Great video first off. I really like this style of comparison. I do appreciate these.
However. Until I see guru versus hyper cell or something high end with NRG on it, I am going to have to assume the guru is weaker than the 2. No realizes that the zero and crux have storms weaker cover, ERG...because NRG was too strong for most (as was r3x).
Bill, I too would like to see the Hyper Cell thrown into the video mix. It would put some of these suggestions that the comparison balls are being cherry picked to rest.
Still, there is non-video evidence that says the Guru isn't being overhyped. BJI's November 2014 review of the Guru says it provides more hook than any ball they've reviewed to date. That's a pretty out-in-front statement for a major bowling magazine to make.
My direct experience with Guru vs. a NRG coverstock ball was in an 8-gamer on the PBA 50' Don Carter pattern. The pattern started very tight, and the Guru was the only ball I had that would transition from the oil with enough teeth to give me a good angle of entry to the pocket.
When the heads/mids started to go and I needed to ball down, I went to my NRG cover Marvel-S. The Marvel-S was the right choice after the transition, but gave me a little too much skid on the fresh during practice. It was OK, but clearly not as strong as the Guru. Maybe the core in the Hyper would have made a significant difference, but the NRG cover by itself wasn't enough.
Another interesting contrast I found was how the respective covers absorbed oil during play. I used the Guru for most of the first 5 games, wiping the ball down between each shot. Given how heavy the oil was, I was surprised how little of an oil shine developed. On the other hand, the Marvel-S developed more of a shine than the Guru after just two games.
In any case, keep the videos coming. It's refreshing to see a company willing to head-to-head.
