Hello everyone,
I've finally had a chance to get some games on the Champion, and it definitely is one of my three go-to balls on the variety of house and Sport patterns we see in the DFW area.
It is drilled 45x4.5x30 (no hole), and I haven't changed the surface at all since it came out of the box. Generally, I like it when I am going to play farther left (I'm left-handed) or in the track area, with a little bit of friction to the outside. Most often, I have to break the shine on the new stuff to avoid an over/under reaction, but not with this ball.
Because I throw the ball hard, I like that it has some teeth (1500 Abralon) under the polish. It gives me decent length without too much skid through the front, and saves a good amount of energy for the backend. The little bit of extra traction also keeps it smooth for me when it exits the pattern. It's angular for me on the back, but not jerky.
As far as where it fits into the arsenal, I like to throw the Champion when the Source is skidding too much through the front part of the lane or giving me too much pop on the back, or when the shape/arc I get from the Innovate and Pivot just isn't the right look.
The Champion also works well for me on medium Sport patterns like the 39-foot pattern at the 2013 Bowlers Journal Championships, where it got through the oil in the heads, but didn't roll too soon, and then was smooth on the back. It didn't over-react if I missed in, and it didn't hang on me if I got it left down lane or was fast through the breakpoint.
If I need a little bit of length and predictability down the lane, this is my choice. When it's time to move right and throw it left to the breakpoint for a different shape, I know it's time to make a ball change.
