Over the years, every ball I’ve rolled from a Phil Cardinale stable has been a winner. Starting with a Track Critical Mass Code Red, followed by a Track Triton Heat and Triton Elite Solid to name a few, I’ve had good success rolling the Cardinale labels: Track, Dynothane, 900 Global and now Radical. All of my “Phil balls” have worked well on house shots as well as more demanding tournament conditions. The Radical Slant Hybrid is no exception as I’ve had good success with it on medium volume, high volume, short, medium and long length house patterns as well as all sport patterns. I chose a layout that leans toward a smooth down lane reaction. After more than 90 games, the Slant Hybrid is even smoother than I anticipated. It’s my first ball out of the bag on short patterns, dry back ends, and/or lateral wet-dry patterns. With the large intermediate differential, I was expecting a tendency to read the pattern early but my Slant Hybrid reads later in the midlane: Right where I want it to.

My Slant Hybrid was 15 pounds, 3 ounces, with 3 ¾ ounces of top weight and a 3 1/8 inch pin to center-of-gravity distance out of the box. Factory surface is 1500-grit under polish. I chose a 60x4”x40 layout (53 degree core angle) which resulted in the pin just under the ring finger and the preferred spin axis (mass bias) just below the thumb. After using the Slant Hybrid for a number of games using the factory polished surface, I experimented with different surfaces and lane conditions over several weekend practice sessions. Prior to these sessions, I purchased a complete set of 900 Global’s NEAT (Natural Engineered Abrasive Technology) abrasive pads for comparison with my Abralon, Abranet and Siaair pads. I rolled the Slant Hybrid at 4000-grit (T), 2500-grit (A), 1500-grit (E) and 750-grit (N) surfaces, settling on the E-pad as my preferred surface on harder synthetics (Anvilane, Pro-Anvilane, Pathfinders, etc.), the A-pad on softer synthetics (HPL, SPL, and older, harder synthetics with high linage in the track area), and the T=pad on wood surfaces. The N-pad read the lane earlier than I like but I do see this as a useable alternative for speed-dominant players. In comparing the NEAT pads to other alternatives, I don’t see a noticeable difference when new: Each achieves the desired surface. The advantage to the NEAT pads is that these pads last longer than Siaair, Abranet and Abralon. Also, the NEAT pads seem to maintain their new, like-new abrasive characteristics much longer than the alternatives. Pricey: Yes, but worth the difference to me. Well done 900 Global!

Back to the Slant Hybrid, using the ball with the 1500-grit surface matches well with the medium length and volume patterns I often encounter. I’m able to stuff the Slant Hybrid into the drier portion of the pattern without the ball over-reacting. If I tug the ball into the higher volume part of the pattern, the Slant Hybrid reads this well, too, it holds trajectory without any hint of skate or wobble. Using the smoother finishes (2500-grit, 4000-grit or polish) introduces some skate on carrydown but still reacts smoothly in the drier part of the pattern.

One unusual thing about the surface: Unlike many of the current balls, the Slant Hybrid seems to get stronger as it accumulates more games on a given surface. I’ve become “conditioned” to modern reactive surfaces starting out life great, then gradually losing reaction as the games accumulate. Oil removal and sanding help bring these balls back somewhat but seldom to what was experienced when new. Unlike these, the Slant Hybrid just seems to get stronger. I settled on the 1500-grit surface with approximately 35 games on the ball. 60 or so games later, the ball hasn’t lost any reaction. I’m a board or two further left in both centers I frequently bowl in with this ball than I was a couple of months ago.

Pin carry using the Slant Hybrid is excellent: Good shots are usually rewarded and
some marginal shots also carry the light 10 and trip 4. The core-cover system is well matched. Though my game fits in the tweener/power-stroker category, I could see the Slant Hybrid working very well for high revolution players. Strokers/low revolution players should have success with the Slant Hybrid using stronger layouts: 45x4”x30 (4”x4”x2”) and similar.

My current league bag includes a Roto-Grip Defiant Edge, a MoRich Perpetual Motion, and the Radical Slant Hybrid. The different shot shapes these pieces provide work well for me on the typical league patterns I encounter. Tournament adders include a MoRich DestroyR for the strong end of the bag and a Columbia Violent Eruption, Radical Slant (Pearl), MoRich Mojave and Lane Masters Hornet on the light condition end of the tourney spectrum. Over the years, balls come and go in the bag but the Radical Slant Hybrid should have a place in the mix for a long time.