My first reaction to the ATTITUDE SHIFT is a simple WOW! This ball looks like it's going to be a favorite for me.
I drilled it last Friday and, as I said in an earlier thread, had an unfortunate first shot with it at a tournament Saturday - the thumb insert came flying out. Use more super glue dummy! (I drill my own equipment.) Reglued more carefully, I had no problems in a quick test drive today on a second shift house condition. I will post additional info as I use it in our PBA Experience league and tournaments with challenge conditions.
I drilled my ATTITUDE SHIFT with a PIN-PAP distance of 5 1/8 inches and a KEY-PAP distance of 3 1/8 inches. The pin is above my bridge and the key is a little to the right of my thumb. The drilling is very close to my SHIFT, which I like a lot, with the key being a little bit farther right on my SHIFT. The drilling angle of about 60 degrees is close to my SPECIAL AGENT, but it has the pin under my ring finger.
I used all three balls today to try to gauge the differences. In general, I would say the ATTITUDE combines the best of the SPECIAL and the SHIFT - it gets through the heads like the SHIFT, which is a tad cleaner than the SPECIAL, even with the ATTITUDE's 2,000 Abralon surface that is the same as the SPECIAL. The ATTITUDE rolls harder in the midlane than the SPECIAL and absolutely never stopped for me, but the move is not a flip - more a continuous hard arc. My SHIFT, which is shiny, makes a really strong move and sometimes quits, making it a somewhat conditional ball - devastating when right, but one that you have to know when to use. My SPECIAL sometimes will not get down the lane and burns up too much. My ATTITUDE got down the lane fairly easily, especially considering it's a strong drilling, a 2,000 Ab cover and was a second shift house condition in a center that uses a very thin oil. I honestly did not expect to be able to get a good reaction with the ATTITUDE on that condition but it was almost perfect. It never quit once (no plaque 10s), it did not overeact off the dry when I got it wide (highest I got was a 4 pin and it tripped a couple of 4s), and it rolled clean in the oil with no squirt. The move through the pins was more like a SURE FIRE than anything out of the AGENT line - in other words, pins stayed low rather than flying around. No solid 9s (had one that messenger'd out) and no ring 10s.
I can't wait to try the ATTITUDE on some tougher conditions.
- Jeff Richgels, Storm PBA Regional Staff
