Another ball I got through Ebay for my experiments with the laws of physics...
(see my other reviews, please).
About me: Style = Stroker/mild Tweener, right-handed
Speed = 13,5-14,5 mph
PAP = 5" & 7/8"^
Axis tilt = 18,7°
Revs = 250-300 RPM at release
For more details, check out my profile, please.
When I bought it, I was looking for an arcing, med-oily to heavy oil complement to my Trauma (tends to skid on sport patterns) and my TPC Player (good in oil, but simply not strong enough for the floods I sometimes encounter, especially in serious league). I thought a solid, medium load particle ball with low RG should do this job - and, as far as I can tell, the Blade Particle does well.
I paid (only) Euro 25, for the ball, which is currently about $ 30. Ball was in excellent shape with low mileage and a pin-under-bridge control drilling. Because span and the drilling did not fit at all, the ball needed complete plugging, new drilling and inserts at my local pro shop.
Ball setup:My Blade Particle is 15 lbs. with a 2 3/4" pin distance. For the task at hand, the ball was drilled strong (stacked leverage) for heavy oil with pin to PAP at 3 3/8" and the MB placed in strong position below for back end recovery on long oil and slick surfaces. The pin ended up 1" at 2:30 of my ring finger, CG kicked out 2 1/4" from mid line.
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==o=o===
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* = Pin
# = CG
Surface was sanded to 800 grit - box condition, I think. Surprisingly, no x-hole was necessary to keep the ball legal. I guess it has very low top weight. Oval rubber finger inserts completed the job. In Dec. 2005 I also added a thumb slug because my release changed and I needed a cleaner thumb exit and did not want to mess with the original hole.
Ball picture (and see also addendum notes below).On the lanes:After more than 1 year (including a retirement of the ball for some time due to thumb hole issues) at very different local houses and with different releases, here my overall impressions:
So far, the Blade Particle appears to be a very good-natured, rather tame ball. Not outstanding, but a reliable and strong working horse for a wide variety of lane conditions from medium to oily. When things get tough and slippery, this is my keeper in league and at tournaments on the oily side of my arsenal.
Hit is good, and as long as you have enough oil, it carries well. On lighter oil and short patterns it could be better, I "blame" it on my dull 800 grit surface for maximum traction and its dire need for oil to make it work properly. Additionaly, the ball is drilled to be as aggressive as possible. Consequently, on too short patterns and burnt lanes, my Blade Particle tends to leave wide open splits after light hits or when I miss the pocket at all. It simply rolls out early and right through the pins. Therefore, read the signs and put it back into the bag when it does not hook anymore and/or hits like a wet donut.
On oil, I found the biggest potential in this ball playing a deep inside line across the oil in the middle of the lane: On a fresh long shot, standing 25-28th board with my right shoe tip, laying it down at 18-21 at the foul line and aiming at 3rd arrow - sometimes even deeper! Drilled for some good length, the ball will break rather far down the lane at around 10th board at 39-42'. From there, it will roll smoothly into the pocket, showing a typical particle coverstock arcing reaction. Nice!
With the deep shot, the Blade Particle shows generally more and consistent carry than on an outside line over 10-12th board or directly down-and-in. I guess the steeper entry angle due to the aggressive drilling is the cause, not the ball itself. With lighter oil or on a worn-out track, moving the feet deeper holds the ball in play very well.
Anyway, the Blade Particle's path is very predictable, with a smooth breakpoint. The amount of oil will give you more or less hook, but always in an even and steady arc. Carrydown is no topic with this ball - it is simply blended out.
Upon pin impact, the ball makes a ruther muffled noise, much different from other balls I own. Probably it is the matte finish and the porous (see below) coverstock which absorps impact energy. Nevertheless - carry is O. K. and meets any expectation one might have.
Conclusions:Nothing spectacular - but no disappointment at all. Anything I'd expect from a mid-price ball, and from a true particle piece, too. I give it an overall 8 out of 10, mainly for its versatility and brilliant price/performance ratio.
I think it is a good and comforting ball to have in the arsenal, especially if you do not want (or can) spend lots of money, if you are a beginner looking for a tough but tame particle ball, or if you simply do not want to carry lots of balls with you. You cannot do much wrong with it!
The Blade Particle is not the ball for the sharp Hollywood hook, but a trustworthy low-budget all-rounder for medium to oily conditions. It is easy to handle. Even on 50 feet of thick oil it worked fine for me, and I keep it in my tournament bag for such soupy conditions when anything else fails.
The only things the user must be aware of are dry heads and too short oil patterns. The Blade Particle needs some oil to be handy, its shell has a lot of grip to offer.
Lane utility for tested ball (pattern length vs. oil volume):
|S M L
|h e o
|o d n
|r . g
|t
_______
|0 0 +| Light volume
|0 X X| Medium volume
|0 X X| Heavy volume
Legend:
X = Best suited with effective control & carry
+ = Fairly suited (works, somehow, but lacks control)
0 = Unsuited (ineffective, either slips or burns up)
The chart concept is borrowed from Storm's 2003 catalogue. Surface prep and drillings may change the results, it is just personal experience with my styleBy the way: when I received the ball I wondered if this was an early type or an Europe export version, because my specimen was completely solid Navy Blue (with light yellow engravings and pin). But now, after some wear and sanding at home, lighter coverstock layers shine through and create the marble effect surface seen on the ball's picture. It was probably as good as new when I got it.
...and, final advice, this ball absorbs oil like a sponge! I frequently put the ball into the bucket to keep it as oil-free as possible. The oil absorption is clearly visible when you uncover the lighter surface layers and de-oil the ball. It phazes out easily in the bucket and becomes even lighter! But this color change does fortunately not affect performance. Back on the lane again, the track area picks up oil easily, so that this part of the ball turns quickly dark again. You can even see the areas where the ball rolls through oil spots and tracks in the lane's mechanics, because this will also leave dark marks! After some time, my Blade Particle looked much like Columbia's EPX T-1, just in dark blue. It looks really ratty...
Addendum April 2007:
I still have the Blade Particle in my arsenal, now at 600 grit matte. This improved mid lane read and make the ball arc already in the oil. It has found a safe place in my arsenal as my heaviest oil option for infrequent use when I know what to expect on the lane. There are some sites around here notorious for tricky tournament and league conditions.
With this setup, the ball does not see much use (anymore) but does the job very well, and is still playable on medium oil as long as I play deep and chase the oil in the heads. The ball keeps up its performance very well, even though it (still) sucks oil like a sponge. Therefore I give it a quick hot water treatment after each outing with it, and it is just fine.
As a side note, I had a ball return chew out a bit of the spongy coverstock, but was bale to fix it with some
2 component Tamiya putty. Highly recommendable stuff for this task, easy to use, durable and comes close to the coverstock's hardness, so that sanding will not make a big difference between the putty and the original ball surface.--------------------
DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe
Edited on 26.09.2011 at 7:43 AM
