Given that I have a fairly neutral drill pattern on my Chainsaw, I'm going to try everything I can before I plug it (because I'll probably just sell it at that point). I need some help here.

This thing has been touchy from day one, either very good or very bad without a lot of in-between. So last night I knocked the polish off it and took it to 2000 Abralon. I figured if nothing else it would read earlier and be smoother and I could adjust from there.

Nope.

If anything, I killed it. Dead. It's about as strong as my XXXL now, except my Starburst actually flares more.

And I hate to ever blame a scoring issue on a ball, but I'm going to do it. After leaking oil in the last half of our third game tonight in draft scratch league, I basically had to go spare-spare-strike to close in the 9th, 10th and bonus frame. In the ninth, I put it down in the dry outside 5 and watched it come in weakly and leave the 2-5. Convert that with another ball, now I need 9/X in the 10th.

First shot in the 10th, I move a little further into the dry and almost leave the 2-8, but the 8 falls out at the last second. I convert. Now I need X, but I'll take a 9 to tie and salvage a half point, so I basically throw it in the same place, maybe just a tick less speed (a 10th of a mph, maybe) -- and the thing jumps left downlane like it had been shot and I leave a 4-6. Opponent steps up, goes XXX and beats me by one.

I'm getting about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of flare out of this ball, tops. So I'm thinking a flare-increasing hole would be a good pick. I'll take suggestions on that.

I also need a suggestion for surface. I've got a full complement of Abralon, ScotchBrite, sandpaper, etc., along with several polishes.

Drill pattern is basically pin over ring, CG on the negative side of the midline in a line from the thumb to the middle finger. Basically label, I guess, which is usually a great drilling for me with Lane #1 stuff. Don't know ending statics as I have no scales at the house.

Jess