LANE CONDITION

Length: 41 ft

Volume: Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS


COMMENTS

60 x 4 1/2 x 30 on the layout

Axis point is 4 7/16 over and 3/8 up. Revrate in the upper 300s, ball speed between 15 and 16 mph. I typically like to start at 15 on a typical house shot and migrate in from there.

Initial reaction...Roto has been doing a great job with color combos. The color of this ball pops off the shelf and looks very nice going down the lane!

On to the review:

I drilled a UFO Alert with a weaker/smoother layout, which works really well for me on the fresh at my home center but once the snow starts flying, I needed something with similar length but just a touch sharper off the spot. This ball does exactly that! Starting with the UFO Alert at 15 board at the arrows, it was laboring entering the pocket. I switched to this bad boy and I was ripping the 10 out time after time. Going left, it just seemed to pick up more and more steam! Sometimes, getting too far left with pearls leads to over/under looks but I was able to use this for 3 straight games during league with zero lack of performance.

If you are looking for something to get around the corner a little harder, this ball will certainly do the trick. Go out and drill one today!


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

Lane Condition
Length: 40
Volume: Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS

Comments
The RST X-2 is the newest asymmetrical pearl from Roto Grip. For me, this ball gives me the strong reaction of the RST X-1, just further down lane because of the clean cover. The RST X-2 is similar to the Dark Code and Rubicon UC2, but gets down lane further before starting to hook, and is more angular than both of these balls. In my YouTube ball review, you will see that the RST X-2 pops harder off the spot than the Rubicon UC2.

When I first saw the RST X-2 I thought it looked like a Hy-Road Pearl. This ball will be really good when you want to open the lane up and still get hook in the back. It has been really good for me already in this league season!

YouTube Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGHdbXnxu74&t=20s

Social Media
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Bowler Stats
Trevor Roberts
2016 PBA Southern Regional Rookie Of The Year
Storm Products / Turbo 2n1 Grips / Bowlifi Staff Member
Right Handed
Rev Rate: 400
Speed: 16
PAP: 5 1/2 up 13/16

The Roto Grip RST X-2 is one of the latest additions to the HP4 line at Roto Grip. After the X-1 was released with it’s hybrid coverstock and new Roto Star Tour core, our wizards in Utah crated a very similar ball with an update pearl coverstock (e-Trax) in the X-2. With an RG coming in at 2.53 and differential at .053, the X-2 is a perfect compliment to the X-1, UFO Alert, and Reality. I’ve found a lot of success when using the X-2 after lanes transition and patterns stretch. The X-2 has become a staple in my bag and is a perfect ball to use when needing more entry angle and a faster response time.

I’ve drilled one X-2 so far and think it rolls great. I mapped it as 5 x 4.5 x 80. This puts the pin above my bridge and the mass bias just to the right of my thumb. Also, I lightly scratched the surface with a 3000 pad to take some of the box-shine off. With still having an asymmetrical core, it still fights through oil in the middle of the lane but provides a quicker response time off friction down lane. I’ve seen multiple types of players have success with the X-2 and it should be the next ball you drill to compliment your UFO Alert or Reality!

LANE CONDITION

Length: 43'

Volume: 21.5 mLs

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS

I had a lot of success with the X1. For me I kind of saw the X1 as an asymmetrical Phaze2.  Similarly I kind of see the RST-X2 as an Asymmetrical Phaze3.  I see this ball being cleaner than any other asymmetrical pearl across the brands with strong/controllable movement down lane.  I actually wasn’t a huge fan of this ball out of the box, BUT when I cracked the cover with a 3000 pad, this ball came to life.  The straight pearl cover with no additives on the X2 is great for higher friction surfaces like wood or HPL’s.

Layout- 50x5x30 or 5x4x2

Balls that are currently in the bag:
Zen- 50x4.25x65
UFO Alert-50x5x65
Dark Code- 50x4.25x65
Trend 2- 50x5x30


COMMENTS

Likes: Great on high friction surfaces

Dislikes: Too clean at times





PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

The Roto Grip RST X-2 features a brand new ETRAX Plus Pearl reactive coverstock with the Roto Star Asymmetric Core.  The X-2 has a medium RG of 2.53 a high differential of 0.053 and a low intermediate differential of 0.016.  To bring this all together, the eTrax coverstock is the most responsive coverstock down lane created to date by Roto Grip combined with the Roto Star core gives you a more aggressive and responsive than the Rubicon UC2 or the Idol Synergy.  The  X-2 is going to give you a true reactive response on a variety of conditions by easily clearing the front of the lane while responding to the friction downlane.
The layout chosen was a 15 x 3 3/4 by 45 which will give the ball a smooth reaction shape which changes direction the least, best when controlling the pocket and on wet/dry patterns we see on house shots or sport when they become cliffed.   
I did a ball comparison to the Roto Grip RST X-1, Storm Dark Code and 900 Global Zen on a 42 ft house shot pattern at Pin Station Lanes.
First up is the Roto Grip RST X-1.  The RST X-1 with the same core but with the Microtrax hybrid coverstock gives you that blend of continuous smooth motion through the midlane then you see how the Roto Star Tour asymmetric core comes together with a very round shape dowlane.  The X-2 compared to the X-1 you will see its more continuous through the midlane but has more pop on the backend then the X-1.  So basically when you start leaving the flat 10 switch to the RST X-2 to get the 10 out.
Next is the Storm Dark Code, the Dark Code has REX Coverstock which is a combination of the NEX with R2S.  The Storm Dark Code is very smooth and continuous through the heads and midlane and saves all of its energy for the backend.  The RST X-2 is stronger than the dark code by several boards.
The last ball in the comparison portion of the video is the 900 Global Zen.  The 900 Global Zen featuring the Meditate core is is continuous and smooth through the fronts but when its sees friction it takes off.  You will see here I kept on moving 4 and 2 left to see which ball out hooks the other and the Zen won once I got really deep inside.  But this comparison shows you just how strong and versatile both balls are.
In my bag, Zen, RST X-1, the X-2, the Storm Dark Code, then the Hyroad Pearl.

RST X-2 • High Performance • HP4 
Coverstock • e-Trax PLUS Pearl Reactive • Finish 1500-grit, Polished
Core • RST (Roto Star Tour Core) Asymmetric
Weight 15lb• RG • 2.53 Differential • 0.053 Int. Differential •.016
Layout • 45 x 4.25 x 40
Tester PAP = 4 ½ R x 3/8 D • Tester Axis Tilt = 12° •Testers Rev Rate = 325
Test pattern = 42' THS (Typical House Shot) • Modified, Kegel Stone Street

The new RST X-2 from Roto Grip really piqued my curiosity, and I was excited to see how it would perform for me. It has the proven RST (Roto Star Core) found in the RST-X1 combined with an all-new eTrax Plus Pearl Reactive coverstock. This combination delivered some exciting results. So let's take a closer look at how it performed on a THS.

The RST core found in the RST X-2 is a strong asymmetric without being too overbearing. I like this core's ability to take the force off your hand and turn it into a strong, hard rolling powerhouse down the lane. Some asymmetric cores tend to be lazy and lose their luster when turning off the pattern, but the RST core stands up briskly and rolls with a firm authority that you can count on. Further, the RST core gave me confidence with its ability to explode at the pins without much deflection. Finally, I like how this core continued its rugged rolling toughness until it was through the deck!

At first, the new eTrax Plus Pearl reactive cover was a bit of a struggle for me. It has a very clean look to it and gets further down the lane than the RST X-1. But, on fresh oil, with my low-rev style, I found it a bit of a struggle getting the eTrax cover to react to my liking. So, having too much skid and not enough roll, I decided to cut this cover with a 2000-grit Abralon without polish. Again, for my high-speed/low-rev style, this adjustment made the eTrax cover much easier to control on fresh oil.
As the pattern broke down later in the night, I found that the 2000 grit alteration made this cover dynamite! By late night, I was able to move in with confidence and control. The eTrax Pearl reactive cover makes the RST X-2 an excellent choice when conditions change, and the shim line forces you to move deep inside.

As for surface adjustments with the RST X-2, I strongly suggest tweaking the surface to dial in the exact motion you want. This cover leaves plenty of room for a variety of bowlers and comes alive with surface adjustments.

In closing, I found the RST X-2 to be a clean, sharp-looking, and hard-rolling ball. The RST X-2 would pair well in any arsenal with an RST X-1, Rubicon, or a strong early-night ball. With the eTrax Plus Pearl cover's flexibility, the RST X-2 is the perfect choice for when you need to dial in that particular motion when nothing else seems to work as the conditions break down. Finally, the RST X-2 is an excellent choice for a classic-style, low rev bowler on a THS. So, ask your local Pro Shop operator today about this Roto Grip RST X-2 and see for yourself why you should "own it!"

Rick Klimowicz
Storm Products Pro Shop Staff
Roll the Ball Pro shop
Penndel, Pa

The new ball in the HP4 Line from Roto Grip is the  RST-X2 .  The X-1 has been a very good ball and very successful in the bowling market.  So Utah came out with the pearl version.  I drilled mine 5.25.x5.x4.5 pin down.  With the eTrax PLUS Pearl Reactive, man that ball is clean!  For an asymmetrical ball X-2 gets down the lane very easily.
With that being said it does store some energy and has a good response to the friction.
But with the RST Core its still controllable motion and not as angular as say a UC2.
So if your backends are pretty clean and the UC2 is a little too sharp then X-2 would be a good ball to use.  Roto grip has some very good Asymmetrical's in the line today with each one providing a different shape.

Brian Watson
Pro Shop Staff
PAP - 4 1/8
Speed  -16-17
Tilt   - 17
RPM - 400