Have been looking to try a Crunch for a long time!
Went in yesterday and a kid said to me I have one I was gonna put on rack.
I said I'll take it, buy it, trade it whatever.
A lefty hears me and says I have one too! Brings it. Now I have two!
Anyway go in to the center on classic league night and follow the best lefty in league (former PBA tourist and he is good!).
Wanted to compare the pattern put out for them and where I stood versus him.
HE using a polished Mayhem and playing pretty good, me the Crunch. I'm figuring Crunch a slightly earlier Ti Hawk (same core right? just denser ceramic nougat!).
WRONG. (I use Ti Hawk on sport patterns and PBA shots) This ugly dull old beat up looking Crunch was exactly what this pattern called for . Threw a ton of strikes throwing 15 to 10 and carried every thing.
Reads every part of the the lane on this long light pattern on Brunswick Anvilanes and then has a very readable flip. The only ball that has allowed me to play this line on these lanes to get in where the hold area was and swing out and strike a little was the El Nino solid. Note the El Nino Wrath is often a ball still used in our area and often with a little sand.
This IS one of the first dull no polish balls I've used in this house(maybe they put a little more oil our for the classic leaguers then the mixed leagers).
Very similar to the Hyde from Columbia that I had much weaker than this 4 by 5 crunch! God I wish this was prettier(like the Hyde). I've seen a lot of comparisons to the V2 Solid and this ball but I see a lot of differences. The faster revving V2 could never be thrown on this pattern with this much surface and is prettier and somehow flippier. Even though this ball has quite a flip itself! (Note not to insult the V2) because my other number 1 ball in this house is the V2 pearl and I like it enough to pick up another one last week!
Oh yeah first game 6 bagger, 8 of 9 and then a strike last ball in 10th. 24X.
THis ugly Crunch, I believe one of the best benchmark solids in the game!
EMB XF.. The number one thing about this very pretty ball is that there is absolutely NO XF. Not one bit of flip none! Of course this is a 40 foot pattern. This ball is the first particle pearl I could get to hit on my long thin anvilane pattern! Smooth and 4 boards weaker than the awesome crunch above but it also has a much weaker surface.
This ball for me is what the Firehawk was for many other players. Absolutely no wasted motion. It just either hits the pocket and is dead flush and carries everything or it misses the pocket! By the way this ball was 14 and is the first one I've ever used!
As this ball goes down the lane it just seems to be square to the intended line all the way. Never getting too deep, never getting left(unless one pulls it) and then continues all the way to the back of the rack. Flush clear the rack strikes every time if it hits the one two pocket. No XF, no wasted motion.
Why was this ball not popular again?
REgards,
Luckylefty
PS the Crunch reminds me of a an earlier Detour, it's almost as strong of a move but not done so deep down and behind the head pin as the detour could on this pattern(detour had polish).
PPS I had picked up a Supercharge for this pattern now I think it might be the trade for these two! As the move from Crunch is exactly what I wanted from Supercharge.
Edited on 10/20/2004 10:56 AM
