(FYI This is a work in progress. When I feel I know this ball, I will be posting a formal review. So far, I like it a lot. It has a lot of leeway built into the surface + core.)Thursday, 1/24: Got my Cell from Roger at RG; Thank you, sir!
Tried it for 2 games in practice at a place that actually had left over oil from the previous night. Amazing!
Drill: pin - 4.5" from PAP, 2.5" above the midline; MB - 5.5" from PAP, under & right of the thumb hole. Stock surface - 2000 grit. (16 lb ball, pin: 2.75" pin-CG)
Anyway, the ball seems to be a virtually magnet to to the pocket. Lots and lots of release and targetting forgiveness. This house's oil pattern is usually not too forgiving; so I was very surprised. Hitting power was good. Carry power was better, kicked out a few pocket hits that were wider than avg and would normally have left the 10 pin. Good sign.
More after the weekend.
Part II, Saturday, 1/26:
(Same house as Thursday: Guardian overlay over 1st 30', pine on rear half, but the house is well taken care of, oil-wise. They're using more oil; so it's a good place to practice for Nationals.)
Trickier condition than Thursday. Still plenty of oil in the middle, lots, LOTS of carrydown, from 10 - 13 at around 42-44/5 feet, outside of 10 was fairly dry. Initial oil pattern was probably on the order of true medium-heavy.
Lots of what looked like good strike balls that hit 10 board at breakpoint left stoned 10 pins. If you went outside you had to keep your speed very firm; if you went inside, you had to slow down a bit or hit it a little harder/more revs, depending on which you did better.
There were two of us using the Cell. I also tried a Legends New Standard, my baseline oil ball, drilled pin over ring finger, CG Under ring (roughly a 5x4 drill), 2000 grit dull (exactly the same surface as the Cell). The NS is a light load solid particle.
The Cell handled the pattern pretty well, once I got lined up with the right release, target area, and ball speed. I had about 2 boards left and right of my breakpoint,
which surprised me. I had lots of room for bad releases to still carry, as long as I hit my target area (NOT point, area!), as my partner can well attest.
Compared to my NS, the Cell gave me more room left & right, not a lot, as this was a hard oil
"non-pattern". At this point in time, my NS gave me slightly more carry power, but I am very used it on oil. The Cell gave me more targetting room for mistakes, which may be the bigger advantage.
I am pleasantly surprised at the continuation I am getting from this asymmetric core. I have a LevRg drilled the same and do not get 1/2 half the continuation or the versatility from it that I seem to be getting from the Cell and I am not totally familiar or comfortable with the Cell yet. It is a work in progress; however, I am ready to trade my LevRG. (FYI it has a stronger MB than the Cell and may be better for a low revs bowler or a higher speed bowler than I am.)
The Cell seems to handle some carrydown, maybe a medium amount. Even with a slower ball speed, giving it more time to react, there are no miracles with a relatively fine surface (2000 grit) and a solid resin cover. It does handle a good deal and its flare potential helps in that regard, a LOT. (If you have 400 revs, you handle more carrydown, for course. I don't.)
My drill, so far, 4.5" x 5.5" x 2.5" (ht above midline) seems an ideal middle ground for me.
More after next week's session ...
--------------------
"None are so blind as those who will not see." Unofficial Ballreviews.com FAQEdited on 1/28/2008 5:50 PM
