Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
Core Technology: Dense Polymer Core
Coverstock: Enhanced SuperFlex
Hardness: 75-78
RG: 2.497
Differential: 0.049
Track Flare: 4-5 inches
Color: Oyster/Blue
Finish: Polished
Available Weights: 12,13,14,15,16 lbs
Post by: BowlPro on May 10, 2002, 09:15:21 AM
Columbia's new entry into the market is a Cool Looking ball with tried and
proven technology in cover stock and core!
The Wicked features the core of the "Rock-On" & "Game Pearl", which we found to be a tremendous design with great "Hitting" power!
Columbia using the Polymer Dense cores bring the "Wicked" to life!
The Cover is the "New Enhanced Super-Flex Resin" which gives this ball a
ton of bite on the lanes. What I think Columbia has here is a "Reactive Resin"
version of the Rock-On!
Those of you who have rolled a "Rock-On" or "Game Pearl"
will need to get this one also! This ball is Powerful!
Our Label Leveraged ball 4X4 drilling, gave us any part of the lane that we
needed! On the fresh league pattern it got down the lane and turned the corner
(HARD) and (STRONG) with great control!
Pin Blastin Hitting Power! and after four games on the same pair of lanes, the ball still continued in play, as we made our small moves left with our feet.
This ball reminded me of the *(Nu-Line Virus) by it's reaction, and then we remembered that the Rock-On weight block is a slight modification of the one
used in the Virus! (WoW) the Virus brought back to life!
Nu-line comes from the Track/Columbia family!
Anyhow, this new Wicked will be a "Powerful" and "Friendly" ball for most any bowlers style! Those of you with "No-Hand" or what we call "Tweeners"
will enjoy this one the most!
Those of you who are "Crankers" or Strap the ball hard,
just remember to use a (Tame) drilling and layout pattern.
But everyone will find a place for this ball in there bags!
Great combination of Cover and Core!
We will Highly recommend this ball to our Customers and to all bowlers!
Run to your local ProShop and get yours today!
BowlPro
www.discount-proshop.com
Post by: Charlie Lacy on June 01, 2002, 09:11:45 AM
4 1/4 by 3 1/2 and it has good to moderate length but MEGA
backend. This ball recovers from the dry boards as good as any
ball I've thrown and a predictable break. I used it at the ABC
playing 4th Arrow and at the BJ playing 3-4th arrow and it did
the job. Great hitting power with a consistant break pattern;
it has never "squirted" on me and I like the way it throws the
pins around. I used a 3" pin out with a 3-4oz top. Great ball
for the weak of hand.
Post by: GLC300 on June 06, 2002, 04:42:51 PM
BALL GETS DOWN THE LANE AND JUST PUNISHES THE POCKET. LIGHT
HITS AND HIGH HITS ALL CARRY. DRILLED IT UP YESTERDAY MORNING
AND SHOT THAT NIGHT WITH IT. SHOT 279-269-225=773 SERIES. THIS
IS A GREAT MEDIUM OIL TO DRY LANE BALL AT LEAST FOR ME. I WAS
LAYING IT DOWN AT 20 AND LETTING IT GO OUT TO 10 OR SO. I HAD
ABOUT 6 BOARDS OF ROOM WITH IT. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE.
Post by: Deadbait on June 12, 2002, 02:49:08 PM
Post by: Synergy19 on June 21, 2002, 12:14:17 AM
Post by: Porgy on June 26, 2002, 05:14:35 PM
--------------------
"Do I know you?"
"No, not really."
-A Perfect World
Post by: shimozukawa on June 29, 2002, 05:02:14 PM
Ball specs --
Statics: 7/8 finger, 7/8 side, 2-1/4 top
Placements: 5-1/2x4-1/2 (pinXcg), X-hole 1/2"x2"(deep) on axis.
I wasn't planning on putting a weight hole in the ball, however, when I scaled it after drilling, the ball had 1-3/16 side.
Using the same core used in the Game Pearl and RockOn, I expected the ball to make a strong move at the end of the lane with strong hit and good carry.
What I didn't expect was the $200 (look) hook monster that I got.
This ball does a wonderful job recovering from the dry -- perhaps too good of a job.
My only complaint (if you can call it that) is the steepness of entry angle that this ball creates. If you are a power player, you can expect to leave your fair share of 9 pins and 7-9 splits. For those looking for extra snap (and I mean a LOT) on the back, this will be an excellent choice.
Overall, I would classify this as a ball for lighter oil volumes, however, it seems to work well on medium volumes so long as there is dry for the ball to hook.
Based upon the conditions that I've used this ball on, I would say it is a definite oil-dry ball. Because of the reactive cover-stock, the ball needs dry boards to pull it out of its skid. However, this comes with a caveat that it SNAPS off the dry.
(For the purposes of this review, the assessments are pattern lengths for lighter and medium oil volumes.)
Short: 4. The ball reads the dry too well to work as a short oil ball. I'm sure that you could tame out the read by drilling it pin on axis, but why bother? There are other options out there that would be better for this condition.
Medium: 9.5. This ball can hold its own with the higher-end reactives on a house pattern or even a wet-dry shot. The Wicked is designed for consistent bowlers who want to be able to open up the shot a little more.
Long: 8. The degree of snap generated by this ball makes it a reasonable choice for longer patterns with lighter volumes of oil. Unlike other long oil balls, the Wicked can basically skate on anything that VAGUELY resembles oil.
Heavy Oil: TBD. I wasn't able to use the ball on a heavy volume pattern yet, but I'm guessing it might not work as well as on the lighter patterns as carry-down would be a greater consideration on heavy patterns.
Value: 10. I don't think it's possible to get a better ball for the price. Yes, there are cheaper balls that perform well. However, for the moderate price of about $150 (drilled), the Wicked delivers $200 performance.
Overall: 23 out of 24 cans. I really shouldn't rave so much about this ball, but I love it. The lovely colour scheme only kicks its "can rating" up a notch. (If the ball were plain -- say black -- I would have rated it 22-22.5.)
Post by: LuckyLefty on June 29, 2002, 06:47:55 PM
This ball is exactly what I thought it would be a slightly earlier and stronger moving Messenger Ti. Same big hit!
With the Rock on core and the CG pushed down this ball revs real early but still pushes a long way down the lane. Due to the Clean good looking coverstock.
(I was trying a slightly different finger configuration and did not use powerlift grips.) It looked like I had about 9 revs vs my usual 14 or 15.
This ball still moved and still recovered strong, due to its core and coverstock.
In comparison to my Demolition Zone (with lifts and more revs) the wicked plays a little straighter and has a little less swing in its movement and yet still develops Wicked angle at the pocket.
I will replace the finger inserts with my typical lifts and see if this changes things a little. If so you'll see a second review.
Summary, earlier rev and stronger than the Ti Messenger(due to Rock On Core).
I'm sure this could be sanded and be an awesome heavy or long oil ball. Maybe better than the Rock On(as I like reactives for heavy oil often).
Not as explosive as the Demolition Zone at the breakpoint but that may be a good thing.
Better than the Demolition?(One of the greatest balls ever) I'm not sure.
Another comparison. An earlier revving more angle on the backend HEX.
REgards,
Luckylefty
Post by: ss on July 01, 2002, 07:55:29 AM
Post by: Porgy on July 02, 2002, 09:21:57 PM
--------------------
"Do I know you?"
"No, not really."
-A Perfect World
Post by: Chris Postel on July 04, 2002, 11:36:15 AM
This ball i had drilled to go pretty long because I had nothing in my arsenal to clear the heads and I have some speed on the ball to burn, so I needed something to flip too. I had a ROCK ON and I absolutely loved it, and when I heard this weight block was a modified version of it, I just had to drill it.
I threw this ball on 2 different shots, a wet-dry with a 5 board out of bounds and on a christmas tree w/heavy amount of oil.
This ball performed much better on the wet-dry simply because of what I had the ball drilled to do. It is a much better carrying ball for the drier lanes than it is on oil. This is the ball I definately look to when the lanes get fairly dry because this ball contains so much energy to kick the corners on a drier condition with or without carrydown. The Wicked is a very predictable ball (as was ROCK ON) so I am making this ball my "bench mark" ball to tell lane conditions.
Very good ball from Columbia.
--------------------
That Is All,
Chris P
Post by: walker300 on July 09, 2002, 12:25:57 PM
The pin was out 2 inches and it had 3 oz of top weight
I threw it on my fresh monday night league condition which has a good amount of oil and doesnt have the block of dry to the outside but there is some hook around the 5 board
I had been throwing a Visionary Crimson executioner and this ball reminded me of that. It was very easy to control and is the most consistent ball at the breakpoint i have ever seen.
It went very very long and turned very hard.
If it has a downside it is that it hooks almost too hard in the dry but it is easy to control.
As the lanes broke down it was fine in the middle of the lane but if i missed a little right it went left fast.
I think this ball is gonna be really good for sport conditions as it is easy to control and reacts well in oil
great ball from my favorite company Columbia 300!
Post by: ABFLUG on July 12, 2002, 09:54:04 AM
This ball really did it job well n have a good and clean backend snap as what columbia have said.
i give this ball 9 1/2 out of 10 because it need oil to ski. ^_^
Good Job Columbia.
Post by: bowlwbj on July 12, 2002, 02:42:29 PM
Post by: Sniper206 on July 27, 2002, 05:17:30 PM
i got my wicked with a 2-3 in. pin and 3 oz. top weight.. I drilled my wicked the pin in my bridge and the cg in the middle of my hand and left in the box finish...
The wicked lives up to it's name... it get exceptional length through the heads and pines, then as soon as it touches dry, it's straight left!!! this ball is very oil sensative, so watch out cause it will squirt out on you if you miss in oil, but make sure you keep your speed up just because it has a tendency to get jumpy on the back-end of the lane, so be forewarned... Columbia has made a winner with this new flipside brand, and hope they make more in the future cause they have a buyer in myself....great ball for bowlers when the lanes open up and you have that extra area to work with...
thanks for reading this review
Todd
Post by: shs_bulldog33 on August 09, 2002, 02:30:10 PM
7 out of 10. does not live up to COlumbia's big hipe !
Post by: Roglen on August 10, 2002, 02:20:58 AM
Post by: ABFLUG on September 02, 2002, 09:33:18 AM
Post by: Deadbait on September 13, 2002, 10:43:58 PM
Pin above bridge 1", CG on centerline. 3/4 Roll, + - 16mph
38' dressing on AMF synthetics. Out of bounds at 7 board.
This ball gets to midlane easy, sees the end of the oil pretty quick though
The carry percentage seems to be a little better than some balls. Not leaving as many backrow pins as some of the "monsters". This could be the best "league" condition ball this year. The only "gripe" is wish they would move the white blob on the ball to the side instead of on the pin. Better yet, get rid of the white "blob"
Post by: thegame on September 20, 2002, 10:05:51 AM
Post by: RandyO on December 22, 2002, 10:35:26 PM
Post by: Sirbowlsalot on December 25, 2002, 11:33:42 AM
Since then, the shot has changed to 36ft buffed to 42ft in a flatter configuration than before. Now this ball is so over/under that it is completely useless for me. Either it skids through the pindeck, or if I move my feet, hooks early and gets in the nose.
I have the ball drilled 12:00 with the pin above the bridge and cg just above the midline, didn't need a weighthole. I even tried scuffing the surface with a scotchbrite, only to find the same results, just deeper on the lane than before.
I liked the ball on a lighte pattern, but it was junk when they increased the oil. May be the drill or may be the ball but it ain't made for an oil shot and it won't work for me on one.
If you bowl on light to medium, this is a reasonably good choice. Carry was good and so was reaction, just don't get it for ANYTHING over a medium shot
--------------------
ILLEGITIMI NON-CARBORUNDUM 
Post by: Arnel on January 12, 2003, 08:42:55 AM
Carry of this ball is awesome. I used the wicked yesterday on about 35' of oil, light carry down and I've actually saw a lot of 4 & 7 pins hitting the wall of the pindeck and coming back to finish the job. Even on lighter hits and brooklyn strikes this ball handled it. =) Oh yeah, I guess i had to mention, I got my 3rd 7-10 split on this ball. I took out the 7, hits the wall and came back to hit the 10.
Awesome ball Columbia!!! ....now, if only they can do something about their particles.. =)
Post by: LHSbowler on January 21, 2003, 08:42:54 PM
Alright, Just had School League today, and I knew it was going to be a good day from the third shot in practice, (first two shots, wanted to get my arm warmed up). In school league we bowl 2 baker games and then bowl 2 normal games. I got this ball about 2 months ago and really enjoy this ball. This ball seizes to amaze me. I can throw it out and it will snap back, and I can keep it inside if the outside is dry and it will sit and flip. There is no over/under with this ball. It is very controllable in oil, but once you get in dry this ball turns into a monster. If you are a fan of brooklyn, have fun. Anyways in the last few weeks I figured out a few things I have been doing wrong with this ball and my form, and in the last week and a half I have shot 4 700's and my lowest game has been a 198. Yesterday I shot 502 with 2 games, 257 and 245 for school league, and then today I come out and shoot 299 and threw a lot of splits in the second game for a 193. It was only a 492, but I can handle that. The first 11 shots were perfect, same shot on all of them. The 12th shot. Everyone went quiet and one of my coaches was yelling SHHH, which I would rather not happen. I figured since i shot the first 11 with noise I might as well have the last one with noise, but I was shaking so bad i couldnt turn around and say anything. I yanked the hell out of the ball and it crossed over and barely nicked the head pin on the brooklyn side...The 10 pin sat there, I think 3 pins rolled and hit it, but I was on the ground looking up...My teamates and all the parents and everyone else started clapping, and they had to come pick me up because I would of just sat there for the rest of the night. I'm happy that I got the 299, but I still which I could of threw a decent shot... But that is my story with the Wicked...I love the ball, and will probably never change, if this one ever gets something wrong with it, I will buy another one and so on...I'll probably stock up just in case. I also have the Wild, and that ball is so over under, i hate it with a passion... Never buy that piece of crap! Thanks for reading if you read the whole thing. See ya
Post by: RyboFlavin on February 11, 2003, 02:17:12 PM
Basically, I think the Wicked is a great ball as long as you put forward roll on it with minimum side rotation. It is plenty strong enough to blow the rack on it's own.
*New Addition 2/11/03 11:00 p.m.* Well, not only did I shoot my first 300 5 days ago with the Wicked, but I shot a 297 with it tonight at a different house.*
Post by: Bujo on February 14, 2003, 10:32:11 PM
Pin: 3 inches
Top-weight: 3 onces
Pin placed at 2:30
cg kicked out a cm or two
Lanes: Wood
Style: Power Stroker
To start off, i cannot illustrate how versetile this ball is.aas long as there is some oil on the heads and a clean backend. The fist dry board that this thing touches it will rev up like 'Vette and kick like a soccer star. It has the biggest backend of any ball i've seen. Its also extremely forgiving. If the conditions are right anything on the right half of the lane will find the pocket. And when it does... SHASH!!! pins flying everwhere. This ball has to be one the best balls on the market, and the value is unreal!
Lets sum it up!
Pros:
Ignores the condition of the heads if there is ANY oil.
Will find the pocket on its own.
Hits like a truck when it gets there.
Most versetile ball ive seen
Cons:
long oil/carrydown, this ball will be strait as an arrow -------->
in my opinion, 10/10, If you cant use this ball, you shouldn't be bowling!
Post by: laner7pin on March 08, 2003, 10:51:24 AM
Post by: Loki on March 23, 2003, 06:42:24 PM
Post by: Rc Charger on March 26, 2003, 12:59:40 PM
After reading some reviews on this ball saying it really flippy after drilling the ball I took it to the spinner and scuffed the ball with a green scotch-brite pad. I have had the ball for a couple of months and am very pleased with the it. The ball give's me good length and a Strong ARC I repeat Strong Arc to the pocket. I have bowled on heavy to med conditions with this ball and personally it battles both really well. Sure its not the biggest hooker on heavy oil on the block but the hit I feel makes up for it. Great ball for the money I
Post by: John Figueroa on May 11, 2003, 02:39:25 AM
I purchaed this ball from the auction on this site and i had a positive transaction.
The ball is 15-pounds with a 2-3 inch pin position.
The ball was purchased in used but well maintain condition.
Well i've only use this ball slightly, and so far the ball has excellent lenght, with a strong arc to the pocket, this ball is basically a skid,flip ball.
There's alot you can do with this ball, and can used on alot of different conditions.
This ball is a keeper for league or tournament bowlers.
I'll post more information about this ball, when i put more games on it.
Good bowling
John
Post by: Fufu on May 15, 2003, 12:32:16 PM
I rolled a few shots with my friend's ICON 2 (similar span, but drilled to hook more). Although the Icon 2 does hook more, its action is more of an arc, and tends to prefer slightly lighter hits over heavier hits.
Cannot understand why Columbia insist that the wicked is a mid-performance ball!
Added 22/8. There is no way you can play with this ball if you have less than 36-38 feet of oil unless you really throw hard and not crank the ball. It just bites. On any more oil (39-42 feet), as long as the backends are not flooded, prepare to whack them in!
Post by: Deadbait on May 16, 2003, 11:13:36 PM
Post by: laner7pin on May 21, 2003, 04:59:58 AM
--------------------
If I could only pick up a 7 pin.....
Post by: ABFLUG on May 31, 2003, 07:34:49 AM
After i use it for nearly half a year, and the polish on the ball have gone, this ball will tense to roll more than ski snap.
Dono anyone have is problem. But wat i think this is not a problem to me cos is more controlable.
--------------------
!! Somwtime, the lane don seem to suit you !!
Post by: brianthegwp69 on January 02, 2004, 02:56:34 PM
Post by: ea12287 on February 02, 2004, 10:21:18 PM
Post by: Damn10pin on February 16, 2004, 09:11:32 AM
Post by: trying_my_hardest on February 18, 2004, 10:30:56 PM
...p
.O.O
....cg 0
...O
not a pro here just started bowling in less than a year...this is my first year bowling in a league. when I first started bowling in my league my average started out at 140ish. I was bowling with an old columbian messenger TEC. was an old ball....didnt perform like anything but it was something to use for my first fingertip ball.. bout 2 days after x-mas I got my new columbian wicked drilled. I dont know much about how the ball gets laid out and how the best way to drill it is I just let the guy that drilled it watch me bowl and he drilled it to what he thought it should be.. welp it is set-up to go down and snap and not stop.. constant drive into the pocket welp my first series I ever bowled I shot a 590.. my best series. welp since x-mas I started bowling with this ball, my average is now 170 the highest in the league. this ball is definetly a go to ball. not hard to get used to. easy nice driving ball. cuts threw the serious oil for us average rev. people. if you dont want a hooking ball and want something smoother dont get this ball. massive drive and hard back end.
with my experience with this ball I would rate it a 10 outa 10.
I have a tournement in less than a month in columbus ohio at bills bowling alley.I will come and reupdate this
until then gl at your game dont miss the d*mn 10 pin!!!
ok this is my update....this ball litteraly sucks on dry lanes...I had to get my old messenger TEC out cause this ball would not stop hooking..I was throwing the ball well over 20mph and out to 5 board still hooks to brooklyn. I tried taking revs down hitting pockets but pins did not scattered not like they used to..the pins were not scattering at all leaving solid pins...
Post by: Damn10pin on February 26, 2004, 03:19:06 PM
Post by: BowlingBabe on April 01, 2004, 02:43:58 AM
very consistent hook. if you put it in the same place every time, it will come back and hit every time. i had no problem hitting the pocket. it rolled out beautifully, had a nice arch back to the pins, and a strong hit to finish.
for a med speed med rev bowler, this is ball.
i've learned a lot since then, and my average is now around 175. i've thrown many high 200s (268, 236) with this ball and have 2 in my bag. it's consistent, easy to throw and has a wicked hook.
not for dry lanes. but med to heavy oil, it's a dream. i'm able to throw different lines and even try different releases, and this ball reads the lane well every time.
some ten pins, but nothing a board right can't fix. overall a wicked ball and a good addition to any bag.
Post by: trying_my_hardest on April 07, 2004, 11:18:09 PM
thanks columbia300
Post by: sthebkrman on April 30, 2004, 11:59:03 PM
Post by: BrianN on January 04, 2005, 09:07:35 PM
Original ball specs were 3 oz top, 3" pin. Pin is right and above the ring, about a 5 x 3.75" with a weight hole in front of my PAP on the axis midplane, left in box state (shiny).
I threw my last Superflex ball over 3 years ago. My take on them was always: great cores, questionable covers. I felt original Superflex had a tendency to be squirty. The Enhanced Superflex on this one is a major improvement in every way. If you can come to terms with Wicked, no one will outcarry you.
I don't have anything else in the bag that looks quite like it. Gun to head, the closest thing would be an earlier, stronger by 4 - 5 boards, polished Hot Wire. Wicked is a big, angular ball with the same driving backend and continuation as the Hot Wire. The lower RG, however, gives it a good read in the mids, somewhat like an abbreviated verion of Inferno's move. The result is a shiny resin that plays very well from inside angles.
When I came right up the back, I couldn't get comfortable playing Wicked on the league shot. It wanted to check up early and burn too much energy. I left bushel baskets of fine-looking ring 10s. For the tweener, I would recommend longer pin-to-PAP distances to help retain energy in this high-flaring ball. It came alive when I put it on its side a little more, meaning in my case tracking about 3/4" off my middle finger. It surprised me how well it played on the 39' and 42' sport shots I've put it on.
Its strongest attribute is that it has no peer at getting around the corner when there's some dry on the backend to react to. I use Wicked as a transition ball. I had been looking forever for something with some length, enough midlane not to squirt, but that could still seriously turn the corner and carry from deeper inside even when there's enough carrydown to make them a little squirrelly. I can't recall how many things I've tried unsuccessfully in this slot.
I am happy with my bag for this year. I can start the series on the wet/carrydown or (atypically) fresh wet with my rolly, cover-strong Ebonites, stay with them for a game or a little more. When the track starts to blow up, I take out the Wicked and make a big move inside. After that, it's Tour Power or urethane if needed.
Liked it so much I'm working to track down a Wicked B/R/T as well, hoping they'll have a strong family resemblance. If you can get hold of the original blue/white, don't pass up the chance.
Post by: sprinkles on January 13, 2006, 02:03:56 PM
i havent thrown a full game on it yet due to lane conditions but it HITS like a TANK. i was looking for a ball that was powerful but would have a late snap too it. right now i throw an Absolute Inferno and a Power Groove Dry/r. needless to say this ball is EXACTLY what i wanted. its strong enough to handle the lanes but long enough i can throw it down to semi dry lanes. VERY NICE BALL if you can find it i highly recommend it
Post by: on April 02, 2012, 01:28:32 PM
I am just getting back into bowling after a 10 year off peroid. I usea 2-finger release with about 450-500 revs. I averaged in the high 220s back in the day. I picked up this ball used (not resurfaced,loked like it had about 5 games on it!)st I have had great luck using Columbia 300 balls with the superflex covertock in the past so I knew I wouldn't be dissapointed. The Wicked has good length with snap on the backend. Carry is very good,the ball seems to keep the pins low on the deck enhancing carry. Weight of the ball before drilling was 14.5 pounds. I have the ball drilled with the pin about 1.75 in right of my ring finger and the CG kicked out a cbout 2in to the right. Lane condiions were THS glow bowling after 3 games of league. Averaged 216 for 3 games. Overall,for $75.00 I feel like I got a good deal ,if you can fijnd one cheap go for it.
Edited on 4/2/2012 at 11:31 AM
Post by: jlee0924 on January 23, 2014, 03:53:30 PM
The drilling ended up being the pin above the bridge, CG kicked out, and small hole on PAP. Wow...skid/snap power! Excellent ball for dry to medium lanes. Can't use on super dry lanes as this ball still has a bit of bite, and can't use on heavy oil lanes (will skid too long and breakpoint is almost near the pin deck).
Even all these years, this is my favorite to use on THS. Launches strong off the dry and crushes the pocket, or holds well in the middle/oily part of the lanes and still has a great snap and angle of entry.