The Ball: MOTIV Sigma Sting

The Style: Power Stroker. 16.5-17 Speed. (Rev rate untested since shoulder injury.)

The Conditions: Riverside Lanes in Laughlin, Nevada. 40 FT House and 39 FT Modified Tournament Pattern. High friction environment.

The Plus: A fantastic benchmark ball that provides enough early read with a strong and smooth continuation that is replacing my Thrash Frenzy as my Benchmark in my arsenal.

The Minus: None really.

The Score: 5 out of 5.

After taking the first half of winter off to rest back up and reevaluate where I was going to be bowling in the new year, I decided to start punching up my equipment and throwing what appealed to me the most. Out of everything in the Motiv line I had to admit that this was not the ball I would of thought of as the new Benchmark in my bag simply because I had not been a huge fan of the Sigma series on my house condition which tends to be drier and break down faster. This ball has changed that conception and replaced my Thrash Frenzy as my current favorite ball on the lanes.

With the earlier Sigma core balls I found a lot of over/under reactions especially on the fresh in my home house. Combing the #REDBALL coverstock with the Sigma core has eliminated this problem by giving me an excellent read down lane without the concern of flat corners or an unreliable breakpoint. Even as the pattern broke down and became spotty at best, the Sting continued to read the blend well and I found myself making simple one and two board adjustments as opposed to drastic moves as I had to with the earlier balls.

In the end I consider this to be a house shot killer and a must have for a variety of styles and drill layouts. I have yet to see anyone throw this who absolutely dreaded the ball and take that as a sign of great things to come. Get MOTIVATED.

So the question that must be plaguing all you MOTIV faithfuls or those looking to break into the brand but are not quite sure where to start, what does MOTIV have in store for you? Well that is a very simple and exciting answer. I have two words for you, the Sigma Sting! This ball has no limits to how it can be used on the lanes. The Sigma Sting has re-defined the word versatility for MOTIV. Once again, championing the cover stock that made their presence known within the bowling Industry, the Fusion Pearl Reactive has finally been wrapped around the Sigma Core. This brings a new aspect to the Sigma line with a pearl but yet powerful cover stock that provides great length but still manages to provide both smooth but yet snappy back-ends.
There is no denying that this ball will surprise both the individual who picks up this piece and begin rolling it down the lane as well as those watching. The Sigma Sting has become by far the best ball in my bag and it is rare that the Sting isn’t one of the first balls out of my bag. I bowl in both first and second shift leagues and if this ball was the only ball I remembered for either league, I would be set. With the amount of energy that is retained for backend motion, I easily open up the lane as I move in as the 2nd shift shot continually breaks down more and more. Turning to the other side of the coin, I can just as easily tighten up and go more down and in on a fresh shot. When anyone claims versatility, its hitting power comes into question as the angles change with any ball, the Sting must have missed that memo. The first game out of the box, playing 2 different angles, left lane was very snappy, any shot left of the 12 board on the left side of the lane by mid-lane was going to make a nose dive for the head pin. The right lane was almost a polar opposite as I needed to play more up and in. This ball, out-of-the box, I threw a 279, only leave being a swooshing 10 with pins flying left and right but no such luck to take the pin out. Following that opener, within a month, I had thrown a 279, 290, 300, and a 280 (not all in one set of course).  If you’re looking to fill your bag with that essential go-to ball, especially for a tournament bag, the Sigma Sting will create some envy among the rest of your equipment as you may not want to pick up another ball from the bag again. Go out there and strike up a buzz!

Ryan Wyandt
MOTIV Staff Member
West Lawn, PA
rwyandt869@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter: @rwyandt869

LANE CONDITION

Length:  40 ft AMF HPL (house #1), 43ft AMF HPL (house #2)

Volume:  Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):  THS


COMMENTS

Likes:  Clean cover, strong predictable backend motion, versatility, carry power

Dislikes:  None

Having thrown Storm and Roto Grip almost exclusively for the past few years, the Sigma Sting really got me interested in checking out Motiv.  After finally picking one up, all I can say is damn, why did I wait so long?

Knowing that the Sigma Sting is tuned for medium oil, I figured put my favorite 4x4x2 layout on it, which is what I use with my Storm Hy-Road.  The big reason is I wanted to compare how this would be with that specific ball.  Plus, I wanted a good combo of length and backend motion.

The first place I threw this ball was at the house where I bowled my junior leagues in a long time ago.  That place typically uses a 40 ft THS on older HPL lanes.  Also, the pattern is known to give some over/under in some cases.  The Sigma Sting made the pattern look easy.  I could play straight up the boards or swing it from inside, and it was really surprising how much miss room I had.  Playing outside, the ball really shined by being very clean up front, providing a predictable midlane and then saving a ton of energy for a huge backend move.  Inside, the ball was still very clean, but provided a nice hard arc that didn't over react.

The other thing that is nice with the Sigma Sting when compared directly with my Hy-Road is that it was not nearly as speed sensitive.  I could still throw it harder and the ball had no problem recovering. 

Then, the second place I gave this ball a try is the house where I get my stuff drilled.  That place also uses AMF HPL, but has a longer 43 ft THS that has additional volume.  Just like the first place, I was able to play outside with no problems at all.  Moving inside and slowing my speed down, the Sigma Sting also worked very well and again prevented over reaction.

Versatility is a great thing with the Sigma Sting.  Regardless if I keep my hand behind the ball more to play straighter/throw harder around 20-22mph, it shines.  If I get my hand around it more with some more tilt/rotation and slowing my speed down to around 18-19mph, it also shines.  Regardless of what approach I took, the ball flat out works.

Last but not least, carry is excellent with the Sigma Sting.  The continuous motion the ball has when it hits the pins helps keep pins low, and has no problems with sending messengers for more strikes on the board.

Motiv has a huge winner here with the Sigma Sting.  The others who mentioned this is a perfect benchmark ball are speaking the truth.  As much as I enjoy what my Storm Hy-Road can do, Motiv takes the weaknesses I mentioned in my prior review of the Hy-Road (speed sensitivity) and gets rid of it.  In my case, it will replace my Hy-Road as my benchmark piece as it has so much versatility.

I can say that Motiv has absolutely impressed me with this ball.  If you have never thrown Motiv before, what are you waiting for?