to come out for many reasons. The reason I was most looking forward to this release is that it will be the first C System ball to feature a symmetrical core.I love the asymmetrical world we have become accustomed to but sometimes a good symmetrical/reactive resin ball is just what the doctor ordered.I was drilled this one difference then the early test balls because based on what I saw I felt this layout would be neutral enough to let the ball motion speak for itself. I expected this ball to handle the lane well and make a strong but predictable move on the backend of the lane.The vision in my head was a old Danger Zone I had that was drilled identical to this.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Oh joy, this ball was so perfect for me. I love when a ball just rolls good from the first shot you throw it. The C System 4.5 reacted just how you would think a high performance symmetrical reactive ball would...GOOD!From the first shot I threw on the fresh oil to the last after 2 1/2 hours of bowling the ball reacted the same and my moves on the lane were minimal. Oh those were the days when I did not have to move entire dots at a time and end up sliding in the left gutter.Don't get me wrong this ball still hooked quite a bit but there is something different about it. The ball got through the heads with ease and transitioned into the middle part of the lane well. The ball seemed to rev up nicely off the friction down lane and made a very strong move towards the pocket. The ball had enough energy to continue through the pin deck perfectly and it hit as hard as anything else out there.Compared to the previous balls in this line it falls in between for me. Brunswick is going to better explain their numbering system with this release so we all understand it better. Even though this may not hook as much as your 3.5 you need to give this ball a try and I think you will agree with me that it is a really good piece of equipment.
The Diamondback is the first ball with Activator Solid cover available in the Advanced Performance price point.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 4 1/2" from PAPBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 Siaair Micro Pad)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This was a pretty simple decision for me. We were doing two ball tests at the same time. One for the Diamondback and another for Brunswick's other new release the Wild Card. I figured we would see how these two matched up to each other and drilled them both the same way. The 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" layoutusually gives me a pretty good idea of the strength of the ball while keeping the reaction to a usable amount for the ball test.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:This is a really good core/cover combination for Brunswick. The Rocket Core gives the ball plenty of roll and strength getting down the lane with a really nice backend motion. While the Activator Solid cover makes this ball read the friction just right and keeps a nice continuous motion all the way through the pins.The Diamondback was a classic type of Brunswick ball for me. I saw a really nice strong roll off my hand with a stronger transition into the middle part of the lane. On the backend the ball maintained enough energy to continueoff the break point and carry nicely through the pins. With the cover left at the 2000 grit out of box finish it did start to read a little early as the lanes broke down. Nothing a little Rough Buff or Factory Finish could not correct depending on the conditions you will be using it on.Overall another very solid release for Brunswick in their Advanced Performance category. This may be a tough one to beat at this price point.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge If you read our first review of Brunswick's Fury you would have seen us telling you to make sure that you had plenty of oil because this ball hooked and hooked early.After a little more thought and trying different layouts. bowlingball.com's Keith Spear tested the ball and changed the surface, and found immediate success. Along with some work with Brunswick's Billy Orlikowski we decided to smooth the surface out and bring it up to 2000 grit Abralon and use Brunswick Factory Finish Rough Buff and then use Brunswick Factory Finish High Polish over that. We did that to all of our test balls and saw a dramatic positive change in the ball reaction.Just in case you did not see our first review here is what we ended up doing. We drilled the Fury with the pin 5 1/2" from the PAP (5 1/8" over 1/8" up) with the cg back under the ring finger. After further discussion about altering the surface we also decided to place a 1" x 2" hole 2 1/4" past the PAP, to help increase flare.We were so surprised at the difference in ball reaction from our first review that we could not believe what we were seeing. This ball is possibly the best reacting ball we have reviewed in months. Granted the other recent releases are great as well, for example the Total NV but this ball reacted much cleaner for us on our typical house shot.With the addition of the polish we saw much more skid through the heads with a almost indescribable backend motion. It really looked as if this ball was picking up revolutions from the break point to the pins. The amount of overall hook was equal to other new releases as mentioned earlier but the ball motion was totally different. We know that the Fury will be the ball that sets the new standard for ball reaction in the bowling industry. This ball comes highly recommended by our testers to bowlers of all skill levels as long as they realize that altering the surface may be a mandatory factor to get the impressive ball reaction that we have seen.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We loved our Brunswick Fury Pearl. Brunswick has hit another home run with their second release in the Fury series.We drilled our Fury Pearl pretty safe. We placed the pin 4 1/2" from the PAP (5 1/8" over and 1/8" up) with the cg in a straight line down. This layout tends to give us a really good test of the balls ability on a variety of conditions.In the heads the Fury Pearl was much cleaner and smoother than the original. We were able to use this ball well into the night because of how clean it cleared to front part of the lane.Mid-lane reaction was typical Brunswick, strong and consistent. We saw about the same recation in the mid-lane as with out Fury but because of the smoothness through the front it did seem to set up better than the original. This is based on the out of box surface. The big difference for us was in the back part of the lane. With the box finish we saw 4-5 more boards easily and more hitting power than most of the new releases this season so far. Watching the ball go off the pin deck was amazing. It was as if there was no way the pins could stand up after the Fury Pearl hit the pocket.All in all the Fury Pearl is one of the best additions to any ball line that we have seen in a while. It does exactly what Brunswick wanted and that makes our job and everyone's decision a lot easier when looking for a new ball this season.
MaxXX Zone, the ball to go to when you're looking for the Max.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 6"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - 4000 grit Abralon on Haus machine for about 20 minutes (there is no polish on this ball)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:A few of the last Brunswick balls I tested tended to give me a real bad over/under ball reaction. In the past I have used traditional recommended layouts for these balls. Lately I have been doing a lot of our ball tests using this layout. It tends to help smooth out the ball motion while still allowing for plenty of hook down lane.All we have heard about the MaxXX Zone is that it hooks. Judging by the way the cover stock looked out of the box I would have agreed without even seeing the ball go down the lane. We immediately thought it would be best to smooth out the 600 grit wet sand finish with some 4000 grit Abralon. After about 20 minutes in the Haus resurfacing machine with 4000 grit Abralon we found the ball to appear shiny as if we polished it. As I stated above there is no polish on this ball. The cover just smoothed out so much that it appears shiny. This was very common a few years ago for ball companies to use really high grit abrasives from the factory and it gave the ball a polished look with the texture of a matte or dull ball.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:We only had time to do a little testing with this ball. We will do more in the next few days and update if need be. From what I saw right away I like the ball motion. It definitely was smooth through off my hand, I attribute this to the cover preparation. Down lane the ball made a very sharp move off the friction and hit extremely hard.In the next few days I will test this ball more and maybe play with the cover to get it closer to box finish and see what that does.
It's time to shoot the lights out with the Brunswick Revolver!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - lower right quadrant of gripBalance Hole - 1" x 2" from center of grip through cg on VALSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 grit Micro Pad)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I used one of my favorite layouts on this ball to see what it could do. My first impression of the Revolver was that it was going to hook. It has that dull strong look to it out of the box and I thought this layout would let me see how well the ball would handle.This layout should provide a stronger roll in the early part of the lane with a continuous movement on the backend.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with a bunch of hook from start to finish. The Revolver started up plenty early with its 4000 grit Micro Pad finish. As it got to the middle part of the lane you could see it really roll up and set as it transitioned to the backend. I think the ball would ahve finished a little harder with some small tweaks to the cover but overall I saw a very strong ball motion and a ball motion that we have come to love from Brunswick.As balls go in this performance category from Brunswick this is my favorite so far. I think the Revolver along with the other releases Brunswick has coming this season will offer all bowlers a very complete line up of bowling balls.
The all new standard in Brunswick Pro Performance bowling balls, The Siege!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 6" above middle fingerMass Bias Position - 5 1/8" from PAP on center line above thumbCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1000 Micro pad)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This has become one of my more frequently used layouts. If it is matched up to the right ball the reaction is amazing. I have not been able to duplicate this ball motion with any other layouts, so when I want to compare ball to ball from different manufacturers I tend to use this layout as a benchmark.We heard nothing but good things from Brunswick on the Siege. The cover and core combination has been in the works at Brunswick for some time and they were waiting until it was perfect to release it. We were looking for a different ball motion from Brunswick on this ball. The word was that the Siege was going to deliver that motion and take Brunswick forward with theirperformance line of balls.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Finally, I say that in the best way possible. The Siege finally gives Brunswick a chance to compete with the ball motions of some of the other ball companies. My Siege rolled awesome, off my hand it looked as strong as anything else I have seen lately. As the ball transitioned into the middle part of the lane it did not lose energy and kept the really heavy roll all the way through to the back ends. On the back the ball had a smooth yet strong roll back into the pocket. Overall hook was as high as I as I have seen from them in thelast few releases.I think on most patterns bowled on by league bowlers the Siege will match up as good as the other guys ball releases for this season. We are going to re-test the ball again since we had some lane conditioning issues on the first go around. But as you will see if you watch the video it did not really effect the overall ball motion we saw from the Siege.Brunswick is back on top with the new Pro Performance Siege!
Click Layout Image to Enlarge The Twisted Fury expands and updates the Fury line by introducing a new core and coverstock to the market.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - 55 degreesCG Placement - 1 1/2" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish (Rough Buff Finish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I was not really looking for anything specific in this layout. After some discussion with Brunswick's technical staff we decided to go this route based on their recommendation. Brunswick suggests that whatever layout you normally use to go 1/2" stronger with the pin placement. Since I normally test balls at a 5" pin location from my positive axis point we decided 4 1/2" with the locater Pin (mass bias marking) placed at 55 degrees. We wanted to see a strong skid/snap ball reaction from this setup and possible work in another ball from there.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Brunswick nailed this one. I think they hit a ball reaction home run on this one. This is a just what I think most league bowlers want out of a ball and even higher end players will love this reaction.I started with this ball in league and was determined to use it as long as I could, that proved to be a non-issue with my ball reaction. In the start of the night on our THS (typical house shot) we had plenty of reaction overall. The ball was clean and predictable in the front part of the lane. As it started to read friction in the mid-lane, it handled it really well with a strong ball motion and just continued that into the backends. Overall it hit as hard as any other ball I have thrown this season.Overall my moves were small all night and most of them were more for carry reasons than ball reaction. Towards the middle of the third game I could have made a ball change but at this point in the night I figured I would finish out with it. I must have under estimated how much this ball likes friction because as the dried out this ball just ate it up and hooked more but stayed predictable. You can be sure that I will have another Twisted as soon as I can drilled a little weaker for later in the night.By the way if you wanted a straight up comparison to the Fury Pearl, the Twisted was a little less but in a very good way. I saw a much more predictable and controllable movement and a more desired ball reaction for myself. Not taking anything away from the great ball the Fury and Fury Pearl are but this ball is hot.
Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 3/4" under fingersMass Bias Position - on center line 1 1/2" below thumb holeCG Placement - on mid line 1" left of center lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (Rough Buff)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I have to say this was a real shot int he dark. I had no preconceived notion of what I wanted this ball to do or what I thought it would do. Lately I have been using a little weaker layout like this to smooth the ball motion out a little through the front and middle part of the lanes while retaining a decent amount of movement on the back.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Just so you know that when we lay out balls for testing and for our own personal use we mess up as well. Anyone can make the wrong call on layout and we did just that.This was not the layout to use on this ball. The Twisted Fury Destruction is so smooth off your hand that stronger layouts would prove to be best. By getting the pin in such a weak position and combining that with the mass biasplacement we made this ball go too long. As we moved further and further right and found more friction we got the ball to react. Once it read the dry part of the lane it did react and when we got it up to the pocket it hit hard.Every once in a while this happens and we messed up. This is no indication of the balls performance for all bowlers. One of our other testers that drilled his with a stronger layout threw his and it reacted great. He is more of a medium to low ball speed with medium revs but it rolled great for him.Normally I would say we will make some surface changes and update our review later. In this case we will try another ball with a much different layout and post an entirely new review.
The Ultra Zone brings the new EnMotion reactive coverstock from the Twisted Fury into the Zone line and combines it with the Phantom core.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - 2 1/2" right of thumbCG Placement - 2 1/2" right and 1/2" down from the center of gripBalance Hole - 1" x 2" hole 7" right of center of gripSurface Preparation - Box Finish (Rough Buff)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This ball was going to be tough for me because I loved my Twisted Fury which has the EnMotion coverstock and I was not a huge fan of myBlast Zone which was the first ball to incorporate the Phantom weight Block.I was hoping to see something the complimented my Twisted Fury and would offer a different look when my Twisted either was not enough or was justgoing too far past the breakpoint.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Brunswick nailed it. They listened to the comments everyone had about the Twisted Fury and they answered with the Ultra Zone. Most people who I drilleda Twisted for or saw throw a Twisted all said one thing, "It sometimes goes too long before it starts up and this can get me in trouble from time to time."The Ultra Zone eliminates that problem by starting up earlier then the Twisted with a more square look at the pocket when it gets to the breakpoint makesthis a perfect combo with the Twisted Fury. We were able to start the night with the ball and we never had to make a ball change. This night of bowlingthe pattern held longer then normal so I could use the Ultra Zone all night with a few small moves in as the pattern started to wear down.As for where this ball fits in my bag, it is actually in front of my Twisted since it starts up a little sooner. When the lanes start off a little drierthen normal I start with my Twisted since it goes so long but on a normal night I actually start with the Ultra and then transition into my Twisted as I have to move in for the pattern breaking down.All in all this is another huge success from Brunswick. Look for more great things to come from Brunswick as they introduce the much anticipated Avalancheseries which should compliment their already great line of bowling balls.
The new Wild Card offers another great look to Brunswick's High Performance line up.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 4 1/2" from PAPBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 Siaair Micro Pad)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:If you have read my review of the Diamondback you know that I drilled both of these balls identical. My intention was to see how they matched up together. This layout is a fairly basic layout and allows me to see a lot of what the ball can do. It also happens to be a very popular layout for most league bowlers so i thought this would be a good idea.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I would have to say this is my favorite of the three "Wild" balls in the High Performance line from Brunswick. I think the core/cover combo finally matched up well for me. I still saw that classic Brunswick ball motion signature but it seemed to match up well for me this time. In the heads the ball was surprisingly smooth and did not seem to over react to friction in first part of the lane. The 2000 grit cover provided enough roll to get the ball through the heavier volumes of oil in the middle part of the lane without skidding too far through it.In the body of the lane the ball really started to make it move. This is the part of the lane where Brunswick typically shows most of their reaction. The Wild Card was the same way but instead of really getting up and setting for the backend the ball increased friction and made a smoother motion into the back part of the lane.I still saw plenty of continuation on the back and the ball had plenty of energy going through the pins. I do not know if I said in the Diamondback review but I actually found these two balls to be very close. If you are a hard core Brunswick person and you decide to try both of these balls, I would vary the layouts or play with surfaces to see a larger gap in ball motions between the two of them.All in all another solid release from Brunswick and the Wild Card really fits into the line up well.
The Wild Ride introduces a all new coverstock for Brunswick giving them a all new ball motion.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - 50 degreesCG Placement - under ring finger on mid lineBalance Hole - n/aDual Angle Layout - 50 degrees x 5" x 50 degreesSurface Preparation - Out of Box (Rough BUff)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:All we have heard for quite some time from Brunswick is their new ball was going to give them the most angular look they have ever had. Brunswick is typically known for their strong midlane roll with an even backend reaction.After speaking with a few Brunswick staffers that had thrown the Wild Ride I decided to go right in the middle of what they told me with their layouts. This layout has worked well in the past on other balls and figuring this was going to be more angular thought I would try it on a Brunswick ball.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Brunswick delivered on their promise of an all new ball reaction. I have never seen anything go this long with recovery from Brunswick, ever.Where my Brunswick stuff normally checks up earlier and rolls strong through the break point, the Wild Ride gave me more length and a sharper angle at the break point. Again this is very unlike Brunswick. The reason I keep saying that is because if you have thrown Brunswick int he past and you found that you did not care for their typical ball motion this is different.I got as much length from this ball as I wanted, I was able to easily control that by the angle I chose and my hand position. Once the ball started to read the friction it maintained its line and at the break point it went left.All in all this would have to be my favorite Brunswick ball in years. You can really see all the time and effort the Brunswick R & D guys put into this ball. Get your hands on one today and hold on for a......Wild Ride!
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Before we drilled this ball we heard that it was going to be strong and based on what we had seen from the original Action we did not doubt it. We used a very simple 5" x 5" layout on this ball and kept the coverstock as it came out of the box. The first night out I was amazed at not only the ball reaction but the versatility of the ball to adjust as the lanes started to break down. The Low RG core really allowed me to go anywhere on the lane with this ball no matter what was out there. The amount of angle created on the backend and the way the ball finished through the pin deck made the carry as good as it gets. In all the games I have thrown so far I have not seen this ball quit on the backend. It has got to be one of the strongest and most versatile balls I have seen in a few years.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Columbia's new Optima coverstock is all that it is cracked up to be. We drilled our Big Shot with the pin 4" from the PAP with a 1" x 2" hole on the PAP. The mid-lane read the ball gave was great with plenty of reaction on the backend. The ball had no problem clearing the front part of the lane no matter where we threw it from. The Centrifuge core has been proven for years and hit just as we expected. We left the surface as it was out of the box and really don't see ant need to alter it at this time. On our typical house shot the ball offered superior roll in the middle part of the lane and hit like a truck. Overall we feel Columbia has brought out another great ball to the marketplace.
The Full Swing - The latest and greatest from Columbia 300.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/4" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4" from PAP right of thumbCG Placement - just right of centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 Grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I was looking for a strong reaction with a decent amount of skid out of this stronger ball. This layout as you may have seen on other test balls gives me a good amount of push with plenty of reaction to recover on the back.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with a really good ball motion. The Full Swing allowed me to get in pretty deep as well as play in the track area with a little higher ball speed. I did find some issue with the ball wanting to push a little more then I wanted in the heavier volumes. Unlike some of the other balls tested this one was a little more sensitive to ball speeds.Overall a good piece of equipment from Columbia.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge The Resurgence is Columbia's first high performance ball release since they have changed over.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - N/ACG Placement - 1" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish 1000 AbralonWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:We were looking for flat out hook in this layout and surface combination. We knew this ball was supposed to be the strongest Columbia ball to date and we just wanted to see how aggressive it really was. Most likely we will end up changing the surface preparation after we do our initial test. We do not run into enough heavy oil to warrant such an aggressive surface but you never know. Sometimes with newer high performance balls you will find you can use the more aggressive finishes because the ball are so good they still have enough energy to finish well on the backend.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I love doing ball reviews when everything works out just as we thought. The Columbia Resurgence proved to be one of the strongest ball releases this season. I left the ball at box finish which is a lot heavier grit than I would normally even try to use but every year I like to have one really strong early rolling ball just in case. This is my ball for that this season so far. In the heads just as expected the Resurgence grabs the lane early and rolls through just about any amount of oil. We threw this ball in practice because they did seem to be quite tighter than normal. Even though I ended up putting the ball away early on I could tell what we had. Obviously if you were going to leave the cover alone like we did you could not use this ball when there is any amount of friction in the heads.Midlane was strong as expected again. The ball motion was a great continuation of the reaction we saw in the heads. I am telling you if you are seeing heavy volumes of oil the Resurgence was made for that.The backend motion was strong but obviously it had a little less by the time it got to the backend. If I was lined up right with the ball and played the front and middle part of the lane correctly we were fine. It still hit really hard for as smooth as it ended up being on the backend.Check back on this review at a later date because we may try polishing the shell to see what we get out of the ball. It is great to have a ball in the bag that hooks this much but it is not always needed.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge The Columbia 300 Rival is the "New" Columbia's first upper mid performance ball release.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4"Mass Bias Position - N/ACG Placement - 1/8" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - 4000 Abralon in Powerhouse resurfacing system.What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This ball was drilled with the intention of having a good middle of the night transition ball. I purposely did not use any polish on the surface to keep the amount of backend reaction to a minimum. I was wanting something to arc really smooth and just get me through the second game and into the third game when the lanes really start to open up and I can move in with something that will finish harder. In the house we do our testing at we always have to play pick the right ball int he middle of the night. I was hoping that the pin placement and surface preparation would give this ball motion to me.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Not what I expected. I thought this ball would be a good transition ball. The reaction I got from the Rival was a strong smooth reaction which I wanted but much more than I thought. I was able to use this ball from the time we started well into the end of the second game. The overall ball motion was what I wanted but it was strong and consistent enough to be a great ball to start with on a fresh typical house shot and it got me through a couple of weird lane breakdown until they started to really hook and it rolled to early.In the heads from the start of the night I got plenty of good strong roll without an early jump. This is what Columbia has said the ball signature would be since they were purchased by Ebonite. In the middle once again just as Columbia stated they had a strong mid lane roll and really transitioned well into the back part of the lane. The ball had plenty of forgiveness right and even had a little area to the left if I pulled it a little bit. On the back part of the lane I was very pleased. The strong ball motion continued right through the back portion of the lane and cleared the pin deck strong as well. In a house where 10 pins are left more than anything else I only had one or two while I was using this ball.I would say this is a solid new release for the New Columbia 300. If this trend continues with the releases they will be a force to be reckoned with because the Rival is possibly one of the best mid-performance ball releases we have seen a quite a while. It appears to be strong enough to cover most medium-medium heavy conditions and I think this coverstock is versatile enough to handle most surface changes you will have to make for your specific game.This ball was proof that sometimes we do not get exactly what we wanted out of a ball but sometimes it also works out ok. We were looking for more of a transition ball and we ended up with a ball that may get more games then some of the other balls in my bag.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 3/4"Mass Bias Position - N/ACG Placement - grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box Finish (4000 Abralon with Powerhouse Factory Finish Ball Polish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I drilled this ball with a very specific purpose. To get down the lane with a moderate amount of movement on the backend for when the lanes started to dry out towards the end of the night. I thought this would be a good ball choice based off of the information I had from our local Ebonite rep and other reviews I had checked out.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Pretty much exactly what I thought. It did everything I was told through the heads and middle part of the lane. Lately they have been drying out quicker than normal at our regular house and I never really needed anything this low in a company's performance group. I have not had a chance to use it on really dry heads but from what i can tell this would be fine even on that type of condition.Midlane was very solid, it reads the friction but stays clean. It does not really jump just reads it and sort of clears it at the same time. I was very taken back in a good way with the amount of backend movement I saw out of this ball. This is where the information I had was not really correct. This ball will surprise you on the back part of the lane. It made a much more aggressive move left than we thought it would. Not saying this is a bad thing but it was not really what we expected. Of course the way it always works, is you drill a ball for a specific condition that your are seeing lately and then you don't see it again for a few weeks. So far we have not needed to use this ball on the shot we drilled it for. I am thinking that once the lanes get to a point where I would pull this out I will be able to work with the ball to achieve the reaction I was looking for.
The all new Lane Breaker from Ebonite.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" under middle fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - just under and to the right of center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Even with all the balls we test, sometimes we open a box and just get a little excited based solely on what the ball looks like. This was one of those balls for me. As soon as I opened the box I knew how I was laying the ball out. It looked like a V2 Pearl to me and I was determined to use the layout I loved on my V2 Pearl.So see sometimes we do not have anything in mind other then matching up to a older ball that we really liked. I try very hard not to do this but sometimes you have to and since the layout was not anything crazy I figured it would actually be good on this ball.This layout for me tends to smooth out the ball in the front letting me play deeper on the lane and having more energy to get the ball back using that steep entry angle.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I got what I wanted. I don't care what Ebonite says they did on this ball, it reacts as close to any V2 I have seen yet. I was able to play so deep on the lane and still get recovery that I thought I was back in the day when my body let me play that deep all the time for more then a game or so.The ball did exactly what i thought and cleared the heads like there was no tomorrow. Obviously the pearlized reactive cover helped but the ball motion was fantastic as it easily transitioned into the middle part of the lane and exploded for me on the backend. As I squared up with the ball I was not as impressed but it rolled good. This will most likely be the ball I throw when the lanes let me get in and wheel on it.
Ebonite's Magic Touch is the perfect compliment to the Magic.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4" from PAP right of the thumbCG Placement - just right of center Balance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I was not a huge fan of the Magic, it was one of those balls that just did not roll very good for me. This is not a bad thing just sometimes balls do not match up well for certain bowlers. All the more reason we try and give you a variety of styles on our videos. This way if you throw the ball similar toone of us we can be your test dummy before you purchase.Since I wanted to give the Magic Touch a fair test I used the recommended layout from Ebonite. You will see this layout on a lot of balls out there because it is pretty safe and 99% of the time we know what it willdo. It should let the ball get down the lane without too much early motion and make a fairly aggressive move on the back towards the pocket.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Alright so whatever went wrong with me on the Magic was corrected on this ball. The Magic Touch was a totally different ball for me. It rolled just as I would have expected a shiny high performance ball to roll. It scootedthrough the front without really reading any friction and made a very strong move on the back. Overall this may be one of the best ball motions I have seen from Ebonite's upper performance line of balls in a while. We have not yet tested the Evolve but to this point the Magic Touch is on top for Ebonite.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We received one of these balls through Ebonite's Total NV Pro Shop Promotion. Based on how much we loved our Total NV we could not resist drilling this ball.We placed the pin 5" from the PAP (5 1/8" over, 1/8" up) which placed it under our ring finger and we put the mass bias at 45 degrees. We knew based on the layout alone this would be strong. Strong does not really describe what we got out og the NV.We used the ball with the out of box surface on a typical house shot. We normally have more than enough ball with the Total NV or any other polished high performance ball. We still had fun watching the NV get through the heads with ease and make a left hand turn at about 45-50 feet down the lane. The ball reacted so hard that even once it hit the pins it looked like it could have kept hooking.The NV was easily 8-10 boards more hook than the Total NV. We thought Ebonite had pretty much maxed out their oil absorption time but this shell was amazing. By the time the ball got back to us the oil was gone. This coverstock is like nothing we have ever tested or seen before. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on one of these balls get it. If not because it was produced in such limited numbers you can only hope that Ebonite decides to release this ball as a sequel to the Total NV. Keep your fingers crossed.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We drilled our Ebonite NVS like we drill most of our Ebonite high performance test balls. The pin is located 5" from PAP (5 1/8" over and 1/8" up) with the mass bias at 45 degrees. For a better test against other balls recently released we left the finish alone.We were a little surprised how clean the NVS was through the heads. We expected a little more roll or reaction a little earlier than we saw. Once it found some friction mid-lane and on the back end it had that true Ebonite ball motion. It went left with a good amount of hitting power left in it.We may adjust the cover a little and update this review because we would like to see a little more movement earlier on from this ball but overall we think this is another successful ball release from Ebonite.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Ebonite's new Raid proved to be a big performer in the mid price range.We drilled our Raid with our favorite layout just to keep it safe. We placed the pin 5" from the PAP (5 1/8" over, 1/8" up) with the Mass Bias at 45 degrees. WOW, we were absolutely floored by the ball reaction we got from this ball. We liked our SR300 and thought the RXS300 was a wonderful ball but we did not expect this ball to do what it did. The combination of core and coverstock proved to be a winner.If we had to place this in between two balls for you we would say less than the Black Widow but surprisingly more than the Black Widow Pearl. We were able to get 5-6 boards inside of our Black Widow Pearl on still have as much forgiveness and hitting power needed from in that deep.We loved the reaction so much even though it may be to angular on the backend that we left the surface alone just so we could watch the ball react on the back part of the lane. Ebonite's new addition has a spot in our bag for the rest of the season.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We drilled 2 of Ebonite's new Total NV. The first layout we used their recommended layout with the pin 5 1/8" from the PAP with the pin above the fingers and the mass bias approximately at 55 degrees. This layout produced more reaction than our Angular One with the same layout while still revving up plenty in the mid-lane and clearing the heads with ease. Our second Total NV we used their Trick Tour Layout. This layout provided more length through the heads then our other drilling with a very distinct movement on the backend. After throwing both balls we did end up using 2000 grit Abralon on the first ball and left the second one with the box finish. These two layouts and finishes gave us a great combination on our standard house condition allowing us to go back and forth between balls as the lane started to break down. Ebonite remains on top with the new release - The Total NV.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We drilled three Hammer Black Widows with three different layouts. We drilled one for a high rev high ball speed bowler. We drilled the second for a low rev mid ball speed bowler. We drilled the third for a low rev low ball speed bowler. We found that some fine tuning of the coverstock was required to attain the proper reaction. Once the proper surface was found the ball performance was way beyond our expectations, especially at this price point. For the high rev high ball speed bowler we polished the ball to 3000 and the lane opened right up. For the low rev mid ball speed bowler we left the coverstock as it came out of the box and the ball flat out hooked. Rolled strong through the mid lane without rolling out. Keep plenty of energy for the back end finish through the pocket. Absolutely awesome. For the low rev low ball speed bowler we polished the ball to 1500 and found that the ball got down the lane and still had plenty left for the backend without rolling out. On our scale of 1-5 this could be one of the first 6's. You will not be disappointed. Discover why this ball is the number one seller in the nation right now.
The Black Widow Bite expands the Black Widow series by offering a stronger hook motion with more aggressive backend.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - 45 degreesCG Placement - 1" right and about 1 1/4" up from grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box FinishWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This is our bench mark layout. We use this on most balls for testing purposes and from our past experience we have found it to work well on our Black Widow test balls in the past. We figured based on all we knew of this ball this layout would offer us a pretty clean reaction through the front with an aggressive move through the mid lane and back part of the lane.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:We are a little unsure of this ball at this time. We may update this review later based on more testing. We really did not see the ball motion we expected to see out of this ball right out of the gate. The first few shots we threw were a little odd. The ball seemed to react well but as we threw more shots we saw a huge decrease in reaction. It seemed to start to "float" more and more on the back part of the lane. It was a weird ball reaction because it looked like it was going to read the friction ok and then when it got there it just seemed to stop.When other balls were thrown against this they looked really good compared to the Bite. From what we heard before drilling the ball we knew that with less oil to ball would burn up early and lose reaction overall. We may re-test this ball with some polish on the shell and see what happens. Knowing what we know about the ball, that is has the same proven core as the original Black Widow and a stronger cover that Hammer has used previously we know this ball should be fine. I guess this ball test proves that sometimes things do not go as planned and slight adjustments have to be made from time to time to get the desired ball reaction.
The Hammer Black Widow Nasty adds another look to the Black Widow line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5" - above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 3 1/2" from PAPCG Placement - just above mid line and right of center lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:As we do with any Black Widow series ball, we used a popular and pretty safe layout to ensure we could see the differences in their new core and coverstock technology. This layout generally lets us see peak performance from most balls and in the past has always worked very well on Black Widow balls.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:We got a very solid ball motion as expected from a brand such as Hammer with their Black Widow line. Initially I do not know if I can say that I saw anything new or exciting from this release. The ball rolled very good, it cleared the front smoothly and reacting to the friction just like you want to see it do. We got a very sharp motion off the break point from just about anywhere on the lane.My only concern with this is that the ball reacted very similar to previous balls in this line. The changes in core and coverstock did not show any significant changes in overall ball motion to me from even the earliest ballsas the original Black Widow.Does the Nasty roll good, yes. Will you be pleased with this ball if you ahve never thrown a Widow ball before, yes. If you ahve another Widow should you get this ball to compliment it, not so sure.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Hammer has done it again! Somehow they were able to bring all the things that you wished your original Black Widow did to their new release, the Black Widow Pearl.We drilled the Pearl the same way we had our favorite Black Widow drilled. The pin is about 5" from our PAP (5 1/8" over, 1/8" up) and the mass bias is kicked about 2" right of the thumb. We did have to put a small balance hole in the ball and we did this 4" right of the center of the grip. When our Black Widow is getting to be too much ball the Widow Pearl picks up right where it would leave off. It gave a cleaner reaction through the front part of the lane with plenty to offer on the backend. The way our house shot has been this summer we did decide to go ahead and bring it down from its box finish to a 4000 grit Abralon surface. This smoothed the reaction out and made it a little more usable for our tester.All in all if you want the perfect compliment to your Black Widow the Black Widow Pearl is the ball to get.
The Hammer Black Widow Sting is ready to lay a beat down on the competition.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5" under fingersMass Bias Position - 5" from PAP right of thumbCG Placement - 1" left of centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 Grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:With the success of just about every Widow before it I used a very simple layout that should give me a good read on the overall motion of the newest Widow to date.With a 5 x 5 layout I get to see the potential of the ball to get down the lane, even with the strong coverstock. I also get to see how much this can really move on the back end of the lane. What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I got exactly what you would expect from a Widow. A really strong ball motion right off my hand with a very smooth transition from the heads to the mid-lane. The ball seemed to be fine clearing the friction, if the lanes started to dry out quicker this ball may have read the friction a little too early. Nothing a little polish could not handle. I think on most house shots this would hold up just fine for quite some time.The part that surprised me was the amount of energy this ball had left over for the back ends! With the strong cover and the 2000 grit Abralon you would expect to see some roll out or at least a little loss of motion on the back part of the lane. But the Sting as most of the Widows before it kept on moving right through the pins.All in all another successful Black Widow series release for Hammer.
The Hammer Jigsaw introduces an all new core the Hammer's ball line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4" from PAP right of thumbCG Placement - just above center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (500/4000 Grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Well luckily I got to see this ball go down the lane quite a bit while in Las Vegas at Bowl Expo. They run a large Demo out there as part of their show and so I had some knowledge of what to expect before putting holes in this one :)As you can tell by looking at the Jigsaw, it is going to hook. With the addition of the new Jigsaw core and super aggressive Burst Reactive 5/4 cover this ball should not meet a heavy oil condition it can't handle. What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Wow, the Jigsaw literally runs laps around every other Hammer ball to date. I was most surprised by the amount of skid I got through the heads even with the new 500/4000 Abralon surface prep. What they do here is hit the ball with 500 grit Abralon and then go back over the surface with 4000 grit Abralon to smooth it out while the under grit helps the ball bite on the back. The Jigsaw does all of the above. Even though there is absolutely no way we could throw this ball towards the third game of a regular league it sure would be fun to throw in the beginning. The amount of hook we saw as the ball cameoff the back end was amazing. The power it had left at the pins was perfect. If you are wanting something that hooks and still has enough to hit hard the Jigsaw is perfect for you.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We drilled our No Mercy Beat'N knowing that this was going to be a big hooking ball. Just based on the No Mercy we threw and knowing the changes made by Hammer we knew we would see a lot of movement.As you can see from the image we used Hammer's reccomended layout. The pin is above the middle finger, approx. 5" from our PAP (5 1/8" over, 1/8" up) and we placed the HART right near the first and second flare rings in our track, about 1"-1 1/2" left of the thumb hole. We left the cover at box finish.If we said that there was no way it would hook more than the No Mercy we were dead wrong. The Beat'N ran laps around the original No Mercy. We saw 5 boards more movement easily and the lanes were a little tighter than when we tested our No Mercy. We were able to get the No Mercy Beat'N back to pocket from any angle on the lane and every time it had more than enough hitting power.If heavy oil is your problem or if you just like a ball that flat out hooks we would say there is no other choice but Hammer's No Mercy Beat'N.
Turn and Burn with the newest addition to the Raw Hammer series.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" under ringMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - just under and to the right of center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 grit Abralon / Powerhouse Factory Finish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:The Raw Hammer series has always been a consistent series of mid price performance bowling balls. We were looking for a basic layout to let me read what this ball can do and hopefully get past this bright yellow color that Hammer chose.One thing is for sure if this turns out to be a winner for Hammer there will be no missing it on the lanes.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with a really good ball reaction kind of as I expected. There has not been a Raw Hammer that has let me down yet. I compare this line to the Vortex line that Ebonite used to have, every ball is a solid pieceof equipment that lets you play a variety of angles with the same good ball motion.The Burn was a little tough to read at first since the color is hard to pick up going down the lane. Once my eyes adjusted to the color and swirl patterns you could tell how hard this ball was working going down the lane. Very smoothfrom the heads into the transition part of the lane with plenty of energy stored for the back end portion.Overall ball reaction was solid and I think this ball will play well for a majority of bowlers out there looking for a solid ball reaction from a mid-priced pearlized ball.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge If you have read any of our other reviews you will see that we never really have anything bad to say about Hammer bowling balls. The Raw Hammer Toxic is no exception.We felt pretty confident about this ball based on the performance of the previous Raw Hammer series. All of them are very consistent performers and seem to react well for all styles of bowlers.We kept our layout pretty simple. The pin is 5" from the PAP and we just kicked the cg right of it a little. At first glance when we threw this ball we thought we found a hard hitting mid-performance ball for when they start to dry out. After a few games we discovered how wrong we were. This ball is a beast for the level of performance its price allows it to sell in. The ball reaction was as smooth as it gets through the heads with a very strong transition when it hits the dry in the backend. We ended up with a ball that was straighter than our Widow's or our Premiere Series balls from Ebonite (SR300, RXS300 and No Limit) but had as much a place in our bag as any of them. The great thing with newer mid-performance balls is they react enough to warrant using them on the fresh oil as much as when they start to break down. We are able to throw this ball on our typical house shot from start to finish with very small moves all night. Hammer has hit another home run with their Raw Hammer Toxic, oh and by the way it looks pretty cool going down the lane.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge I drilled the Road Hawg 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" from my PAP and polished it with Power House Extender Polish. The ball reacted very clean through the front part of the lane with a good ball motion in the mid lane and plenty of backend. The Road Hawg offered a great overall ball reaction for the League condition I bowled on with more hitting power than any of the new releases so far. The ball motion allowed me to play any part of the lane with a simple adjustment in hand position. I did find that the best ball reaction and carry I had was from inside the 15th board using a steeper entry angle. Overall I think this ball will suit most bowlers and be a great decision for your new ball this season.
The Sauce is Hammer's first High Performance release for almost a year!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 6"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 1" above mid lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish (4000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Well I use this layout on a Black Widow and Black Widow Pearl. The conditions at the particular house we do our testing and league bowling tend to get very wet/dry. This layout helps smooth out the ball motion while maintaining plenty of heavy roll and enough down lane hook. With what we heard about the Sauce from Hammer I thought this would fit in above my Widow.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Pretty much what I expected. This ball fits in perfectly with the other Hammer balls I have drilled this way. It actually skids through the heads a little cleaner then my Black Widow which was a little bit of a surprise but the overall ball motion is awesome. I think this is the look that Hammer has needed to really fill out their ball line. The Sauce rolls very strong in the front part of the lane and continues that motion into the transitional part of the lane. As you can see from our ball reaction video the ball makes a very distinct, very sharp motion at the break point. Overall I feel this will fit in well with most league bowlers and higher average players.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We actually tested this ball back in late 2005. Being an Overseas Release there was a delay in us receiving the ball in the US. We had a pretty good idea that if this ball was thrown out of the box it would be an aggressive ball reaction. We decided to keep the layout very simple and drill it label (4 1/2" x 5"). I used this ball on a heavier pattern and was amazed by how strong the ball rolled through the heads and maintained enough energy to make a very strong move on the backend. This ball makes you feel like you picked up revs with how strong it comes off your hand. Overall I thought this ball was a great ball for medium-heavier oil conditions and yet it was controllable enough to use when they started to break down. This ball proved to us that Nothing Hits Like A Hammer in the US or Overseas!
Lane #1's sexy Curve now has a big brother for protection. Introducing the Lane # 1 Big Curve.Dual Angle Layout(PAP 5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 60* x 5" x 30*Balance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box 2000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:One look at Lane #1's new Big Curve and you know it is going to hook. The dual angle layout I chose was to create some good length and try and delay the early roll and store as much up for the backend as possible.By using the angles I did I was able to get the Mass Bias over closer to my thumb to help tame some of the hook the ball was going to create.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I was amazed at how much length I was able to get out of such a strong ball. Normally when you try and tame down a stronger ball like this you get a real weird roll out of it.The Big Curve reacted exactly how I wanted giving me enough early roll to read a little heavier oil volume but still getting enough to create a ridiculous amount of hook down lane. As I played inside with this ball I noticed how the ball was pushing through the pattern and creating more length giving it more hook on the backend then I have seen in quite a while.I even took this ball and played more up the boards and I think as long as you have enough oil to create the length needed you will get all the mid lane and down lane hook you want out this ball. Now granted most people would not be throwing this ball well into the second and third game unless it was polished but with a ball like this why polish it. I would use this as my starting ball for the night and open the lane up just the way I want.Another winner from Lane #1, can't wait to see whats next.
The Curve brings the biggest backend reaction into the Lane #1 ball line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" under middle fingerMass Bias Position - 2 1/2" right of center lineCG Placement - just below mid line and right of center lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:With what we had heard from Lane #1 the particle pearl cover combined with the core used this ball was supposed to really get up and go on the backend.This layout should enhance this motion and give me a good idea of how much the new Curve can do. By placing the pin 5 1/2" from my PAP I create a good amount of length with a sharper break point shape. By keeping the pin below my finger and the mass bias placement it should only enhance the ball motion off the break point.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with my favorite Lane #1 ball to date. It has been quite some time since I felt like I could throw a particle pearl ball and not get a weird kind of smooth motion. The Curve flat out hooks down lane and comes back from anywhere.You have got to watch the video and see where we made this ball hook from. It cleared the heads better then most particle pearl balls I have thrown and transitioned through the mid lane with ease. As it started to read friction at the break point it was as if it stopped faced the pocket and went for it. Absolutely amazing motion off the point with great pin carry.The amount of movement I created down lane with this ball was more then I have seen recently out of a pearl ball. All in all I think Lane #1 will turn a few heads with this release.
The Massacre Red Death isn't like the original Chainsaw Massacre, it's much worse - on the pins!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 1 1/8" right of center of gripBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 Grit)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I was looking for a true test of a Lane #1 ball. This would be the first Lane #1 ball we have tested here at bowlingball.com. For me personally this was also the first Lane #1 ball I have ever thrown. I always heard they hooked quite a bit and typically did not need strong layout to help increase hooking potential.I went with a very safe and somewhat basic layout. By getting the pin 5 1/2" from my PAP and placing it up I was thinking I would help increase skid leaving myself plenty of energy to see what the ball could do on the back end of the lane.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Lane #1 did not come up short on their first ball test with us. The Red Death Massacre delivered on every level. This ball is not for the faint of heart or those that bowl primarily on drier conditions. But if you want a ball that creates friction and does not seem to stop then this is perfect for you.From the beginning of the test I was finding myself going deeper and deeper on the lane and not finding a spot where I could not get the ball back to the pocket. The one thing that really stuck out to me was that for a very strong rolling, higher hooking ball it did not seem to read the friction too early or roll out on me. If I tried to play right up the drier part of the pattern of course it would roll early and fade out but when I was in the oil the ball rolled strong and never jumped off the friction early.Overall I am impressed with both the coverstock and core combo on this ball. Look for more great Lane #1 balls and ball tests from us in the future.
Lane #1's Time Bomb is ready to explode with a new core and coverstock combination.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - just right and below center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:In the past Lane #1 product has been strong enough for me that I tend to use smoother layouts so that I do not get too much hook. The look of the Time Bomb gave me the impression that even with its pearl surface it would be strong. With this layout I just wanted to see what the ball would do with a layout that most pro shops use for a variety of bowlers.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:What I got with this smoother layout was perfect. The 5" pin from PAP allowed the ball to clear the heads smoothly while still rolling very strong into the middle part of the lane. As the ball transitioned through the mids into backend it really picked up and rolled as strong as I have seen into the pins.If you watch this video back you will see for yourself how incredibly strong the ball rolled from start to finish. This ball hit as hard as I have seen from the new releases so far this season. Once I again I think Lane #1 has proved that their ball line s more versatile and stronger then ever.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge I'm a Morich convert.I will be honest that before meeting Mo and really looking into the dynamics and the thought that goes into all of his releases I was not a believer. After meeting him myself and him giving us some balls to test I see why he has a huge following out there.Morich releases solid, good performing bowling balls that deserve more credit than they get a lot of the time. We used our most popular layout of course so we could give you a good idea of the ball reaction. Pin about 5" from PAP (5 1/8" over 1/8" up) and the mass bias at 45 degrees. I have to say that I was not thrilled about the looks of the ball but as far as performance goes it was a winner. I would say overall hook was a little less than some of the other new releases but the thing I love about the few Morich balls I have thrown is they are solid reacting balls. I know what each of them are going to do everytime I throw them. No surprises with their stuff, which makes me willing to sacrifice some hook to have that consistantcy. On our typical house pattern I was able to play most of the night right around 14-15 at the arrows and had a lot of room right with this ball. My Awesome Revs played well against it from inside of this line but I really like the "finish" (no pun intended) that this ball had over the Revs.All in all if you have been waiting to try a Morich ball for whatever the reason give the Awesome Finish a try and I think you will be a convert as well.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge MoRich fans look out - We have not reviewed a MoRich ball in quite some time now. We were amazing by the ball reaction from the Awesome Revs.We drilled it pretty simple to get a good test from it. The pin was located 5 1/2" from the PAP with the cg slightly kicked right and the Mass Bias placed 45 degrees. We left the finish out of the box. We were very surprised by how clean the ball was through the heads and the amount of roll and hook seen on the back part of the lane.On a league pattern we were able to use the well into the third game without sacrificing hitting power. Overall this ball surpassed our expectations and we would definitely recommend to any past MoRich user or anyone looking to try them out for the first time.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Morich's new LevRG was up for our test, based on past products we think we will like this one.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - 45 degreesCG Placement - 1/2" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - 2000 grit Abralon with Brunswick Rough BuffWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This was a predictable layout for a Morich ball for us. A little weaker than some used in the past but we kept the Mass Bias in a stronger position. I was hoping for a strong rolling reaction with a moderate amount of movement on the back part of the lane. This was intended to be a transition ball for me. If you read my reviews I drill balls for this transition part of the night a lot. Every once in a while I nail one and it does what I think. This is a tough ball reaction to find sometimes because you don't want the ball to hook a lot but you don't want it to go 60 feet either.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Just what I wanted, the ball is the heaviest rolling ball in my bag currently and it hits like a truck. I knew this type of ball motion was very common for Morich and especially with the new larger EZ Rev core I think I nailed this ball reaction.In the front part of the lane the ball is strong and makes a nice move to set up for one of the best mid-lane ball reactions I have see in a long time. The ball transitions into the mid-lane beautifully and does not quit that motion on the back. The ball hits so hard and really keeps the pins low to the deck which greatly increases carry. I only threw this ball for about half a game in the middle of the night but it served its purpose well. Next week I am going to try to bring the surface back to box finish (1000 grit) and give it a try earlier on in the night. If you have watched the PBA the last few weeks you have seen Walter kill them with this ball and I think he is using a little more surface. I just want to see how much stronger this ball gets with a little surfce on it. Overall another great ball from Mo and anyone who has liked his stuff int he past will like this one as well.
Evolve your game with Roto-Grip's newest addition to their high performance line, The Cell.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - 4" from PAPCG Placement - 1" right and 1" down of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish (2000 grit abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I can't even remember the last Roto-Grip ball I have reviewed. So in this ball we really wanted to get a feel for their ball reaction signature and see what the Cell could do if we went with a fairly aggressive layout. This also seemed like a great time to do something like this because we have been seeing a higher volume of oil then usual and this ball and layout should do the trick for that condition.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:WOW! This thing means business, obviously with the cover preparation and knowing this is a high performance ball we expected to see a lot of reaction but this blew my mind. I made the lanes look like they were flying while other people were having issues wrinkling the ball. The reaction in the front part of the lane was very deceiving because the ball seemed to roll strong but it did not look like it was creating much friction. As the ball got into the middle part of the lane you could see it really start rolling and making a solid move as it got closer to the break point. For a ball with 2000 grit finish the amount of back end reaction was amazing. It was like it lost no energy at all through the heads and mid-lane. First game started out great with the front 8 followed by a mind blowing 9 pin and 3 more strikes. This was right out of the box with very little practice time.To my surprise I did not change balls all night and my moves were very minimal. Normally with such a strong ball I would expect for it to be in my bag by the second game and by then I would moved arrows left. This ball really reads the front part of the lane well and stays very clean for one of the best ball motions I have seen lately on the backend. We are going to go out on a limb here, with the e-tailing marketing tactics that we have in place along with the great reaction of this ball, not to mention the Ebonite price increase, bowlingball.com will call this as one of the top three balls of early 2008. It is very easy to recommend a ball that is truly outstanding.Look for more Roto-Grip reviews as I may be throwing their stuff for a while.
Are you ready for the next generation? Roto-Grip's Cell Pearl is sure to be everything you need!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2"Mass Bias Position - 4" from PAPCG Placement - Balance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box FinishWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:With all the success of the original Cell this one was going to be pretty easy. Use a layout that I know and trust and let the ball do the rest. The Cell Pearl combines the same Nucleus core as the Cell with a pearlized reactive cover. The layout I used on this ball is fairly common for me and I have a Storm Gravity Shift that I love drilled the same way. I figured this would be a perfect way to compliment my Cell and to give us a good idea ofwhat this ball can do.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Roto-Grip once again has raised the bar with this release. The look the ball had going down the lane alone would sell this ball to anyone who saw it. I guess the best description would be a Cell on steroids. With the pearlized reactive cover this gave me the look that most bowlers want, long and strong. The Cell Pearl got through the front part of the lane smoothly and with little disruption to friction, as it moved through the mid-lane you could see the ball grab the lane and continue straight through the back end. This ball hit ashard if not harder then the Cell, this was mostly due to the amount of energy that it stored for the back part of the lane. As the night continued making adjustments to the lane changes was as easy as it is with any reactive ball but the predictability of the Cell Pearl was amazing. The small moves that I had to make were common during league andthe ball gave me enough forgiveness to recover if the move was to drastic.Overall this is another winner from Roto-Grip. I think you will enjoy throwing this ball as much if not more then your Cell.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge 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 PAPMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 1/2" right of center line and 1/2" up from mid lineBalance Hole - noneSurface 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.
Roto Grip is pulling the pin, tossing the Grenade and shaking it up.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - lower right quad.Balance Hole - 1" x 2" from center of grip through cg on VALSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:It has been a long time since I threw a urethane cover ball. When say a long time I mean like 10+ years. I figured I would use one of my favorite layouts so I would have some base line to go off of and see what happened. I was hoping that it would be an aggressive enough layout to get a decent read on a fresh pattern. I know urethane tends to roll really strong and kind of set at the break point as opposed to reactive stuff the continues to flip through the pins. My logic was this layout would start the ball up nice and strong and give me a little more continuation down lane before it set up at the break point.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I have to say that I am impressed with my knowledge of urethane. :-) This ball did exactly what I thought it would. The first few shots I threw with it was a reality check that this was not reactive and I had to jump right. After I got in the right part of the lane the ball rolled really good. I can see how some peoples game developed from throwing urethane because you cant really do what you would normally do with reactive balls with your hand. Once I started getting right up the back of the ball of adjusted my ball speed I loved the ball motion. Immediately I started thinking of conditions this would work great on and different layouts I could use on this ball. Since the ball does not over react or over read friction you can get pretty creative. I then started to realize why you saw so many Storm Naturals on tour last season. Pros must love having a good urethane ball they use during those brutal qualifying rounds.All in all I think the addition of a urethane ball to your bag is a smart choice and the Grenade is the one to go with.
Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - 4 1/2" from PAPCG Placement - just below mid lineBalance Hole - n/aSurface Preparation - Out of Box (2000 Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I went with a safe drilling on the new Mutant Cell so we could get a good read of the balls potential. This would most likely be the type of layout that most of our customers will end up with. With the combination of the new core and cover we thought this would show us the true potential of the ball and give us the best read for a solid review.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Another winner from Utah. The Mutant Cell did everything we thought it would do. Even with the stronger cover the ball held a great line through the heads and unleashed on the back part of the lane. We moved from right up the track area to inside 20 and saw an awesome reaction from all spots on the lane.I think I was most impressed with how strong the Mutant Cell rolled and held in the middle part of the lane allowing it to react strong on the back and keep the pins really low. Overall the Mutane Cell ranks up there with the other Cells as my favorite high performace balls from Roto Grip.
The ever popular Cell lines continues its greatness with the release of the Mutant Cell Pearl.Test Ball #1Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - 3 1/2" from PAP almost right on the VALCG Placement - lower right quad.Balance Hole - 29/32" x 2" from center of grip through cg on the VALTest Ball #2Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above fingersMass Bias Position - 4 1/2" from PAP, just right of thumbCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation For Both Balls- Out of Box (1500 grit polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Alright here we go with the highly anticipated release of the Mutant Cell Pearl. Like most bowlers I loved the Mutant Cell and everything in the Cell line for that matter. But, like most I found myself using weaker layouts or polishing balls like the Mutant because they were so strong.Well everyone asked and Roto Grip listened releasing the Mutant Cell Pearl.As you will see from our video I was the only tester available to shoot so I figured I would drill two of them so we could get a different look from the two balls.Test Ball #1 - I used a favorite layout of mine, pin down under my ring finger and a hole down in the lower right quadrant on my VAL. This layout tends to let the ball read the heads and mid lane well while keeping enough energy stored up to let the ball have a strong motion off the break point.With the ball being pearlized and strong I figured this may help smooth out the overall ball motion so it was not so flippy off the friction.Test Ball #2 - I used a safe drilling that 99% of the balls drilled will look like. The pin is above my fingers to increase length and the Mass Bias is in a strong position 4 1/2" from my PAP right of the thumb. I am thinking this ball will get down the lane with ease and really read the friction hard and make a pretty aggressive move towards the pocket.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!!These balls were nuts, I can not remember the last time I threw so many strikes with a ball from practically anywhere on the lane.Test Ball #1 - This ball did exactly what I wanted out of it. Its overall ball motion was a dream for me and it impressed me every time I threw it. The layout allowed the ball to go really strong through the heads and maintainedthat momentum into the middle part of the lane. It almost looked like it was revving up more and more as it went down lane.As the ball transitioned into the back part of the lane as it read the friction, it made a strong but predictable move. The ball motioned continued right through the pins and the ball seemed to carry everything. As expected I really could not get too far right with this ball because it started up a little early even for the the pearlized ball, but as long as I had enough head oil to allow the ball to get into its roll it was great.Test Ball #2 - Well if you ahve ever had a ball drilled like this you know it gets down lane and then puts on a turn signal and goes. The Mutant Cell Pearl was no different. At first on the fresh I thought the first ball rolled a little better. This would make sense because it handled the fresh oil better in the heads.As the lanes started to transition, this ball turned into a truck. As i slowly migrated left I quickly realized I was going to be able to get this ball back from anywhere as long as it had some friction down lane. This ball was so smooth through the lane that it looked like it was just waiting to go left and tear through the pins.For most league bowlers this will again prove to be a layout of choice. You may have to start a little further right on the fresh oil but as the lane transitions and you move left the ball will allow you to open up the entire lane.Once again the boys in Utah have a huge seller on their hands. I suggest you try one of these bad boys out for yourself and see what I mean.
THE NOMAD. This will be the most highly sought after weapon of choice.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 1 1/2" right of centerBalance Hole - 57/64 x 1 1/2" deep on PAPSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1500 Polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:As much as I love Roto Grip balls I could not remember the last ball I threw in their mid-performance line. The Cell line was so good that we focused so much on those balls that I think the Illusion line of balls was missed.After realizing this I kept it fairly simple with my layout and was looking for just a strong rolling ball motion with a decent amount of kick on the back. Lately I have been using a hole on my axis to smooth out the overall motion and give me a real strong reaction on the backend.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with what may be my go to ball for the upcoming season. Every once in a while you find a ball that you feel like you can throw on any condition no matter how you feel or how you are throwing the ball that night. These are usually the balls that you will start off with in practice to read the lane or go to when you feel like you just need to get a good ball reaction on those tough nights.The Nomad was that ball for me. I had a very strong but steady roll through the heads and a smooth transition in the middle part of the lane. As the ball got to the backend it read the friction awesome and reacted a ton. It actually hooked a little more then I was expecting but it was manageable.Every time I throw a new mid-performance ball I am always shocked at just how good these balls are. Sometimes I think people may put too much emphasis on getting the highest priced ball and they do not give these balls a thought. I am telling you the new mid-performance balls are great and roll great.
THE NOMAD PEARL. This will be the most highly sought after weapon of choice.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 1" right of centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1500 Polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:With the new Nomad Pearl I was looking for what I thought would be a good compliment ball to the Nomad that we were testing at the same time. As with most pearlized mid-performance balls I was expecting this ball to be plenty strong so I went with a fairly simple layout.By placing the pin 5" from my PAP and above my ring finger I was hoping to get the ball down the lane easily and see a smooth recovery on the backend. My goal was that this ball would be a easy transition from the Nomad.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Perfect, I love when things come together. If you already read my Nomad review you will know that it was awesome and reacted a little stronger then i expected but it was still a good thing. The Nomad Pearl did just what I wanted. It would be a perfect ball to go to when the Nomad was getting to be too much. The ball got through the heads easily and did not over react to any early friction on the lane. It kept this motion right to the break point where it read perfectly and reacted just enough to keep me from having to get too deep and lose carry percentage.Overall I think the Nomad and Nomad Pearl is a perfect 1-2 punch from Roto Grip.
The Planet series has proven to be the best value performance line of bowling balls in the industry and the new Pluto is a welcome addition.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 3/4"Mass Bias Position - N/ACG Placement - 1" right and 1" down of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - 2000 grit Abralon with Black Magic PolishWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:We had never tested anything from Roto-Grip's planet series. We knew they were good performance balls in the mid-level group. Going into this review we figured we would drill this ball pretty safe hoping to use it in transition or when they started to dry up later in the night. Out of the box this ball was a little intimidating to look at with its 2000 grit Abralon finish we thought this may need a little taming, so we threw some Black Magic polish right on top of the 2000 grit to help it a little.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:First few shots really went long with a minimal amount of movement. We could not tell at first if this was the ball or the Black Magic on the cover. It also did not help that we threw it along side our Cell which of course ran laps around this ball. Throughout the night we threw this ball a few times at some spares and on a few of our fill balls. After a few shots had been thrown we could see the ball start coming alive.The next week they played much drier than they had been so we used our Cell through the first 2 games and right in the beginning of the third game I pulled the Pluto out. This ball is absolutely amazing on the right condition. They were not burnt dry, you could still use the stronger stuff but the angles were a little tricky. We moved a little right and this ball went nuts. The amount of skid in heads and the nice read in the midlane set up a great backend ball motion. The Pluto allowed us to play a little straighter and keep the ball in the friction when nothing else did. We had miss right and plenty of hold left. This ball really looked like any high performance ball on this condition. As it stands know there is a spot in our bag for this reaction and hopefully we will have plenty of opportunities to use it.
The Royal line of balls was never released in the US until now - The Realm offers a new look to an already awesome line-up.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/8"Mass Bias Position - 3 1/4" from PAP on VAL (verticle axis line)CG Placement - 3/4" left of center lineBalance Hole - noneDual Angle Layout - 25 degrees x 4 1/8"x 40 degreesSurface Preparation - 2000 grit Abralon and Xtra ShineWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:We decided to do a video of the Realm for numerous reasons. One being that this line of balls was never released in the US until we secured the remaining overseas inventory. The Royal line was going to be released early this year in the Roto Grip line but due to the success of the Cell line they decided tohold off in the US.Now we are able to bring you a ball that nobody else can get and bowlingball.com is the only source for it.We also wanted to shoot a video using Pro CG balls to demonstrate some of the unique layouts that may need to be used but also that they still react great and can be very usable on many conditions.As far as what we were looking for in this layout, not really sure. On my Realm Pro CG I took what would be considered a really odd pro cg layout. When I say that I mean the cg was kicked well left of the pin/mass bias line.In the past we have had many customers who received a ball like this and said their ball drillers were unsure of what to do with it. I thought lets take one of these and show them what the ball can do.We are expecting this layout to produce a lot of heavy roll with a good amount of movement. The Realm comes out of the box at 2000 grit Abralon so we also added some Xtra Shine to the cover to help get the ball through the heads a little cleaner. Based on the pin to PAP length and the placement of the mass bias we just wanted to be sure the ball stored enough energy for the backend.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Wow, this ball impressed me on two levels. One the amount of ball reaction I got from this ball was ridiculous. Roto Grip has had great ball motions throughout the Cell line of balls but you can tell that this ball wasintended to be one level up from those. The ball reacted a ton on the THS we tested it on.The other thing that really impressed me was how good the ball reacted with the Pro CG layout we used on it. We know that cg placement only has static weight meaning but even with the cg left and the mass bias out on myVAL the ball reacted great.After a few shots getting a feel for the reaction I saw nothing but hook. The ball cleared the heads pretty clean, I think without the addition of the Xtra Shine it may have rolled a little early on the shot. As the ball transitioned into the middle part of the lane it revved up stronger then any other ball I have tested recently. It held pretty good as it got to the backend where it still had energy to continue through the pins strong.Overall this is a great addition to the Roto line and I think it compliments the Cell line as well as the other balls currently in their lineup. Keep in mind that you can only get your Realm from bowlingball.com.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge One of the newest additions to Rot-Grip's Shield Line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 4" from PAPBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:We were really just looking to see what this ball would do for the average player using a very safe layout on a THS (typical house shot). This layout has become a very safe layout and you will most likely see a lot of balls leave your local pro shop drilled this way. In out case placing the pin above the fingers brings the pin to 5 1/2" from my PAP which should help the ball clear the heads and store most of its energy for the back part of the lane.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I ended up with a very solid ball motion. This ball cleared the heads great even with the little bit of surface it has out of the box. As it transitioned through the middle part of the lane it revved up quite nice and made a solid, smooth move on the backend.It reacted like one of those balls that you will love to throw because you always know what it will do. I would say it would make a good base line ball to kind of get a feel for what the lanes are doing. In the price point thatthe Shield line balls fall into the Riot is a great piece of equipment.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge The Attitude Shift brings a new level of performance to Storm's Premier Line of balls.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5"Mass Bias Position - 55 degreesCG Placement - 1" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box Finish (2000-grit Abralon)A few weeks ago I had the bright idea to make some changes to my grip and so I started cleaning out all of my older balls in my arsenal. By the time I was done I realized I did not keep anything that had my old specs and I only had a few balls with the new grip. After a couple of weeks using the new grip I decided to go back to my old grip and that meant I had nothing. So from here on out I am rebuilding my ball arsenal and will most likely be adding a few balls that I already had and got rid of.Now without further delay here is my ball review of one of my only two balls.What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Well after reading the above paragraph you know at this point I just needed a couple of balls to throw during league. But the layout and thought behind thisball was not totally brainless. I knew that I have had great success with Storm product in the past in my normal center. I also knew that I did much better with reactive covers in this center which made me think I may really like this ball. I had a Shift originally but did not match up well with the particle pearl cover but I did think I would like the weight block in a reactive and voila here it is.I wanted a strong rolling ball that did not over read friction but still offered me plenty of movement. I know this sounds like a lot to ask out of a ball now a days but I have had similar reactions with some older Storm stuff.(Special Agent - loved it)What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I have to tell you that if you ever get a bug to change your grip for no reason what so ever - DON'T! After throwing this ball I realized that I should have never started messing around with my grip because this feels better than ever. To top it off I had one of the best ball reactions I have had recently. The ball everything I wanted and then some. In the heads the ball rolled as strong as I have seen lately. It looked like it could almost be too strong for me in the heads and roll too early but thatmust have been an optical illusion because it did not. It kept this strong motion in the middle part of the lane and in the back it just exploded like a polished reactive ball. I have to tell you that I love this ball, usually I need some time with a ball to say that but when your only complaint is that the color looks a little odd going down the lane you know you have a winner.For me on the house shot I bowl on this will be my starting ball. It offers the big ball motion you want and need for fresh conditions but adds versatility that allowed me to use this ball into the end of the second game. Strong in the oil and reads so great off friction.Bowl Up A Storm!
The Gravity Shift offers the strongest ball reaction in the Shift series to date.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 5/8"Mass Bias Position - 3" right of thumbCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Box Finish (1500 grit polished)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This layout was intended to give me much needed skid through the heads and mid lane with a very angular motion on the back part of the lane. I have used this layout before on Storm Dual Density cores and it tends to roll very strong for me. The Cover/Core combo on the Gravity Shift looked perfect to try this layout again.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Exactly what I wanted. I do not know that this is really the best ball for me int he first game when the shot is fresh, but when they start to break down and I need to get in and know I can clear the heads smoothly and have the ball make a left from wherever I want this is it.The ball motion is awesome, the first few times I threw it I was worried. Because of the darker coloring of this pearl cover, the ball looked like it was skating down the lane never to return from the right side. After I got more comfortable with this motion I knew it would come back from any part of the lane I wanted.The last two weeks I have not thrown this ball until the start of the second game but from there on out I used nothing but the Gravity Shift. It compliments the Attitude Shift better then anything else I have thrown since I drilled my Attitude. If you are looking for something for medium/medium-heavy oil lanes or something to get through the front and middle part of the lane and haveplenty of energy left for the backend the Storm Gravity Shift should be in your bag.Bowl Up A Storm!
Hy-Road offers another great ball reaction option to Storm's ball line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - just right of center lineBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1500 grit Polish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:The only real thought I had while I was laying this ball out was to have something to compliment my Virtual Gravity. I have been using my Virtual so much lately that I really did not need something else for league but I thought it would be nice to have something under my Virtual just in case.I used a pretty simple stacked drilling, I put the pin 4 1/2" from my PAP with the cg right below it. This drilling tends to be a really controlled but strong reaction layout. That sounded good since the only things I knew besides all the technical stuff was that Norm Duke made it look really good a few weeks earlier on TV.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Another great ball from the guys at Storm. I think they have had the most good balls in row if you combine Roto-Grip and Storm. This ball was perfect! It rolled super strong in the front part of the lane without giving up any energy for the rest of the lane. I threw this ball with a few of our other testers that drilled one and they all reacted different but they were all good. I have to say that I like my look a little better then the other guys but I will be drilling on up with one of their layouts.Overall this was just a good ball reaction. If you remember back in the day when anything with a "Z" on the ball from Brunswick rolled good, this had that type of reaction. Just a good, clean, strong (maybe I should think of more adjectives for this ball) ball motion from start to finish.If you do not have a Storm ball of some kind in your bag right now, you need to get one. You will happy you did.
We have a lot of questions regarding the Storm Pro CG technology and how the balls should be drilled and what to expect. We took a Passion lust that the alignment of the pin, cg and RAD(mass bias) were not in a straight line or even close and mapped it out using the pin and mass bias as our only points of reference.As you can see from the photo of the ball we put the pin under the middle finger. This put it about 5 1/4" away from our PAP(positive axis point) and the RAD is 3" from the thumb hole. The cg fell left of the grip but because of the starting top weight this would not be an issue at all. On newer balls static imbalances are of such little importance that the pin and mass bias placement along with the cover preparation would make this ball react fine.Just as we thought this ball was a truck. No difference then a regular ball at all. We saw a smooth reaction int he front part of the lane with a great transition to the backend. Once this ball got to our breakpoint it read the friction perfectly and reacted great on the backend. This ball hit as hard as any other Storm ball we have tested recently.This was not only a test of this Overseas release from Storm but also of utilizing a Pro CG and seeing that it really does react just fine.bowlingball.com is your exclusive source for Storm and Roto-Grip Pro Pin and Pro CG technology. We encourage and invite any questions about any of these products as well as help with mapping out these balls.Bowl Up A Storm!
Storm continues to develop innovative technology combined with fine workmanship.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/2" above fingersMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I think it is awesome that we are starting to see more reactive balls with symmetrical weight blocks. They just roll so true and really let you do so much with them as far as ball motion goes.On to the Storm Prodigy, as you may have seen in a recent review of another reactive/symmetrical ball I chose to go with a very simple layout. I find that with the pin above my fingers about 5 1/2" from my PAP gives me the flexibility to do a lot with the ball.With this Pearl mica cover left with a matte finish I was hoping to see the ball read the lane strong with out over reacting. My hope was that with a few games on it, it would start to kind of self polish and create a real natural skid/snap ball reaction.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Absolutely exactly what I expected. The Prodigy rolls so true and so strong, it really reminds me of my Dimension which I loved. The Prodigy rolled strong through the heads just as I expected with the cover finish but it did not overreact as it met friction. The ball kind of checked up a little as it transitioned from the heads to mid lane but never enough to effect the drive on the backend.Since the ball is a symmetrical core I was able to create more hook with slight adjustments to my hand position and ball speed. This is why I love this type of ball because I think it allows more options for the bowler to create otherball motions with the same ball.Overall I think the Prodigy is a perfect addition to Storm's ball line up and I think that this is a perfect replacement for the very popular Dimension.
Storm's Reign continues their amazing Thunder line.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 3/4" under ring fingerMass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - right of center line and below mid lineBalance Hole - 1" x 2" hole on VAL from center of grip through cgSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1500 Grit Polish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:I have a Dimension drilled almost identical to this but with a slightly weaker pin position. I figured since this was one performance line down from that ball I would get the pin in a little stronger position. Plus, I had heard that this ball rolled really good but was a smoother reacting ball. This layout tends to give the ball a little more kick from the back part of the mid-lane down for me.This line of balls has always been a really good performer for Storm. Most of you that have seen or heard of the Hy-Road know how good that ball is in the price and performance category it's in so this ball had a lot to live up to for me.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:All I can say is that when you're hot you're hot. Storm is doing everything right, and they just keep making great pieces of equipment. I forget who told me this ball rolled smooth and did not react much but they obviously did not throw it enough. This ball is a powerhouse, it rolls great. I was amazed at how far down the lane the Reign got before it startedto read friction. As you will see from my ball test video, the lanes were hooking a little more then normal but the Reign handled that with no problem.I got this ball back from any point on the lane and it had so much energy stored up that it carried from pretty much anywhere as well. As Storm has been known to do, they kept the Thunder line very strong this season. This ball will find its way down plenty of lanes this up coming season and I think bowlers of all skill levels will find it just as good as I did.
Get ready for the pearlized version of the Dimension from Storm.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 4 1/2"Mass Bias Position - n/aCG Placement - 2 1/2" right of center, 1/2" downBalance Hole - 7/8" x 2" from center of grip through cg on VALSurface Preparation - Out of BoxWhat I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This layout is fairly similar to my Dimension which I use as a bench mark ball. I did decide to put the pin in a stronger position then my regular Dimension. I kicked it 3/4" further right, a little closer to my PAP hopefully making this pearlized version stronger then my polished Dimension.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:I love when plans come together and this one did perfectly. The Second Dimension rolled almost identical to my Dimension but stronger. This was exactly what I was looking for this ball to do. Keep in mind this is a pearlized shiny Dimension so the ball is going to get through the heads pretty clean. My best opinion is to use a stronger layout on this ball so it does not get to long down the lane.Anyway back to may ball reaction. Through the heads the ball was smooth with a pretty strong roll. The placement of the extra hole and the logos made the ball look really cool off my hand. As the ball made the transition and read the friction it revved up nicely. I would say this was where I saw the biggestdifference in the 2 Dimensions. My Dimension is drilled weaker and shined up with Moon Shine so it still skids when it gets to the friction area. The Second Dimension does not it reads the friction and moves hard. On the back the ball was a typical Storm ball, it just kept driving through the pin deck and carried like a dream.Overall another winner from Storm, especially if you have a Dimension that you like you can really play off of this ball with a different layout.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge If there is any question that this is a pearl particle cover throw it once and you will know for sure. I am usually not a big fan a pearl particle covers because they tend to give me a real in between ball reaction. I truly think if this cover would have been on any other core shape this ball would have been no different. I am a believer int he new Shape-Lock core system from Storm. We used a fairly typical layout for us, pin 5" from PAP (5 1/8" over 1/8" up) with the "key" (mass bias) 2-2 1/4" to the right of my thumb. The ball is somewhat clean through the front part of the lane. The ball reads the middle of the lane somewhat well and has a little left over on the back. I think this core and cover combination is not what the bowlers expect from Storm, however given their track record recently with the Paradigm I guess this ball is OK. NOTE: Make sure you talk to your local pro, the wrong layout can make the ball a bit jumpy and worse that it already is.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Storm's Special Agent is something special for sure.We drilled our Special Agent very simple and left the coverstock at box finish. We placed the pin 5" from the PAP with the cg in a straight line down from it. This ball cleared the heads great, rolled strong through the middle part of the lane and still had plenty of energy left for the backend. Leaving the finish alone was the smart choice for our tester as he was able to play inside of everyone else during our test during league. After a good first game leaving a few stubborn corner pins he shot a 300 game and ended up with a 750 series. The ball had more forgiveness than past Storm products and plenty of versatility as he was able to continue to use it throughout the night.
Virtual Energy, The perfect compliment to Storm's Premier line of bowling balls.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/4" above ring fingerMass Bias Position - 4" from PAP right of thumbCG Placement - center of gripBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (1500 grit Polish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This is the identical layout I used on one of my favorite Storm balls ever, The Gravity Shift. Since the Virtual series kind of came from the Shift series I thought it was an appropriate layout to use on this awesome looking pearlized Virtual Energy.The layout normally allows me to play a variety of shots from up the boards to as deep as I want to get on a typical house shot. As you will see from our ball reaction video this ball allows me to cover as many boards as I want and still gets through the pins as good as any other Storm ball.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Just like in anything else there are hot streaks, right now Storm is on the hottest ball streak i think I have ever seen. I do not care what ball shape, what performance level, what color the ball is, if it has a lightning bolt on it - IT ROLLS GREAT!!Storm has not missed a release in quite some time and the Virtual Energy is no exception. I have seen some of the best ball motions ever after watching my Virtual Gravity and Virtual Energy go down the lane. The Energy allows me to get a little more skid through the front part of the lane, compared to my Gravity with just as much if not a little more recovery on the back. Really, I could not miss far enough right to make this ball not get back to the pocket.My Virtual Gravity was drilled differently but it still recovered well. The Virtual Energy just offered me a different look which may hold up longer on a typical house shot. All that says to me is that I get to play anywhere I want for a longer period of time.Whether you have a Virtual Gravity or not you will be impressed with every single part of what the Virtual Energy offers.
Virtual Gravity, An Unstoppable Force from Storm.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 6"Mass Bias Position - above thumb hole on center lineCG Placement - Balance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box (4000 grit Abralon)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:This one was pretty easy to think of the ball motion we wanted. The Virtual Gravity features the SHAPE-LOCK HDcore which was found int he Gravity Shift. It also has the solid version of the R2X coverstock that wasalso on the Gravity Shift. Since we were a big fan of the Gravity Shift this was a much anticipated release. I was hoping the solid cover would help the ball read the friction a little earlier which should help smooth out the overall ball motion. If you ever threw a Gravity Shift or watched someone throw the Gravity Shift you know that it makes a U Turn on the back end.we have been this layout more and more on test balls so they are easier to compare, it also helps create a smoother ball motionin the front and middle part of the lane while still allowing for plenty of movement on the backend if you want.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:WOW!!!I will state it now, there is nobody that will not want this ball once they see it roll. After you finish reading this review you need to check out our video and see for yourself.I could not believe the reaction I had with this ball. We tested this ball on our fresh house shot, to start off I was being conservative with my lines and angles. Playing the part of the lane where I would typically be during normalleague conditions. As I saw what this ball could do I migrated as far left as I wanted and watched the ball change directions with ease. I honestly can not remember the last time I had a ball that allowed me to make the ball change directions at the break point like this ball does. On paper I really thought this ball would react similar but a little stronger then my Gravity Shift. They were not even close, they were very compatible but not the same ball at all. Every move I made with this ball it read the oiland reacted off of the friction amazingly. The ball motion of the Virtual Gravity is what we are all really looking for, it rolls really heavy in the front part of the lane but does not hook early or burn up early. Through the mid lane section you see it start to read the friction but really just maintaining the heavy roll and then on the back part of the lane it makes a very distinct motion to the pocket.As you will see from our video review, we made this ball do some amazing things. Storm has the winner so far for winter releases!
Click Layout Image to Enlarge The Track Kinetic is the first ball in their UMP series. After all the hype we had heard we had to see what this ball did.Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/8"Mass Bias Position - 2" right of thumb holeCG Placement - grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box Finish (2000 Abralon w/ Powerhouse Factory Finish)What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:We used Track's recommended ball layout on this one. We always find that if a ball manufacturer takes the time to illustrate a layout that they recommend it is best to try that first. We always suggest this to our customers because they have obviously done plenty of testing to get to that layout for optimal ball reaction. Everything we have heard about this ball told us it was going to be a very aggressive skid/flip ball reaction. We went with that and we were hoping to see a strong ball motion even with its glossy finish. We were hoping this ball would be aggressive enough to use early in the night on the fresh pattern and maybe even go long enough to carry us through a normal league night well into the third game.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:This should be one of our easier and possibly shorter reviews in a while. A lot of times a company comes out with a ball and they have a general idea of the ball motion they are looking for and they know pretty much what to expect by their own testing before the ball is released. Track nailed this one. It did exactly what they said it would do, it went long and made a serious non-stopping left hand turn. This ball was so strong but so clean through the front that it was no wonder it had so much energy to spare in the back part of the lane. I wont't waste any of our time with all the specifics because it can be summed up quicky, SKID/FLIP.If that is the ball motion you are looking for the Track Kinetic would be a great ball choice. So far from what I have seen from Track and Columbia's new ball line the move to Kentucky was the best thing that ever happened to those companies.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Another solid ball release from Track. The Phoenix introduces Track's Ascent core combined with their DSR (Dura Soak Resin) coverstock. We drilled our Phoenix with the pin 4" from the PAP with a 1" x 2" hole located on the PAP. We use this drilling to keep the ball stable through the heads while storing up enough energy to still pop on the backend. The Phoenix did just what we expected it was clean throughout the night in the heads and maintained plenty of backend motion. The ball was a little sensitive to oil down, but a stronger layout should fix that quickly. Overall the Phoenix was a little weaker than our Power Machine but still will find a place in our bag.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge We drilled our Track Power Machine with what has been a great layout for our tester on high permance Track balls.We placed the pin 5 1/4" from the PAP and kept the Mass Bias marking in Track's strongest position about 2" right of the thumb hole. We ended up not needing any extra hole in this layout.We were very impressed by how much this ball reacted. We were thinking we were going to have the smoothest of the Machines when we tyhrew this ball and we were wrong. The movement on the backend was amazing with the strongest roll in the mid-lane that we have seen out of a pearlized ball lately.
Click Layout Image to Enlarge Here it is after a long wait the Track Rising featuring the Mega Tron Core!Pin to PAP(5 1/8" over 1/8" up) - 5 1/8"Mass Bias Position - 3" right of center lineCG Placement - 2 1/2" right of grip centerBalance Hole - noneSurface Preparation - Out of Box Finish (4000-grit Abralon)A few weeks ago I had the bright idea to make some changes to my grip and so I started cleaning out all of my older balls in my arsenal. By the time I was done I realized I did not keep anything that had my old specs and I only had a few balls with the new grip. After a couple of weeks using the new grip I decided to go back to my old grip and that meant I had nothing. So from here on out I rebuilding my ball arsenal and will most likely be adding a few balls that I already had and got rid of.Now without further delay here is my ball review of one of my only two balls.What I Was Looking For In This Ball Layout:Well I have been extremely impressed with the "New" Track since Ebonite purchased them. The anticipation of The Rising had me a little worried because sometimes you build up the ball reaction in your mind and it does not meet your expectations.I wanted to see what this ball had to offer. We used Tracks recommended layout on this ball and we left the cover alone. We hope to do some adjustments later on but for the sake of getting a good review we left everything alone and used as Track intended.What I Ended Up With in the Ball and Layout:Strong, strong, strong ball motion. I thought my Kinetic offered the perfect ball motion, not taking anything away from that great Track ball but this ball is nuts. I don't know how they got this ball to be so solid and clean int he front and middle part of the lane with this core and coverstock combinationbut they did. The Rising was a huge surprise for me in the first 40 feet of the lane. I was expected a lot of overall hook from start to finish but this ball follows Track's signature of long and strong. I swear I think a polished one of these balls could get you well into a 8 game sweeper it is so clean in the front.Enough for the front lets talk about the part of the lane where this ball will blow your mind - the back! I saw this ball literally stop and put its left turn signal on. It makes one of the strongest and I guess steepest moves I have seen. I mean it came back from any spot on the lane with any ball speed I could muster up. If you read my Kinetic review you know I love that ball and it did hook a lot on the back as well. But this was different hook. This was more but in a different way.This is definitely a ball worth trying especially if you need one of the strongest overall ball motions offered today.