-About me:
Right handed. 15lb. Power tweener. 16mph. Higher rev rate. PAP: 5.25†level. Thumb slug and oval grips.
-About the ball:
This ball has a solid reactive cover (Proton New Smart) and comes polished. The core is symmetric (Radial Velocity, RG:2.524, Diff: 0.044). The cover uses the new “Smart Aeration Technologyâ€, which helps keep the oil from accumulating in the pores. It was described to me as rounded pores (as opposed to jagged), which is designed to help the oil thin out and evaporate.
-Layout/Finish:
This particular ball weighed 15lb 4oz, has 1.9†pin and 3.3oz of top weight. The pin is below the ring finger, with the CG kicked out about an inch from the centerline (we didn't lay it out dual angle, but eyeballing it looks about 30x5x60). With a weight hole, it now has just under an ounce of positive weight. Box finish (2000 Abralon Sanded & Factory Polish).
-On the lane:
The Top Talent with this layout actually kinda rolls like a strong pearl for me. The core/cover/layout combination has given me a ball that clears the heads like a pearl, reads and rolls like a solid, and then flips like a strong pearl. This ball can hook quite a bit, but it needs friction. It won’t chew thru much oil, but once it encounters friction it starts to get into its roll and then flips. This combination for me doesn’t have the continuation after hooking that some of the other Lord Field stuff has given me, but it does not lose hitting power.
This ball has a very decisive break point for me. The turn is very predictable and “controllableâ€. Sometimes the shape of the backend looks like it burned up and rolled out, but it still hits, often with minimal deflection. Its niche has been medium oil, or longer patterns with lower volume, but you don’t always have to put it up when they dry out.
-Compared to other equipment
This ball is earlier but less continuous than my Bloody Cross. It’s stronger off the spot than my Exodus G1, but will go longer in oil. I haven’t thrown it at the same time as my Get Some, but I think they would roll somewhat similar with similar layouts… the Get Some having a smoother transition at the breakpoint. Comparing to older stuff I’ve thrown, I’d say maybe like the original Hammer Black Widow, or maybe the original track Code Red, or possibly a polished Brunswick Danger Zone (Not the original, the HPH).
-Dislikes:
If you have hand and see shorter patterns often, you not want to drill it pin down. It’s strong at the break point, and sometimes it hooks a little early on me. But I’ve seen other staffers with either with pin-up layouts, or less hand, and theirs goes longer and still hits.
-Summary:
I would recommend this ball for anyone who normally sees medium oil conditions, and wants a predictable backend reaction every time. Someone with a very consistent release should watch this ball do exactly the same thing over and over again. It’s also very versatile, so if you don’t want to carry around a lot of balls, this is a good choice to fill a wide range of gaps in your bag.
-Video
http://youtu.be/gBt0gIhxHlo
