Ball: I drilled this exactly like my Crunch Time----down to the exact statics. Pin above bridge and set slightly left (5 1/4 from PAP), cg on midline 3/4 of an inch from grip center. I kept it with the box finish.
Lane Conditions: I used this ball on a patter that was very heavy 7 board to 7 board, medium backends not overly strong.
Line: Playing my normal line (deep inside) just was not carrying well with anything I tried to throw. I grabbed the Freakazoid, squared up to the lane, came more of the back of the ball with very little side roll. Standing 21 I was playing dead straight up 11 board. At another center that had more open backends I was standing 35 playing 20 at the arrows with my breakpoint at 6 board about 42 ft down the lane. The Freakazoid plays well all over the lane.
Reaction: Playing up the back of the ball the ball reacted well in the midlanes that had some oil, and it still retained alot of energy for the backend. Playing the deep line it got into a good roll about 4 ft before my breakpoint. The Freakazoid responds well to different releases. No matter the release you use though it rolls very true.
Impact: Like most Track balls, this thing smacks the pins. Observing a friend of mine throw his I saw this ball keeping the pins really low, and it kept that trait with me using it. It hits hard and keeps the pins really low. It ranks up there with highend equipment as far as how it punishes the pins.
Readability: Only having about 5 games on the ball at 2 different centers it is really difficult for me to say how well it reads the lanes. What I see so far though is that it reads a pattern very well. This means that you can see the skid where the heavy part of the pattern is and you can see it start its roll as soon as it enters into the buffed area of the pattern. When it hits the dry it will do what you released it to do. If you come around the ball alot it will change directions very quick, but if you stay up the back of the ball it gives a very strong arc on the backend.
OVERALL: This is not a ball that I was overly excited to get my hands on. I was wrong. This ball is a winner. I posted a few times in the last month or so that Bob Learn told me that he saw it as a replacement for the Crunch Time, thus the reason I laid it out exactly like my "beloved" Crunch Time. It reacts very similiar over ever part of the lane. I think the Freakazoid is going to show a bit more versatility than the Crunch Time though. I will be getting another and going with an earlier rolling layout.
As with everything, once I get some more games on the ball I will be posting a final review, keep your eyes open for it.
--------------------
C-G Pro Shop (owner/operator)
Youngstown Ohio
Track Intl.-Advisory Staff
