The Roto Grip X Cell brings back memories from the OG Cell from the early 2000s. I really enjoy rolling the X Cell on fresh lanes and sport shots.  The layout is 4 x 4 x 2 which is an overall strong drilling. For house shots it’s surprisingly controllable to where I can use it almost all 3 games by just moving a lil bit. With it being a Cell ball it does have its personality of smoothness and predictability but it also has a very strong almost like a flip back end for it being a solid cover which I really like to give me some help if I miss left. On the kegel sphinx pattern it came in very handy during transition when the Roto Grip Magic Gem was giving me over/under and needed to go with something that was able to allow me to stay inside and get through the oil with enough back end to go through the pocket. If you have something like a Roto Grip Gem or Exotic Gem the X Cell is a good step down if you wanna stay in a big ball and just need a different shape and look down lane. For the Roto Grip line the X Cell to me can be very versatile for all types of players and situations. #SquadRG


Garrett Richardson   
Storm Amateur Staff
IG: @grich_bowling

HAND: LEFT (ONE HANDED)
PAP: 4 3/8 OVER / 1/16 UP
BALL SPEED: 16MPH
REV RATE: 420
AXIS TILT: 20
AXIS ROTATION: 50
LAYOUT: 60X5X40
The brand-new X-Cell features the nucleus core with A.I. technology and the E-Trax Ultra
cover stock. This ball was designed to be earlier and slower responding to friction versus
the Attention Star and cleaner versus the Gem or Magic Gem. For me this ball fits exactly in
between my Gem and Attention Star, the X-Cell for me will come out more often on the
medium patterns as for the longer patterns the Gem is still the ball I like to use. For me the
X-Cell has a very similar shape to the Attention Star but is better on fresher conditions with
the solid cover versus the pearl cover. I chose to keep the cover at 2,000 but I like to
freshen it up more often than some of the other balls to make sure it doesn’t overlap my
Attention Star too much. Like I said above the X-Cell for me will be better on the medium
length patterns (40-42 feet). Players looking to have a cleaner solid option for transition or
players with less rev rate on the house shot will benefit from having this ball in the bag

LANE CONDITION

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Various - sport & recreational.


COMMENTS

The X-Cell is the continuation to a very successful line of bowling balls from Roto Grip. The X-Cell features Nucleus weightblock paired with A.I. Core technology and eTrax Ultra coverstock. The original Cell was a great bowling ball for me, so X-Cell has big shoes to fill.

Knowing how much flare potential this core has, I drilled my X-Cell with my typical pin-down layout in hopes to slightly reduce the amount of flare: 55 x 5 x 75. My first few games with the X-Cell gave me some mixed feelings as the bowling ball forced me to move left quicker than I wanted and once I “chased” it left, it was too ‘forward’.  With the out-of-box surface, the X-Cell needs a slick lane surface or a high-volume oil pattern to match-up better. I found the X-Cell to roll much better for me once I brought the surface up to about 4000-grit and even some polish on top of that. The ball then stayed on-line a little bit easier and was responsive enough to allow me to move further left.

The X-Cell with out-of-box surface will most likely work great on majority of “house” patterns as the characteristics of this bowling ball compliment the wet/dry lane conditions. On the contrary, I think the X-Cell is a very good option to have when bowling on some flatter patterns where bowlers need a little more down-lane control. With some fine-tuning of the surface of the X-Cell, this bowling ball can be a good all-around strong asymmetrical option for majority of bowlers.

Roto Grip X-Cell
Coverstock: eTrax ULTRA Solid Reactive
Finish: 2000-grit Abralon
Core: Nucleus A.I. Core
RG: 2.50, Diff: 0.056, PSA: 0.019 (15 lbs.)
VLS Layout: 5 x 4 x 2
Dual Angle Layout: 50 x 5 x 30
PAP: 5 3/16” right x 5/8” up
Rev rate: 400 rpm
Average speed: 16.5 mph
Location: Prairie Lanes, Sun Prairie WI
Pattern: Medium volume THS

The Roto Grip X-Cell marks the return of the hugely successful Cell series to the Roto Grip lineup. The X-Cell features the iconic Nucleus asymmetric core with A.I. core technology which promotes a quick revving motion and helps to increase pin carry. All of that is wrapped with the new eTrax ULTRA solid coverstock which will provide strong mid-lane reaction with impressive backend motion without sacrificing control on medium-oily lane conditions.

I’ve been able to throw the X-Cell for a few weeks now, and this ball is built for consistency and predictability. It excels on medium to higher volume oil patterns and provides a continuous motion along the entire lane from front to back. However, unlike stronger balls such as the Gem or Magic Gem, the X-Cell doesn’t burn up too quickly and it retains enough energy to still have a strong yet predictable motion on the backend. By comparison, the Attention Star or TNT Infused would be another step down from the X-Cell for when you need something to clear the front part of the lane when they start to burn up. The X-Cell is highly versatile as well, so with the right surface prep (4000-grit Abralon or a bit of Reacta Gloss) it could be use on lighter oil volumes or high-friction lane surfaces.

The Roto Grip X-Cell is a strong, reliable option for a wide range of bowlers looking for a ball to deliver consistent reaction from shot to shot without compromising power. It should also appeal to everyone that’s a fan of the Cell line as the X-Cell lives up to the legacy of previous generations.

Chris Pollentier
Storm Pro Shop Staff
#StormNation
#SquadRG