OK, this makes the 2nd Lane #1 ball i have owned. Prior, i used a Black Cherry Bomb that refused to stop rolling out, but would skid and die when polished. i was somewhat leary of picking up a new buzzsaw but... i am glad i did.
15 lbs, 2" pin between fingers, CG directly on the palm slightly kicked out.
pattern: medium volume 35' wall, 9-out dry, very clean backends.
the ball was drilled with the intention of reading the midlane early after clearing the heads, pushing past the oil and arcing into the pocket. well, i screwed myself over on that deal, perhaps due to the short pin. the ball was a hook monster. after my first 3 throws from the usual mark (25 over 3rd arrow to 10 board), i moved 7 boards with the feet inside... i was throwing it out over the middle arrow, it would rev up about 35' down the lane (as SOON as it cleared the oil), move out to 8 or 9, then make like a missle for the opposite gutter. i had never thrown a ball that moved like this. i polished it RIGHT before each league, and it became manageable. i could come close to my usual mark, but i would still end up giving a half-assed loft with my whole hand in it to rev between 3 and 4 arrow. the polish let is slide a bit, then it was lights out. i finished the last 9 weeks of league chucking this beast, and after getting used to the fact that it guzzled oil i found that it would kill the pocket. average for the last 9 weeks using this ball for the opener was 194. i booked 171.
emerald part 2: 37 foot light volume, sweet-baby-jesus heads, 10 out dry, stripped to the wood backends that just FLY.
so, this fall league i could no longer bowl at that first house. my new house has better kept lanes with a longer pattern, but less volume. the Emerald, even with a polish, was too agressive and rolled out. i had my driller plug a weight hole in the side, and wow... it was a new ball. when i say new ball, i mean it. i can play between 2 and 3 arrow without lofting, and i took some hand out. now she revs up smooth, and makes a solid, predictable turn into the pocket.
so, my summation is that with the right drilling, this ball can be beauty or beast. the weight hole turned this ball into a tame pussy cat when it was a rabid lion on more oil. next drill would be pin out over middle finger, CG left of palm. maybe it wont be a freight train.
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i don't care who makes it, how much it costs, or how sexy the ball looks. can i carry the 7 and level the deck with a $60 ball?
bring on the Lefty uprising!
