My specs are in my profile for anyone who wants to see them. My PAP is 4" over and 1/2" up. I am a lefty, medium-low tracker who throws 18.5-19 MPH, with a medium-high rev rate. I bought this ball to try a drilling I was curious about for a while but had yeat to try, which was a "rev leverage" drilling. I wanted the ball to roll early for carrydown but to have a continous backend roll that still carries when the backends start to go away. I drilled this ball to compliment my No Mercy (Heavy oil, fresh backend ball), and my U-Turn Particle Pearl (Light-medium THS ball), so here it is:
Weight (pre-drill): 15lbs. 4oz.
Top Weight: 3.5 oz.
Pin: 3 3/4" out
Drilled at Moore's Pro Shop
I went with a rev leverage drilling (featured on the Columbia drillsheets)where I ended up having a pin to PAP distance of 3 3/8"", CG ended up stacked below the pin at 3 3/8" from PAP also. The pin ended up left of my ring finger, with the weight hole next to the thumb in the thumb quadrant, 3 3/8" from the VAL. When I weighed it up post-drill and saw I had 0 oz. side and 0 oz. finger/thumb weight (recommended for rev leverage drilling final weights). I was hoping this ball would give me a different look than all my other stuff, and boy I was right!!
Review: I threw this ball at this years Masters for the first time and it was too aggressive in the front part of the lane on the fresh shot. The ball comes in at a 1500 grit "dry-buff" surface that looks more like a 500 grit abralon sanded surface than a 1500 grit surface, and it reatced more like a 500 grit surface as it turned early and often, starting its move around 28-30 feet and turning up and eventually burning out at the head pin and rolling out with not so good carry. I put it away after a coulpe of games without much success and took it out the next day on carrydown, and what a difference. When there is carrydown this ball does what I want it to do for the most part (still burns out a little) as it starts early but continues to move through the pocket with decent carry and good pin action (this ball keeps the pins low which is something I like to see in a ball).
I took the ball home and found I had to adjust the surface as it starts way too early for any house I bowl in, so I went to a 4000 grit abralon sand on the cover and now the ball is absolutely unbelievable. It gets about 32-35 feet of length and explodes through the oil with enough energy to carry very well. I have used this ball in a number of out of state tournaments on sport shots and this ball eats those shots up for breakfast. The only drawback is that it needs at least 38-40 ft. of oil to give you the length to get it down the lane consistantly. Overall a great midprice release from Columbia that will serve any bowler looking for a good ball for sport leagues (with the rev leverage drilling) or other longer flat oil tournament conditions!!!
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*"Smokey this is not Nam this is bowling, there are rules."
IN THE BAG:
Hammer No Mercy
Columbia Wrath XP
Columbia U-Turn Particle Pearl
Track Revmaster
Personal Stats:
http://members.bowl.com/FindAMember/memberView.aspx?mp=985&ms=391&s=2006-2007
