"2000" typically refers to the grit of Abralon pad used to impart a finish on the ball. Just like you have 600 or 1000 grit sandpaper, Abralon (an abrasive, circular pad backed by soft foam) comes in grits. The 2000 grit of Abralon, wet-sanded, is sort of a benchmark grit for league play. By and large, most people can play with that grit. It could also mean garden-variety sandpaper but Abralon is easier to work with.
Blue Alien -- I know two people who have them and it will need oil on the lanes to work properly if theirs is any indication. Not a dry-lane or even a medium-dry ball unless you don't turn the ball very much. You might have to step up the grit or apply polish.
As for layouts, I don't have enough information on you (PAP measurement, speed, revs, axis tilt/axis rotation) to suggest something. If you have a good driller near you, consult him/her. See if you can get them to watch you bowl with your current stuff.
Other than that, start surfing this site and read up everything that you can. The Drilling & Layouts forum is probably your best starting point, followed by the Coverstock Preparation forum and then the Elite forum. However, your Track Mutant is still a fairly recent ball (made in 2005), so unless it's got a ton of games on it, it will still be a good performer for you. I'm going to assume your other ball is a Brunswick Danger HPH since I'm not familiar with a Storm ball by that name, but again that's a pretty recent piece of equipment.
Jess
Edited on 8/18/2008 0:22 AM
