At least not in my experience.

Here are a couple of sets of numbers for you:

165-172...225
187-189...268

Those are my last two league sets. The first two scores represent games shot with standard equipment (in this case, a Track Arsenal Angular) on a fresh, semi-dry house shot without a huge bump zone outside. The scores of those games are below my current average (192), and were mostly (if not completely) my own fault. There are a handful of missed easy spares, and a couple of big splits that were the result of me missing my mark badly.

But to talk about the third-game scores, here's what was on the lanes: A Storm Paradigm pro-pin, 15 lb, which came from the box with an 11.5-inch pin, the MB about halfway between the pin and the CG. The drill pattern looks like this, sort of:

-----P-
-------
--0--0-
-------
-------
------WH--
---0---
-----MB
^
| 6.0 inches
v
-------
---CG--

The reaction this produces is to give me a hook/set look, with an extremely heavy forward roll away from the drilled holes once the ball gets lined up. Almost all of the action takes place in the mids, and there is literally no backend to this ball despite it being a Paradigm in box condition.

For this reason, the ball is playable in virtually any mixture of oil. I've used this ball on everything from bone-dry to a flooded PBA Shark pattern, with success everywhere.

I've also noticed the flare on this ball is much greater than normal, and the oil rings are spaced FAR apart, indicating the ball is changing axes at a very fast rate.

The ball, by the way, is statically legal.

So what did I get? For about $115, I got a ball that is the most versatile tool in my bag, that I can use on several different conditions, and that has been dominant on my league once the lanes dry out. I also used this ball in a 40-framer a couple weekends back and had nine in a row followed by a ring-10 and then another seven in a row.

When I use this ball, I typically move to the far RIGHT of the lane with my feet and mark -- not chasing the oil left, but actually moving into the dry -- and playing straight up anywhere from 5-10, depending on how hot the mids are.

Best thing about it, is that game three is turning into trouble for my competition, while I've been able to use this ball to score when others cannot. And I'm carrying unbelievably well despite playing a rather direct line.

I do not have video. Ron C. has seen this ball in action and has thrown it himself, so maybe he can fill you in as to what it felt like in his hand.

This is just my public service announcement to let you know not to scoff at pro-pin balls until you see what you can get out of them.

Jess

Edited on 10/10/2007 2:50 AM

I just recently got a BVP Punisher with a 5 1/2 inch pin, there were 3 cg marks (the little indents in the ball) and the B label was misplaced. Drilled it up and went out to a broken down pair left over from the night befores league. Shot 263 (9/XX7/XXXXXXX6). It was the only game I could bowl but it was sooo easy to score with this thing, playing up 10 it just seemed to walk to the pocket. Like JessN said there's practically no backend action. I really like this ball.