Ball NPS Score: 100.00
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Due to popular demand Brunswick is bringing back the Vapor Zone with some modern tweaks. The Vintage Vapor Zone ball uses a modified Activator coverstock to handle the oil conditions of today and DynamiCore has been added to the Zone Asymmetric core. This ball is designed to get through the front of the lane with ease while producing an incredible backend reaction.

Color: Purple / Blue Pearl
All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown
Core: Zone Asymmetric with DynamiCore
Coverstock: Activator Plus 2.0
Finish: 500 Siaair / Crown Factory Compound
Reaction: Easy length and strong backend motion
RG: 2.478**
Differential: 0.048**
** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
Hook Potential: 210 (scale 10-250)
Length: 160 (scale 25-235)
Breakpoint Shape: Angular
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium to Heavy Oil

Right Handed
PAP:5 x1/2 up
Speed: Medium
Rev Rate: 300rpm

Layout- 30 x 3 3/4 x 30

Wow do I like this ball! The Vapor Zone is a ball that goes left after clearing the fronts with ease.  On a higher volume houses hot where some of my stronger stuff reads early and doesn't quite save enough energy, I can use my Vapor Zone. It will clear the volume up front and still read strong and change direction without any over/under reactions. For a shiny ball that is this strong on the back, it is not afraid of oil.

BALL SPECS


Pin Length: 3"


Starting Top Weight: 3 oz


Ball Weight: 15 lbs 2 oz



DRILL PATTERN


Ball: 55 x 5 x 65


X Hole (if there is one): none



BOWLER STYLE


Rev Rate: 375 rpms


Ball Speed:17.5 mph off hand



PAP/Track: 4 3/4 over 3/4 up



SURFACE PREP


Grit: 500 Grit with Compound


Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Compound



LANE CONDITIONS


Lengths of patterns: 41 foot house shot



Volume:  Moderate



Type: House



BALL REACTION


Length: Clean through the heads



Back End: Skid/snap


Overall Hook: Strong


Midlane Read: Very little


Breakpoint Shape: Skid/Snap



COMMENTS


Likes: Easy length with good backend



Dislikes: none


The Vintage Vapor Zone is a blast from the past with some upgraded technology.  It takes that asymmetric Danger Zone core shape everyone loved and pairs it with an updated cover for today’s lane conditions.  It has been awhile since I have thrown the original Vapor but the first thing I noticed with this ball is how long it goes.  The Vintage Vapor Zone gets great length for an asymmetrical ball.  With the layout I chose it allows me to play closer to the dry on some of the fresher conditions.  This ball will allow you to use the more powerful core in situations where you would normally need a lower flaring symmetrical ball.   I can also see myself drilling another Vapor with a quicker response layout for playing deeper inside and covering more boards.  With the correct surface prep this ball will get enough length to play wherever there is some friction.  As far as total hook goes, I have this one right on top of my Vintage Inferno with more length and recovery down the lane.  If you loved the Original Vapor Zone you will like this one.  Be sure to check out the improved length and recovery of the new Vintage Vapor Zone.

The Vintage Vapor Zone is the newest release in Brunswick’s Vintage line. With an updated cover (Activator Plus 2.0) around the time-tested Zone asymmetrical core with DynamiCore this ball is a great throwback to the original Vapor Zone that was so popular years ago.

As a lower rev player, this ball provides me with a stronger, more angular backend motion than anything else in my arsenal. On a typical house shot, I can get my feet on 28 and cross 15 at the arrows out to about 7 and watch this ball just flip over and come back! On Challenge and Sport Patterns, I am able to play more direct without seeing the ball overreact on the backend. 

This ball comes out of the box with a 500 Factory Finish with Crown Factory Compound. If you are looking for a ball that will give you a stronger backend motion and watch a ball hook, this ball is it.

Could not wait for this ball to come out when Brunswick started releasing the Vintage balls.  The first one I drilled was a taller pin, about 5 1/2 inches from PAP.  On league conditions it was a bit too clean for me to use, but then I did a second one with a stronger layout and it gave me the earlier read I was looking for.  I took a little surface off for a while and also used it with a little shine back on it.  In either case it is an excellent ball to change to after my Method, which is my first ball out of the bag on league patterns.  I could stay in the same zone, no pun intended, and get more off the breakpoint or make a move left and still get around the corner.

Depending on the volume of oil, you may need to touch the cover up to use it on the fresh, but definitely a ball you can use all night as you migrate left.  I'm more of a tweeter, so I like the energy off the breakpoint without the ball going sideways.

Drilled my Vintage Vapor Zone 70x5x35 (pin high above ring) with the intention of giving me a ball which will let me open my angles up wide with plenty of help hitting the corner.  I never had the original (had the Classic and Red Zones), but had heard good things about how it rolled and enjoy seeing lowrg cores in my hands.
Out of the box, my first reaction was shock at how clean it got down the lane.  For better or worse, it pretty much ignored the first half of the lane, then checkmarked left at the breakpoint!  As impressive as this shape and extreme angle may appear in a ball video, such a quick response to friction is not what I need to see in order to score, so I hit the Vapor Zone with a 4k pad to kill the polish and help me round out my angles.

My first experience post surface change was on our house shot and I put up an interesting 690 where I had amazing carry getting the ball to the friction early, but my shot got a bit sketchy during the middle of the set as the oil was transitioning (balls missed inside of target were through the breakpoint and too sharp down the lane giving me trouble carrying the 7, 9 and 10).  By the time the lanes started to dry out and the oil line moved left I was back to crushing the pocket, but from a deeper angle along with a more rounded ball motion.
I've used this ball at a variety of tournaments, 45' Route 66 in our challenge league and on a few different lane surfaces.  The one constant has been that if the shot has broken down a bit so that the oil line gets deep inside, this ball becomes my go to.  The Vapor Zone gives me one of the strongest backend motions in my bag but in a strong enough ball to allow me to cheat way inside the oil line and open up my anges.

Compared to other balls in my bag, the Vapor Zone is just a little stronger than most of my midrange equipment.  It starts up and finishes a pinch stronger than my Squatch, is a more angular option to my original Method, yet is a step weaker than my Gold Kingpin SE.  If I were to compare it to something that I have drilled in recent memory, I would say that the Vintage Vapor Zone would be closest to the original Creed.

As a bowler who enjoys getting deep inside and opening my angles, the Vintage Vapor Zone allows me to play those angles even once my stronger balls begin to die out.  The cover has been responsive to surface changes and has been effective for me on a wide variety of patterns - particularly those of medium to longer length.  I recommend this ball for anybody looking for an option to get down the lane and see some movement on the back end.