Radical The Closer Pearl Review
By: James Goulding III, Radical Regional Staff
Stats: Speed – 17.0; RPM – 335; AT – 20; AR – 65
Layout: 4.25†x 25 (no x-hole)
The Radical The Closer Pearl is the latest in the already legendary Closer lineup of equipment. The Closer Pearl features the very aggressive, but versatile, Ai-39 pearl cover. This cover / core combination places The Closer Pearl motion a few feet longer than the original The Closer Solid, with a much sharper break down lane. A must-have for every bowling bag, and it also features DynamiCore technology, for more hitting power at the pins and increased durability. I chose the layout I did to get the ball to go further down the lane and transition quicker with the longer pin (4.25â€) than my The Closer Solid (3.75â€) and the same low VAL angle (25 degrees). It perfectly complements The Closer Solid in my tournament and league bag. I have used it on a couple of different oil patterns and here is my assessment:
42 ft. THS (typical house shot): The Closer Pearl absolutely murders a typical house shot. It responds to friction quickly and makes a very defined move to the pocket. I took mine from box finish, down to 500 and back up to 2000 polished, and it responds to all of those very well. My favorite surface is 4000, no polish. If you are seeing too much early hook, take the cover up to 4000, too much length, just sand it to 1000 or even 500, it takes to those changes extremely well! Do not be afraid to adjust the surface to your game, this ball can handle it! I like how it can handle a decent volume of oil inside, not quite as much as The Closer Solid at the same surface, but more than something like a Counter Attack Pearl, for example. This allows me to throw it longer and make smaller moves on the approach as the lanes break down.
39 ft. Don Carter pattern: I have shot a few sets on this pattern and The Closer Pearl was a very good option for games two and three on this pattern for me in league, and in games 4, 5, and 6 in a longer format tournament. This pattern has been modified to have slightly less volume in the middle, so projection and speed control are key, and The Closer Pearl at box finish was the perfect matchup as they broke down a little. It rolled forward later on the lane and hit heavy through the pins, carrying the off pocket and half pocket hits extremely well. As the night progressed, I was able to move further inside and roll the ball off my hand, and it saw the friction later, making my moves easier and more trustworthy, resulting in higher scores and more confidence in the ball. It shines through the friction and gives you that perfect head turning “skid-flip†look that bowlers love to see through the pins!
If you are looking for that in-between reaction for your “go to†symmetrical ball, less early hook than the big solids but less length than the weaker cored polished pearls, look no further than The Closer Pearl. This will be the first symmetrical ball out of my bag on most patterns. Available now from Moore’s Pro Shop, and pro shops everywhere! Thank you for taking the time to read my review, and join the radical revolution today!
