Ball: 14 lb. 6 oz.
Pin: 2.5"
Top weight: 3.5 oz
Drilling: 75 x 5.5 x 60
Surface: stock 2000 grit
Release Specs:
Right handed
RPM: 300 +/-
Tilt: 17 degrees
Rotation: 45-60 degrees
Ball speed: 14.0 - 14.5 mph Qubica
PAP: varies from 5" x 0" to 4.5" x .75" down
Oil pattern: Kegel's Beaten Path
Lane Surface: AMF HPL (approx. 3 years old)
Description: The amount of oil applied in this house for this pattern would
qualify for what I call medium+ to medium-heavy oil. (The house shot is
light to medium-light with a wet/dry look.)
The ratio is, I believe, a 4:1 ratio, much tighter than ours and most house
patterns. I see the result on many faces when the ball dives Brooklyn or through
the nose when they "ONLY" missed their target by 2+ boards. They're used to
striking dead flush when they normally do that.
My Impression of the "Beaten Path":
Before this league I had not bowled on this pattern. It is very different from
the PBA patterns I have bowled on in 2 major ways. One, it caters, to some
degree, to the old style house bowler, who stays on the "down the 2nd arrow"
shot, never changing once, until the shot comes to him. Two, Even though this
is a 5 person league, the breakpoint virtually cannot change in maybe 98%
of the cases and times, from 1st game through the 3rd.
Most times, the breakpoint area (6 - 10 board) gets drier and you have to move
cautiously or change balls or releases. Unless you have very slow ball speed,
you cannot swing the ball. Even our league average leaders, who have 450 - 550 RPMs and 17.5 - 18.5 mph ball speed (at the pin deck) have learned that. I did see one guy use an old Black Widow and slow-rolled it to swing it, but that's one out of 100 bowlers.
Where I have been playing:
I usually use a 3000 grit matte Karma Solid drilled 65 x 5 x 40 for the first 2 games.
3rd game is a 3000 grit RG Scream with a similar drilling. The 3rd game can get
ferociously dry depending on how well the oil machine has been tuned and prepped
for our oil pattern.
As a comparison, with the Karma, I usually stand around 25 and try to hit the 8 board at breakpoint (I have very little drift) in the 1st game, and finish the 3rd game standing around 30. By that time the controlled backend of the Karma is no longer "controlled". Then I have to shift to the Scream.
Espionage:
Surprisingly, I started standing around 25, with a breakpoint of about 8/9 board.
By the end of game 3, I was standing on 27, aiming for 7/8 board. I was happy
and amazed. The ball never got less than exceptional length, which makes suspect
that the cover may not be 2000 grit, at least mine, anyway. And I had to make sure I hit the ball. I fluffed one when I lost focus for a moment and I probably lifted more with my thumb than my fingers. The 5/7/10 was standing for a half second but the 5 & 7 both fell. How embarrassing!!
Another positive note: I pulled a couple of balls inside of target, hitting 10 or 11.
Each time I left just the 2 pin; the 4, 5 and sometimes the 8 kept falling down.
Sweet.
By the 3rd game, my thumb hole got a little sticky and I had to play around
with the tape and clean the hole over the course of 4 or 5 frames. Also around
that time some carrydown developed and the 9/10 area became too slick. I left
a number of weak 10 pins that disappointed me. But I guessed right, & you had
to move your breakpoint out to 7/8 board area.
I (& the Espionage) also kicked out a number of 7 pins that I will often leave
because I don't have high ball speed. I think I only left one ringing 10 pin,
which is always a good sign for me.
While the Espionage went a lot longer than the Karma, it always arc'd, never
flipped. I always felt in control. Except for that one almost accident, 5/7/10,
The ball always turned the exact amount of lift and revs I put on the ball.
I had a good feel for what the ball was going to do, even if it did it further
down the lane.
I was going to polish it for the house shot league tonight, but I liked it so much for the sport pattern. and I'm not sure I can replicate the finish that is on it now. I will eventually play with the surface.
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I apologize if the above comments were long and windy.
Let me say this: I am very happy and surprised that I was able to use this ball for all 3 games in this sport pattern league. I have not done that all year with any ball I have tried on this pattern, since September. This was also my highest scoring set in this league, more surprising since I have never used this ball anywhere before,
I think this ball has amazing potentiality. I am sorely tempted to buy another immediately.
