I was very confused too why they all used that ball, none of them had a good look with it although Simonson's was probably the best, he just wasted too many frames trying the throw urethane. 

I heard the TV pair played nothing like they did all week so they were in scramble mode to find the right fit. 

With that said, I don't feel Rash or Belmo threw the ball very well yesterday so it may have been the Indian, not the arrow so to speak.

I said the same thing to my friends. Almost felt like the ball was being forced on them. During warmups when Belmo was shown he had a Proton Physix so strong ball must have been the word of the day.

Dude made the Phase III look good, so a strong ball probably was what was needed.

From the outside looking in............seemed like a strong ball was needed but the question was WHERE is the hook needed.  Needed a super clean strong ball that could get down the lane and come off the spot enough to carry a 10.  Rash I don't think executed well, but on the shots he did the Reality just wanted to read and go.  When he did make a great shot at the end throwing a ball that naturally wants do get down the lane more and is a couple steps down you saw what happened.

Frankie was throwing that RST ball, which to my understanding is the cleaner and more angular one out of the big 3 (Proton, Reality, RST). 

Frankie threw each the RST, Rubicon, and Phaze 2 at different points.

Belmonte was definitely confused by the condition it seemed and Rash struggled with his footing and execution.

I was surprised Belmo was throwing the Reality and not a Rubicon

there wasn't enough oil for that ball to be used it hooked to early on that condition

This is just my opinion but as soon as I saw that Reality being thrown, I shook my head! To me it was overkill! But it was the ball of the week for all the Storm/Global contractors!

I felt like, because in some of the previous regional finals, that Damn Good Verge surfaced and was continually getting air play, they felt like they had to counter with a piece of their own! However, it did not match up to the condition. That big ass core wants to tilt hard at the end of the pattern every time!

I felt that Simonsen and Belmo were so sure that they could MAKE the ball work on any condition that it just didn't matter to them!

Lavoie played it right by choosing smooth, controllable, predictable pieces that work!

Rash had it right when he threw that new Hy-Road Max on that last shot.  Should have started with that ball in the first place. 

IMO I believe either the HB Intensity or the Ordnance C4 would have been a better choice (just my .01 cent there).

Lavoie played the lanes perfect and got better as the day went on.  A couple of hiccups in the Belmo match but was able to overcome it with style and patience.  Congrats to Lavoie on his win.

Sometimes rocks are pushed that shouldn't be given the lane pattern.  Just because it's the newest and supposedly the high flyer in the line-up.

Again, just my .01 cent.
y'all be good, stay safe and stay healthy!

The bold is exactly why when the entire NV series, Playmaker, and a few others in the EBI line were being pushed, Tommy stayed with the Gamebreaker, and did that for a couple of years at that.

This looks to be a reason why at some times, newer != better.

BL.

There was no way Frankie could use a Reality on that pattern.  His ball speed is too slow.  Rash and Belmo were around 19.5 and couldnt get the ball down the lane.  Frankie at 17.5 needed balls that were cleaner through the fronts.  Even the Rubicon was polished up it appeared.  Regarding Belmo......it seems odd that he comes out with the signatures balls and yet rarely uses them on TV.  The way the Don Johnson pattern was playing it seems like the Trend would have been right in his wheelhouse; especially playing that deep on the lane.  Another thing I find odd is that the last couple years the Idol line was very prominent on telecasts and yet even though the Idol Synergy is a new release; it is almost non-existent in this seasons shows.  Want to say I have seen Troup use it one time and maybe Prather but not sure as I remember him using the Hustles a couple times.  But yeah.  If the Reality was pushed, then Storm/Roto did themselves no favors as that ball looked pretty bad on that pattern.