First impression is positive. I like the bright color - didn't think I would, but it grows on you after a few frames. I bought this one because I'm still struggling to find something that fits in that awkward space between my light oil stuff and the Infernos. My home house is tough for me to match up. I have carry issues in this center if I have to play left of 15, and If I swing any of the Infernos outside the 8 or 9 board area, they use up energy and hit flat. There's just something about these older synthetics and the medium oil they lay down that just doesn't match up that well for my game. This forces me to play in the "track area", and limits my area somewhat. Once in a while it's dry enough to pull out the pearl nail or the Monster Red/Black, and I can score with these playing up the boards. On very very rare occasions there's enough oil for me to pull out the Classic Zone or even a regular Inferno, but most of the time it's the "in-between zone", where I'm constantly fishing for ball reaction. I was hoping that this Intense would be the ball that I wanted the Blazing to be. I think it might be! It has length - as long as my Monster Red/Black! It has back end! It's too early to judge HIT, but I didn't see anything that has me worried after around 6 games of play. I need to play around with it more and try a couple of different centers, but except for some ring-tens that surprised me, I was impressed. What I did notice and REALLY liked was that unlike the regualar Activator, this Activator+ never wanted to check up early, never lost energy in the drier area, and never, not even once did I detect any wiggle downlane. I saw some wiggle in the carry down from a few other's - one guy throwing a polished Flipside Shock, and another throwing a polished Time Zone, but this Intense was very predictable in its behavior down-lane. I was worried that it might be too close to my Classic Zone to justify having both, but it is a very different ball than either the Classic Zone or the Inferno. I can see this replacing both the Fire Quantum and the Monster Red/Black - both balls that I really like.
Oh - the details: 15-4, 2.7 Top, layout pin over ring and CG stacked below ring. This is around a 6 x 5-3/4 layout for me.
http://www.pipeline.com/~randyo/arsenal/15%23%20Intense.jpgOnly disappointment so far is that just like all of my other balls, I have to throw it good to strike. Doesn't matter where I hit in the pocket, If my timing and release are "on" the ball carries. If I throw it bad the carry gets worse. Don't you just hate that in a ball? I'm still looking for that magic combination that lets you get away with everything.
Edited on 8/27/2004 10:45 PM
Edited on 8/27/2004 10:46 PM
Edited on 8/27/2004 11:32 PM
Edited on 8/28/2004 4:38 AM
Edited on 8/29/2004 7:05 PM
