BallReviews
Reviews => Brunswick => Topic started by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
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Get ready to score with the Brunswick Red Zone. Brunswick engineers have drawn up a new playmaker that offers control and explosive hitting power to tackle the toughest lane conditions. Put the new Red Zone on your team and reach your goal of more consistent scoring.
The Red Zone is an upgrade to the popular Zone Classic. By eliminating the pearl from the Zone Classic and using a solid version of Activator coverstock, backend traction in carrydown is improved. The Red Zone delivers the utility of a highly polished ball with improved ability to handle oil down lane.
Best suited for Medium-dry to Medium-oily lane conditions. The Red Zone retains the popular Activator ball reaction. Clean through the heads but with an early revving type of roll that promotes mid-lane recovery and a powerful but continuous breakpoint.
Utility
•Out of the Box: With its High Gloss Polish finish the Red Zone will match up well on medium-dry to medium-oily conditions.
•When dulled:The Red Zone hooking action will increase and its arc will become more even, creating a better match-up for oily lane conditions and help blend the over/under reactions seen on wet/dry lane conditions.
Coverstock
Activator Reactive
Color:
Black Cherry Solid
Hardness: 76-78
Glow Engraving
Factory Finish
High Gloss Polish
More Information
Core Dynamics
Two-component
Asymmetrical core
RG Max: 2.522â€
RG Int: 2.505"
RG Min: 2.474â€
RG Diff: 0.048â€
RG Asy: 0.017"
RG Avg: 2.9 out of 10
Performance
Hook Potential 120
Length 105
Breakpoint Shape 75
Available Weights
12-16 Pounds
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All right, I drilled a Red Zone a couple of weeks ago (after Scott got back from the Mini/HIgh roller with one and I kinda "stole" it from him) and so far I love it.
15lbs
3" pin
Drilled 4 1/2 x 3 3/4 pin 1 1/2" above center grip
Same layout as my Classic Zone #1 (2 and 3 yet to be drilled), except my Classic has the pin 2 1/2" from center grip. Ball in OOB condition gets downlane very nice, picks up aout 2 feet sooner than the Classic and delivers the same backend reaction. Bowled on a fairly fresh house condition today, was able to get play around 3rd arrow, out to about 7 and "the spot" and ball made a solid move to the pocket. Threw the same line as my Classic (again similar drilling and the same OOB surface) and Classic went about 2 feet longer before making the move. So far awesome 1-2 combo for a medium oiled 40 foot THS.
Got to also use the ball on a semi-burnout condition (yes there are lefties in the world) and was able to play a tighter line, ball reacted very well through carrydown where my Classic seemed to skid along with my Smokin (drilled 5 x 2 1/2) Red Zone moved was continuous through the backend.
Overall in an OOB surface, ball is definately a bit stronger than a Classic Zone and a wonderful addition to the Zone line. I am debating on wether to drill another one and take the surface down to 800 grit (similar to a Strike Zone for more oil or not). Awesome compliment to the Classic with the polish. Thank you again to Brunswick and please continue to make the best quality products on the market.
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Unoffical Brunswick staff 06-07
Viva la Nacion!
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Check my profile for pics on the Red Zones.
Red Zone #1 - 3-4" pin out, 5" pin above fingers, 70 degree MB right beside the thumb hole. I drilled this because I wasn't getting the continuation through the pins from my Vapor Zone. This drilling definately snaps harder at the back end in the box finish. Exactly what I wanted, TX Rico. This layout can be a little squirty when there is carry down, but if the shot opens up it'll be money. Then comes......wait for it...
Red Zone #2 - 2-3" pin, 2" pin from axis. I also took the polish off with a grey scotch brite. I used this ball primarily in the Everett Red Hook regional for the five games after the cut. The pattern was messed up to say the least. On the short oil it reads the lane very well and does not over react like #1. It still got down the lane surprisingly well with the dulled surface. This ball will be in my "A" arsenal for tournaments for sure.
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Corey Clayton
Brunswick Amateur Staff
Turbo Grips Staff
Team Canada
Check out my aresenal in my profile.
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Right handed tweener. Check my profile for exact specs.
4" Pin, drilled 60 degree, pin over fingers, which ends up about 5 1/4 from PAP. Small to medium weigh hole drilled deeper...just gets into the core.
Played on 2 different types of shots so far:
1) Busted up house shot after 2 league shifts. Played from ~18-20 at arrows out to ~7-9 at a 40 ft break point. Ball flys through the heads and at the breakpoint makes a solid, continuous move to the pocket. Absolutely blows the rack since it's storing so much energy. Even if you don't catch it all, it still rolls up solid. Give it some room and it will work wonders at the end of a shift. I feel that with this ball, I have unlimited room left when the shot dries up.
2) Fresh competitive house shot (~40 ft) with reduced bounce to the outsides. Ball does seem to have a tendancy to be a little over/under here. It's definately more sensitive to mistakes release and speed wise as it's looking for some dry here. Really this isn't what the ball was supposed to be for so this result makes sense. A move right with the target does help, but I have other equipment that works better on fresher shots.
Overall this ball is a keeper for me. Unless I have strong backends with a shorter pattern, strong bounce to the outsude, or a shot that has broken down some, it won't be the first ball out of the bag, but it will definately be the second one. Super ball Brunswick, keep it up!
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Right handed tweener, medium revs, high ball speed
i got the ball the other day and drilled it up pin below my ring finger with the cg kicked out a smidge. this ball hooks a lot more than i thought it would. i took a 4000 grit aberlon pad to the cover to get off some polish. i threw it on a normal 39 foot house shot and the ball hooked a bunch. i was standing 35 with my feet and swinging it to 7 board and it would fly back. the ball is almost equivilent to a strike zone except polished. the ball hits like a tank if you drill it right. overall score: 8.5/10
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Red Zone
Ball Specs
The ball being drilled was a 3†pin out with 3.00 oz top weight.
Drilling: Pin 4" from PAP and Mb 55 degree angle. Pin is above ring finger, 3" above grip midline. Weight Hole on my axis. Factory Polished/Then Sanded to 1000 Abralon.
Bowler Information:
Track diameter is 10 1/2.
PAP is measured at 5 1/4 over and 3/8" up.
Average ball speed (foul line to head pin) is 17 mph.
Axis rotation is typically 90 degrees
Initial rev rate is typically 300 rpm, "Tweener"
Lane Condition and Pattern:
Bowlero Lanes, HPL 9000 Panel. Oil Pattern: Medium to Heavy oil with semi clean backends.
Review: Again Mika told me at the Trade show this year that most pro's drill this ball with the MB at a 55 Degree Angle, 45 degree creates a little to much jump off the dry, so I tried it.
Again I like it, it more predictable at the break point than the Zone Classic and about 2-3 boards more hook. It is just not enough hook for Bowlero's heavy flood of oil. So I sanded the ball down to 1000 abralon and shot 660 with the ball leaving a few ten pins in the set. For me and Bowlero a much better set up sanded.
If you strap the ball, I would try it polished 1st then tweak the surface from there. If you are a tweener or stroker that is bowling on oil, I would definitely sand this ball down 1st, to 1000 to 2000 abralon. I like the quick revving core that matched up well to the coverstock. Brunswick's R&D did a great job with this one.
Thanks for reading me review.
Dwight
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Specs:
15.05lbs
3 inch Pin
3oz top
Pic: http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/7767/redzonegv9.jpg
Layout:
Pin over ring, MB kicked out 2-1/2 inches
Pin 4-3/4 from PAP, and MB 4-1/2 from PAP
Condition:
Brunswick Old worn out wood lanes
Oil 38ft with strip backends
The Red Zone really shined on this pattern. I was able to open up the lane and
have the ball come back in a nice angle to kick out the 10 pin everytime. It looked like a beast on steroids. When i hit the pocket light pin just scattered across the lane from one gutter to the next. I tried a few different hand positions and the RZ responded with no problems. I was very impressed.
The weakness i find this ball has is when lanes have carry down at any extent. This is what i didn't like at all. The RZ would mellow out big time. It looked like a benchmark ball going down the lane. I could take my Radical Inferno and it would produce more backend on that particular condition. It was weird. I'm not sure if this ball is like the original inferno where you have to put a good amount of games on it until it really starts coming to life. I have a friend who also has the same issue and his is drilled stronger than mine. Oh well.
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I set mine up with a 5.5 inch pin to PAP which is the longest I have ever used. The MB was strong. In box condition the Red Zone reads head oil and skids more than any of the other activator shells I have thrown. It seems to compare to the Vapor Zone just about the way Brunswick says it does. I haven't tried it yet on an inside hooking condition, where I think it will really shine. Even with early skid it still gets that strong mid lane roll with nich continuation that is characteristic of Brunswick activator combined with low rg cores
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I drilled one of these up with the thought of having a ball that responds downlane to carrydown.
Drilled up 4.5 pin-to-axis and mass bias at 30 degree angle and also have a 7/8" hole 1 " down the VAL. I kept this at the box finish as I threw it this way initially and get a great read with this surface. All I have been doing is cleaning it to remove dirt and oil, but have not altered the surface.
I can throw this on medium oil length (38-41 feet) and get a good read. The ball responds to the friction a little sharply sometimes, but is still very controllable and hits very well. I have also taken my hand out of it and threw the high/hard one and this ball really shines like this. I usually have to start to bag this when I get really deep because of the sharpness of the backends. My ball roll doesn't hit well enough for me to take the ball too far away from the pocket inside. I can get it back, but it is half tens all day long like this. The ball is sharp enough on the back that I do have to open my angles up to get to the hole and at that point it goes in the bag for other options.
All in all, this ball reads like a good, versatile, medium ball. With the right drilling and surface you can go on either side of medium to a point. The extremes will make you put this one away quickly.
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specs:
15lbs 15oz
2.5" pin
3.1oz tw
layout:
pin 3/4" above ring finger, MB kicked right 1 3/4"
pin to PAP 5", MB to PAP 4 3/4"
left in OOB condition
i wanted this ball to shoot down the lane with a BIG flip on
the back-end. what i got was exactly that. ball has no problem
getting down the lane on fresh oil, or when lanes break down. back-end
is huge on fresh shot with a little bit of over/under with carrydown(not much).
on dry conditions, i can still get the ball down the lane after moving left,
but with tremendous left turn and the ball going through the nose/brooklyn.
the ball shines on fresh conditions(medium oil with 5 to gutter out of bonds is my house shot)
and clean back-ends. nice setup with a little midlane read and left turn on
back-end. outside of the little over/under the red zone is consistant and
has so much stored energy it hits ungodly. with the angle the ball comes in at
i rarely leave corner pins and yet to leave an 8 or 9 pin with it. but with
that angle i do leave(and have left over 10) alot of 7-10 splits in the hole.
overall, a very good ball with great legnth and back-end, and explosive energy
and power at the pins.
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Well I finally am ready to write a review on this ball.
This ball is incredible and is exactly what Brunswick said it would do and that is handle carry down. I bowled on a non stripping oil program for 6 games (there was a league earlier in the day that also got on the same lanes) and the ball got down the lane nice with a nice sharp continuous backend. When I throw the Classic, the ball will make a slight turn and stop because of the carry down where the Red Zone continues on through. I went with the 2E layout for the symmetrical core and the mass bias is half way between the VAL and the verticle line that goes through the grip center. My PAP is 5 1/8" straight over.
Overall, the ball has pretty much the same reaction as the Zone Classic, just not as squirty and maybe slightly less angular.
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Brandon
Owner of a Vertex Mold 1/2 HP.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bowling_tips_group
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This is my second review of this ball. What I can say is, this ball is a lot like the Scrochin Inferno when it comes to hitting power. The Classic on the right condition absolutely shred the rack. However, the Red Zone is a much more versatile ball than the Classic. I find that the Red Zone works great when I try to take a little hook off by tilting the ball more when I line up but still using enough fingers to get some hit. The Scorchin and Red Zone are not weak hitting balls, you just need to adjust a little bit and then they work fine.
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Brandon
Owner of a Vertex Mold 1/2 HP.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bowling_tips_group
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The RED ZONE is a very very smooth reaction on med-med oily lanes. pin is 3 1/4
inches from the PAP and the reaction is sweet hard roller i guess i would say way to go brunswick on this one.
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Nate Hand
Vise Amateur Staffer
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oldrerack
Lane Conditions: Heavy Oil
Typical Conditions: House Shot
Type of Lane: All Synthetic
What part of the lane did you play? Second Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
Likes: Over all reaction
Angular breakpoint, and better mid-lane recovery
and forgiveness
A new standard for traction that leaves other balls behind
Dislikes: hooks too much on Dry-Medium Conditions
The hits keep right on Coming
Brunswick truly hit the mark on this ball
Red Zone was truly hot
At the Mini events held in Las Vegas this year
This ball cut thru the oil
strong in the mid-lane but did not hook early.
ball was clean thru the heads,
strong in the mid-lane, and great continuation in the back-ends.
In comparison to the the Scorchin’ Inferno was about 5-10 boards more aggressive
And this was without a super aggressive layout.
Unlike most manufacturers who just release balls and say they hook more and will be better then their predecessors,
The Red Zone truly lives up to the hype.
Great Ball For straighter player
My Layout: Pin 4 ¼ from PAP, CG 4 ¼ from PAP,
Pin is below ring finger above the mid-line of my grip.
My PAP: 5" across 1/8 Up
Balance hole 2¾ Down below PAP
Ball Specs: 15 lbs. 3 oz, Pin Distance 3-4 Top Weight 2.7
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drilling: pin under bridge- weight hole 2-3/4 under valve
this is a very smooth rolling ball...i was expecting something of a snappy backend from this ball but is revs very good in the midlane and has a deceptivley strong arching backend...i would recommend this ball for anyone looking to counter those spotty wet/drys that you may encounter in league play...you can stay inside and ride the oil line and because of the good midlane read of this ball you will always get a nice recovery from this piece...just another great ball from BIG B
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Drilling: Pin to pap 3 1/2 (pin placed next to ring finger); mb to pap 5 1/2; mb placed at 90*
For me this layout gives me more midlane roll and a snapping back end reaction.
As for results my high game with this ball is 297, and my high set is 797. (238,297.262).
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As with all the Zone line, this ball is deceptively good! Whenever the inside line gets a little touchy, I can move a couple boards right with the feet and this balls HITS HARD!
The other night it started leaving a few more corner pins than usual, but I had just burned off the polish. Shined it back up and whacked 'em again. Nice to hear about others who love this ball, too.
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Laneman
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The ball chips really easy. I got my ball the 13 of January 2007 its been almost a month and i have had to get it plugged 9 times It has not left the bowling ally in three weeks. If it doesn't chip you can put up good numbers. Brunswick is Going to replace my ball so I hope every one has better luck than I did.
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The Red Zone is an awesome ball. It is very smooth threw the midlane and doesn't seem to over react unless the mids are burnt. I would love to have another one. Very good ball and great reaction for me. I have had no issues with the shell. I really like this ball. Great reaction and very smooth retains a lot in the backend.
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Ball: Brunswick Red Zone
Layout:
Pin 5†from PAP below fingers
60-degree locator line angle
XH on PAP, 7/8†by 2†deep
Initial Surface Preparation:
Box finish
Purpose:
To serve as the cornerstone of my new tournament arsenal; “first ball out of the bagâ€
Why this ball?
In general, I’ve had success with the asymmetrical Zones on blended house-type patterns (which constitute the majority of what I see in competition), as well as on conditions where there is some wet-dry from front to back. Also, if I’m not getting the right reaction, I can usually get a good enough read with the Zone to where I know which way to go in the arsenal. The Red Zone was particularly intriguing in that it was billed as being cleaner in front and sharper at the break than the Vapor and Strike.
As for the layout, I’ve had a great deal of success with the 5â€-under-by-60 in a Vapor Zone and a Strike Zone, so I opted for this layout in the Red, despite the fact that the CG on this particular ball was about 1†to the right of the locator line.
Observations:
I first threw the Red Zone at a center with a synthetic surface, on a more blended pattern after a fresh strip. So while there wasn’t the usual amount of free hook to the outside, there was plenty of friction in back, and no matter what I threw, I got a hard change of direction at the breakpoint. I had to grind out several frames until the middles started to push, but at that point, the Red opened up the track area nicely. I did have to watch the speed, though; if I got it going a hair too fast, it would shoot through the pin deck and leave a late 10. However, the Red was very user-friendly in that it didn’t want to go crazy at the break when I softened up my speed.
I used the Red Zone to great effect at a tournament on a synthetic surface with a pattern that was more blended, both from front to back and from side to side. The Red gave me the ideal reaction for this longer pattern where I had to play a straighter trajectory. It held well when I got the ball going more up the lane, and recovered nicely when I leaked it to the right. Again, though, I had to watch my speed, or else I’d leave late 10s. Once the track started to go away, though, the Red started to run for home in the midlane, and on moving left to give the ball some room, it didn’t exhibit the recovery that I needed in order to get a good look at the lane.
I have also tried using the Red on conditions with less of a blend, and while the reactions that I’ve gotten were serviceable, there were better choices in the bag.
Conclusions:
This ball is true to form as far as the asymmetrical Zones go. As long as the ball path through the front part of the lane is clean, and there is some volume in the midlane, I can use the Red Zone with effectiveness. However, once the track starts to go, the Red will react too quickly to the dry, forcing me deeper on the lane, and out of the “comfort zone†for this ball. Also, if the front breaks down more quickly than the midlane does, the Red Zone will start up too quickly and then hang down the lane.
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...formerly "The Curse of Dusty," and "Poöter Boöf" before that...
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I Drilled this ball up the same time as my Vapor Vone.
.*
00
.0
.......+
This ball is very similar to the Vapor Zone. The only difference is it breaks sooner, and the overall hook is a little bit less. Out of the box after shooting 244 with my Vapor Zone, i shot 247 with the Red Zone. Great Ball.
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Captain Stabbin
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Drilled close to 5.5 x 5 (Pin x MB). This ball was excellent on transitioning longer patterns, and medium patterns with a little carrydown. It was very touchy off of the friction so I had to make sure I had a condition to throw it on where it wouldn't jump on me. On Cheetah, this thing was very angular off of the breakpoint, but could carry the world. I was playing 15-3 or so to start with, and was playing in front of the ball return by game 4, and then made the switch. On Chameleon, it didn't seem to get the length I needed on the pattern to be able to score efficiently. Scorpion was pretty much ideal for this ball. Medium in length, heavier in the heads...
Basically, the Red Zone is a good ball for your medium-slightly longer patterns with the right matching up. Decent ball.
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Colton Coan
Arsenal:
Total Inferno
Ultimate Inferno
Red Zone
Mystic
Plastic
http://www.absolutebowling.com
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Awesome Ball...Really nothing else to say...I definately prefer this ball for those who wish for a smooth breaking ball.
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-Tony-
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This ball is more even arching than the Zone Classic. The more even arching characteristic allows this ball to be a little bit better in carry down in my opinion. It doesn't have he violent backend like the Classic. This might be the most versitile ball you will ever throw, and the hit isn't bad either. It does lack some of the hitting power in the Classic, but if it's versitility that you need, this is a great ball.
I was having problems with getting the ball to carry strikes when I had 10th frame grips in. I had my local pro shop put in new grips and this ball is a totally different ball. It's still even arching, but it seems like it doesn't roll out. It's a lot like the Ebonite Tornado Tornado on drier conditions. Both balls can hook early, but they keep turning at a nice steady, predictable rate and drive through the pins very nice.
If anybody has thrown an Ebonite Vortex III TPS polished, the reactions between these 2 balls are about the same.
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Brandon
Owner of a Vertex Mold 1/2 HP.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bowling_tips_group
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If you have read my other reviews you will know when I find a ball that I love, I'll drill up another one with a different layout, and this one is no different.
After throwing the Vapor Zone for awhile I debated on this ball or the black widow, went the widow didn't like it so picked up this one. Put my favorite layout on it 4 1/2 pin abover bridge mass bias in the flip zone. This ball rolls early than my Vapor with the same drill with slightly less amount of hook. I threw this ball singles in my first nationals apperance in Reno this past year and shot over 720 with it. I was so pumped, this ball clears the heads great and makes a hard arc, not a flip like the VZ.
After throwing this ball for over a year, I drilled up another one. Went 5" below the bridge, mass bias 50 degrees. This ball rolls much earlier, hooks about 4 boards more up front, with much less on the backend. IMO it isn't as good as the first one I drilled, but still rolls great when there's more volume of oil on the lane.
This ball is weaker than both the Vapor and Strike Zones and hooks more than the Classic Zone. All 4 of these balls were unstoppable when used together. Brunswick's Activator covers and the slightly changed DZ core were unbelievable together.
On the side, this is not just a polished strike zone, it may seem that way but its much more angular.
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www.bowlingsolutions.com
Move left, hook it more.....
Tommy Jones is a Gamecock fan...are you???
We shall now refer a 4-bagger as a hambone...Mark it down the revolution has started!
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I'll give it a shot!
Not a lot of games on this hooker but so what...
Me....Lefty, softer speed, strong side roll, high tracker, and more revs than speed....say 300 at 15 mph. Pap 5 1/4 up 1/8.
Ball drilled essentially length and backend from Brunswick's new drill sheets!
Pin above ring(5 inch pin to pap) and mass bias 2 inches out from thumb.
Weighthole on a line from grip center thru the up cg on my VAL. 59/32 and angled out 1 inch lateral out pitch!
(this drilling is a clone of my AWESOME....awesome REVS a strong mass bias pearl particle).
Surprisingly the reaction is much different than the revs. Started out with the ball illegal(no weighthole and the ball just went near straight! on an oily shot!)
Went put in the angled weighthole to match the Awesome revs and voila! BAckend!
However instead of supplying strong midlane like my Awesome revs this ball has a very similar look to my well worn pin over ring and cg in grip center Icon 2.
In other words a lot of length and a penetrating pretty straight ball roll until the sharp angular backend! This coverstock now appears strong when it decides to bite hunker down and attack.....but it waits a long time before it hunkers down and grabs.
In fact the more I think of it the reaction is not than different from a lot of Black Widows I've seen.
I put the Icon 2 with its modified label leverage drill against the Red and only saw subtle differences that such as the Icon two with it's light load particle coverstock got me a touch deeper with my feet and had a slightly smoother backend off the dry in comparison to the richochet dig grab and snap of this solid coverstock.
I was not looking forward to a copy of my Icon2 so I will come back after trying a subtle dulling of the coverstock.
In a way I was surprised at the lack of midlane from this ball but I did find a way to make it work on a wet dry 10 to 10 that I believe my Awesome would have killed on a 14 to 8 line this shiny looking pill finally wanted to strike once I went 9 to 5 with a slightly bent back wrist(rarity for me!).
Summary, if you want midlane don't hesitate to use one of Brunswicks two drillings that speak about lots of midlane. Both with the pin down a touch,,,,one with a 4 inch pin to pap the other with a 5 inch pin to PAP.
If one wants a piercing Black widow length and backend....this may be your secret cheap and hot looking winner!
I may take this surprising piece over to my center that supplies all the midlane one wants (due to the lane friction in the 15 to 40 foot area) and couple it with this core that in its out of box condition
supplies little very little midlane from the internal powerhouse trapped inside!
REgards,
Luckylefty
PS my Icon2 was often a choice and maybe this pill may be even better!
Oh yeah....it hooks and hits when one finds the line....and its breathtaking to watch. Bowling tightwire act!
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Open the door...see what's possible...and just walk right on through...that's how easy success feels..
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Allright after about 30 0r 40 games on this peice I decided to do a review on what is now my benchmark ball!
(Layout pic below)
This ball is a great peice to start an arsenal, Very clean through the fronts*
with a nice gradual move on the back end.. and it hits like a tank, If cover is taken care of (for me grey scotch brite/factory polish) Very predictable zone ball!
Only problem I Have with it is In order to play my style of game with it (up the boards), I must prep the surface every set about once a week. Otherwise the ball is very jumpy on mids and backends.. Other then a little prepping this is by far one of the better balls I have thrown.. If you can find one now days be sure to pick one up!
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I Bowl for one reason and one reason only...so my 2 year old son can have a hero!!
Equipment in bag
Avalanche peral
redzone
twisted fury
Ultra Zone
columbia 300 yellow dot (legend c)
Equipment Not in bag:
Groove Pink/blue
Blast zone
Ultimate inferno
Neptune
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/bolmn406/S5002738.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/bolmn406/S5002735.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/bolmn406/S5002734.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb15/bolmn406/S5002733.jpg
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Well to start off I hate brunswick!!! This is the exception to all though. I love this ball. mine is drilled pin about 5 inches from my pap and above the bridge and my mb is about an inch right of my thumb. When i first got this ball I had alot of trouble getting it to move thinking it was gonna be a dud like my smoking inferno was but after about 5 to 6 games and getting a track into the cover i found it came to life and what I mean is it is clean in the front part of the lane and when it reads the dry it makes a predictable move twards the pocket and it is one of thoes balls that off your hand you know it. The other really shocking thing about this ball is the hitting power. This ball hits like a mack truck and I have found that corner pins are a thing of the past.
revs 450+
speed 17-19
pap 4 7\8 1\4 down
thanks for reading
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Okay I've been rolling this ball long enough so that I feel I can give it a fair review. I've rolled the Red Zone for a full season off and on and have practiced with it frequently.
The first thing I noticed about the Red Zone when it was first drilled for me is that this ball doesn't have very good carry as compared to other gear I own. It can get to the pocket just fine, and is forgiving if I miss 2-3 boards left or right of target. After having 2 more drilled up for me I have been able to solve that carry problem by knowing when to change to which version of the Red Zone.
Here are the 3 general layouts for my Red Zones to give you some perspective:
(All 3 have a 2.5" pin, the 1st Red Zone being 16lb and the other 2 15lb)
Red Zone 1 (Stacked Leverage):
---P------
----O-O---
--CG------
X----O----
--P2------
Red Zone 2 (Label Leverage):
-P-O-O----
X--CG-----
-----O--P2
Red Zone 3 (Early Roll):
------O-O-
-----P----
X-CG--O--
--P2------
When starting out I generally like to get a read with the 1st Red Zone. If I see it jumping up a little high I switch to my 2nd Red Zone, if the pattern is a little heavier on oil I'll switch to the 3rd Red Zone and move a couple of boards right to compensate for the extra roll it produces.
The way I bowl, I like to get the ball up to ~18mph. The Red Zone can produce some very nice messengers at this speed when coming in light into the pocket. At lower speed it seems to roll out very easily if you aren't bowling on a fresh shot.
During league this ball can last all 3 games without a problem, but being a lefty I don't experience carry down very often in league play. Generally the 1st Red Zone will hold it's line for up to the 7th frame in the 2nd game, that is when I'll switch to my 2nd and finish out the night without having to make any adjustments to the line I'm playing.
During practice sessions however I have quickly learned that carry down is not this ball's friend unless it has been drilled for an early roll like my 3rd Red Zone.
If you go for a lengthy or leverage drill, the Red Zone is great for starting out on a fresh shot. As carry down comes into play however it won't be able to get the pins to carry as easily as when you started out with it. If you already have gear that works great on a fresh shot but can't seem to bowl as well on carry down, I'd recommend going for a drill with an earlier roll to get the ball moving sooner on the lane.
I strongly recommend this ball to anyone who wants to try a Zone line from Brunswick. I'm not a huge Brunswick fan, but this ball is definitely worth the money.
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Style: Tweener
Hand: Lefty
Current Gear:
Brunswick - Red Zone x3, Fury
Storm - Pyro, Diablo
Hammer - Black Widow, Black Widow Bite
Visionary - Ogre Particle, Ogre SSG Pearl
Columbia - Drive, Black Scout Urethane, White Dot (Blue)