I am not sure, but I think the RI was originally finished with a compound surface, not high gloss polish? The high gloss prep (400 grit and then Brunswick's high gloss polish) came after its market introduction and Brunswick's end with OOB compound finishes around 2002 (WHY!?).

When the ball does not finish anymore there are 2 options, and you have to check your ball reaction which one is yours?
In one case, the ball could be back to full strength and simply roll out, losing all its energy before it breaks. This results in a weak hook and weak hits, splits are a common sight.
Another situation could be that the ball is too highly polished, so that it slips and never finishes at all? I had such a case with an X-Factor RE-Loaded. But the latter sounds less likely, since the RI is a medium load particle pearl for oily conditions.

With that in mind, doing more polish will probably be the best next step to check if the ball is too aggressive right now. If it still does not make it to the pocket, try taking the polish/glaze off of the ball with a high grit sanding pad, e.g. 2.000 or 1.500 grit. THIS should make a difference.

You might also simply wait for some more games until the surface breaks in, maybe the old hook you are used to comes back when the polish wears off?
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
Team "X": http://homepage.mac.com/timlinked/
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe


Edited on 11/29/2005 6:37 AM

The Raging Inferno should be wet sanded with 400 grit paper and apply a coat of high gloss polish to bring it back to box condition.  Make sure that the dude doing the sanding uses a fresh section of the paper for each quadrant that he sands.  The particles in the coverstock will quickly change the texture of the paper if you don't.  In other words the Mica particles in the coverstock will turn the 400 grit paper into 600 grit paper in no time flat.  I hope that helps.