Roto Grip Asylum

Right Handed
Rev Rate-400
Speed - medium
PAP - 4 up 1 1/4

The Roto Grip Asylum the Middle Roll 70 Core with 63MH Hybird Reactive coverstock.  Asylum is the hybird version of the Disturbed and Deranged.  I am pretty fan of the hybird coverstocks coming from Utah.  I really think they have something there with those coverstocks.  I drilled my Asylum 60 x 5 x 50 or
5 x  4 x 3 pin up.
The Asylum gives me good midlane roll with a real smooth roll of the spot, not flippy at all.  Really impressed with how predictable and controllable this ball rolls.
Not as early as the RG Disturbed or as angular as RG Deranged can be.
I also like that when the lane transition, the Asylum doesn't over bounce on the dry and big 4 or skid too far and 2-8-10.  Another great ball from Utah.

Brian Watson
Storm/RG Pro Shop Staff

The Asylum is the third ball released from Roto Grip with the middle roll 70 core that touts an RG of 2.50 and a differential of 0.043 in 15lb balls. This offering has a neon green, blood red hybrid cover stock.  The Asylum has a factory finish of 3000 grit Abralon that is easily adjustable to fine tune the bowlers reaction.
The Asylum really is a hybrid of the Deranged and Disturbed. It doesn’t pick up near as early and has more backend than the Disturbed. The Asylum reads the lane earlier and will handle more oil than the Deranged. If there was ever the perfect “fit ball “between two bowling balls, this just may be it.
I drilled my Asylum with the pin just left of my ring finger, and Cg on my grip line. This layout breaks down to a 4x6½ x2 ½, using the Storm layout system. I left the ball at the box finish and this ball was strong, strong, strong! Not only did it hook in the midlane, it also continued through the backend, and off the pin deck. This ball could be a great oiler if you keep the cover dull and clean it with some reacta-scuff. I needed to get some games on it and oil build up on the cover, to help tame it down a bit, as I have the Marvel S and the Hyper Cell for floods, and the Asylum is a step down in my arsenal. After about 5 games, it was the perfect marriage of glide through the front, with a clean read of the midlane, and crisp, but not jerky move to and through the pins. I have at least 40 games on it now, and have never touched the cover, but to clean it with reacta-clean after every session, and it rolls about the same as it did since game 5, once it oil shinned.
I have been able to use the Asylum on house conditions, long patterns that I have to go at the pocket with such as the Don Carter (50 ft) and Mark Roth (46 ft) patterns. I used it during a tournament that had the USBC National’s team (43ft) pattern once the fronts broke down a bit, and am able to use it on shorter patterns like the Viper (37 ft) and most recently the Carmen Salvino (40 ft) pattern. Versatile, really is an understatement for this ball with this layout for my style of game.
The Asylum is the first ball out of my bag as it isn’t the strongest or the weakest cover and core combination that I have. Often times, I don’t have to reach for anything else, just make a subtle hand adjustment or move my feet, and go to work. If you want a ball that has a lot of versatility with all except the absolute extreme floods or dirt lanes, than the Asylum is the ball for you.

The NEW Roto Grip Asylum has arrived and fits the gap that was in between the Deranged and the disturbed. The Hybrid cover over the Mid Roll 70 core is the perfect blend of solid/prl to give you the smoother motion through the front then the disturbed, and a more midlane roll compared to the deranged. I drilled the pin out with the ringer finger with a 45 degree shift, which is how i have its 2 brothers drilled like, and it did exactly what i thought by complimenting the other 2 when they needed help. The Asylum is a perfect tournament ball for medium to heavy oil. Own It!

Erik Ramos
Storm/Roto Grip Staff

COVERSTOCK NAME: 63MHâ„¢
COVERSTOCK STYLE: HYBRID
COVERSTOCK TYPE: REACTIVE
WEIGHT BLOCK: MIDDLE ROLL 70â„¢
COLOR:   NEON GREEN PEARL / BLOOD RED
FINISH:   3000-GRIT PAD
FINISH METHOD: CAN BE POLISHED
DUROMETER: 73-75 ON D-SCALE
FLARE POTENTIAL: 6"+ INCHES/MEDIUM-HIGH
WEIGHTS: 12LBS - 16LBS
SKU: RDO
RELEASE DATE: 01/07/14

My layout: 4 x 4 3/4 x 2
My PAP: 4 1/2 over 1 1/4 up

I almost start every review by explaining that I really prefer Solid coverstocks over Hybrid and Pearls.  I ended up really liking the Uproar but I can’t say the same thing about the Asylum from Roto Grip. I will say it was a ball that I didn’t give a big chance to because I was fixated on the Hyper Cell, as well as the Uproar,  and now the Zero Gravity from Storm.

I just never found the condition where I would just open up the lane or the pocket.  When the ball hit the pocket flush it looked powerful, but I didn’t see the same from hitting the half pocket. The ball motion was unique that it rolled fairly heavily, but I didn’t like the shape of it when it came out of the pattern. I also think a sign of a good ball is how well it sells a few months after it releases. I haven’t seen a ton of Asylums on the lanes in my area.  I throw the ball pretty straight, so I am fully aware that I may dislike balls that others bowlers like. For example I really didn’t like the Marvel Pearl from Storm but it really is a great ball that many people love.

I would also like to make everyone aware that on April 11, 2014 Amos Gordon shot 900, and more amazingly he followed that up with 875 {300,275,300}, and yes he did have the Asylum from Roto Grip in his hands both times. I will therefore plug and re-drill my Asylum one day and give it another shot. My rating for now is 2 out of 5. I will update this review if I learn to like the ball at a later date.