BallReviews

Reviews => Ebonite => Topic started by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM

Title: Black Ice
Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
Length Rating: 18.5 (scale of 1-30, early to late)  
Overall Hook Rating: 22.5  (scale of 1-30, least to most)  

Color: Black Sparkle  
Style: 029744-920  
Reactions: Medium length with smooth backend  
Target Line: Outside angles and track area  
Lane Conditions: Medium Oil  
Coverstock: Trimaxâ„¢ reactive resin polished with Powerhouseâ„¢ Factory Finish ball polish  
Core: Stinger low flare ellipse  
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: strikealot on June 16, 2005, 12:45:17 AM
ball specs
2-3 pin
2.5oz top
drilling-rico
conditions-ths

what can i say, this ball was unbelievable tonight. actually drilled while bowling my first game tonight, used the rest of the night(750 my last 3 games).
ball was super clean through front of lane with predictable reaction down lane. when i say predicable i don't mean soft through the pocket though, explosive is the word when the ball reached the pins. others on my pair were have trouble with the ball checking up early if tugged a hair, i had no trouble with a tug, cleared the heads beautifully. the ball was just really smooth. 268 out of the gate with no practice with it. this was playing 18 to 8. last game i move outside to see what it would do starting it in the dry. i had to stay somewhat firm but really didn't have to fight it to get it down the lane out there either. i played 10 to 5 and shot 230, great ball for med to dry. stronger backend than i expected, is time using rico drill and will not be the last!

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wOTY5MTcxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg

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Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now!

Light travels faster than sound, he appeared to be bright until he opened his mouth!
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: Riptide70 on June 21, 2005, 10:08:47 PM
ball specs
2" pin  3oz. side weight
pin above the fingers and cg in my palm
Lane Conditions? dry lane
Got this ball after I bowled in the Pro Am last friday. Should have picked it up before hand to bowl in the Pro Am. I practiced with it a few times saturday and sunday. It took me a few games to figure out how to throw it but, once I figured it out I shoot 245 and 268. This ball put money in my pocket while I was pot bowling so I can't complain. The ball never over reacted going over the drier boards out side. Even if I turned to the ball up It still hooked nice and easy to the pocket. It hit really good overall and carried on different angles to the pocket. This drilling gave me good lengh and still with the coverstock I still had a great reaction. I recommend this ball to all the tweener and crankers. (I'm a tweener myself even though I've been told other wise)I'm thinking about getting another one but, I have to figure out how I'm going to get it drilled. AND THE WINNER IS... EBONITE!!!!!!!! Up next round too!
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Kevin Brown
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: 800b4700 on July 01, 2005, 12:23:17 AM
I was quite surprised with this ball.  For me the black ice is very smooth.  It need dry boards to move and doesn't like oil at all.  Best results were on drier lanes especially for those late night leagues or PBA blocks on the short pattern.  This ball is a definite must have in an arsenal for the dry lanes.
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Frank Moran
Ebonite PBA Regional Staff Member
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: Revs868 on December 21, 2005, 12:31:45 AM
I firmly believe this ball is correctly named... It is originally recommended for a medium lane condition....well granted my ball speed is a little higher, when this ball catches the slightest amount of carrydown oil...its exactly as named...like hitting black ice, your not exactly sure whats gonna happen.  Now when the lanes break down a little more and you move onto a wet/dry conditon this ball is hard the beat. It gets threw the heads well and doesnt have that over/under reaction as I find at least 75% of all drier lane condition balls have.  For slower ball speeds this can play very similar to the Xcel Pearl. Very clean threw the front with good backend.  I have mine layed out with a stack 3 1/2" pin, with 3/4 top weight. But I would recommend a 4"+ if your looking for this ball to move a little. Over all i would say this is a good Ebonite ball.

Matt Emmons
Strike Zone Pro Shop
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: PinkillerNick on June 01, 2006, 03:12:01 PM
i have had this ball for about 6months.
(drilled up)
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wMTI1MTYzMzZzNDEzZGZkMzF5NTQx.jpg

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wMTI1MTYzNTZzNDEzZGZkMzF5NTQx.jpg

(personal stats in profile)

when i first got it i used it OOB. it was ok just didnt react soon enough... so i had the polish taken off. it was really good for a while... then a machine beat it up. it had gauges all in my track. Lucky for me the bowling center decided to fix it. when i got the ball back it had no gauges in it but it was sanded to an unknown grit (probably around 400ish).

now i use it on my THS league. it is the first ball out of my bag, and the first ball i throw on the lane. i have used it on the heaviest oil (probably a med. heavy oil THS)i have seen to the dryest lanes i have seen (since at this grit), it works great on all of it. The Black Ice sanded down, makes a great benchmark, great overall ball.

Best ball i have used yet...
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Gutters are the enemy; do not fraternize with the enemy.
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: slimeypebble on June 06, 2006, 10:40:14 PM
Pin: 2 to 3
This ball was drilled pin in the center of my grips, one inch under.  I was looking for a ball that I could get very nice length with and have a smooth controllable arch to the pins.  I practiced a few games with it on a THS, started at the 13 board out to the 7 board.  I could see the ball get into a very nice roll and then a very controlled arch to the pocket. I was very please and did not throw a game under 210(6 games). I felt comfortable with the ball and used it for the PA Men's states.  Very playable shot, heavier outsides light insides.  I tightened the shot and played 11 to 8 and it was there.  I could miss 2 boards outside and it would recover and miss inside 2 boards and it would hold.  In general great control ball at a great price, just remember it is not an oil hog.

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Not your typical lefty, I have to work for my shot
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: Jeff Ussery on June 14, 2006, 10:51:26 AM
Pin to PAP Distance: 4 3/4"
Preferred Spin Axis to PAP Distance: 5 1/2"
Balance Hole: None
Surface Preparation: Box Condition

What I Was Looking For in this Ball and Layout:

After getting started with some great Ebonite equipment, I still needed something in the lower hook range that pushed through the front of the lane easily. I picked out the Black Ice due to its lower differential and higher rg combination. I chose a 4 3/4" pin distance to get the ball to flare a little bit, but a weaker preferred spin axis location to really delay the breakpoint.

What I Ended Up With in this Ball and Layout:

No problems with length from the Black Ice. As you should expect from a ball with a .031" differential, creating length is not going to be a problem. The ball simply does not have enough differential to create a high amount of track flare. We know that track flare equals friction. So when we take away track flare, we take away friction with the lane surface. I was even a little more liberal than I've been in years past on pin position with this ball, selecting a 4 3/4" pin to PAP distance. But the skinny, weaker core of the Black Ice is the controlling factor. The Black Ice has cleared the front of any lane condition and surface I've thrown it on so far with no trouble whatsoever.

The Black Ice is a little off of what I was hoping for at the breakpoint. I was really hoping for a slow-arcing type of reaction. Instead, I get an extremely long arc as the ball travels down the lane. The problem is that this can force you into bad angles through the front of the lane. Combining the 4 3/4" pin with a 5 1/2" preferred spin axis in the Black Ice has created an extremely weak ball for my game. Remember though, there are no bad bowling balls, only bad bowling ball reactions.

As you would expect, the Black Ice is a fairly straight ball for me. But it could end up being very beneficial. Sometimes you drill a new ball, learn that you've missed just a bit from what you had hoped for, but you can see the benefits of the bowling ball. Look for me to drill another Black Ice in the near future with a more aggressive layout. The Black Ice has the ability to provide a very smooth, sweeping arc type of reaction that can really be a life saver on tougher conditions. I'll keep this Black Ice around for the dryer heads and local tournaments. We have plenty of places here locally where this ball could get action.

Length from 1-10 (Early to Late)
9.0

Breakpoint Move from 1-10 (Smooth to Sharp)
2.5

Overall Hook from 1-10 (Low to High)
3.0

A picture of this ball and the layout can be viewed on our website if you are interested.

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Jeff Ussery
Powerhouse Training Clinics
www.proshoptraining.com
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: Mike Austin on July 19, 2006, 03:06:52 AM
I have sold a large number of these balls to my customers primarily for dry lane balls, everyone raves about the length of the Black Ice.

I had a PBA Regional tournament a couple weeks ago that we bowled at a wood house that had Guardian heads for 20 feet.  Guardian is a very soft material that lays on the wood, kinda like thick Saran Wrap.  The problem is Guardian hooks.  Two styles of game play well at this house, I have bowled here 4-6 times.  Dead right off your hand from deep inside or straight is great.  

We also bowl on Pattern 2 on some bad wood houses, so I drilled my Black Ice with this in mind.  I used a ball with about a 2 1/2 inch pin, with the pin 1" from my PAP and the CG back towards my grip.  The ball had 3 oz of top weight before drilling, I had to use an extra hole, so I put a small hole on my PAP to get the ball back to legal.

Even with this fairly early rolling layout, this ball has unbelieveable length, it may be 10 boards straighter than any ball I own, and could probably sub in as my spare ball.  The ball was clean through the Guardian heads in Jonesboro, and let me stay well to the right of most everybody that hooked the ball.  Paul Fleming told me I was playing in the "scorched Sahara".  As long as I kept my hand soft through the release, I could not get the ball to go high, I had a huge amount of hold or tug room to the left.  

This ball does not like carry down, if the back ends are clean and/or the pattern is short this ball is money!!  I think I may like to drill another one with a stronger layout, to see if I could fight the carry down a little bit.  This ball is gonna be great off the edge, as it is hard to make the ball jerk at the break point.

It is a very low flare ball, with the layout I used, I got about 1/2 inch of flare.  But that is okay!  The ball hits and carries well, and this ball will be in my bag all the time (I have a really big bag!).  I really like the idea of a strong layout and adding some surface to this ball, will be earlier but still not jerky.

Straighties will use this as a spare ball, not sure they make the lanes dry enough.  Tweeners/strokers will use this ball on dry lanes too, may be too weak on carry down.  Boomers will love this ball!  High speed guys might have to add some surface or it will be a spare ball.

Good luck, hope this helps ya....
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Mike Austin's Precision Pro Shop
Houston, TX

Driller to many "Stars" and Tony Melendez too!

"So Many Balls, only ONE drill press!!"

Chuck Norris is the only person to ever count to infinity..........twice!
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: Jeff Ussery on August 09, 2006, 02:02:49 PM
Pin to PAP Distance: 3 1/2"
Preferred Spin Axis to PAP Distance: 4 1/4"
Balance Hole: 1" Hole x 2" Deep - 4" From Grip Center through Center of Gravity
Surface Preparation: Sanded with 1000 Grit Abralon Pads
 
What I Was Looking For in this Ball and Layout:

I was looking for something very specific when I drilled this Sanded Black Ice. Notice that I used a very strong layout along with a sanded coverstock in combination with a weaker bowling ball. I was looking for a way to play closer to the drier part of the lanes with a sanded coverstock ball.
 
What I Ended Up With in this Ball and Layout:

While some may expect this ball to hook earlier on me due to the 1000 Grit Abralon surface, the key here is the strength of the core. The Black Ice core is so weak that the ball simply doesn't hook early on me. The .027" differential allows the ball to push through the front part of the lane regardless of the coverstock surface. This was great for me as my goal was to play closer to the drier portions of the lane.
 
With the stronger pin position and preferred spin axis location, I get a very strong but easy to control breakpoint off of the dry. The ball I chose is actually weak enough that I have to force the reaction right into the dry boards to get a nice strong reaction. This is extremely advantageous for me because I have an entire arsenal of equipment that I don't have to get to the dry boards to get hook. This sanded Black Ice is very different from everything else I have, and the breakpoint I get from it reminds me of an incredibly juiced up urethane ball.
 
Even with the layout I chose and the sanding of the coverstock, the sanded Black Ice is still a fairly weak ball in my bag. Certainly stronger than my other box condition Black Ice, but much weaker than everything else but my Whirlwind. The key to this ball will be identifying when to throw it instead of the Whirlwind that I reviewed recently. The indicator should be the move off of the dry boards and which one allows me to hit the pocket with more frequency.
 
Length from 1-10 (Early to Late)
7.0
 
Breakpoint Move from 1-10 (Smooth to Sharp)
4.5
 
Overall Hook from 1-10 (Low to High)
4.5

To see a picture of this ball layout, please visit my website at www.proshoptraining.com.

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Jeff Ussery
Powerhouse Training Clinics
www.proshoptraining.com
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: bragbowlin on December 18, 2006, 02:54:41 PM
This is a great versatile ball this is great on medium oil lanes but in out of box condition on heavy oil u get no where I sanded mine to 400grit and it worked well with the heavy conditions. I have a hawg zilla for when I play league at my heavy oil house but when I'm at the meduim oil house I polished my ball and its a monster.
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: mr300ny on November 03, 2007, 08:28:25 PM
This ball is amazing! Fresh out of the box, my first 300! I'm only 16 and this ball is drilled for max hook.  Many people will say it's only an intermediate ball and just because it's not the most expensive ball, doesn't mean that it isn't good.  I also then shot 235 and 256 with it for a 791 series.  My thanks goes to Damon Brown at the Farmingdale Lanes Pro shop.
Title: Re: Black Ice
Post by: seewhy on August 27, 2008, 12:07:00 PM
I was having difficulties to control my current Hawg Wild whenever the lane is dry. Since I normally bowl at late night where the lanes are dried, I decided to get a ball for dry lane. The proshop recommended Black Ice to me for dry lane.

Immediately, after I bought this ball, my average pins rose from 150 to 180 and I broke my maximum pin of 213 without much effort.

I recommend this ball for dry lane especially bowlers who prefer to bowl at night.