i have used this ball on a few conditions now and here is my take. one on 38ft and 44ft.

the balls is very smooth up front, you can see it start to flare in the midlane without grabbing. once the ball hits the breakpoint the ball is relentless in its direction toward the pocket. it was very easy to control. just feed it to the breakpoint and watch it move. crush the pocket. no deflect. plenty of stored energy.

mine is drilled with the pin just under and to the right of the ring finger with the cg down and to the right from that. the bomb is about 2.5 to 3 inches right of the thumbhole. there is a weighthole 7 inches over on the midline.

i recommend this ball to any bowler who needs that ball that just plain hooks. it has no problem moving thru carrydown. this ball probably outhooks the Xcel particle by about 5-7 boards with the same surface prep.
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Paul Smith
04/05 PBA West Region Rookie of the Year
Ebonite Regional Staff
"Bowl to Win"

Hi i am getting my xxxcel drilled tomorrow. i will be getting it drilled 2 arc and will post more info when it is complete, i will also be getting one drilled for maximum hook so bring on the oil. let u guys know how it goes soon

I can say great ball, you have to get it and try it yourself!
Bahosha (bowler from Tashkent, UZB)

Thank you to Chris and Bill
from www.buddiesproshop.com

Layout :
Pin 4-1/2 inches above fingers
Mb is in the STRONG position

Lane conditions:
AMF synthetics with typical medium oil/house shot

This ball works very well for me on med/hvy to heavy oil. It is clean in the heads and reads the midlane very well. The backend reaction is strong for a dull ball. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a TRUE heavy oil ball. This is the strongest ball to date for Ebonite. A good compliment to the Xcel series!
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Chris Hayes
McCorvey's Pro Shop
www.mccorveysproshop.com

Stats are in profile.  I picked up a 15lb xxxcel with a 3.5" pin and medium top weight.  Layed the ball out with pin above and right of ring and bomb in the track area, left of the thumb.  This is roughly a 4" pin to PAP layout for me.
http://eiserver.ei.psu.edu/~skb116/xxxcel.jpg

I threw this ball on two different shots.  First shot was a 40ft medium-heavy house shot on amf synthetics.  Our league bowls second shift after the women's league (mostly straight plastic balls), so a fair amount of carry-down is present.  The second shot is a 38ft heavy oil house shot on older wood lanes.  Lots of "free" friction to the outside here.

I initially tested the ball with the box finish.  On shot #1 (synthetics), the ball was entirely too much.  It had trouble making it through the partially burn heads and as a result, the hit and carry suffered.  I tried playing outside (around 5 board) where the ball started up too early, and inside (18 at arrows targeting 10 at break point) where the ball still overreacted and jumped early.  For this shot, just seemed to have too much surface.

On shot #2 (wood), the ball initially performed much better.  Was able to play across the soup in the middle of the lane and get a strong arcing reaction off the dry outside.  The ball seemed to have a very strong and heavy roll with a smooth backend reaction.  Ball performed well until the head began to go, at which time, it started to jump early.  Definitely a strong ball

I took the ball back to the shop and polished it with Ebonite factory finish to a high gloss AND gave the ball two coats of Doc's Magic Elixir.  From my previous experience, Elixir acts like one step finer sandpaper (i.e. Elixir would make an 800 grit finish ball react like a 1000 grit finish ball).  Elixir also seems to give the ball a little more backend reaction on the appropriate conditions.  

On the first shot, the polished xxxcel acted like a different ball.  I was able to get lined up and play up the boards (targeting around the 7-8 board) for a good portion of the night.  The ball still retained the same characteristics (strong heavy roll and smooth backend), but with less overall hook.  I was able to play the same area of the lane for the first two games of league, after which I bumped a couple boards inside and continued striking for the remainer of the night.  

On the second shot, I was forced to play a straighter line to the pocket due to the heavy volume of oil in the center.  At this house, I started in the track area and found the ball to react very similar to the previous shot, a strong heavy roll and good carry.  With a few minor adjustments, the ball was very playable all night long.  Carry seemed to be in line with most other equipment I have tried.  This ball was very predictable and in general a nice ball for typical league conditions.  With the strong and heavy roll, I could see this ball being popular on some of the flatter oil patterns where predictability and mid-lane reaction is a must.

In general, the box condition is probably too strong for most unless they are either bowling on a flood OR rev-challenged.  The polished surface made the ball much more versatile in covering medium to medium-heavy league shots.  THis ball has the potential of being one of the more popular Ebonite releases in the past few years.  If you are looking for a strong, but controllable ball, give this one a shot.
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-Strapper Squared

Alias Generator

This is my first review so I hope this helps.

I got my XXXcel drilled for maximum hook and man, I was not disappointed. Where I bowl they use a pretty oily wet dry so when the oil comes out from the middle this ball is perfect.  Also, on the days there are no leagues the put heavy oil out through the whole lane. Normally, I throw this ball up the middle arrow to about the seventh arrow. Once it reaches the break point this ball just turns. There are time I've thrown it from the 1st board to make sure the ball doesn't over hook. When this ball hits the pins it doesn't move off line at all.  The ball just goes through like there was nothing there. This is also a problem to though, because if you miss the pocket you can some very odd splits. One thing to be careful about this ball is that it is sometime speed sensitive. If you throw it too hard this ball sometimes doesn't hook if the lanes are to dry.  I actually think that the heavier the oil, the more this ball hooks.

Overall- This is a great ball for heavy oil ball. 10 out of 10
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XXXcel
Atomic Chrage

Coming Soon
PBA Fire Green
Classinc Zone Red Pin

if All else fails, just throw it.

Ebonite XXXcel:

Ball Specs
The ball being drilled was a 3” pin out with 3.00 oz top weight.
Drilling: Pin 4 1/2" from PAP and Mb 5 1/4" from PAP (approximately 60 degrees) pin is Above Ring finger, 3" above grip midline. No weight Hole

Bowler Information:
Track diameter is 10 1/2.
PAP is measured at 5 1/4 over and 3/8" up.
Average ball speed (foul line to head pin) is 17 mph.
Axis rotation is typically 90 degrees
Initial rev rate is typically 300 rpm, "Tweener"
Lane Condition and Pattern:
AMF Bowlero, HPL 9000 Panel. Oil Pattern: Heavy Oil and only slightly clean back ends. Fairly Flat condition from edge board to edge board.

REVIEW:
I knew this was the ball for this condition when everything else I threw backed up from all the oil. I like the ball, it hooks. The only thing I don't like about the ball, is that the ball changes direction so strong when it reads friction due to the strong weight block on the ball that it gives me a inconsistent break point. If it hits carry down, it comes in light. If it hits the dry to early, it changes direction to soon and goes through the nose. I think it is a prime example of too much motor for the tires, but don't get me wrong, it is a great choice for oily lanes and I am glad I had it that night.

Compared to other Balls:

Hammer Hawg: The XXXcel is earlier and stronger off the breakpoint. The Hawg is cleaner through the fronts and smoother on the backends. XXXcel is about 2 boards stronger.

Overall: Great ball for oily lanes, or bowlers that don't put alot of hand in the ball.

Thanks for reading my review.
Dwight