Drilled this one 3 1/2" pin,psa 1/2" right of thumb. The psa was 75 degrees so it should have been strong, however I found it is more important where the holes are. The thumb 1/2" away from the psa is the same as a weight hole 1/2" away. Ebonite's drilling instructions are correct. A hole within 2" of the psa will give this core a hookset reaction.
  The funny thing about this is I didn't get what I wanted, BUT I got what I needed, once I extender polished it.
  I bowled in a 5 game sweeper oiled flat 22' buffed out to 30'. They hooked. I tried my low flare stinger. This ball saves so much energy when it left the pattern it went sideways. After a 150 start I took the shooter XL out for some practice. This ball pushed because of the cover, and when it left the pattern it had a controlable arc to the pocket. If I missed alittle right it had just enough left to get back and splash the rack. After 4 more games (none less than 210) I got to third. Did I get better (NO), I got matched up, and hopefully I learned something. Thanks EBONITE

 BOWL TO WIN

This has to be the best looking ball ever made. That light joker purple really stands out on the lanes and boy is this thing smooth. It doesn't cover alot of boards at all(I have it drilled pin under and between the fingers, CG kicked away from the midline 1 inch and the PSA 1 1/2 inch to the right of the thumb, no weighthole.  2 inch pin). I had to play the outside(going about 10-5) to get this ball in the dry. The way this ball clears the heads and midlane is a definate sight to see. It flares about 4 inches but saves all of its flare for the last 20-25 feet. It is so extra smooth on the back that lighter patterns don't stand a chance. Since the outsides were so bone dry I definately thought that it would square up immediately but it completely ignored the burnt outsides and coasted to the breakpoint. This thing too finishes Awesome, it's late angle entry had me sending messengers all over the place which is a pretty rare occurance for me. I'd say 80% of league bowlers will overlook this ball since pretty much the majority of all bowlers want to see something hook off the lane. This ball doesn't do that. It is very long, extremely smooth yet mellow and gives you a great read in playing the dry parts of the lane.

The Shooter XL is a nice addition to our line.  I drilled this ball with a 4 1/2" pin stacked.  This ball is extremely clean through the heads, but reads the midlane real well while still saving all of its energy for the backends.  For me it has a good arch on the backends.  Works well on a short flat pattern or one that is getting burned up.

Summing-up this ball in one word: Smooth.

A very predictable, arcing ball (smooth breakpoint) with good length
and strong movement on the backend.  This is my go-to ball when the
lanes break down in a haphazard/sloppy ("splotchy" shot) way and other
balls' reactions are sporadic, unpredictable, or under/over.  It has
fast become my favorite "arcing" ball.

I would suggest this ball for medium-light through medium-heavy patterns
to 42 feet, depending on your style of play.  I have successfully used
it on a number of different patterns and angles to the pocket on both
wood and synthetics.  This ball has never rolled out on me, even on very
dry conditions - thus I can always count on "continuous backend motion"
that is so often advertised and not always delivered.

As a side note, a well-respected local PBA member who runs his own pro
shop had this to say about this ball before I made my purchase:

"I've never personally thrown the ball.  I've watched guys struggle
 with this ball because when they can't get the ball to hook. They
 try to rev it up or grip-it-and-rip-it and end up hurting their
 game.  I would not recommend this ball if you will need to fight
 it to make it hook."

Good advice for any ball. As far as overall hook, this ball is squarely
in the middle of my arsenal (see profile) and I have never struggled to
get it to hook.

My Drilling Specs on this ball:

16lbs, 3oz Top Weight, 3 inch pin-out
Drill: 5x4.5
Pin 5 inches from PAP under fingers
CG 4.5 inches from pap below grip center line (3/4 ounce thumb weight)