BOWLER SPECS
Ball Speed: 18.5 mph at release
Rev Rate: 540
PAP: 5.5 x 1.5 down (from center of bridge between fingers)
Axis Tilt: High (first oil ring about an inch from middle finger)
Axis Rotation: 30 degrees
Layout: 30 degrees x 4.5 Pin to PAP
Surface: Left at box finish (2000)
Center: Lane Glo South, New Port Richey, FL (same house they hosted the Cream of the Crop years ago for those that remember)
League: Monday Trio
Lane Surface: Higher friction
First season bowling in this center so wasnt sure what to expect. Started the season with a Gamebreaker 2 Gold, new Beast, and Deep Freeze. First impressions was that the pattern plays like a 38 foot pattern with crisp backends. The Beast with a 45 degree x 4.5 layout provided plenty of hook playing 13-15 at the arrows with 5-7 breakpoint. The issue I encountered was the oil kept pushing and pushing as the night wore on even though no urethane was being used. So once we got into the 3rd-5th frame of the first game; the Beast was nowhere strong enough and would leave 2-10s/2-8-10s. So I would pull out the GB2 Gold and much of the same thing. So after discussing options with my good friend Dannial Cohen of Striking Results Atlanta; I told him I needed a stronger cover but didnt think I really needed more help from the core and was looking at the Scorpion and Power Torq. After watching Tom Daugherty's ball reaction video on the Scorpion; I knew that was the right ball. Dannial got one and we decided on a 30 degree by 4.5 because even though there was push; I still had to play close to third arrow and needed some backend motion for the corner pins. He shipped it down to me in time to bowl and proceeded to shoot 259 out of the box.
The Scorpion provided me with plenty of push (no doubt from the help from the puddle the first 25 feet) but then the cover took over as it exited the pattern and gave that rev up and go look. For those that remember the Scandal. The Scorpion uses the same coverstock with a little weaker core and entered it at the mid performance price point. It wasnt smooth yet not flippy either. The video by TD gives the perfect look as to what I saw and playing the same area on the lane. Compared to my Beast, on the fresh, it is easily 5 feet sooner and about 7 and 4 stronger with my feet and eyes. On the carrydown; whereas the Beast went 50 feet before making any kind of motion towards the pocket, the Scorpion was closer to 10 feet sooner due to the 2000 surface and stronger cover. The biggest difference now is where I would leave those 2-10s/2-8-10s, the Scorpion still makes it back to the pocket and now may leave a corner pin that is easily taken care of with a small adjustment with my feet. I am now able to to play around 3rd arrow the entire night and just have to move between 30-35 with my feet at set up depending what the backends are doing. So now instead of me fighting with the conditions; the Scorpion now does it for me. I was averaging around 210 with the Beast no thanks to those 2-10s/2-8-10s but since the Scorpion; I am more around 225 and now looking for something like a Wolverine or even an RST-X2 to compliment it when I need to move a little deeper and need more angle. If you need a step down from the higher end asyms or a step up from balls like the Hustles, Beasts, Raw Hammers, and Hyped Pearl yet still controls the backends nicely with just enough pop to carry the corners; dont hesitate on the Scorpion.
