Ball: Brunswick Radical Inferno
Layout:
Pin 5†from PAP, above ring finger
CG on midline, ¾†to right of grip center
No XH
Initial Surface Preparation:
Box finish
Purpose:
To use as a “go-to†ball for house-type conditions where I either need additional length because of the deterioration of the fronts, or recovery on conditions where the track has broken down and I need to go more left-to-right.
Why this ball?
I’ve been watching and waiting with this particular slot in the tournament bag. I recall the initial disappointment at the Radical, and the comments about its unpredictability, and thus I considered drilling either a Smokin’ Inferno or a BVP Rampage as a go-to ball. However, as I started to see more and more Radicals in my league and at tournaments, I began to think that it might be the perfect fit.
Against the advice of two very knowledgeable people, I went with the 5†above layout, and I didn’t change the box finish. I did this mainly because of past success with this layout in equipment with the original Inferno core design. I still have an Absolute Inferno with this layout, and it’s been a very consistent performer for me.
Observations:
The Radical made its maiden voyage in a tournament at a center with an old wood surface, in the second squad after oiling. The Radical seemed to be right at home there, as I had enough of a launchpad in front to keep the ball on line to the breakpoint, at which point it made a strong arc to the pocket. Because of the strength of the arc, I did have to cheat left a bit and play more from the oil to the dry. I did have to be careful not to keep the ball in the oil too long, or it would squirt and lose both its reaction and its hit. Over the course of the two sets that I bowled, I found myself moving my feet frequently during the transition until the lanes finally reached equilibrium in the last game. Despite having to stand in front of the ball return, I was still getting a clean reaction with great recovery, and the carry was phenomenal.
I also used the Radical at a tournament on lanes with synthetic fronts and old wood in back. Because of the longer oil in the middle of the lane, I wanted to play the lane more direct, but the breakpoint was a bit touchy until the track broke down. As a result, one shot would hit high-flush and leave a 9, and the next would hang a bit in the oil and leave a late 10. I ended up conquering this over-under reaction by moving further left, softening the speed, and using more axis rotation, which made the ball go straighter in front but still react hard off of the break.
Conclusions:
For me, the Radical is to the lane conditions in 2007 what the original Inferno was to the lane conditions in 2003, with a few minor differences. First, while I can use the Radical to play more direct, it doesn’t seem to thrive on tighter conditions the way the original Inferno did. Second, the original Inferno seemed to have an inside limitation. Once I got my feet past a certain point, the Inferno lost its ability to recover enough to kick the corners. I don’t seem to have this problem with the Radical, though, for the more the lanes break down, the better it seems to get. Third, what people have been saying about the Octane cover giving a different look at the pin deck seems to be spot on if my experiences have been any indication. The Radical kicks out more 10s on marginal hits than any of my original Infernos ever did.
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...formerly "The Curse of Dusty," and "Poöter Boöf" before that...
