Author Topic: Idol Pearl (Read 24406 times)

BallReviews-scodaddy21 · « **on:** November 14, 2018, 11:05:10 AM »

The Roto Grip Idol Pearl uses the Ikon core that changed the perception of the HP3 line for Roto Grip. This core has a low RG symmetrical shape with high differential that generates flare as well as awesome motion down the lane and on through the pin deck. The Idol Pearl introduces the xTrax-P18 Pearl Reactive coverstock which was designed to compliment the original Idol bowling ball. This cover is finished with a 1500 grit pad and then polished. This ball can handle most any lane condition but is best used on medium to medium/heavy oil. *There will be some variance in color due to the Nano material. This is due to "phasing". Some of the balls with phasing have a white color in them and some may appear to have water spots.

Color: Royal / Amethyst
All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown
Core: Ikon Symmetrical (14#-16#)
Coverstock: eTrax-P18
Finish: 1500-grit Polished
RG: 2.49 (for 15# ball)
Differential: 0.052 (for 15# ball)
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium to Medium/Heavy Oil

k1ngsizepapa · « **Reply #16 on:** January 07, 2019, 10:02:04 PM »

LANE CONDITION

Length:40

Volume:High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS

COMMENTS

Cover: eTrax-P18â„¢
Weightblock: Ikonâ„¢ Core (Symmetrical)
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.49
Differential: 0.052

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 60 X 5 3/8 X 40

Roto Grip is continuing to overpower the market by giving you stronger equipment than anyone else in the price point. The Idol was a wildly successful ball and a huge seller because of the HP4 performance you got at the HP3 price. The new Idol Pearl was inevitable and long awaited.

The Idol Pearl for me was much stronger in the mid-lane than I would expect from a Pearl. It is cleaner through the front than the original Idol but gives you motion pretty early for a pearl. As you would expect it is more continuous down-lane. Normally I don't see a very definable difference in hook between a pearl and a solid with the same core. They obviously have different motions but generally the hook is comparable, just a different shape. This is definitely an exception.

The Idol Pearl adds more down-lane motion that you lose in mid-lane read. As a result the cover creates an even more powerful hook and hit combination. I am a big fan of pearl balls that you can play in with on longer patterns and this one seems to be the prototypical motion for that. The biggest selling point for me is that when you find a pearl strong enough for that situation, it tends to slow the transition, allowing you to stay in one place longer.

I threw the Idol Pearl on a high volume house pattern that I bowl on weekly in league. As with alot of my previous reviewed balls, it creates a large out of bounds area to the right, and I usually have to throw surface on the fresh. I love the Idol Pearl because I can simply move left and play the hold, avoiding that are of the lane all together. My look tends to just get better as the players who have to play straighter up the lane break it down right of me.

I also had the opportunity to throw it in another house with a much more defined pattern. I was worried that the ball might over-react with more friction but it's mid-lane strength actually helped blend the pattern a bit more and I was able to stick with the ball all 3 games. Using one ball all night in that house is a rarity for me as I usually need to switch to cleaner more angular equipment when the fronts go away.

This ball is an affordable power-house which makes it an easy sale for those of us in the pro shop. I think this ball matches up with a wide variance of bowlers and it is also very responsive to different layouts. Use it on a house shot, or a pattern and you get great performance.

PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

live2bowlgr8t · « **Reply #17 on:** January 09, 2019, 12:20:03 PM »

LANE CONDITION

Length: 40ft and 42ft

Volume: medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS and Modified House Shot

COMMENTS

Likes: I'm a huge fan of this ball. I wasn't sure how much angle it would have down lane or how it would compare some of the other pearl symmetrical balls from Storm/Rot Grip so I went with alittle shorter pin distance on this one but with almost the same drill angles to just give myself a different shape down lane and this ball did not disappoint. I went with a 60*4*80 layout with no extra hole. The way this ball compliments the original Idol is amazing. When the lanes are alittle tighter I can start with the regular Idol and then when I have to chase the pattern left and I want something to corner better I can go to the Idol pearl with no worries of it recovering. I did see that for me it was alittle too clean on the fresh patterns that were longer than 40ft.
Compared to some of the other symmetrical pearl balls I have it is the cleanest and strongest ball for me, I threw it against the SoniQ and Marvel pearl remake.
I really really like this ball. It hits the pins very hard and its continuation is amazing. It doesn't mind oil either. On a few shots that I missed in the oil it still picked up enough to go through the pins the right way where as with the other pearl balls they still want to skid through the oil. I highly recommend this ball for all bowlers both for tournament play and just league play.

Nick Smith
Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff

Dislikes:

PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

cmattingly · « **Reply #18 on:** January 21, 2019, 02:05:10 PM »

LANE CONDITION

Length: 43'

Volume: 21 mL's

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS

COMMENTS

Likes: Reads the mids very well with a strong but controllable motion off the spot

Dislikes: none yet!

First of all, I am not a fan of pearls or polish in general but for testing purposes I always throw the balls how they come out of the box. Typically they get hit with a 2000 or 3000 pad very quickly. After about 10 games with it I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with the Idol Pearl. This ball reads the middle part of the lane very well for a pearl and still retains energy to create a strong but controllable motion down lane. Compared to my Son!Q, the Idol Pearl is much more continuous whereas my Son!Q was much more forward rolling off the spot.

I am coming off of an injury at the moment and I have only bowled on fresh lanes by myself to practice. I am anxious to see how this ball deals with transition.

My Layout for this ball is 60 x 5-1/2 x 35. This puts the pin above my bridge and my CG about an inch off of the center line.

Favorite Balls at the moment:
Code X- 60 x 5 x 70 pin down with a low hole
HyRoadX- 60 x 5 x 70 pin down, no hole
PhysiX 60 x 5 x 35 Pin up, no hole
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

ct9pinking · « **Reply #19 on:** February 05, 2019, 01:47:07 PM »

IDOL Pearl
The E-Trax P18 Pearl Reactive Cover is combined with Ikon Core which is also in the original IDOL. The IDOL Pearl in my opinion is perfect compliment to the original IDOL. I really like the IDOL Solid so I was very excited when this ball was announced. IDOL-Pearl is all I needed to hear and I was sold. Especially considering the IDOL Solid is my favorite benchmark ball on house or sport shots. A pearl ball that isnâ€™t sideways in the back part of the lane. To me itâ€™s much more responsive in the mid-lane than most pearl bowling balls. The IDOL Pearl is a great Symmetrical ball and a perfect addition to the HP3 line. The IDOL Pearl is a must have!
Bowler Info: PAP 4 9/16 x 1 3/16 up; Ball Speed 18mph; Rev Rate 620 RPM
#stormnation
Keith DeMaine
Storm Amateur Staff
Connecticut State & County HOF
www.stormbowling.com
www.rotogrip.com

Roto Grip Idol Pearl Ball Review by Keith DeMaine

Kcbrunner · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2019, 01:38:33 PM »

I love this ball !!! It is my go to when the lanes get "messy". It is clean through the heads and strong off the break point. Idol Pearl is a must have in any tournament players bag !!

smcintire78 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 01, 2019, 12:44:02 PM »

Layout: 60 x 4.5 x 30
My PAP: 5â€ straight over
Axis Tilt: Between 3 and 8 degrees
High Track Player

Intent for this ball/layout: Wanted this ball for the late game blocks once a pattern really started to breakdown to allow me to get left and open up the lane.

What I got: Another great ball from the storm/roto family. If you loved the original idol you will love this ball as well. It will be a great ball to transition to when the original idol is hooking to early and you need the same shape but more length.
â€¢ House Shot: This ball is perfect for the end of league night when the outside part of the lane is fried. The pearlized cover helps the ball float through the heads and come screaming back off the spot down lane.
â€¢ PBA 42ft Mark Roth pattern: I was able to pull this ball out the last three games of qualifying (8 games) and it helped me control the large amounts of friction in the heads as well as the outside part of the lane. When everything else in my bag was hooking early and having no energy in the pins this ball was my saving grace.
Donâ€™t sleep on this ball. Get one today! #StormNation

TonyMarino · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2019, 09:41:18 AM »

Roto Grip Idol Pearl

The Ikon Core that was in the original Idol changed the way everyone looks at the HP3 line. The low RG symmetrical shape with high differential not only provides plenty of flare throughout the lane, it also provides superb motion down lane and through the pins. The original Idol used a solid cover which was great for controlling and reading the front part of the lane, but the new Idol Pearl is using the eTrax-P18â„¢ Pearl Reactive coverstock and this thing is STRONG. This is the strongest pearlized ball Roto Grip has ever created in the HP3 line. Between the core and cover, this ball is ideal for medium to medium/heavy conditions where there is a little friction.

What I notice the most about the Idol Pearl is just how strong of a shape it makes. The cover is a very â€œgrippyâ€ pearl, so it is not as clean as most pearls in either Roto or Storm lines, but man does this ball shape down lane. I am really impressed with the Idol Pearl so far and the cover seems to be fairly versatile for a pearl, because I like it even at 4,000 and 2,000 grit.

We cannot stop selling these balls at the pro shop and there seems to be a 300 shot with it every other night in my area. I highly recommend.

fjcallahan · « **Reply #23 on:** March 06, 2019, 03:39:08 PM »

Thank you for taking some time to read my review, here we go!

The Idol pearl has been out for about three months now and I apologize for writing a late review. It features the Ikon Symmetric weight block, the same as inside the OG Idol, and the eTrax-P18 pearl cover which is found on the new Halo Pearl. I'll start by saying how much I enjoyed that cover, for me, a lot of RG releases tend to be a bit early and smooth. That most likely due to my style so, I was very pleased with the amount of down lane motion I got out of Idol Pearl. I typically use a five inch pin up layout to promote forward roll and energy retention on pearl symm bowling balls which has worked out very well as of late.
The Idol Pearl has been my ball of choice during league play when the track starts to burn up and I need to start moving my feet left. I really like the easy length and predictable shape I get out of this ball. I was a bit surprised at the control I had from a strong pearl ball. Typically a pearl creates too much angle and weird pin carry. The pairing of the core and cover was a great idea from the crew at RotoGrip. This ball has sold great in the shop and customers have been tossing some big sets with it. It seems to favor lower rev rate players, which is not a surprise to me being that the heavy handed bunch get over/under from most pearl balls. That's what I got, again thank you for reading. If you'd like to see the video, go to Callahan's Performance Bowling on YouTube.
Go to your local RotoGrip ProShop and check out the Idols.
I am Fred Callahan, we are Callahanâ€™s Performance Bowling and we will see you next time.

Gil B · « **Reply #24 on:** March 06, 2019, 07:30:43 PM »

The Idol Peal comes to us with the E-Trax P18 Coverstock with the amazing Ikon Core same as in the original idol . This ball is a beast . A pearl Symmetrical that is really clean through the fronts, and banks on the back end. This ball retains a lot of energy for me and takes it on the pins. Being I high speed high rev player this ball really gives me a good look on a house shot. If you liked the original Daredevil youâ€™re going to love this ball itâ€™s a Daredevil on steroids.

BSumner · « **Reply #25 on:** March 09, 2019, 10:07:25 AM »

LANE CONDITION

Length: 40

Volume: 22-25mls

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

Likes:

Dislikes:

PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

I’m a little late to the game on this one, but for a solid reason. I have a few friends who have been throwing this ball since its release and, like the original Idol, it seems to be a go-to ball in their bags.

I waited a while to drill this ball because I simply didn’t quite know where I wanted it to fit in my bag. Another symmetrical pearl didn’t quite have a home. Since I do 60-70% of my bowling on house patterns, I decided what I really missed was the ball to transition from the burned up track to the ball I usually end the night with. That late game 1 or early game 2 window where I’m not ready to wheel the lane, but I’m tired of weak corners or stubborn 4’s that won’t trip.

I put my favorite 4.5x4x2 layout on the Idol Pearl and what I found was the freedom to play the middle of the lane and open the angles without the crazy sharp, unpredictable snap… or lack thereof. It’s a bigger symmetrical core, so it’s not going to give up on you.

In my opinion, the Idol and Idol pearl together can get you from frame 1 to frame 30 on most house shots.

Brian Sumner
Storm Amateur Staff

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itvbpk7j7-w

yellowdog07 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 12, 2019, 04:16:07 PM »

Weight: 14 lbs.
Pin Length: 4 â€
Drilling: 35 x 3 1/2 x 20
Pattern Length: 40 ft.
Pattern Volume: Medium
Pattern Type: THS
Right Handed

The Idol Pearl has the symmetrical Ikon core weight block in the popular HP3 line, wrapped in the eTrax P 18 pearl cover stock.. The box finish is 1500 grit, polished, but as always, can be changed to suit a variety of lane conditions. It is an attractive Royal Blue color.

I have used the Idol Pearl on a 40 ft. kegel house pattern, and several modified house patterns in area tournaments.

I tried the Idol Pearl at the box finish and havenâ€™t done any surface changes as of yet. Iâ€™ve found it to have a perfect mid range spot in my arsenal. I find it to be a good starting ball on our fresh house pattern before the carry down begins. I can go from the Idol Pearl, right to the Idol once the pattern starts to carry down. The Idol Solid will give me a little earlier start up once the Idol Pearl starts going too long and leaving corners. Being a lower rev player with 14 mph ball speed, I need the stronger motion on the back end to help with carry. I get this motion with the Idol Pearl. I can also go to it once the pattern starts to break down, as I then get the length i need to hold the pocket.

The Idol Pearl is part of my every day arsenal right now. For a mid range ball, the Idol Pearl will give you a lot of bang for your buck. Donâ€™t leave home without it!

Carol Teel
Roto Grip Amateur Staff Member

GutterLine · « **Reply #27 on:** March 15, 2019, 07:33:19 AM »

Right Handed
Ball weight: 16
Rev Rate: 400
Ball Speed: 17
Axis Tilt: 7
Axis Rotation: 45*
PAP: 3 3/4 horizontal, 7/8 up
Layout: 4â€ pin to pap, 2 Â½ from VAL, buried thumb hole

I normally tend to roll big asymmetricals much more than symmetricals. Big asyms just tend to roll better for me. That said, with all of the love the Idol Pearl has been getting, I had to punch it up and see where it ranks in my bag.

Well, I can say that after 6 games, this ball has moved into my main bag. Iâ€™ve only used it on the THS in two different houses, but it was pretty amazing for those games. Itâ€™s really clean through the fronts with a defined breakpoint. I think it could be super sharp, depending on the pattern, but with the THS, thereâ€™s plenty of friction to the right, but it never really tried to jump early, unless I really rolled it badly.

Of my league equipment, this one makes the cut. Itâ€™s a bit stronger than the HyRoadX (with the same layout), a bit weaker than the Physix, but a lateral move from the Code Black. The shape is very similar to the Code Black, but itâ€™s a bit quicker off the spot.

I see the Idol Pearl getting a lot of play in the up-coming tournament season, and I look forward to rolling it quite a bit.

hammermike2000 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 19, 2019, 01:25:39 PM »

Roto Grip Idol Pearl

Layout: 60 x 4 1/2 x 40

Surface: 4000

The Idol Pearl brings a unique ball roll to the Roto Grip lineup - a pearl symmetric that is rolly, yet can still get around the corner when you need to move further left. As is the case for all shiny ball out of the box, I cracked the surface slightly with a 4000 pad, to smooth out the reaction just a bit. What I got was a ball that can be played straighter on fresh, as long as it isn't heavy oil. The rolly nature of the core helps to control the skid flip nature of the cover, and a nice mixture of the 2 is what contributes to the versatile nature of this ball. It is best at home on medium oil, but can cover medium-heavy down to medium-dry.

In comparison to the Halo Pearl, which has the same coverstock, the Idol Pearl is cleaner through the front and is a couple boards less hook overall. Starting with the Halo Pearl and then transitioning to the Idol Pearl has been a good move for me when the Halo Pearl starts to hook a bit too early due to the strength of the core.

Mike LeViner
BowlersMart

tommygn · « **Reply #29 on:** March 22, 2019, 12:48:49 PM »

The Idol Pearl is the pearl release in the HP3 line of bowling balls from Roto Grip. The Idol pearl has excellent shelf appeal with the royal/amethyst color combination of the eTrax/18 pearl cover. The pearl uses the same Ikon core as the solid Idol, which has an Rg of 2.49, and a differential of 0.052, in 15lbs.

I drilled the Idol pearl with a 4.5â€ pin, and 2.5â€ pin buffer. This layout is only slightly different from the 4.25 x 2.5 Son!Q I will use for comparison. Out of the box, the cover on the Idol had a little more bite to the front of the lane, than I wouldâ€™ve expected for a 1500 polished pearl. This cover is strong. Keeping my ball speed a little more firm helped the early traction. Once the Idol got to the break point, it made a very strong move and change of direction. Once I got a few games on the ball, that early read seemed to somewhat disappear. In total, out of the box, the Idol pearl was a similar shape, with more board coverage, than the Son!Q; Son!Qâ€™s â€œbig brotherâ€ so to speak. Giving away the pocket wasnâ€™t an issue to have recovery without any quit in reaction. Using the Idol pearl on medium volume house conditions was almost too angular, and too much ball, pushing me deeper than I really wanted to play. I tried adjusting the cover with a 2000 abralon pad, and this seemed to not change the shape all that much, but give me more traction on higher volumes of oil.

I like the Idol Pearl. I will admit that for me personally, I will sooner reach for the SonIQ because it has the same shape, but covers fewer boards, and I see more often medium volume patterns, than the heavier volumes that I would want, to keep the Idol Pearl in my comfort zone. I can use the Idol pearl when I need that shape on higher volumes or real slick oils; or on a lane surface that has less built in traction like pro-anvilane. The Idol pearl isnâ€™t a control ball in my opinion, but neither was the Idol. My ball roll gives me bigger backend reaction with these balls, compared to what I see from other bowlers using this core shape. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Idol Pearl. Own It!

dcutler · « **Reply #30 on:** March 23, 2019, 08:15:25 PM »

My name is Doug Cutler and the ball review I am doing is the Idol Pearl. My first Idol pearl drilling is 45 x 4 1/2 x 70 and the surface is a used 3000 pad. This ball is one of my favorite balls in my bag and is one of my benchmark balls. This ball is really clean thru the mid lane and man it has some back end. This ball is great on any THS and any Medium to Oily Lanes. I have really used this ball when my Idol starts to read to early in the mid and start to leave some weak 7 pins. I have shot 2-300 games with this ball already. This ball has really sold well at work and also the PBA tour guys really like this ball also and have seen it on the shows a lot this year. My Idol and Idol Pearl are a great 1-2 and will bring both of these balls for Nationals. My Idol and Idol Pearl are drilled the same. This is a ball you will definitely will need in your bag if it is not already. I love this ball and will get another one pretty soon. #squadRG #ownit #idolpearl

Doug Cutler
Storm/Roto Grip Staffer
PBA Regional Champion

Author Topic: Idol Pearl (Read 24406 times)

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