Radical has done a great job designing cores that consider the post drilling specs.  Radical has also done a great job creating very continuous ball motions.  But like someone else mentioned, the diversity in the hook potentials is lacking, and as far as I'm concerned, the reaction shapes are all very similar.  If you took unmarked test balls from various different companies, I'd bet I could pick out the Radical equipment fairly easily regardless of coverstock type or surface prep, as it all has a very trademark roll and reaction.  I wouldn't consider this a bad thing though, the shot shape is very good and very effective. 

My ideal ball reaction is one that has been achieved by Radical with a few different balls.  Something that blends transitions.  The vast majority of house patterns are extremely wet/dry, whether from left to right or at the end of the pattern.  A ball motion that still has traction in oil but doesn't stand up or burn too quickly on dry is my favorite type of reaction.  Not for the purpose of creating miss room, but for the purpose of giving the bowler back some control.  While I definitely advise people with the newer equipment to let the ball do the work because that's what it's designed for, some newer balls almost do TOO much of the work and can limit extremely talented bowlers or force them to switch balls more than they really need to instead of the ball being a tool for them to manipulate.  Obviously you still have to use the right tool for the job, but sometimes tools can be so specialized that they limit themselves to few uses.  It seems like the more skilled the craftsman, the simpler the tools are that they use. 

Honestly, I think of Radical as a better Brunswick.  What is really missing is something with a true quick response to friction that isn't super sensitive.  Even supposed skid/snap balls from any Brunswick brand really don't do much more than create a hard arc.  I don't see anything with an honestly clean, defined transition in any one of the lines.  That being said, I still reiterate that my favorite reaction shape is one that blends sharp transitions, but when you run into soft transitions or need some punch, the smooth reaction of the Radical line sometimes gets too smooth and punchless. 

The best type of ball motion is something that can glide through the front part of the lane, still is able to read the midlane strong, and provide a very continuous drive through the pins. I like being able to control the breakpoint so anything that isn't too uncontrollable off the end of the pattern usually is a winner for me.

Since I dont really see heavy oil, a smooth reaction down the lane to the breakpoint, then a continous roll from the end of the pattern to the pins.

I probably throw a little slower than a lot of people that post here, around 12-13 mph, and I think something that would allow me to stand far left and swing the ball, without having to throw too much harder to keep it in the pocket.

I can throw a lot harder than that, but I seem to lose accuracy when I do, and I think that when the lanes break down and I have to keep moving left, I cannot throw hard enough to keep the ball where it needs to be to continue to hit the pocket.

I've love a ball that's effortless thru the heads with strong revs middle to late midlane. One that turns over and faces up with a strong distinct (no doubt) arc movement and finishes like an A10-Warthog on a strafing run. Visualize the ball charging around the corner like one of those 200mph cars at a high walled Nascar event (hard arc not flip).

my preferred ball motion is control with good back end...i don't really like skid flip...a ball that controls the lane and then still has back end has always been huge for me....great balls for this is grease monkey,torrid affair...and on occasion my guru

mike farrar

Phil, As the volume of oil gets lighter, the backends get stronger and I get older it gets to be a challenge to stay competitive.  With my ball speed diminishing I am now rev dominant.  I would like to see a ball that would probably be classified as a "tournament" bag ball for the younger players with ample speed and revs but would be considered the "first ball out of the bag" for those of us that don't have the speed but still have the revs.  There are many "entry" level type balls on the market but they sacrifice hitting/carry power at the pins so I wind up buying a Guru and Score and try via drilling options and different grit/polishes to try to make them work.  Nine times out of ten they are still too strong or I have made them very over/under.  So I would like a ball for the rev dominant/speed challenged type of bowler that would be able to use this ball for your THS, control thru the heads/mids, smooth arcing motion on the back with enough core strength to carry the corners.

Question is, what is the most desirable ball motion? 

In general, I like a ball motion that is early enough to be used on fresh patterns and not too late to not be used when moving inside.  I have a lot of issues where I bowl with control early in the set with the horrible and dramatic cliffs of oil in our pattern.  But as the night progresses, the shape that allowed the control off the end of the pattern is no longer able to recover with enough oomph to carry.  I now have to change balls to provide me the proper carry.  Too often I see bowler's ball not slowing down enough.  They would rather see the dramatic snap at the end of the pattern even if it means less carry potential.

Typically, the first ball is some sort of solid and the second ball a pearl.  But as we know, it is all in how the surface is prepared now-a-days.  Perhaps a core that generates early movement to allow control on the wet/dry patterns and a cover that allows the added length and fast reaction to friction later in the set.  Differential wise, nothing too high so the bowler doesn't have to have severe launch angles and keep the shot in front of them.