BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Brunswick => Topic started by: todvan on February 16, 2014, 07:14:20 PM
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I am interested in looking at benchmark options from the Brunswick line of ball makers. Looking for a strong arcing but controlled reaction on house and medium length sport conditions. Thanks!
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Id look at the Torrid line from radical and the Beatdown from brunswick
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Well it depends on tour rev rate but I would look at symmetrical solids. Melee and possibly LT-48 with surface changes. The Melee is really smooth and with a surface change works on heavier volumes.
From what I've seen, the LT-48 may work as well.
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Melee is the ticket!
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Additional info:
Speed ~ 15 mph (med-slow)
Revs ~ 250-270 (med)
tilt ~18* (med-hi)
rotation ~70* (med-hi)
Thanks!
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Melee is the way to go!!
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Melee without a doubt!
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How accurate are the 'strike line' diagrams on the Brunswick site? It looks like the line for the Melee is more skid/flip?
Also, what ball fits between the Melee and the Mastermind? I am thinking about drilling 2 balls benchmark - one weaker symmetric (Melee?) and 1 stronger possible asymmetric (Is the Genius too strong?, or maybe Beatdown?)
Thanks!
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If your looking for one weaker and one stronger, I would then suggest a LT-48 and a Beatdown. The Genius is not a great benchmark ball. The LT and BD will give you a little more separation than the Melee and the BD. If you go with one ball then I would still say Melee.
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brawler?
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I am interested in looking at benchmark options from the Brunswick line of ball makers. Looking for a strong arcing but controlled reaction on house and medium length sport conditions. Thanks!
Nothing about that says Melee. Malee with a lot of surface....maybe. The ball is extremly clean through the heads and not big down lane. It also doesn't handle oil well. I would take my Slongshot or Strike King over the Melee any day. The Brawler or Beat down depending on the layout and surface would work well along with the Torrid series. If looking at DV8 it would be the Marauder series. The Diva and Diva pearl is a mayber once again with tweaking the surface and depending on the layout.
The Melee is pretty. I would gladly take it on the burn. It is a step down from my Ringer Platinum.
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Take an Aura down to 2000. You won't get a better benchmark ball
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The Melee is still the preferred option in my mind. It works best for average players when you take advantage of a stronger drilling to take advantage of the higher differential in the cover. It also may need some surface if your on a lot of volume. Our house shot is a 42 foot Kegel Stone Street and most weeks my shiny pin up stronger drill Melee works well most of the time. Keep in mind that the ball flares 4.5 to 5 inches. Most people who have had problems with the ball choose a drilling that doesn't flare enough to get the cover to the lane.
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Thanks everyone. I may get a chance to demo a few balls at a Brunswick demo day tomorrow. I will see how many of the following I can try:
Melee
Meanstreak Beatdown and Brawler
Aura
DV8 Marauder
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how does the grease monkey compare?
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Oh, great just the questions I was asking on another thread out here, Beatdown versus the Melee!
Kidlost do you have a Beatdown. It looks very much like a Benchmark to me!
Regards,
Luckylefty
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Actually I do not. But I watch my brother throw it often. I do have a melee some slingshots and some strike kings. Id take the slingshot or strikeking over the melee any day. More versatile balls hands down.
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Actually I do not. But I watch my brother throw it often. I do have a melee some slingshots and some strike kings. Id take the slingshot or strikeking over the melee any day. More versatile balls hands down.
I've seen you post this a few times and there is no way a Slingshot or Strike King is more versatile than a Melee. The fact that you are able to even use either means that the volume you are on must be very light.
The Melee has a stronger cover and core and with surface changes can cover a variety of conditions. At 500/2000 it's in a different ballpark than the Strike King. The Slingshot and Strike King are limited by a weak cover and core so you don't have as much versatility with layouts. I can drill a 5.5" pin Melee and still get it to flare 4-5". Not even an option with the others. Plus they are pearl which limits their versatility even more.
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I just got a Meanstreak Beatdown. Drilled pretty strong, box finish for now. It's pretty smooth rolling. Really hits the pins! Thinking it will be a good benchmark ball.
Thought the Melee might be a good step down. Now I'm thinking they will be too close together. May go Mastermind for stronger and Lt-48 for weaker.
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Actually I do not. But I watch my brother throw it often. I do have a melee some slingshots and some strike kings. Id take the slingshot or strikeking over the melee any day. More versatile balls hands down.
I've seen you post this a few times and there is no way a Slingshot or Strike King is more versatile than a Melee. The fact that you are able to even use either means that the volume you are on must be very light.
The Melee has a stronger cover and core and with surface changes can cover a variety of conditions. At 500/2000 it's in a different ballpark than the Strike King. The Slingshot and Strike King are limited by a weak cover and core so you don't have as much versatility with layouts. I can drill a 5.5" pin Melee and still get it to flare 4-5". Not even an option with the others. Plus they are pearl which limits their versatility even more.
Im not limited by the notion of pearl/solid/or hybrid. I go off of the surface. Otherwise id say at box finish the melee is every bit the pearl ball of a sk or ss. I can say when throwing the melee next to my ringer platinum or the other two balls it is much cleaner through the heads and much more sensitive to oil then the other three balls. When adjusting the surface the sensitivity to oil got worst. This is on medium oil. Just because you think the melee cover is stronger then the strike king doesnt make it a proven fact. From what ive seen on the lanes and discussed with a friend it's given us the same opinion.
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I am not a fan of the Melee after Parker have so much trouble with it in Japan?
In seeing Videos of the Meanstreak Beatdown it looks like the perfect rounded smooth backend I love from a benchmark ball! Especially on the wetter left side.
I am a big fan of the my weakly drilled Strike King(especially in relation to its weak core). Not so much the Sling shot but I picked up one I believe is activator and too smooth for it's weak core.
I am so enamored o the Strike King I almost feel like picking up another and drilling slightly stronger than my Freezes and may the best striker win!
Kidlost, could you tell me more about your brother's Beatdown? Is he left handed!
I loved this lefty reaction at the later section of this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYAyXZub7u4 starting at the 3:40 mark!
Regards,
Luckylefty
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No he's not a lefty.
I just drilled my 3rd strike king to try here in a few tonight at league. The core may be weaker but the coverstock makes up for it. Someone was arguing about cores one day along with diff rg ect and how a strike king couldn't hook more then this ball or that because of the core numbers. I showed him a link to the video of my karma pearl (rico layout) and my strike king (rico layout) and how they were both nearly identical from start to finish even though undrilled the diff was different by almost .020 it didn't matter on the lanes. Needless to say that ended his argument.
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So, here are the results of my demo:
They had a limited selection, but I tried the following:
LT-48
Grease Monkey
Diva
I liked the Grease Monkey best, but it and the LT-48 were just a bit weaker than I wanted. The Diva was not bad and gave me a little different motion, but not sure about it....
I talked to the Brunswick rep and he thought a stronger symmetric would be the way to go - so I ordered a Meanstreak Beatdown! Thanks for all the help!
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No he's not a lefty.
I just drilled my 3rd strike king to try here in a few tonight at league. The core may be weaker but the coverstock makes up for it. Someone was arguing about cores one day along with diff rg ect and how a strike king couldn't hook more then this ball or that because of the core numbers. I showed him a link to the video of my karma pearl (rico layout) and my strike king (rico layout) and how they were both nearly identical from start to finish even though undrilled the diff was different by almost .020 it didn't matter on the lanes. Needless to say that ended his argument.
The volume in those videos are obviously extremely light so of course weaker balls will prevail. If you are on any kind of volume, it will also be obvious how weak they are.
Ball reaction is determined by cover strength and flare. That's not opinion.
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Kidlost,
If you will please talk about your brothers Benchmark reaction of his Meanstreak Beatdown.
I just watched another lefty in my house looking quite nice with his C system Maxxed out.
I don't know if I need that much flare! or early revv!
Anyone else on today's Meanstreak Beatdown? Bring it!
Regards,
Luckylefty
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Ball reaction is is NOT determined by core strength and flare...that is only a factor if the ball slows down properly and how it then responds to friction
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I am interested in looking at benchmark options from the Brunswick line of ball makers. Looking for a strong arcing but controlled reaction on house and medium length sport conditions. Thanks!
Nothing about that says Melee. Malee with a lot of surface....maybe. The ball is extremly clean through the heads and not big down lane. It also doesn't handle oil well. I would take my Slongshot or Strike King over the Melee any day. The Brawler or Beat down depending on the layout and surface would work well along with the Torrid series. If looking at DV8 it would be the Marauder series. The Diva and Diva pearl is a mayber once again with tweaking the surface and depending on the layout.
The Melee is pretty. I would gladly take it on the burn. It is a step down from my Ringer Platinum.
Slingshot is extremely hard to beat on thc if you can get a nice line to the pocket. You barely have to move as well.
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Kidlost,
If you will please talk about your brothers Benchmark reaction of his Meanstreak Beatdown.
I just watched another lefty in my house looking quite nice with his C system Maxxed out.
I don't know if I need that much flare! or early revv!
Anyone else on today's Meanstreak Beatdown? Bring it!
Regards,
Luckylefty
Kidlost,
If you will please talk about your brothers Benchmark reaction of his Meanstreak Beatdown.
I just watched another lefty in my house looking quite nice with his C system Maxxed out.
I don't know if I need that much flare! or early revv!
Anyone else on today's Meanstreak Beatdown? Bring it!
Regards,
Luckylefty
Lefty, The Beatdown is cleaner and a tad more angular than the Maxxed Out was. As far as strength, they were very similar. The Beatdown is pretty aggressive, I still use it when I need something to hook, so don't be afraid to go a little weaker on the drill.
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Can you provide some specifics on your game--
1. Ball Speed
2. Rev Rate (estimate)
3. Current arsenal of balls
4. Favorite layout pattern
5. Lane surface(s) you will be mostly bowling on
6. "Typical"/favorite line to play (for determining ball shape)
From Brunswick I like the following releases (medium conditions)
~~ Meanstreak Brawler
~~ Original Aura, slightly scuffed with 2/3k abralon
~~ Melee, drilled strong
~~ Original Ringer, drilled strong
~~ Meanstreak Beatdown, surface adjusted and polish added
These are just my quick thoughts-- the added information you provide will help narrow down a ball for you
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On first impression I like the Beatdown. Smooth and a good powerful rounded curve to the square smashing hit of the pocket.
We will give it more of a whirl!
REgards,
Luckylefty
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The c system Maxxed out would be an excellent choice. There are still some available at good prices since it has been out of production for a while. It was marketed as a control ball and the big brother to the versa max. My arsenal is all Brunswick, including Aura Paranormal, Maxxed out , Meanstreak Beatdown, and I have the new Ringer Solid on order. This lineup has worked very well for me, especially if the Ringer ,which I will drill for length and low flare, works out as my long ball on dry lanes and as a spare shooter. I believe it will. I roll mostly on 39ft. medium volumn THS. My speed and rev. rate are pretty evenly matched. Just to give you some reference. The maxxed out , which I have drilled to Brunswick`s basic length drill pattern is fairly strong with good length, reads the midlane well and has a strong continuous arching backend. Really one of Brunswick`s better efforts. It is durable as well. I have owned one for about 4 seasons and I sand it often to 500\2000. I can step up to the beatdown or stronger yet to the paranormal which is also a great ball or step down to versa max or Ringer solid. Sorry for the long story, just trying to give some good info. Somerled.