Ric,
From what I have read (and it did confuse me at first also), manufacturers refer to pearlized balls as being "stiffer" than solid balls. I think it's the additive to do what is chemically called pearlization.
While we would hope to hear from a true resin chemist to get the facts straight, I am not sure we will.
I'll take a stab with my best guess:
I think pearlization makes the cover less elastic, not softer; so the contact surface of the ball, as it goes down the lane, is smaller in overall area than the same solid coverstock.
On further thought, this may be why pearl balls never react the same as solids, even when they are sanded or polished to same degree.
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"We get old too fast, and too late, smart."