BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Columbia 300 => Topic started by: MrNattyBoh on July 31, 2012, 12:51:22 PM
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I had the opportunity to pick up an Encounter at a very reasonable price and have been testing it out over the last four weeks on various conditions and houses. I tried using it during two 6-game doubles tournaments but the conditions weren't suitable for the ball. It was a low-volume modified house condition which I dont see all that often but the ball hooked way too much and I had to ball down. In another house where I see plenty of oil I tried playing the slow bender but the ball either wouldn't hook up enough or would plow through the nose. I then played my A-game hard and straight up the boards and WHAM.....11 out of 12 dead flush. This ball for me is very rolly for a pearlized ball. With pearlized equipment I am more used to long and snap hard in the back but that is not the case with the Encounter. This ball has great mid-lane and solid continuation through the pin deck. I am looking forward to using this ball during league when we start in two weeks. It is also the first Columbia ball I have purchased since the Bedlam & Noize. I still use the Bedlam but have since retired the Noize. The Bedlam is a great ball and I have had much success with it. I really think the Encounter is going to be an awesome ball for me this season.
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I had the opportunity to pick up an Encounter at a very reasonable price and have been testing it out over the last four weeks on various conditions and houses. I tried using it during two 6-game doubles tournaments but the conditions weren't suitable for the ball. It was a low-volume modified house condition which I dont see all that often but the ball hooked way too much and I had to ball down. In another house where I see plenty of oil I tried playing the slow bender but the ball either wouldn't hook up enough or would plow through the nose. I then played my A-game hard and straight up the boards and WHAM.....11 out of 12 dead flush. This ball for me is very rolly for a pearlized ball. With pearlized equipment I am more used to long and snap hard in the back but that is not the case with the Encounter. This ball has great mid-lane and solid continuation through the pin deck. I am looking forward to using this ball during league when we start in two weeks. It is also the first Columbia ball I have purchased since the Bedlam & Noize. I still use the Bedlam but have since retired the Noize. The Bedlam is a great ball and I have had much success with it. I really think the Encounter is going to be an awesome ball for me this season.
That was the reaction I had when I demo'd the Encounter. I was expecting a lot of movement since it was a premium price ball, but this ball really didn't seem suited to cover a lot of boards. As such, while I thought it was a very good ball, I didn't think it justified the high price point where you usually find the big oilers and/or aggressive balls with big movement. Still, it's a good ball.
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I have this ball but am trying a new glove and now have to decide if I want to modify the finger holes in the ball to fit the glove?
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I've thrown the Encounter all last season in all seven leagues i bowled in....I had great success with the Encounter in 5 of 7 leagues. I still use it now but had to take the coverstock down as it is dying. Would love to have another before it goes out of production. Great Ball to have.
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I bowled league with this ball last evening and tried something a bit different. I used a bit of loft and some speed and got good hand in the ball and this is a totally different ball than what I have seen thus far. This thing is now the monster hook ball I thought it would be and it came back from the out-of-bounds area a couple times. It rolled very well with alot of continuation. My scores werent big(203-254-191) but this ball is going to be a great asset to my arsenal that I have been working on for a few weeks. My bowling last night was a huge step in the right direction from where i have been the last few weeks(549-547-518)This is going to be my top of the line hook ball. I am seriously considering purchasing The Classic to compliment the Encounter and my Midnight Vibe. I wish I had taken my Midnight Vibe along to league last night but I decided to go with my Misfit which was a horrible idea. The misfit was too over/under and I didnt have the same read with that as I did with the Encounter. The Midnight gives me a similar read when the lanes start busting down.