BallReviews
Reviews => Brunswick => Topic started by: BallReviews-scodaddy21 on December 03, 2015, 04:37:15 PM
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Description: Outsmart your competition with the Brunswick Mastermind Brainiac. This high performance bowling ball gives a flip reaction by offering extra length and an angular backend reaction. The Relativity Flip reactive coverstock and the Mastermind Low RG core combine to create length through the front and mid lane and provide an angular motion on the backend when used on medium to heavy oil conditions.
Brunswick Mastermind Scholar Ball Specs:
- Color: Black/Gold/Purple Pearl All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Core: Mastermind Low RG (14#-16#)
- Coverstock: Relativity Flip Pearl Reactive
- Factory Finish: 500 Siaair Micro Pad; Royal Compound
- Reaction: Max flip at backend
- Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.538**
- Differential (Diff): 0.048**
- ** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
- Hook Potential: 210 (scale 10-250)
- Length: 150 (scale 25-235)
- Breakpoint Shape: Angular
- Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy Oil
- A few tiny pit holes in the cover stock of the ball are normal
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DRILL PATTERN
Drill Angle: 60
Pin to PAP: 5
VAL Angle: 60
X Hole (if there is one): P2.5
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate:400
Ball Speed: 18mph
PAP/Track:4-3/4" RT, 1" UP
SURFACE PREP
Grit: 500/Royal Compound (box)
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Sheen
LANE CONDITION
Length: 40'
Volume: Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
BALL REACTION
Length: 9.5/10
Back End: 9.5/10
Overall Hook: 8/10
Midlane Read: 6/10
Breakpoint Shape: Angular
COMMENTS
The Braniac is a great addition to the very successful mastermind series and this is a true skid-flip shape for this series. The overall hook potential is slightly less, but considering this is intended for more length and angularity on certain conditions, that’s not surprising to me.
I drilled my Brainiac 60x5x60 (pin ended up in middle finger),which is one of my favorite layouts, and while I like to take advantage of the ball’s angularity , I prefer to do it without sacrificing versatility. Therefore, I chose the larger 60 degree VAL angle with the 60 degree drill angle; it still creates plenty of skid, and the 5†pin helps reduce the flare, so I still see a very clean, angular ball, but some predictability as well.
When testing this ball, I found it to be 4-5 weaker than my Mastermind Einstein. The Einstein definitely saw the lane a little earlier and hooked more overall. When compared to the Mastermind Scholar, I too had it about 4-5 weaker than the Scholar, but their breakpoints were very similar. Both had similar length and angularity, but the Brainiac simply hooked a little less overall.
After tossing the Brainiac on a variety of conditions, I found my preferred time to use it was on medium volume patterns with medium/long length or in transition when some friction is starting to develop. An example of this transition would be if you chose to start wiht something a little hookier on a fresh condition, such as an Einstein or Scholar, as the lanes break down, you could switch to the Brainiac and continue striking. This would also be a good ball at bowling centers that see more friction in general.
Overall, the Brainiac works as intended, it fills a gap in the Mastermind line, and makes ball changes within that line much easier allowing me to maintain my strike line without having to make big moves with my feet.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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COMMENTS
Likes: Drilled the Brainiac with the pin above the ring finger cg kicked out a little right with the mb 1 inch from thumb and a weight hole in the p2 position.
This ball has been fantastic on every pattern that has some backend reaction to it. If this ball has any friction to work with and you get it there it will turn over. The brainiac has been my go to ball on THS as it pushes through the heads with ease and once it hits the friction it turns and goes. Carry has been great with this ball for me.
I have the Einstein drilled the same way as the Brainiac and the Brainiac is longer and has more flip in the back. Hooks about 5 boards less than the Einstein and the Einstein picks up more in the mids making its move a little ealier.
I would recommend this ball if you bowl on something with some friction or can play your angles tighter on oil. If that is what you are looking for you will not be dissappointed with the Mastermind Brainiac. This ball also has great shelf appeal for the pro shop guys...
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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BALL SPECS
Pin Length: 4"
Starting Top Weight: 3.1 oz
Ball Weight: 15 lbs 4 oz
DRILL PATTERN
Ball: 60 x 5 x 35
X Hole (if there is one): No Hole
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate: 375 rpms
Ball Speed:17.5 mph
PAP/Track: 4 3/4 over 3/4 up
SURFACE PREP
Grit: 4000 polished
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): high polish
LANE CONDITIONS
Lengths of patterns: 41 foot house shot and a shorter sport pattern
Volumes: moderate
Type: house and sport
BALL REACTION
Length: Clean through the heads with a strong angular backend
Back End: skid snap
Overall Hook: long and strong
Midlane Read: very little
Breakpoint Shape: skid snap
COMMENTS
Likes: Ability to create angle and great recovery as lanes breakdown, length, and ability to create area
Dislikes: none
The Mastermind Brainiac is the longest and strongest of the balls in the Mastermind series. It is a foot longer and more angular than the previously released Mastermind Scholar, while covering a similar number of boards. I find it to be a 2 and 1 move right on our house shot and several feet longer when comparing it to the Mastermind Einstein. The Brainiac works best for me when the lanes start to break down and I need to open up my angles and throw the ball to the right. I believe it is the longest most angular Brunswick ball to date. Our house shot really has the tendency for most balls to burn up when the ball gets out past seven or so at the breakpoint. This is the only ball I have tested that seems to eliminate the burn spot and allow me to get the ball to return from the out of bounds. The new composite coverstock seems to do this in spite of the fact that you also can't seem to throw it past the breakpoint without completely missing the ball at the bottom of the swing. It is truely unusual to see this kind of length, strength, and predictability in one package. This Mastermind also allows me to play more angle while not having to apply as much axis rotation. It excels in situations where there is some friction and you need that extra pop down on the back part of the lane. With the correct hand and speed combination I really can't see a situation where I won't be able to get this ball to cover a bunch of boards in a hurry. It is the perfect complement to balls like the Nirvana and Melee Hook. I can see this ball being a go to piece for the weaker handed player looking to see more backend motion from the dry once other balls start to flat ten. If you are looking for length, strength, and and super angular backend recovery, check this one out.
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Bowler Stats:
18-19mph
425-475rpm
5-7* tilt
40-60* axis rotation
Layout:
30* by 5.5" by 75* (with hole 2" down VAL)
Intent:
My local house shot is very wet-dry and I needs something that would stand up quick and still allow me to play further outside. This layout is a little on the "tricky" side for me since I rarely use such small drilling angles and such large VAL angles, much less combining the two. I added a little surface (3000 grit by hand) to bring the shape a little closer to me. In addition to combating the wet-dry of my house shot, the look from this ball should also give me a slightly different look from what I'm used to seeing downlane.
On the lanes:
The Brainiac was just what the doctor ordered. The surface combined with the more extreme layout (compared to my typical preferences at least) gave me the exact reaction I was looking for (see above). What I was very pleasantly surprised with though was how long I could stay with this ball throughout the night and keep creeping inside. Thanks to the super responsive cover, the Brainiac can stay in my hands for all 3 games of league even on a higher friction surface (AMF HPL). With a more traditional layout, I think this ball would be one of the more downlane asymmetrics I've ever thrown. It should be a perfect compliment to the Einstein if you're looking for a bit quicker downlane response.
Closing Remarks:
The Mastermind line has only gotten better with each and every ball. The Brainiac only continues that improvement in design and innovation. While I tricked my first one a little to fit a gap in my shapes, I imagine I'll be getting another one to compliment my Einstein more traditionally.
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I laid out the Brainiac a little stronger than I’ve laid out the last several asymetric’s that I’ve drilled. I would like to thank Chuck Gardner as he know that I am either getting older, fatter or both to throw the weaker layouts, so this one was his suggestion. The layout was 50X5X30 with a small hole at P3. Out of the box I really liked the motion I got with this ball, but the carry wasn’t the best. Took it back to the spinner and used a 3000 pad and the shape and carry are money. This ball easily handles the 43 ft THS used in the center I run and allows me to move inside the third arrow and still knock down ten pins which is unusual for me here. If you are looking for a comparison, ball, I would say it is stronger down lane than and Intelect with about the same distance out of the box. The 3000 brought the break point about a foot closer to me, which allows me to play to my strength of throwing it hard. This ball would look great for your favorite bowler for a Holiday present
Mike Freundel
Brunswick Regional Staff
The views of this post are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Bowling.
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This is my first Mastermind Series ball.
My ball speed is 15.7 to 16mph. High Rev rate. I drilled this up 70x 5 3/4 x30 out the box I left a lot of 7 pins( I'm right Handed) and 9 pins on your THS. Changed the surface using a 1000 pad then 2000 on the advise of Nick Smith, This ball worked great on the Fresh Viper, really clean through the front part of the lane, reaction was smooth put strong off the pattern, because of my ball speed had to put it away after 3 games. Looking forward to throwing it on house shot
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BALL SPECS
Ball Weight: 16 lbs
DRILL PATTERN
Dual Angle Layout: 80 x 4" x 30
X Hole (if there is one): P2
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate: Higher, between 370 and 410 rpm, aka Cranker
Ball Speed: 16.50 mph
PAP/Track: 5 3/8" over and 7/8" up with a high track
SURFACE PREP
Grit: Box - 500, Royal Compound
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Polished
LANE CONDITION
Length: Multiple
Volume: Multiple
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Multiple
BALL REACTION
Length: 8 / 10
Back End: 8 / 10
Overall Hook: 7 / 10
Midlane Read: 6 / 10
Breakpoint Shape: 8 / 10 Angular
COMMENTS
Likes: Very clean through the front and works well on a broken down pattern
Dislikes: None
The Mastermind Brainiac is the latest addition that is longer and stronger off the spot. With the Composite Pearl coverstock, the Brainiac will skid farther down the lane but has more recovery compared to the Scholar. The Mastermind Brainiac would work best when you need something that will clear the front part of the lane but still recover when reaching the friction. I have used this on a house shot or later in a tournament when I need to open up my angles because the front part of the lanes are hooking. Comparing it to the Einstein, the brainiac is about 4 boards less hook but has a stronger backend motion. The Einstein and Brainiac would make a great combination for house shots or sport shots. I have used this ball on a medium length sport pattern and it allowed me to play straighter through the front part of the lanes. It would be a great ball for medium oil or when you need to open up your angles because the lanes were breaking down in the front part of the lane.
Here is a video of me throwing the Mastermind Brainiac and Mastermind Einstein
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What a great ball to throw. Oob this ball is a couple boards weaker than an Einstein but is more of a skid/flip reaction. After this video I lightly hand scuffed the surface of the Brainiac as the polish made this ball go a hair to long for me. Cracking the surface a bit made this ball come to life for me by making it read the midlane and face up to the pins very hard. 814 series with it last week and was able to throw the ball the whole night of league on a ths.
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BALL SPECS
Ball Weight: 15 lbs
DRILL PATTERN
Dual Angle: 65 x 5 1/2 x 30
X Hole (if there is one): No
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate: Medium , between 250-275 rpm
Ball Speed: 17-18 mph
PAP/Track: 5 1/2" over and 1/2" down
SURFACE PREP
Grit: Box Finish
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Polished
COMMENTS
The Mastermind Brainiac is just a phenomenal ball. The new Composite cover addictives with the Mastermind Core makes this ball nasty on the backend. The Mastermind Brainiac is clean through the front about 3 feet longer than the scholar and super flip on the backend. The Brainiac is a must have to complete everyone's arsenal.
Charles Withers II
Brunswick Advisory Staff
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.
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Brunswick Mastermind BRAINIAC
BALL SPECS
Pin Length – 3-4"
Starting Top Weight – 2.4 oz
Ball Weight - 15lb 1oz
DRILL PATTERN
Drilled 60 x 3 3/8" x 30 w/ P2 Weight Hole 29/32†by 3†deep
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate – 240 / 352 / 436
Ball Speed – 14.1 MPH / 18.6 MPH
PICTURE AND VIDEO LINKS
(https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t31.0-8/12304012_1079857182032604_198869218401376982_o.jpg)
SURFACE PREPARATION
Grit - Out of the Box
Type (Matte, Polish, Sanded) - Out of the Box
LANE CONDITION
Length - 41 ft
Volume – 18.30 ml
Type (Wall, Xmas Tree, Sport) – Kegel Main Street (THS)
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LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
COMMENTS
Likes:With its new Relativity Flip coverstock allows this ball to easily get down the lane with great flip on the backend. Paired with the low RG core that extends the rotational energy of the ball, allows this ball to be more angular and have more energy as it crushes the pins. The aesthetically pleasing color combination of purple and gold, make this ball look amazing as its destroying pins.
I drilled mine 75 x 4 1/2 x 35. This drilling allows for a great reaction down lane, stored energy for continuation through the pocket, and amazing hitting power the destroys pins. I typically use this ball on medium to light oil conditions. I’ve found it to be a great ball to use when transition happens or the heads have broken down because this ball will be clean through the front of the lane regardless of the lane play. Another great factor to this ball is it responds well to surface alterations. Its a dynamic ball, and could be a great go to ball when your benchmark ball is hooking too much.
Troy Schaefer
Brunswick Regional Staff Player
#bowlwithbruns #teamBrunswick
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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This piece from Brunswick will make a terrific benchmark ball. Mine is drilled pin below the ring finger and factory surface. I've used it on a variety of conditions and I see the ball motion as very even and predictable.
Hitting power is strong, the only caution would be that without applying some surface to the ball it can be a bit challenged on heavy oil conditions. But a great option for medium volume patterns and a wonderful addition to the Mastermind family.
Jeff Poholsky, Brunswick Advisory Staff.
The opinion above is mine, and not necessarily that of Brunswick Bowling.
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 41 feet
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
COMMENTS
Likes: Ball is very strong off of the spot. 2nd game out 279 with a stone 9 in the 9th frame. Drilled with the pin over the bridge. Mass bias just outside of the thumbhole. First asymmetrical ball that I have liked in a long time. Does need oil in the front to store energy. Bleeds off much quicker than the Melee Hook that I drilled at the same time. Still able to open up the lane on the fresh without the early hook of earlier Mastermind balls. Would recommend it.
Dislikes: Does like/need front oil with my roll. But, that's a personal decision on the when to throw it. First night out I went 227, 279 and 192. Should have gotten something else out the last game. But....new toy. Wanted to throw it. Plus, was getting a lot of guys coming over to take a look at it. Thanks to Brunswick for sending it and the Melee Hook to me.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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The Mastermind Brainiac is the longest and strongest of the Mastermind series to date. This ball is incredibly clean and has a very quick response to friction. The ball creates a ton of backend flip when it hits the dry. My favorite part about this ball is it does not hydroplane when it hits oil. The really strong core in this ball make sure it still hooks when you miss into the oil in league. You can really send this ball left to right and watch it fly back. This ball definitely has a unique motion that you need to have in your bag.
Greg
Greensburg,Pa
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Drilled my Brainiac 55x4.75x75 (pin below bridge) with a pinner P3 to keep it balanced. All of the asyms that I have been sent since moving up to 16lbs this summer have by pure chance all been 4" pins with the exception of my Guru Supreme. The Supreme has been money for blending out heavier patterns with strong backends, but I've felt that I have needed something that I could step down to before getting into my symmetrics.
In terms of shape the Brainiac gives me average to slightly above average length due to the mild shine of the rough buff polish, with a heavy roll in the midlane along with a smooth arcing move on the backend. I rarely drill polished pearls due to my roll and find that most give me excess skid in oil and sharp angles on the backend. Although the shape may look really impressive to the untrained eye, those angles are difficult to control (see my review of the Mastermind Scholar). The Brainiac's strong coverstock blends out wet/dry as well as any pearl that I have ever thrown and has looked great on a variety of patterns from THS to our scratch league's 45' Challenge Pattern.
The Brainiac fills a medium oil, above average midlane and backend void in my bag by being longer down the lane than my Guru Supreme (tank for oil), yet reading the oil a little more in oil than my Ridiculous (strong arc for mediums). The Brainiac is a good step cleaner than my Ultimate Nirvana and Thug Life (which both rev hard in the mids) which gives me a superior option for straightening out my angles during transition.
The Mastermind Brainiac is a very usable ball that will bridge the gap between your stronger asyms and your midrange equipment. Its strong cover will allow it to serve as a benchmark ball on some surfaces, but the Brainiac will shine brightest in transition as your #2 ball once your tanks have slogged through that first slick game of league or tournament play.
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Drilled the Brainiac to try and maximize the angular potential. Got a mixed bag. The ball is drilled 55 x 4 ½ x 25 with a small hole. The ball struggles to make the corner at times. When the pattern is crisp the ball fires off the point, however, which is good. On a typical house shot the ball was very effective earlier in the set when the backends were fresh. On a 41 foot WTBA pattern the ball was overreactive. A solid ball that has a place but not what I was expecting.
Darrell Lovell, www.bowlerx.com