LANE CONDITION
Length: 39'
Volume: medium to medium-heavy amount of volume, quick breakdown
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Modified USBC OC pattern (Baton Rouge, 2012, adjustment = decreased volume outside of 5 by 50%)
COMMENTS
Likes: The 716T qualifies as a "cover heavy" ball in my opinion, while i'm sure this is a product of the chosen layout (55x4 1/2x15), i've yet to see any sort of "flip" in the backend for anybody who has thrown one. Don't get me wrong, this is definitely NOT a bad thing! Having this type of reaction in your bag is ideal for fresh patterns with very strong backends, meaning, this is a ball I wish I would have had with me in Baton Rouge for USBCs this year. I chose this layout based on an Ebonite Pursuit-S that was a favorite of mine before signing with Track, the core numbers were almost exactly the same between the Pursuit-S and the 716T with the only major difference being that the 716T was assymetrical and the Pursuit-S was not...that being said, these two balls couldn't be more different! Again, this is definitely NOT a bad thing! The 716T definitely proves that "straighter is greater" (until later...) with this ball, keeping your angles straight through the heads with this layout and surface prep (OOB) will give a nice strong heavy roll and little to no over-reaction off the back of the pattern
As mentioned before, this ball is ideal for fresh patterns with fresh backends as it will help blend out the pattern and eliminate over-reaction. I can see this ball being even more useful with a smoother surface (OOB is 500-1000-2000, if we add a 4000 grit step, or even just add some Factory Finish to the 2000 grit step) on some lighter volume patterns where straight angles through the heads are ideal
Dislikes: The only dislike I can think of is that I missed with the intended reaction of this ball, I was trying to mimic a Pursuit-S and underestimated just how much of a "T" this ball truly is, this does not make it a bad ball by any means, just not what I expected...this ball does have a permanent place in my tournament arsenal and is one I wish I had with me in Baton Rouge
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS