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!

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

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.

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

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

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.