Ball: 3-inch pin-to-CG distance
Drill: Rico
Coverstock: 600 sanded plus polish
Me: 4 over 3/8 up PAP, tweener, average-to-above-average speed
After owning (and dearly loving) an original Thunder and then a Dark Thunder, it was just natural that I would want to try the Thunderstruck line. I picked up a slightly used Thunderstruck off these boards, and slapped a Rico drill on it because I was wanting to try the Rico as much as I was a Thunderstruck.
It turned out to be a good choice all the way around. The drill is perfect for this ball with its proven, symmetrical core. First night out, the ball had no polish on it and as a result, the coverstock was much too strong for league work. Some polish fixed that.
This ball with this drill revs up quickly, is smooth through the front and then in the mids, begins righting itself and makes a deliberate, strong move to and through the pins. Carry is something to behold. It reminds me very much of the original Thunder back when it was first released, but obviously, this ball is much stronger and handles today's oils well.
Strengths: Versatility, takes surface adjustments well, good carry, predictable move to the pocket.
Weaknesses: Not for dry lanes, at least not with a Rico drill on it.
Final analysis: The perfect league ball for most. Players of varying rev rates and speeds will be able to easily adapt this ball to their game. Snatch one up before they're all gone.
Jess