LANE CONDITION

Length: 41'

Volume: Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS


COMMENTS

The Villain is the latest addition to the Motiv lineup. It features the Sinister core that has been used on the Cruel line and it is wrapped in the Coercion MFS Solid coverstock, being best suited for medium and heavy oil conditions.

I had the chance to test the Villain on our House Shot pattern (Kegel Main Street, 41’) and I had a great reaction with this ball.

The first thing I noticed is how clean this ball is for having a solid, sanded coverstock. The Villain is clean through the front part of the lane with a smooth and continuous motion in the backend. For me, the Villain has a “benchmark ball” shape. Not overly smooth, while not angular either.

The higher RG on this ball allows it to be cleaner than other solid asymmetrical pieces, while the Coercion MFS Solid coverstock provides hook in the oil resulting in a strong midlane read and a strong, but controllable motion downlane.

The second thing I noticed with the Villain is how versatile this ball is. I was able to hit the pocket from different parts of the lane. I started laying out the ball around second arrow and having the 6 board as my breakpoint. The Villain had no issues clearing the fronts and delivered a smooth transition down the lane. I felt that I had a great margin of error with the Villain on this pattern. As you can see in the video, I was able to move inside and play in the oil a little bit more and the Villain created enough hook to hit the pocket.

The Villain blends the pattern quite nicely, is not jumpy when it hits the friction and is not too clean to miss the breakpoint in case you miss inside your mark.

I compared the Villain with the Jackal Rising and the Forza SS.

The Jackal Rising is stronger than the Villain. The Rising provides a strong midlane read, is earlier and smoother downlane. Overall, it has more hook potential.

The Forza SS has a similar motion, but it is earlier and has a slower response to friction than the Villain. The Forza SS is weaker than the Villain.

The Villain fits in between the Jackal Rising and the Forza SS in overall hook. When the Jackal Rising is too much ball or the Forza SS is not enough or you need more shape downlane, the Villain will be the ball to go.

Overall, The Villain is a versatile piece that will fit into a lot of different bowling styles and it can be used to play on different parts of the lane. Whether you want to play straighter angles on fresh or move in when the lane transition, this ball offers great versatility to be used on a wide variety of conditions. I feel that the Villain is a great option to use on everything but the extremes.

The Villain offers a clean, smooth and continuous motion on most medium and heavy oil patterns. Bowlers who want control at the breakpoint while keeping some shape down the lane, the Villain will be a great option. I feel this is the kind of ball that will always find a spot in your bag.

Thank you for watching!

Motiv has hit a homer with this one. The new Villain is a nasty addition to my bowling bag. it provides great length with a plenty of back end action. I can see the Villain being my benchmark ball,

Motiv Staffer
Stacey Jones

Layout:
   90 x 4” x 35

   Something Sinister truly has come with the new black and blue Villain. For the first time in MOTIV history, a high performance asymmetric core is being released at a lower than high performance price point. The historic Sinister core (2.54RG, .051Diff, .018IntDiff), found in previous high end equipment such as the Cruel Intent and 2 Cruel, has been wrapped in the brand new Coercion MFS Reactive cover (3000LSS) to create a ball that can get down the lane and release a strong backend motion while still having teeth in medium to heavy oil. I laid mine out in a manner that would allow the core to tumble a bit further down the lane before really taking hold but would allow the cover to still read the midlane strongly; that is exactly what I received. The higher RG allows the Villain to get through the heads relatively easy, allowing projection in a manner that is a bit labored in the Jackal line. The midlane is pronounced but not overbearing, giving some forgiveness if projected into the dry a bit quickly but being solid enough to read when tugged into the soup. Once the ball gets to the dry of the backend I see a strong, but not snappy, motion to the pocket with devastating continuation through the rack. So far the best reactions I get from the Villain range from the fresh patter with straighter angles to crossing around third arrow swinging it out to a breakpoint around five board. By this latter point, usually in game two, the ball will still come back but I can tell it is starting to work a bit harder so my next move is usually to ball down into my Lethal Paranoia and keep moving left or scoot back right with the Venom Shock Pearl. If you need teeth for oil, but also want something that can go deeper in the day than your traditional ‘heavy oil’ buster, consider the Villain, it is a great combination of both worlds.

Trent Overbey
In the Zone Pro Shop
MOTIV Staff
www.motivbowling.com

Ball Specs and Layout:
Sinister Core
Coercion MFS Reactive Coverstock
000 Grit LSS
50 x 4.5 x 50

Bowler Stats:
Rev Rate – 425
Ball Speed – 16.5 mph (down-lane)
PAP – 3 ½ over, ¾ up
Right-handed

Test Environment:
Fresh 42’ THS

Review:
I compared the new Villain to my Trident Quest and Forza SS. My idea behind the drilling was to hopefully replicate a similar reaction with my Forza SS but to have a little more maneuverability with it, i.e. a slightly earlier roll, or alter the surface and polish it to create a little quicker response downlane with the asymmetric core. What caught my attention was how well the Villain was able to store energy with its box surface. The backend shape was so clean that it works very well early and can be a set-up to my Trident Quest for when the Villain is losing energy in the midlane.

Likes:
Very smooth reaction
Versatile Coverstock

Dislikes:
None

Summary:
The new Villain is going to hurt some people’s feelings, as in the person not throwing it. The potential is already there for what this ball can do. It was a little reminiscent for me of the original Covert Revolt, but a little bit more. The Villain’s coverstock screams versatility – after playing around with it (polished, sanded, box surface), the performance it packs is highly impressive. Dollar-for-dollar, this is definitely the best value any bowler can get on any bowling ball.

Darryl Carreon
MOTIV Staff / PBA Member

Color: Solid Black/Blue

Coverstock: Coercion MFS Reactive

Core Type: Asymmetric

Weight Block: Sinister

Factory Finish: 3000 Grit LSS

Flare Potential: High

Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.54

Differential (Diff): 0.051

Intermediate Differential (Diff): 0.018

 

You either bowl as a hero or you bowl long enough to see yourself bowl as a villain.” ― K.White II

 

Cruelty and Villainy go hand in hand with one another so it makes perfect sense that the Sinister core that was featured in the Cruel Intent has made it’s glorious return to be featured in the Villain, surrounding the Sinister core is new Coercion MFS Reactive cover which is designed for medium-heavy patterns.

 

The 3000 Grit LSS finish provides an unwavering footprint while also allowing the Villain to retain enough energy to display exceptional continuation. Smooth. Clean. Continuous.  These are the words that came to my mind upon throwing the Villain for the first time.

As I was throwing it and watching the ball motion I kept in mind that the Villain series is replacing the Revolt Series, my favorite series.  The Coercion MFS Solid cover will provide you with a benchmark ball motion as I consider it to be well balanced in mid lane presence and has controllable behavior down lane.

The versatility of the Villain is also rather impressive, as the condition faded the Villain was this able to clear but its mid lane presence became stronger which allowed me to increase my ball speed to take advantage of the hook and stop motion. A ball motion I favor.

 

 

Comparisons

 

Jackal Rising: The Jackal Rising is stronger than the Villain in terms of mid lane muscle. The Rising provides a stronger and earlier ball motion and possess more hook overall.  I would use the Rising instead of the Villain when I encounter longer and heavier oil patterns, doing so would allow the user to carve a desired path opening the lane for ball down purposes.

Forza SS: The Forza SS is earlier than the Villain and has a slower response upon encountering friction than the Villain. In its natural state the SS is early and commands oil because of the amount of teeth the cover possesses, the roll is continuously heavy which I found ideal for when I encountered over/under conditions as the SS would roll right through it. Compared to the Villain In terms of overall strength though the Villain is stronger than the Forza SS.

 

 

I loved the Revolt series and I have fallen in love with the Villain and how it offers a clean continuation on medium-med heavy oil patterns. Those that have an interest in controlling the breakpoint while keeping some shape down the lane, the Villain is a flawless option and is definitely worth looking at.


The only thing better than being a Villain is bowling with one.

Your game will thank you for it.

 

K.C. White II

Motiv Staff

Mongoose Tape Staff

WhyBowl Staff

 

My favorite Motiv Ball thus far? If I didn't like them all, this one felt like a must have out of the box!

I can throw it on Fresh Flat, Fresh House Shot, Long Patterns, Medium Patterns, Burned House Shots, U.S. Open, you name it!

I liked this ball so much that I have cleaned it many times more than any other equipment in my arsenal! It's just sick the reactions I can generate with this ball. Just like with the Trident Quest, I can throw it with different track angles depending on the how the lanes play.

This is a MUST HAVE in my bag wherever I bowl.