BallReviews
Reviews => Roto Grip => Topic started by: Ballreviews on May 24, 2012, 10:53:08 AM
-
(https://www.ballreviews.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.bowling.com%2Fmain%2F7463.jpg&hash=4e167099cc27242dc85c428723465ad6482c543d)
- Coverstock: 65MH Hybrid Reactive
- Weight Block: Caliber Core (14-16 lbs), Modified Caliber Core (12-13 lbs)
- Ball Color: Orange Pearl/Purple All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Lane Condition: Medium/Heavy Oil
- Ball Finish: 4000-grit Abralon
- Flare Potential: 4-5 inches
- RG: 16#-2.54, 15#-2.57, 14#-2.60, 13#-2.59, 12#-2.65
- RG Differential: 16#-0.051, 15#-0.048, 14#-0.044, 13#-0.045, 12#-0.035
- A few tiny pit holes in the cover stock of the ball are normal
- Description: With the same consistent, smooth-rolling Caliber weight block that the Bandit rode all the way to glory, the Berserk utilizes increased energy transfer to create maximum pin action for both rev-dominant and speed-dominant players alike.
The 65MH Hybrid Reactive Coverstock is the ideal combination of both solid and pearl reactive. This technology gives you the ease of the pearl through the front part of the lane with the smooth reaction of a solid at the breakpoint.
The Berserk is the perfect marriage of its predecessors, the Bandit and Outlaw. This ball is best suited for medium/heavy oil conditions, but the surface can easily be adjusted to work well on a variety of conditions.
-
LANE CONDITION
THS: Kegel Main Street, 41ft, 7.2:1 ratio
Sport: 2012 USBC Open, 39ft, 2:1 ratio
COMMENTS
The Berserk is going to be the ball that’s very usable on your typical medium conditions. It’s consistent breakpoint control makes it a very good option on most THS that you will face. You will have an option to wheel it or play down and in, it will be quite versatile. For fresh sport shots, it’s clean front reaction and strong breakpoint will make it difficult to control until the shot breaks down a bit. If you really liked the Outlaw but at times found it to be too much ball for your house shot, then odds are the Berserk might be just right.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
For complete review, video, Digitrax analysis and comparison to the Critical Theory, go to:
http://tamerbowling.com/index.php/roto-grip-berserk-bowling-ball-review-with-digitrax-analysis/
-
Berserk
[/b]Specs:
Weight- 15lbs
Drilling-5x3 no hole pin under fingers
Surface- OOB
Review: What can I say about this piece, well there’s not much to say except its AWESOME and the performance you will receive from the Berserk at the price point is above and beyond what I could’ve hoped for. The reaction it gave me on the house pattern was very clean through the fronts with the pick of heavy midlane read, with a tremendous amount of backend or should I say it goes Berserk on the back! HAHA Either way this is probably going to be the sleeper of the best ball on the market this season. Another good work from the UTAH plant! Any questions please feel free to email me strike2win300@gmail.com
Jake Bedard
Rotogrip and Storm Staff member
-
Ball specs – 15 lbs 3 oz, 3.03top weight, and 3 1/4-inch pin.
Using the dual angle method, the Berserk was drilled with a 4 1/2 inch pin distance, 60 degree drill angle and a 30 degree VAL angle. Using Storm’s drilling methodology the layout is 4 ½ X 4 3/4 X 2 1/8 pin buffer. An X-hole was needed and placed in the P 2.5 position. The surface was left OOB which is 4000 abralon.
The Berserk is the replacement for the Dagger, which is one of my favorites. The first difference you will notice is that the HP3 line hybrid Berserk is dull and the Dagger was 1500 polished. I threw the Berserk on a broken down 41 foot, 24 micro-liter house shot. I ended up having to target at 22, the same place as the Defiant Edge I was throwing. The dull cover on the Berserk provided too strong a mid-lane read and the ball labored on the back end. I then added a coat of Storm Reacta-Shine to the cover. The polished created a little extra skid and length and got the ball to hit better on the backend. After the cover stock change the Berserk was striking a lot carrying many off hits. It may have something to do with the color scheme but the Berserk seemed to have a very heavy roll which reminded me of the old Roto-Grip Rush. With the motion the Berserk provides I feel I’ll be rolling it a lot on medium to light-heavy conditions.
The Berserk provides a lot of hook potential for a ball in the HP3 line. After I added some polish to the Berserk I was playing the lanes the same as I was with the new Defiant Edge. The difference in the ball motion between the Berserk and the Defiant Edge is the Berserk was slightly earlier in the mid-lane and smoother off the friction on the backend. The Defiant Edge provided just a little more length with a more pronounced move off the backend friction. Overall hook between the Berserk and the Defiant Edge was very similar.
John Brodersen
RG amateur staff
-
Hand: Left
Ball Speed: 16-17mph
Ball Weight: 15lbs
PAP: 5 left 7/16 up
Degrees of Tilt: 17
Layout: 4 7/8 x 5 3/8 x 4 3/8
The Berserk is drilled pin under the bridge no hole. The Berserk out the box was stronger than I expected. If you have a nomad dagger and looking for a stronger hybrid in the roto grip line then the Berserk is your ball! Out the box with 4000 abralon I was getting an early read but did not get a strong roll down lane on the kegel main street pattern. I went into the shop and polish it a little bit with reacta shine and BOOM the ball was getting down lane a little more but with a much better finish to the pocket.
For your average bowler that bowls league and a day or 2 of practice each week this ball is awesome for that and more. The cover stock 65MH is very tunable to your desire need and with the caliber weight block which is also found in the popular bandit (pearl cover stock) makes a great combination of drive and hitting power. When there is more oil on the lanes there is no stopping this ball. Like other hybrids that are predictable and controllable this ball does the same but with more oil. You can’t get any better than that! Go BERSERK!
If you have any questions about the Berserk email me at garrett.richardson@pinolebowlerssupply.com
Garrett Richardson
Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff
Vise Inserts Amateur Staff
Pinole Bowler’s Supply
www.facebook.com/grstorm
www.facebook.com/pinolebowlerssupply
www.stormbowling.com
www.rotogrip.com
www.viseinserts.com
-
Berserk--- 60x4x40 layout-box condition
Patterns tested on: US Open, THS on HPL, and SPL, and THS on ½ HPL and ½ wood and London
Ball tested well with this layout on all patterns, moved deep on the London pattern and played more of a fade shot to get the best look from it. Looked better on the HPL and ½ and ½ lanes, SPL THS was a little weaker into the pocket, more because the surface of the lane and the volume of oil that center uses for their THS. This is a great, great, great BENCHMARK ball for all players, from tournament players to the once a week league bowlers. IF you are looking for that “ONE†ball, I believe the BERSERK is the best choice currently out on the market. It has tested well in several Matchmaker events I have attended.
-
Berserk 60 x 5 .25 x 70
The Berserk is the replacement for the Nomad Dagger. The Berserk uses the same Caliber Core found in the Outlaw and Bandit, but uses the 65MH Hybrid Reactive coverstock. When the Outlaw reads too early or the Bandit goes too long the Berserk fits in perfect.
I drilled my with a little weaker pin as I wanted to use for league this year. The 4000 abralon finish was a little too much for our league shot as it started to labor down lane. So I applied
Storm Reacta-Shine to the coverstock. This was what the ball needed, as I could open the lane up and create good angle to carry.
The Berserk gave me good strong angle off the spot, with a heavy roll through the pins which produced great pin carry.
The Berserk gives you a lot of hook potential for the HP3 line.
(https://www.ballreviews.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi532.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee323%2Fbowl2win24%2Fth_Berserk.jpg&hash=49827736d190d794c9396c94f5a13efab2356a95) (http://s532.photobucket.com/albums/ee323/bowl2win24/?action=view¤t=Berserk.jpg)
PAP 4 up 1 -1/4
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
COMMENTS
Likes:Ball is very smooth, gets good length picks up in the midlane and continues through the pindeck. It has a strong arch, not jumpy off the spot. One point is that after I put some Polish on the cover, the ball has a better reaction than it did oob. this ball is a must have. my first out of the bag to read the lanes.
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
I tested the Berserk on a typical house shot. This ball will be ideal in a typical league condition.
My Berserk is drilled with the pin below the fingers keeping the box finish. This ball was clean through the front end and produced about 4-5 inches of flare. The ball rolled strong off my hand and in the mid-lane the ball revved up nicely and made a solid, smooth move to the pocket.
The Berserk has a very predictable reaction, which is ideal for the league player. As the lanes transition, I could simply move left, play a little deeper and continue to use this ball. I found this ball to be 2-3 boards stronger than the Outlaw. The hybrid cover of the Berserk allows the ball to make a nice strong move off the dry.
What I enjoyed the most about this ball is the predictability of the cover. It produced a nice steady hook to the pocket. I was getting 4-5 inches of flair and bouncing the ball off the dry all night.
The Berserk is a great ball for the league bowler. This ball will make a nice addition to anyone’s arsenal.
Mike Johnston
Roto Grip Staff Member
-
The color scheme of the Berserk utilizing a bright orange and magenta colors make this ball standout while on the shelf. There is not a ball out that is easier to notice on the display wall than the Berserk or on the lanes while you are striking nonstop with this ball. New to the HP3 Line with a hybrid coverstock, the Berserk uses the dependable, proven Caliber core of the Bandit and the Outlaw. I had issues before when the Outlaw was too much, and when switching to the Bandit, there was too much length. This ball fits the bill for right in between the two. I drilled this ball using the dual angle layout of 55x 5 ½ x 45. Fresh out of the box, the Berserk has a lot motion in the back part of the lane. I was taken by surprise by how much motion this ball had. To me, it is similar to what I saw in the Bandit, however, the Berserk reads the mid lane sooner than that of the Bandit. I put a hole on my VAL about 1 inch about the midline, to tame the ball down slightly. As I compared the Berserk to the Outlaw, the Berserk provided more length than its predecessor, as well as having more movement in the back part of the lane. With the box finish, this ball is great if there is carry down and you need a ball to hook through it. On house conditions, the Berserk out of the box read the friction more than what I prefer. Upon adding polish to the ball, I see the reaction that I desire, giving a little more push in the mid lane and still having the motion in the backend.
Mike Jacobs
-Roto Grip Amateur Staff
-
I drilled through the pin with my ring finger and shifted the CG out to the left with a weight hole down.
I am a left handed tweener with a 325 rev rate.
The berserk has a hybrid coverstock that lets me control my breakpoint down the lane. It is the best of both pearl and solid coverstocks. The pin carry is also phenomenal; it keeps the pins nice and low for maximum deflection.
I have tried this ball at multiple surfaces, and it has shown me that it is very versatile. I used it on a medium length sport pattern and it gave me the best reaction out of all the balls in my Roto Grip arsenal.
This ball makes a great bench mark ball; it should be the first ball out of your bag.
Jeff Mersch
Roto Grip Amateur Staff
PBA Member
-
drilled up a new berserk and tested on typical house condition. laid out with pin above ring finger with cg kicked out to right of the my thumb, left in out of box condition. the movement of the ball is amazing. it literally went berserk on the lanes, strike after strike. i had no problem getting to the pocket from multiple angles and carrying. the color scheme and the performance of the ball makes it an instant hit. pick one up from your local pro shop today, you wont be disappointed.
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
Sport patterns
COMMENTS
Likes: It is a good ball for sport conditions and i can throw it with less rev and it will do what you want it to.(drilled it neutral stack)
Dislikes:Bad for really dry conditions
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:
40-42
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
sport
COMMENTS
Likes:
The berserk is a very great sport shot ball. I use this ball as my benchmark and get a very smooth, clean reaction out of it and it hits like a TANK!
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:39'
Volume:MEDIUM
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Likes:STRONG ARCING BALL, KEEPS PINS LOW
Dislikes:I THOUGHT THIS BALL WOULD BE LIKE MY OUTLAW BUT IT WAS ROLLING OUT ON ME. PERHAPS MY LAYOUT IS TOO STRONG ( 3 1/2 X 5 X 3), BUT I HAD TO POLISH IT WITH STORM 2 TO GET IT DOWN THE LANE. I MAY HAVE TO REDRILL IT WITH A WEAKER LAYOUT 5 X 3 X 4.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
COMMENTS
Likes:
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
My Axis is 5 5/8 right, ¼ up, my speed is average and I would consider myself with higher revs but more up the back. So not a cranker but not really straight either.
Drilled the pin 4†and the CG 4†from PAP (pin down).
Here is a strong ball that with my game rolls very well. It reads the mid-lane very good and has a nice smooth turn towards the pocket. It has worked best when you need to go down the boards or with just a little swing. I played a couple of patterns where I’ve had to go straight up the edge and this is my ball of choice. It makes a nice move but not too much coming off the gutter. To play way inside with it you may need more hand than me so it doesn’t lose energy. House shot or further out, this ball is great for me.
-
Thanks for reading. The video review that goes along with this is posted here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHemnf-1DrA&feature=bf_prev&list=UUUdapKcbpNzp3PGwdo7P6GQ
Roto Grip Berserk is a great addition to the midline price family. I drilled mine with an 85 x 5 x 50 drilling with no extra hole to help conserve some energy downlane. The midlane pickup with this ball and downlane reaction are fantastic. as you can see in the video, once this ball encounters friction, the ball revs up harder and produces an extremely strong arc to the pins that produces enough angle to throw pins around like ragdolls. Comparing the ball to the bandit using the same core and slightly different layout shows off how much pickup the ball has while still in the heaviest oil in the center. If you do notice the ball going outside of 8 for the breakpoint you also notice that the ball does not dive into the pocket when it reads friction early. Scuff to handle heavier oil or polish to move your feet further right, you still get a great reaction from whereever you decide to play and the Berserk is truly BENCHMARK!!!! It is directly in the middle of the arsenal breakdown for Rotogrip. If you are looking for a favorite reaction don't look any further. Great Job Guys!!!
-
As a member of the Wright State bowling team, I am very satisfied with my new Berserk. This ball was able to give me recovery on the back end that my other balls weren't able to do. I'm able to use this as my benchmark ball on fresh conditions to give me a good read of the lane.
-
LANE CONDITION
Length:18ft buffed to 32ft
Volume:30 units
Roto Grip Berserk
PAP – 5 over and ½ up
Ball Speed: 15-17 mph
Rev Rate 300-350
Right Handed
Layout 45x4.5x45 (pin up)
Surface Preparation: Polished
What I wanted from this Ball: To be much stronger than the Bandit and more hook than the outlaw.
Result: Less backend flip than the bandit and more stronger arc than the outlaw.
I tested this ball on our at home house condition on our wood lanes. The house pattern is heavy oil 16-18 ft. and buffed down to 32 ft. Our typical house pattern is not an easy pattern and usually creates carry down on the outsides of the lane and a massive snap in the middle. An out of bounds typically forms quickly and the mid-lane becomes very dry.
I found this ball to not be as skid flip as I expected. On our house pattern, the Berserk gave me a good skid through the front part of the lanes and a hard roll to the pocket. Once I moved right on the approach and allowed the ball to do its thing, it started hitting awesome. I found that the more arcing effect and heavy roll allowed me to tame down my normal line I play and give me a slightly smaller swing to my shot and still carry the pins well. When I got the ball out to the out of bounds, it didn’t react as well as I expected. I took it into my pro shop and put some surface on it and it started to recover well. I decided to polish it back up with a surface of 1500 on it to try an get a happy medium. I found out this combination worked well for me with this ball. I used 800 grit polish for a little more tack on the ball.
Compared to my bandit and outlaw, this ball rolls much sooner and creates much more of an arc. I will utilize this ball when the back ends of the lanes are flying and I want a bit more gradual break and a heavy roll to carry out the corner pins.
I have Drilled up berserks for various customers and have only positive feedback. One customer with a higher speed likes the earlier roll a lot and the other customer has a lower speed and we polished his Berserk to the max. It gives him an awesome backend reaction with no defelction.
I highly recommend to anyone purchasing the Berserk to not over expect this ball to skid and flip at the backend, but to use this ball for an earlier roll condition with a large arcing entry angle.
Sean Baker
Roto Grip/Storm
Pro Shop Staff
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Likes:Heavy roll and large hooking arc
Dislikes:Not as skid/flip as I expected
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
-
LANE CONDITION
RH
Speed: 18.5-19mph
Rev Rate: 400
Surface: Box
The Berserk for me was exactly what I wanted a hybrid ball to be like. It offers more length than your usual solid but is much smoother than a pearl down lane. With this smooth reaction this ball becomes a great choice for league bowlers looking to use it on their weekly house shot. You are able to rely on a consistent reaction and a smooth controllable hook that is sure to finish down lane. The ball really came alive for me when I got about 15 games on it and had got the track on the ball. The Berserk is very continuous when it starts to hook and is able to finish through the full rack. I also was able to use this ball during my college tournaments on some fresh sport shots and was able to use the Berserk longer than most starting balls because of the smooth reaction and the ability to still finish strong down lane. This is a great ball to have in the bag regardless of the lane conditions.
Tim Hulings- Junior
Robert Morris University (PA)
Roto Grip Collegiate Staff
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): All Types- House, Sport, and Challenge
COMMENTS
Likes: Reliable consistent reaction, Finish through the pins
Dislikes: None
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS