I bought an X-Factor from them about a year ago and it good specs with no cover blems.
The reason for mine being there was it is a bit smaller then normal but still well away from being illegal due to small size.
If I remember right the specs for min and max diameter are:
8.595 and 8.500 mine measured out to be 8.531.
Here is an article on ball size
Does Ball Size Matter
by: Ron Hickland
Recently, I was in a discussion about bowling balls and the topic of ball size
came up. Not knowing if size really mattered, I decided to set up a test to
hopefully provide some insight into the very heated topic. So, in this issue
of Tech Tips, we will explore bowling ball size from a subjective standpoint.
For years, professional bowlers and amateurs alike have said smaller balls
hook more, or can go deeper into the pocket, and as a result, will carry
better. There has been an equal amount of talk about larger balls. Bowlers
have said that larger balls hit better or that larger balls make the pins fly
more. So, wondering myself how size effects ball reaction and pin fall, I
decided to set up a small experiment to try to find out if size matters or
not. The ABC/WIBC specification for diameter is 8.595" to 8.500". Knowing
this, we set this test up to sample a range of the specification.
The Set Up
For this experiment we chose three different styles of players. Each player
was given the same ball at different sizes.
The sizes were:
1. ABC/WIBC Maximum Diameter 8.595"
2. Ebonite Standard Diameter 8.585"
3. Test One Smaller Diameter 8.550"
4. Test Two Smaller Diameter 8.510"
One of the first things that we decided to look at was inertia or ball dynamic
properties of balls. We tested each ball for Rg and differential.
The following is an average list of all of the Mass and Weight Properties for
the balls:
Rg Diff. Weight
Ball 1
ABC/WIBC Maximum Diameter 8.595" 2.538 0.042 15.13 lbs
Ball 2
Ebonite Standard Diameter 8.585" 2.530 0.044 15.03 lbs
Ball 3
Test One Smaller Diameter 8.550" 2.520 0.044 14.90 lbs
Ball 4
Test Two Smaller Diameter 8.510" 2.508 0.046 14.77 lbs
It is interesting to note that size does play a role in Rg as well as
differential. Notice that the larger the size, the higher the Rg value and the
lower the differential value. These changes are a result of the smaller
coverstock allowing the core to play a greater role in the dynamics of the
ball. Also, the balls differed as much as 0.361b between the highest and the
lowest weighted ball.
The ball that was used in this test was the Ebonite V2 Clean. The players were
instructed to bowl a minimum of 30 games with each ball in a variety of
conditions and houses, and then to comment on each ball as well as select a
favorite ball.
Player I. Professional Bowler and Ebonite Pro Staff
Name: Jason Queen
Rev Rate: Low
Ball Speed: Slow
Style of lane play: in the track
Favorite ball size: 8.510"
Comments:
I tested all of the balls on PBA pattern B and pattern E as well as a house
condition. The balls were also thrown on two different lane surfaces,
Brunswick Lane Shield as well as Brunswick Pro Anvil lane. The reaction
differences were the same for all lane conditions and lane surfaces comparing
the balls to each other. The smaller the ball, the lower the pins flew. The
smaller the ball, the better the ball cut through the pins. The 8.510" ball
carried the best by far. At one point I threw 28 strikes in a row with it. I
was amazed at how much entry angle I got from the 8.510" ball. The ball felt
the best in my hand, like a softball. I could tell a big difference in the
feel of each ball. I felt like I could really rev it up if needed. The ball
motion of the 8.510" ball was long and very angular compared to the other
balls. The larger the ball, the more even rolling and smoother the ball
reaction. I had a tough time carrying and left a lot of 10 pins with the
8.595" ball. The bigger the ball, the quicker the ball stood up in the
midlane. I felt that the 8.510" ball was five to six boards stronger than the
8.595" ball. The 8.510" ball will definitely stay in my competition bag!
Player II. Mega Buck Amateur
Name: Andrew
Rev Rate: Medium
Ball Speed: Medium
Style of lane play: inside out
Favorite ball size: 8.510"
Comments:
I threw the balls on wood and synthetic. I also used the balls on a Sport
pattern, a short house pattern and a long house pattern. The differences in
the balls remained the same on each condition and surface. I like the feel of
the 8.550" ball the best. The 8.550" ball hit harder than the 8.585" ball but
less than the 8.510" ball. The 8.510" ball carried the best and hit the
hardest. The 8.595" ball seemed to be hard to rev. It was very hard to kick
out the corner pin. This ball on impact made the pins fly higher. The
differences in span seemed enormous, but when the balls were checked for span,
they all measured the same. I think that the smaller the ball, the more
angular the ball is and better the carry is in general. Light hits seemed to
carry better with the 8.585" ball.
The 8.585" ball was good, but if I had my choice I prefer the 8.510" ball
because it struck the most.
Player III. High Average League Bowler
Name: Ron Sr.
Rev Rate: Medium
Ball Speed: Medium
Style of lane play: outside
Favorite ball size: 8.510"
Comments:
I tested the balls on a Guardian surface in one house and on a wood surface in
another house. There was a difference in ball reaction from the two houses. In
the house that had Guardian, I did not see a big difference in all four of the
balls. I really liked how the smaller ball carried the pins and rolled off my
hand. It had a very angular entry into the pocket, which was very predictable.
I like the feel of the smaller ball. It really feels good in my hand. The ball
with the 8.585" diameter felt noticeably different in my hand, and the carry
was not as predictable as the smaller ball.
The ball with the 8.595" diameter felt stretched in my hand and was hard to
rev up. It didn't seem to be as smooth or controllable as the 8.585" ball. On
the wood condition, this ball moved a lot earlier than the 8.585" ball and it
seemed to lose its hitting power when it got to the pocket. The 8.510" ball
rolled the same as the 8.595" did in the Guardian house. It was very
controllable and hit the pocket very well with great carry. The 8.550" ball
hit harder than the 8.585" ball, but it didn't carry as well as the 8.510"
ball. If had my choice of the balls, I would be in favor of the 8.510" ball
because of how controlling it was and the hitting power it displayed when I
threw it.
Manufacturer Differences
We decided to test our balls as well as competitors' balls for size. We
purchased competitive balls on a random basis from several distributors. Our
balls averaged 8.585". The competitor balls that we tested ranged from 8.545"
to an illegal 8.607".
Ebonite currently uses the 8.585" specification on all bowling balls to allow
for maximum resurfacing of its products. The following chart is an average of
two balls.
Ball Name Ave. Diameter
Ebonite V2 Clean 8.585"
Ebonite Primal Instinct 8.585"
Hammer Deal 8.585"
Hammer Switch Blade 8.585"
Storm Depth Charge 8.607"
Storm Triple Xtreme 8.590"
Brunswick Ultimate Inferno 8.577"
Brunswick Inferno 8.558"
Columbia Shock 8.545"
Columbia Alter Ego 8.565"
Track Untamed Animal 8.550"
Track Animal 8.577"
Conclusion:
There were some interesting results about size noted by all participants.
Everyone noticed a significant difference in the feel of the balls. The radius
of each ball was different based on the size and each player noticed this
difference even though the balls have the same span measurements. The smaller
ball felt like it was drilled shorter than the larger ball. The legal limit on
ball size is also very noticeable when using a quarter scale (see pictures 1
and 2 above). Even though both of these balls are within ABC/WIBC
specifications, there is a gap in size. Everyone also agreed that there was
some difference between the balls.
Currently other manufacturer's product diameters are different and vary from
ball to ball. The ABC/WIBC specification for ball diameter is large enough to
see differences by players of different types, styles and abilities. Even
though not completely conclusive from our small test, it can be said that from
a player standpoint that the size of a bowling ball does play a role in ball
preference and performance. In this preliminary test, all players seemed to
prefer the 8.510" ball over the other sizes. A variety of reasons can be
attributed to this, from the way the ball feels in a player's hand, the
increase in rev rate from a smaller ball or because the smaller ball was
lighter and offers more control for a bowler. We will continue to test these
different size balls, only now on a more formalized basis. We will also begin
to collect C.A.T.S. data as well as use Ebonite BowlersMAP to help conclude an
opinion on our early findings. Who knows? Maybe, as a result of this
experiment, we might end up reducing our manufacturing ball specification. We
won't know for sure until we have more facts. For now, at least, it appears
that size does matter.
Ron Hickland
Ball Design Engineer
Ebonite International
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STORM TRACK If you get caught in the Storm Track beware it could be a Typhoon or Monsoon with Rolling Thunder and Lightning Flashes that when Unleashed may send splintered Wood flying everywhere.www.Bowling-Info.com
BR.com's unofficial FAQ sectionEdited on 2/11/2005 2:46 AM
