REIGN OF FIRE strong 5 x 5 x 5 pin buffer. My pin is under my bridge with the CG and what would be the PSA/mass bias kicked right at about a 60 degree angle.
This is a favorite drilling for early roll for me. I have it in a DIMENSION currently with the pin under my middle finger.
I love my REIGN with the pin over the bridge and CG and PSA/mass bias kicked right. So my thought with the ROF was to make it an earlier rolling complement to the REIGN, which uses the same core and cover in pearl.
I put the ROF weight hole at P3 in order to increase flare and accentuate the early smooth roll.
The ROF is R2S solid reactive coverstock and the core is C.A.M. (symmetrical). Box finish is 1,000 Ab.
In our City Tournament in doubles on the hooking house shot on old wood, I was in essentially the same place as I was with my strong INVASION 5 1/4 x 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 pin buffer. But the look was totally different, as should be expected with the ROF being a symmetrical and the lower pin and coarser finish. The move was much stronger in the midlane and the breakpoint was smoother – exactly what I was looking for.
On the synthetics, I also was in the same place as with my strong INVASION (review in a separate thread). However, the ROF definitely didn't hit as consistently strong as it appeared to be bleeding a little too much energy when thrown out to the dry where the INVASION turned the corner and kept on coming.
I would like to have seen what it could do taken down to 2,000 or even 4,000 but I wanted to leave it at 1,000 since I think it will be phenomenal playing in a puddle when asymmetricals like the INVASION and VIRTUALs aren't the right look. The shape definitely is smoother than those asymmetricals. The ROF also is a much smoother motion than the DIMENSION I mentioned above. That ball tends to be an all-or-nothing ball with a very strong breakpoint move where it looks to me like this ROF will be more smoother and less of an all-or-nothing ball.
I bowl on a few super puddle walls on synthetics in the next couple of weekends and can see the possibility of going ROF on the fresh and then to the REIGN when they burn.
Box finish, this ball will not be for hooking conditions and it isn't going to be for anyone who has a lot of revs relative to their ball speed or generally very slow ball speed UNLESS you tweak the cover to much smoother or even shine it. But if you're gonna do that you may as well buy a REIGN.
If you're looking for something with a lot of hook but with a more dramatic move at the breakpoint, the INVASION would be a better choice. But if you're looking for controlled, strong hook the ROF should be a great choice. I can't wait to try it on a heavy oil Sport shot – I bet it would have been great for me on the fresh at the 2009 USBC Open Championships where my DIMENSION was my best look but was just a tad too jumpy.
The ROF reminded me somewhat of the PASSION when that first came out.
I will update this review after I get to use the ROF more.
