Today I went to the shop and punched these babies up.
Cross: 35 x 4 x 45
Jab: 50 x 3 x 30
When I tested these pieces up I see what everyone was saying about the two. The Cross is a very smooth ball that is very versatile. The Cross was very forgiving. I tugged a few shots and this ball didn't punish me for doing so. The mids is were I really appreciated this ball the most. It would clear the heads well and then you can see the ball begin to transition. When it read the friction it didn't overreact. This layout along with the characteristics of this ball was a smooth continuous arch. The carry was very good. If you want a solid that is smooth, excellent carry, and won't break the bank this should be a ball you should take a look at. I see this being a great THS ball as well as a ball I can use on medium sports patterns. This layout along with the make up of the ball allowed me to control the pocket and made playing the patterns easier.
The Jab was very fun to throw. It's all skid/snap no question. It's very clean and store all of it's energy for down lane. I didn't see the over/under that I use to seeing with skid/snap pearlized equipment I use to throw. It just floated the down lane and once it read friction it would flip then finish. This is a ball I would go to in league around the 2nd or 3rd game when my Cross isn't finishing well. Also this ball looked great going down the lane. Great shelf appeal with the deep purple. When I used it on a medium sports (Abbney Road) shot I didn't get a good look until the lanes had broken down a bit. This wouldn't be where I would use it for my game, but it really filled a spot in my bag right before my Ringers and my LT-48.
The Melee line are a great addition for THS arsenals because all 3 have their own reaction that vibe well with one another. The Melee work very well when the lanes are broken down and is a very clean solid. When you need more pop in the back the Jab give you that and some. When the lanes are fresh and you need to open up the lane or what a very good benchmark type ball that's flexible pull the Cross out of your bag. This is a great 1-2-3 combo. On Sport Shots I would use them on medium or shorter patterns. The Mastermind line handles the longer stuff for me very well. It was just hard to have something to fill that gap from the Masterminds and before the LT-48~Ringers.
I'm really enjoying what Big B is doing in the lab to help fill gaps in bags to cover a wide range of conditions.
