Quote from: Bigbowler on November 28, 2013, 09:03:23 PM

Drill a blue hammer urethane for a ball below your low flare.

Yeah its what I was thinking about doing, always wanted a Urethane anyways.

Here is what I would suggest, and someone who knows more about the finish, correct me if I'm wrong.

Definitely go with the new Blue Hammer, or if you have the money, time, and patience to look for one, find a good condition Fab Blue Hammer.

IIRC (and again, correct me if I'm wrong), the Fab Blues were at either 600 or 800 grit Abralon for the OOB finish, whereas the Blue Pearl Hammer was at roughly 1000 to 1500 with a pearlized coverstock.

The New Blue Hammer is at 800/1000/2000/4000, so it will be a lot smoother, and probably somewhere between the Red and Red Pearl Hammer if you were to compare them (dullest to most polished of the original line was Burgundy - Blue - Purple - Black - Red - Red Pearl - Blue Pearl - Pink).

So taking the New one down to 600 or 800 grit should put it close to the original Blue, which will definitely be under the ALF. If you want anything underneath that, you could either play with the surface of the Blue Hammer...

Or drill up a really strong Taboo Spare or True Blood. So you do have a couple of options to fit underneath your ALF.

BL.

Quote from: Armourboy on November 27, 2013, 04:10:20 PM

Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.

I have an ALF drilled with a 2" pin-pap and job finish.  I need a fair amount of oil with it or it will leave a lot of 10 pins.  Not a ball that can go very deep either, won't turn the corner.  But I wanted something very smooth and predictable.  May polish it up at some point. 

I also have a new Blue urethane.  Its drilled pin up, which I think was a mistake.  Its very over/ under.  Surface is at 2000 right now.  Thinking of plugging and redrilling it with a stronger drilling and knocking the surface down.  Maybe it will be better. 

Right now in my bag has been a pin up Cherry Vibe (really flies on the back end), ALF and an old polished Fab Red Hammer.  The Red Hammer gets the most use.  Really does well for me.  Also have a Burgundy, two Purples and a Blue Pearl.

Ive found most of the low performance reactives are just too strong anymore.

Yeah that seems to be what I've noticed as well. Seems a lot of the balls they have for light patterns turn out to be more for medium/medium-light once people get to throwing them.

At this point I'll probably go with the Blue Hammer, although I might just go with a True Blood so I have a spare ball as well. Always had decent luck throwing between first and second arrow with a plastic ball

Yeah I used to throw an old Ace Supreme that was scuffed a bit, damn thing carried pretty decent most of the time. Honestly was probably the best feeling ball I've ever thrown off my hand, just always hated using it because it felt like I was wasting the money I spent on my more expensive stuff 

I use the arson low flare in the first game only.....after the first game I leave a lot of 7 pins (a left handers nightmare).....in the second and third game I use a cobalt vibe....in the event that the lanes make a mistake and put a little extra oil on the lane I go with the trap.....this is very rare in amf centers