Author Topic: Special Agent - I have to ask.... (Read 2501 times)

lefty50 · « **on:** April 08, 2009, 12:11:41 PM »

Ok, Why is it, that, no matter what ball I tey that is supposedly "Special", my Special Agent has more drive than all of them? Neither my VG nor my Rogue Cell can match it. don't get me wrong, the Rogue Cell is good, but that #$%^& Special Agent just shines... Rogue is 4x3 and Special is 5x4 pin up....
Rogue hits like a truck when it gets there, but the special is the only ball to always get there....
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Signature? I don''t need no stinking signature...

Edited on 4/8/2009 8:12 PM

Edited on 4/8/2009 8:12 PM

Dan Belcher · « **Reply #16 on:** April 10, 2009, 01:25:55 PM »

quote:
Dan, question 4 u. I concur that it may be the setup, although most of the "stronger" balls have been asym, where drilling is much touchier than the symmetric balls like the agent. Not sure this makes sense, but let me ask the following:

What about the old conventional wisdom that 3-3/8 pin to pap is strongest and that something like 5x4 would be weaker and later. Does that NOT hold true in general, or are you saying that the strong drilling burns early and that a weaker drilling on the strong ball will still generate more backend? In that case, why buy a "strong ball" and not just strong drill on a weak ball?

What's always bothered me about the "burns early" scenario (and maybe the light bulb just came on), is that I would expect early and excessive hook, not a flat reaction. Is it possible that losing the energy in the early phases of the 3 stage reaction (skid, roll, hook) causes a flat reaction?
Apologies for not phrasing that in an optimal fashion, but perhaps you get what I mean.
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Signature? I don't need no stinking signature...

The 3 3/8" leverage position is indeed the "strongest." This simply means that it has the highest flare potential. More flare does not equal more ball reaction in and of itself, it simply means the core is in the most unstable position and it is going to try harder to get back into a stable position. What happens when you drill a ball to flare a lot: you get a lot of midlane reaction, which can cause a lot of hook on a condition where there isn't a lot of friction compared to other layouts. However, if the ball flares too much too early on a higher friction condition, you will waste all of that energy before the dry back part of the lane where the ball can really grab and turn left. Yes, you'll probably cover quite a few boards, but it'll do less on the backend itself and make it difficult to get good entry angle, and the ball will hit flatter since it will roll out too early. Using a weaker, lower-flaring layout that takes longer before transitioning (i.e. the 5" pin to PAP scenario) will get the ball to save its energy better through the heads and midlane, which allows it to actually take advantage of the flare downlane and make its move in the backend.

Strong balls usually have both strong coverstocks AND low RG, high flare potential cores. You can drill them strong to handle very, very oily conditions, or to prevent the ball from hooking too much on the backend by intentionally bleeding energy early with a lot of flare. You can also drill them weaker to get through the front part of the lane better and save energy for more backend angle. This also lets you play a more direct line usually and lets you stay in the same part of the lane a little longer from what I've seen. Weaker balls usually have less aggressive coverstocks, but also have higher RG, lower diff. cores that don't react as early or violently in general. Therefore, you tend to need to drill these balls a little stronger to keep them from flaring TOO little, which creates too much skid and makes it difficult to get the ball to turn the corner in time.

In other words, "strong" and "weak" drills and balls are almost misnomers to some degree! It's all about where and how the ball transitions and hooks through the total combination of ball surface, oil, lane surface, flare, etc.

Author Topic: Special Agent - I have to ask.... (Read 2501 times)

lefty50

Special Agent - I have to ask....

Dan Belcher

Re: Special Agent - I have to ask....