I've had the opportunity to throw the Cool Noize on a variety of conditions...THS, USBC pattern, and the Shark. Three unique patterns, yet similar positive results from the Cool Noize.
My axis is 5 1/8 x 3/8 up. I would most likely be classified as a tweener and consider myself more rev than speed-dominant. My Cool Noize came with standard specs of a 2-3†pin and 3 oz top weight. I drilled this ball with a 5 x 4 drilling, which is nearly identical to how I most recently laid-out a Power Swing. Thanks to the advice from Chad Murphy, such a layout is quickly becoming one of my favorites! This drilling placed the pin just under my ring finger and added a hole 1†wide by 3†deep in the thumb quadrant. The surface of the ball was left OOB which is 2000 abralon sanded.
On the THS, the 2000 abralon surface with the pin down drilling keeps me in control. Comparing it to the previous releases in the NoiZe line, the Cool Noize is just as clean thru the front part of the lane as the Loud Noize as both balls are pearlized coverstocks. Yet similar to the original Noize, the Cool Noize revs quickly and therefore reads the midlane very consistently. What sets it apart from either of the other two is the backend reaction! In my opinion, the Cool Noize is easily the strongest backend motion of the three balls in the Noize line. The Cool Noize has the backend shape of the Noize line (hard arc), but is very continuous from the point when it begins to hook until it continues through the pins. Pin carry is VERY strong.
I have since tested this ball on tournament patterns like the USBC pattern and Shark. The Cool Noize is not the ball on the fresh...Columbia makes plenty of great products that can give you an earlier roll and controlled arc on fresh back-ends. Where the Cool Noize shined is when the pattern broke down and stronger surfaces/cores used to start began to stop on the back. I was actually able to move deeper inside the pattern and swing the ball to the friction. The effortless push from the pearl cover was expected and very evident...I never felt as if I had to force the ball through the fronts. But what was surprising was the hard arc and continuation on the back part of the lane. I was expecting a few shots to shoot past the break and not react but this was not the case. I did not experience over-reaction (only when the pattern continued to break down and led the ball to read early) but did not experience under-reaction either, the latter of which is often my concern on the longer and higher volume patterns.
The Cool Noize is a very versatile piece. At 2000 abralon OOB, the Cool Noize is strong enough to get a predictable reaction on higher volume tournament conditions yet dynamic enough to play inside the oil line on a standard house shot. Thanks to Chad Murphy for his drilling advice and expertise and to Columbia 300 for another great product!
Paul Bober
C300 Amateur Staff
Morton Grove, IL
