Ball NPS Score: Not Available
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The Slate Blue Quantum features BTV’s strongest Proactive Urethane formulation and an all-new factory surface preparation process. This proactive finishing process, exclusive to proactive balls, when combined with Brunswick’s exclusive and patent-pending Proactive urethane technology, provides the strongest hooking characteristic of ETX-5 Proactive, but is clean through the front end with significantly stronger mid-lane and back end hooking power. This new process used on the Slate Blue produces a dull out-of-the-box surface similar to other proactive balls. While proactive balls are more resistant to tracking than conventional or reactive balls, the Slate Blue can be used for even more games before resurfacing is required.

The Slate Blue Quantum extends the classic Quantum Mushroom shape to include a massive high-density stem that produces a high RG-high differential RG combination that compliments the aggressive nature of the Proactive ETX-5 coverstock. As with all other Quantum balls, patented, “Lightweight Dynamic Integrity” is achieved with a unique core design for each individual weight (12-16 lbs.).

The specifications are as follows: Color: Slate Blue; Coverstock Material: ETX-5 Proactive Urethane; Part Number: 60-102978-93X; Surface Factory Finish: Dull; Available Weights: 10-16; Hook Potential: 22-13 (dull/shiny); Typical Length: 3; Typical Backend: 10.5; RG Maximum: 2.629; RG Minimum: 2.582; RG Differential: 0.047; Average RG: 5.9; Track Flare Potential: 9.2;

We have had numerous opportunities to use the Slate in both league and tournament conditions and are very pleased with it's performance.



We drilled the Slate with the pin and c.g. 4" from the p.a.p. and the shell wet sanded to 1500, with luster king polish.  We should mention that there are those who feel that using luster king compound on particle balls defeats the purpose of this type of equipment.  We acknowledge that if the condition is long, heavy oil, the 'out of the box' shell is the best choice.  However, we find that by using this type of shell preparation we are able to use these coverstocks on a wider range of lane conditions.



To get on with the review...We had the most success with the Slate on lanes that had some solid oil coverage on the front part of the lane.  This included the 'sport condition' and a dry outside 10 to 10 wall.  As mentioned, as long as there was enough oil to set the ball down in to get enough length we had great results.  Any time the Slate started hooking early, it was time to put it away.



We can confidently recommend the Slate, with only a couple of cautions.  First, if you are a player with less than average speed you are going to need lots of oil to make this ball worth the money.  Second, if the lanes are on the dryer side of medium, there are too many other choices to try and force the Slate.



You can e-mail us with any questions you have about this or any other review at: proshop@bowlero.com

Hey, I didn't realize this ball was listed here. Here's my review, since I just picked one up NIB off ebay:

Finally got it. 3" pin, drilled next to ring/CG in palm. This ball STILL destroys a fresh pattern, time and oil technology have not lessened its effects. I started out on a 2nd shift condition all the way left throwing over 5th arrow with a little loft, and even here it still had enough to come charging back - when I could get it out far enough to keep it right of the head pin! (there were a few brooklyns too). Doing this with my Raging would leave a lot of 5 + back row pin leaves.

Oil man came through and put down a fresh pattern. Nothing special about it, decent volume that would cause me to throw my 220 grit/rough buff Smokin' nearly straight up. Not this ball, this ball hits the lane and says "what oil?" The major difference is that it got down significantly farther and then completely flipped and obliterated the pocket. I think I was throwing about 23-7, which is absolutely INSANE, my Raging Inferno on the same condition runs somewhere between 12-4 and 15-6 (then again, that ball hates to be swung in its box condition, this one definitely does not have that problem). The ball's length was speed dependant, and the reaction was hand dependant, so I had a lot of options on this condition. Kill the hand a little and up the speed, you get a hard, controllable arc. Put more fingers into it and it's a flip monster. I suppose if I found some kind of ridiculous gutter-to-gutter flood, all I would need to do is take a half step back, stay down, reduce the speed just a hair, and this ball would react.

The major problem with this ball? Finding enough oil for it and tracking it up. Since this will rarely come out of my bag, the tracking problem isn't one, it won't track up any "faster" (time-wise) than anything else in my bag. I went to a cleaner-soaked rag instead of my micro fiber towel though, because it was not pulling anything off the ball. It also picked up a couple of belt marks after half a game, which easily came off with cleaner but still...

Unless you have insanely high speed, 2 revs, or both, this ball is only useable on the heaviest of floods in box condition, and I seem to recall that it doesn't take to polish too well...I think you HAVE to have the trizact and use the cerium oxide to notice anything. But then, if you're doing that, there's probably other options that would suit you better than finding this rarity. I feel like I could go down to the ice skating rink and get this ball to hook after the zamboni runs...but unlike say the Zone Pro Azure, this isn't a "hook at your feet" type reaction, it wants to get down the lane a little bit (head oil permitting, of course). This is due to the higher RG core I think, and the high diff gives it flip at the back end.

In summary, it gets a 9 out of 10 score from me. 10 out of 10 for its performance on ideal conditions, 5 out of 10 for versatility...but you can't have it all, so drill it strong, leave it box, and bring it out when nothing else turns over and you will beat everybody else (assuming you execute, and they're not also throwing this ball, haha!)