BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: 900DJ on August 06, 2012, 06:40:44 PM
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Eyeballing a "dry" condition ball. Looking for opinions on a true dry/short lane control ball. Looking at the Slingshot, roto grip scream, motiv ascent pearl and rx1 silver. Which ball is what it says, as some "dry" balls in the past have been anything but!
Current arsenal:
Train-heavy/med heavy
Ransom Demand-med heavy
Amf radar-med
Double clutch pearl-med/med dry
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Visionary Blue/Green Centaur is THE ball. Maximum control, with maximum carry power.
(Note: I did not say maximum "hitting" power. The BGC only throws pins into other pins. They do not fly over or around the standing pins, but into them!!!)
This ball does all this with any surface from 1000 grit matte to 4000 grit polished.
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You can manipulate ball reaction by layout and surface moreso than by choice of ball on those types of patterns especially shorter sport patterns. Thats why a lot of guys throw strong balls with rolly layouts on shots like cheetah. Why not lay a ball out earlier and smoother on the back to control the breakpoint and make it easier to read. The ball rolls longer and gives you a higher carry percentage. Layout a medium/dry ball with a small drill angle and bigger VAL angle and throw it. If it still hooks too much use a P1 weight hole, not enough add a P2.5/P3. Then adjust surface accordingly.
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I would suggest a slingshot. It has a higher RG core which will get it down lane before making the turn to the pocket. I have 2 different slingshots that I use for short oil patterns and / or lanes that are getting too dry. I throw it 16.5 mph with an approx 400 rev rate and the slingshot line allows me to use my normal release. If it has too much of a skid / snap reaction, then you can use a 4000 pad to take of the polish to smooth out the reaction. The other advantage of the slingshot line is the multiple color options.
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The important question is whether you want a dry lane ball, meaning late in a day worn out lanes....or a short pattern ball, which means oil length of less than 36 feet.
Dry lane ball you need something that doesn't read early and flares less....so I would go Shout/Scream, Tropical Breeze Hybrid, or perhaps a Slingshot.
If you want a short pattern ball you need a ball to bleed energy off and not try to go long. This can be done with surface depending on your ball roll and how long the actual pattern is.
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I know all us Lane #1 guys do not show up much on this sight anymore but I can not recommend the Chainsaw S.O.S. highly enough. It flares very little and seemingly uses every drop of oil it can find to go very long before it makes its move and the carry is incredible. Get one while they last.
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For me I would take a weak ball and put the pin at 2 inches from my axis and the cg in my palm. A weak cover will help get the ball to push and the pin at 2 inches would already have the core "laying down" so it really smoothens out the backend. Another reason I like this layout is because it eliminates the need for weight holes; at least in my case.
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This is almost a 2 part question. A short pattern isnt really a "dry" condition. There is just an average of 5 feet or so (giving the specific pattern) length of hook. For shorter patterns urethan and strong balls for me have worked best. Layouts and surfaces that give you something very smooth off the end of the pattern is usually ideal.
As for "dry" sometimes you just need balls that get through the front part of the lane a little more cleaner. There are countless balls on the market for this.
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If you want a short pattern ball you need a ball to bleed energy off and not try to go long. This can be done with surface depending on your ball roll and how long the actual pattern is.
To both Russel, & Rightycomplex,
A strong ball drilled to be rolly is not an option for everyone. It requires firm ball speed to prevent that strong, rolly ball from rolling out and hitting weak. As someone who does not have that "firm ball speed", it is NOT an option for me, and, I dare say, for some others also. Maybe it remains an option for a PBA-capable bowler, but not for everyone.
That is a reason why I recommend various surfaces on a ball, such as the Blue/Green Centaur. It works on dry with fine surfaces, such as 4000 grit or polishes and it works on short patterns with rougher surfaces, such as, 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit surfaces. I've even used it in Nationals in singles/doubles at 2000 grit playing the 5th arrow with some degree of success.
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@Charlest - You're right, and I don't necessarily mean a strong ball, just something to bleed energy. Depending on style this can mean a Nano or a Breeze with light surface. Too often I see bowlers thinking that they need something to go long, when in reality you need something you can control with the lane giving you a lot of room to hook.
To some others that are posting...I wonder if you've ever actually bowled on a short pattern....and had any success.
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@Charlest - You're right, and I don't necessarily mean a strong ball, just something to bleed energy. Depending on style this can mean a Nano or a Breeze with light surface. Too often I see bowlers thinking that they need something to go long, when in reality you need something you can control with the lane giving you a lot of room to hook.
I've tried the strong ball (stronger than the oil amount might require), rolly, low flare drilling and I find it's an immensely tricky juggling act. It can work and pay dividends, but, for me, far too much juggling with surfaces and drillings were required and the results were too infrequently successful. That's why I use the BGC so often, when I faced dry OR short oil.
Yes, there can be a huge difference between a short oil and a dry oil pattern.
I still have my faithful and primed-for-short-oil original Desperado.
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@charlest. You are correct sir. But i was just giving an example. That wasnt mean for him to go out and drill a VIVID 90x5x70 and bombs away. Just letting him know that on short and sport patterns (eventhough i didnt mention or clarify it in my earlier post) he has more options and he going to need them and know when to use them. I have an Motiv RX1. Rolls great when the lanes specify it. On short sport patterns the ball is squirty and kind of over/under. Too much dry, the ball gets sideways on THS. Just letting him know that you can get a strong ball and take the core out of play by manipulating the layout and balance hole to control the backend, which may be an option for him and what we set out to do, control the breakpoint. He can drill a medium oil ball and have the same effect if he's rev dominant.
As you said, it doesnt work for everyone. But it might make the game easier by reading earlier and controlling the reaction. it was just a thought.
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Rightycomplex,
It is a good thought. I just wanted to make sure some people knew, it might not work for every style of bowler and that it could a tricky balancing act.
I also use an Orange Recon for many purposes. With "non-firm" ball speeds (less than 15 mph at the backend), on shorter patterns, it can have quite a lot of backend. Like the BGC, I use a couple of different surfaces on mine to control that backend, when I encounter those conditions. On the same conditions, the BGC has much less of a backend problem. Considering how weak they are, the carry power of both ball sis quite good.
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@Charlest - You're right, and I don't necessarily mean a strong ball, just something to bleed energy. Depending on style this can mean a Nano or a Breeze with light surface. Too often I see bowlers thinking that they need something to go long, when in reality you need something you can control with the lane giving you a lot of room to hook.
To some others that are posting...I wonder if you've ever actually bowled on a short pattern....and had any success.
Success is different for everybody. Success for one person could be a Regional/National Title. For another, it could be performing well at the USBCs. For another person, it could be shooting 600+ on a tougher pattern or 800 on a THS. I have bowled quite a bit on shorter patterns and found success using two different pieces of equipment. The first was a Track Crunch at box finish plus Clean and Sheen. The second was with the Ebonite Black Ice with the pin at 2 inches from PAP, cg center of grip, and no weight hole. The Crunch I started playing around 15 out to 7-8 breakpoint. When I used the Black Ice, I started playing 12ish out to 5-6-7 breakpoint and at the end of the set, I migrated to 15ish out to 8-9-10. The Crunch was used on a centers version of a THS where they only oiled down 34 feet in their evening run of the machine and the time I used the Black Ice it was used in a State Tournament. Anyone else with success on shorter patterns???
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I understand you guys points. I wasn't real specific, looking more for a ball thats good on low volume ths or burnt usbc patterns when a controlled reaction is warranted. I am fairly balanced when it comes to speed/revs with a touch more speed around 17mph at the pins. Never got to bowl on any short sport patterns, as a local monthly tournament I compete in is hooked on the highway to hell kegal pattern.
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Based on your last post I am going to suggest a new Blue Hammer drilled using the old axis leverage layout. Getting the cg closer to the PAP will require a large hole on the PAP and will help calm down the ball reaction but still allow the ball to hit.
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Another good ball for short or light oil patterns would be the Karma Solid Urethane. It will not go sideways when reaching the dry like a reactive ball. The lightbulb core is used like the other Karma series balls, but it has a solid based urethane covertock. Since it has a symmetrical core, you can use your favorite layout.