I got this ball used and in pretty much brand-new condition from a very generous friend of mine. He said that he didn't really care for the shape it gave him. I value his opinion very much because he's a better player than I am likely ever to be; however, I have to respectfully disagree with him on this one! I simply love the shot shape I can achieve with the Modern Marvel. The core in this one gets the ball started up earlier than many of my other Storm/Roto balls, which gives it a very solid grab of the midlane. That hard bite doesn't take away from the back end or hitting power though. I get a very rounded look from the Modern Marvel. It's basically a smooth, strong, controllable arc all the way through the lane. I've tried a few different surfaces on the Modern, but I prefer to keep it at a fresh 2000 abralon. At that surface, the ball serves as my benchmark piece. The reaction I get from this one lets me know whether I need to move up to my Lucid, Endless Nightmare, or Vivid or down to my Frantic, IQ Tour Pearl, or Nail (Fire/Smoke). Overall, this is a really, really nice all-around ball. Oh, and it smells great too! lol