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Author Topic: Are the coverstocks really that different?  (Read 3760 times)

trash heap

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Are the coverstocks really that different?
« on: June 08, 2012, 04:36:29 PM »
Okay. This is straight from Columbia300 site: Three bowling balls:

Encounter:
• Reaction: Strong Backend
• Veneer: Elastin 6.0 Pearl
• Surface: 500, 1000, 2000, 2000, Polish
• Core: Encounter
• Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy
• Weights: 12-16 lbs.
• 15# RG: 2.50 / 15# Diff: .052 / 15# MB: .012

Dark Encounter:
• Veneer: Elastin 7.5 Solid
• Surface: 500, 1000, 2000, 2000 Abralon®
• Core: Encounter
• Lane Condition: Heavy Oil.
• Weights: 12-16 lbs.
• 15# RG: 2.50 / 15# Diff: 052 / 15# MB: .013

Wicked Encounter:
• Veneer: Elastin 8.0
• Surface: 800, 800 AbranetTM, 1500, 1500 AbranetTM Soft
• Core: Encounter
• Lane Condition: Heavy?
• Weights: 12-16 lbs.
• 15# RG: 2.50 / 15# Diff: .052 / 15# MB: .013

A Pearl, a Solid, and a Hybrid. If you were to adjust all three of these ball's coverstocks to the exact same grit, how close would they be in performance?


Also anyone knows the difference between AbraNet vs. Abralon?
« Last Edit: June 08, 2012, 04:38:35 PM by trash heap »
Talkin' Trash!

 

glssmn2001

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Re: Are the coverstocks really that different?
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2012, 07:37:24 AM »
Not necessarily speaking on those particular balls, but lets say in general the difference I notice with the different covers it the response you see to friction. Some balls may be more exaggerated than others but all are definitely different.

 As for abralon and abranet, I believe the abranet is more like a woven abrasive when compared to abralon.

six pack

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Re: Are the coverstocks really that different?
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2012, 12:11:52 PM »
so much has to do with layout and cover prep you could maka all 3 fairly close to night and day not to mention the patterns played on. IMO.
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TamerBowling

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Re: Are the coverstocks really that different?
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2012, 02:13:08 PM »
Some mentioned it, but the reactions you see will depend on a few factors.
We can try to remove different variables to understand the impact.

Core: One key factor will be the core of course.  Since it is the steering wheel, the overall SHAPE of the reaction is dictated by the core.  That's neturalized with these balls.

Drilling:  Let's assume you would drill them identically.

Pattern: THS vs sport shots.  These will be quite different.  On THS, these balls could look very similar.  Many times, they can look almost identical if you don't look closely at the ball reaction or are not using tracking software like Digitrax.

On sport patterns differences will be magnified.  So you could go from a 1:1 board difference to a 4:2 or completely different zone play.

If you look at the USBC ball motion study, differences are much less between balls when the surface gets to 2000 abralon or higher grit.  That's when Ra or surface roughness is almost the same for the majority of the balls.  So all those balls to claim high surface roughness which is true out of the factory, will be almost negligible if you put on higher grits like 4000 or polish.

If you set them all to 4000 grit with polish, there will likely be very little difference since you've essentially negated the most influential of the surface friction factors.
If you sent them to 500, then you will see more obvious differences.
If you're somewhere in between, the potential difference between the solid and pearl would be maybe .5 to 2 feet in length, which will essentially change some of the entry angle or energy at the pins.
You'll have to decide then which one will carry better. 

They are different enough.  Sometimes folks go for solid and pearl compliment.  Sometimes, folks like to have the hybrid which can play like either ball depending on the finish.  Sometimes hybrids seem more than the sum of their parts by creating better match-ups to the lane conditions.
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Bowling 300 900

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Re: Are the coverstocks really that different?
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2012, 02:14:03 PM »
I don't think the coverstocks are much different but the whole advertising of them being stronger makes the consumer think so.

What I do think is different from ball to ball release is the way the coverstocks are finished at the factory.

It appears that you can drastically change the reactions of the balls based on how the factory finishes the product thus showing the customer the new stronger coverstock when in fact if you would do the same thing on the "older" or "weaker" release the balls would be very similar in reaction.