Ok, I've been avoiding posting this, because I think I did long ago with no real results, but I really can't figure it out, so here we go.

I hate asyms, that's not news coming from me. I currently throw 15lb equipment, mostly sym, at around 13.5-14 MPH with 225 revs. I would benefit from the extra bang asyms can provide, but they are always experiments that go bad... Except....

I have 1 ball, a Motiv Raptor P7, 14 lbs with 2 drills. On a suggestion from my PSO, I drilled it as a test a 3rd time with a Storm 4x4x1 layout.
OMG! Plain and simple. This is what I've been looking for. Great reaction, covers whole house if I want it to, except that it's a bit weak being 14lb. Oh, if only I could duplicate it in 15.

I tried with two other balls. I failed. They are garbage. Now, to be fair, PSO kinda missed on both, but only by 1/2 inch, not significant. AND, one was a Widow Dark Legend 2nd drill and the other was an intense, a ball I intensely dislike (trying to avoid the word hate). I even refuse to capitalize the word intense, that's how disappointed I am in both drills on that ball (this test was 1st drill).

This P7 is Nirvana in any house or condition as far as boards covered and reaction, I need to find out why.

What are your thoughts on why 1 ball, and 1 ball only, would work so $%^& great.

Possible answers..
1. it's 14 instead of 15 and I throw it different.
2. It 's a 3rd drill, core is in unknown shape, and you'll never duplicate it. Give it up.
3. Other??

Constructive thoughts appreciated.

Why not get another with that core, nib, and do that layout again.

Lol and that's fine but I kinda see the opposite.  The Intense looks stupid good for everybody here, and the Fused is just too flippy, it's angle issues for days. 

I only saw the Snap Lock being decent for a few people.  Can't say I saw one that looked good or great, it was pretty well capped at decent with a lot of average and bad mixed in there.  I'm not employed by Storm either so I'm not worried about speaking my mind too!!

Quote from: Luke Rosdahl on April 04, 2018, 08:19:16 AM

You live in some realm the rest of us mortals don't.  It's actually impossible to hate an Intense.  I can see it not matching up or not being the best option for some, but to flat absolutely suck for a lefty with no revs . . that doesn't compute at all.  I can't think of any better match up actually, I don't see how you'd ever miss the pocket, but if that ball sucks, and a Raptor with that layout is good . . . I got nothing for you man. 

8/10 intense's in my classic and big sportsman league are disliked by the bowlers

10/10 fused are are loved...

Small sample size...but the ball isn't as good as the snap lock was for that top pearl ball, as a hybrid the fused seems to work really well more the average bowler

I guess that depends on several factors...but I got no issues speaking my mind. I'm not employed by storm hahaha

Lol and that's fine but I kinda see the opposite.  The Intense looks stupid good for everybody here, and the Fused is just too flippy, it's angle issues for days. 

I only saw the Snap Lock being decent for a few people.  Can't say I saw one that looked good or great, it was pretty well capped at decent with a lot of average and bad mixed in there.  I'm not employed by Storm either so I'm not worried about speaking my mind too!!

Quote from: billdozer on April 04, 2018, 08:27:23 AM

Quote from: Luke Rosdahl on April 04, 2018, 08:19:16 AM

You live in some realm the rest of us mortals don't.  It's actually impossible to hate an Intense.  I can see it not matching up or not being the best option for some, but to flat absolutely suck for a lefty with no revs . . that doesn't compute at all.  I can't think of any better match up actually, I don't see how you'd ever miss the pocket, but if that ball sucks, and a Raptor with that layout is good . . . I got nothing for you man. 

8/10 intense's in my classic and big sportsman league are disliked by the bowlers

10/10 fused are are loved...

Small sample size...but the ball isn't as good as the snap lock was for that top pearl ball, as a hybrid the fused seems to work really well more the average bowler

I guess that depends on several factors...but I got no issues speaking my mind. I'm not employed by storm hahaha

I didn't mean to take a jab at u per say, as I LOVE that you give your opinions too.

I'm talking other staffers..

Hyper cell anything has been a long time hit!!!! The fused is really peaking over here...as the solid was too strong, and we had over under with the skid sometimes.

This is an awesome question! I love thinking like this. Here are a few thoughts that might help us get closer to a response:

1) Spin that 14lb Raptor on a Determinator and let's find its true PSA. I bet with a core that's been hit 9 (or more) times, the PSA is in a very unique place. Then spin another ball that's 4x4x1 and see how close the PSAs are to each other.

2) Maybe because the core was hit so many times, the RG is VERY low and the diff is drastically different than what it was before the first drill. Is there a way to measure the post-drill specs?

3) Perhaps it's a cover thing. I don't recall the Raptor coverstock, but is the Raptor's cover a LOT stronger or weaker than the Intense's coverstock? Maybe your style wants to throw covers that are Raptor strength.

4) Voodoo. Straight up, New Orleans Voodoo.

That's kind of Motiv's thing though, the supposed heavy oil balls don't hook as much as they say, and the supposed lighter oil balls hook more than most of their heavy oil balls . .

Raptor was supposed to be a heavy oil ball, but I remember a lot of people saying it wasn't all that strong... The Talon was a lot stronger, but too strong. Wish I could get it on a Determinator, but no one around here has one that I know of.....

That stinks you cant' find a Determinator! I'm really curious about where it ends up.

Static specs on the Raptor:
RG: 2.46
Diff: 0.060
Int. Diff: 0.015

This is one VERY early rolling, high flaring core. I haven't seen core numbers like this, almost ever.

Couple this with a bunch of holes from its 3 drillings, and I bet the numbers are fairly different.

Same core in the Jackal and Jackal Carnage. Some balls exceeded that differential. It's why they were banned and why they have since modified the core.