For anyone that cannot find the reaction they are looking for with the Toxic, start playing with the coverstock, it is very receptive to changes. I have struggled with ball for a month now and just could not find the "look" I was looking for with the ball. OOB was too O/U, 2000 abralon couldn't get it down the lane, 1000 abralon polished wouldn't get down the lane. I was about done with the ball and figured I would make one more change, 4000 abralon, no polish. Its like totally different ball now and I am finally getting the reaction I was looking for.
I had just finished up league and the cosmic bowl started up, so my daughter asked if we could bowl it for awhile. I figured it would be a good chance to hit this with 4000 and play with it. I initially lined up where I was playing with my special agent earlier just to get a read playing 16 - 7 or so on the lane. It got down the lane easy but didn't quite make the corner, a couple of adjustments with speed and hand position and it was making the corner. Here is what really opened my eyes. It was time to just have some fun with the kid, so I tell her "Watch this, Im gonna hook the entire lane!" So I move to about 50 with my feet, sliding left of the caps, float the ball from about 25-30 or so out to about 10 with a soft hand but high rotation....bang. Hmm...didn't expect that so I move a little further left...bang. I start playing with the break point a bit, push one out, pull one tight..didn't matter, it was crushing the hole. I tried a couple other balls with similar lines but nothing else was even close. So I decide to try a full game with the toxic playing this line. keep in mind its dark, lights flashing all over the place, music blaring, teenagers goofing off all around. My concentration is about nill. I am not setting at the approach, just walking up, putting my hand in the ball, and releasing it, staying real relaxed and soft with the hand. 1st shot 10 pin, then shot after shot 27-10 bang, 26-8 bang, it just didn't matter as long as I stayed smooth and relaxed. Shoot 290 that game.
I will play with the ball on different patterns and surfaces before I make my final decision to keep the ball or not, but with the look I had after taking it to 4000 abralon, it appears to be a keeper. I cannot remember ever having a ball that allowed me to open the lane up that much, with no O/U, on a shot that was still fairly fresh, (I was throwing my Rico'd Hawgzilla up 8 with a fair amount of hand) so they were no where near burnt.
Anyway, a bit long winded but, make sure you are making several coverstock adjustments before you decide if the ball is keeper or not.
