BALL SPECSPin Length: 3.75"
Starting Top Weight: 3.2 oz
Ball Weight: 15# 4 oz
DRILL PATTERNPin to PAP: 4 1/4"
CG to PAP: 4 1/2"
X Hole (if there is one): 1 1/8", 10" from pin (drawn from thumb hole through/past pin) "Motion Hole Drilling")
BOWLER STYLERev Rate: 300
Ball Speed: 17 at the arrows
PAP/Track: 4 1/2" over, 1/4" up
SURFACE PREPGrit: 500/3000 abralon
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Matte
LANE CONDITIONLength: varies
Volume: varies
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): 40' THS, Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion
BALL REACTIONLength: 8/10
Back End: 7.5/10
Overall Hook: 7/10
Midlane Read: 7/10
Breakpoint Shape: Hard arc
COMMENTSLikes: Easy length
Dislikes: Nothing obvious
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
I finally have enough games on the Radical Yeti to write a review. Once again I'd like to thank Radical and BrunsNick for the chance to throw and review the ball. I went with the "motion hole layout" mostly because it was different. I don't normally throw "trick" layouts because I have a very "average" game. Very middle everything (speed, revs...). However, I throw almost exclusively on spots shots now, so my game has changed some. I've started cupping my wrist a lot less and have a lot less axis rotation than in the past (I've always had very low tilt). Now I get much better mid lane read, but less flip on the back. Therefore I have a harder time opening up the lanes than I used to. Hence, the motion hole layout for the most back end reaction.
Even with this layout, the Yeti could make a very good benchmark ball. It gets down lane with relative ease, sees the mid lane enough, and makes a good hard arc to the pocket. Nothing fancy - you don't have to throw it 20 mph to get it past the heads even after some traffic, and the back end is solid. With my rev rate it never became uncontrollable. The box surface was fine for my house shot, but didn't give me the read I wanted on sport shots.
For me it works best staying near the oil line. It will struggle if you yank it in the puddle on a juicy THS. It needs some dry boards to really shine, but almost all balls do. When it finds those dry boards, it still glides another foot or two before making it's turn. This might be from the motion hole because I noticed it more after I increased the weight hole size from 3/4" to 1 1/8". That's a good thing since it doesn't go bananas at the first sign of dry.
It also looks better with added axis rotation. When I'm more up the back, it really loses that easy length it can get. When I come around it more I can even get it to push down lane on the short sport shots and let that hard arc do it's magic. Even on Cheetah (which plays like it has less volume and more wet/dry than last year - tugs go left in a
big hurry and misses right can hang a bunch) I can get the ball to coast to the break point before making it's move. Even with the added side roll, it still doesn't over flip at the break point. It looks a little sharper than I'd normally like on Cheetah, but I've whacked it pretty good a few times with the Yeti.
It plays fine inside on a THS, but I still prefer to take some hand out of it and play closer to the gutter with the higher axis rotation. For me it just reads the lane better when you can find some defined dry to throw it towards. Higher rev rates might have a difference of opinion.
I'll update this again when I see more of the rest of the PBA patterns.
