Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
Strong Breakpoint
Same coverstock as the legendary V2 Sanded:
Target Line: Inside and outside angles, and the track area
Lane Conditions: Medium to heavy oil
Coverstock: Pearlized Trimax reactive resin (same as the legendary V2 sanded) with PET sparkles sanded with 1000-grit Abralon
Core: Driller-friendly asymmetric Propeller core, same as the Shooter and Shooter XL, allows ball reactions to be fine-tuned
Weights
RG
Differential 16 15 14
2.50 2.51 2.50
.058 .062 .061
Length Rating: 9.5 (scale of 1-30, early to late)
Overall Hook Rating: 25.5 (scale of 1-30, least to most)
Breakpoint Angle: 7.5 (scale of 1-10, smooth to sharp)
Color: Violet/Green Pearl
Post by: Jace Peterson on August 31, 2003, 06:16:59 PM
I got good push through the fronts with box surface, and an early mid lane read with the backend a bit stronger than arc. This is what I expected from a 3 3/8" pin placement and an asymmetrical core. The versatility of this core cover combination cannot be overstated. 400 sand, 1000 sand, polish, this ball will handel light medium to medium heavy. Hook set, continuous, arc, stronger. I think you get my point. I really like this ball (warrior core, V2 cover).
When you have a ball than controls the midlane (starts hooking when it is suppose to) you can play at a higher level.
BOWL TO WIN
Post by: Jim Lewis on September 06, 2003, 11:33:29 PM
I have drilled two Players, both have the pin at 5 inches from PAP and both are just above the ring finger. One has the PSA in the track with no balance hole and the other layout has the PSA at one inch left of the VAL in a strong position with a balance hole in the PAP. The layout without the balance hole has been left in the box condition and the stronger layout has been polished with Powerhouse particle polish.
The Players have been used on PBA pattern A which is a 37 ft pattern on HPL synthetics, 40 ft league patterns on Proanvillane and a flatter 40 ft pattern on wood. The Player with the PSA in the track is drilled the same as a Shooter XL but is to be used on synthetics and overall heavier volume patterns and the layout is intended to stop the ball on the backend. It does as it should the coverstock allows me to play aggressively through oily front part of lane and still have a rolling backend. The Player with the stronger PSA layout and balance hole is similar to a V2, Predator Pursuit, and an Apex Obsession. The Player responds stronger than all three of these pieces on the backend with similar surface. At this time I would definitely say that the TPC Player is a comparable number one ball out of the bag with the Vortex 2 solid, both pieces display consistency, versatility and power, with the Vortex 2 reacting early in the midlane and the TPC Player responding later on the lane. Anyone who has tried the Vortex 2 sanded and had any success should give the TPC Player a serious tryout.
Jim Lewis
Ebonite PBA Regional Staff
Post by: Garcia on October 07, 2003, 03:46:04 AM
The propeller core is one of the best designs to ever be put into a bowling ball. It revs hard off the hand but clears the heads very easily. No problem reading the middle part of the lane, rolls thru the longest of oil patterns. Spinners and the No-Handers will love this ball because of the added revs and roll.
One problem tho, since this ball revs so fast... a strong drill pattern may have trouble carrying corners from deep inside unless the backends are flyin. But as long as Im not trying to cover the lane, I'll carry every shot with no problem. If you havent tried a TPC ball, try this one.
Post by: PolarMike on October 26, 2003, 09:57:31 PM
Even when the ball doesn't go where I threw it (of course it wasn't me
) it crushes whatever pins it hits. It's just one you can tell punishes everything it hits. The ball definitely gets down the lane, and moves strongly. It seems to have an even arc, but moves as aggressively as the balls that flip instead, if that makes any sense. definitely a strong ball on heavy oil, but I don't think it will finish on those lanes that are oiled foul line to pin deck. Other than that, it also seems to go long enough to where you could move in and throw it on dryer lanes, although bumping too much of a dry spot will either burn up all it's energy, make it over-react, or both. I am thoroughly looking forward to finding enough oil to throw it on without having to increase my ball speed.PS: My Pro Shop guy has said the V2 sanded is arguably the best ball on the market since it's been out. Now it's the same coverstock with supposedly a better weight block. Should be fun...
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There will never be great leaders so long as we mistake education for intelligence, ambition for ability, and lack of transgression for integrity...
Post by: Strapper_Squared on October 31, 2003, 01:47:52 PM
Initially drilled the 15lb ball with the 3.5" pin directly underneath the fingers and cg swung out a little (ending above and right of the thumb) with a small weight hole.
League shot is wooden lanes, fairly heavy oil in the center tapering out to about 10. Enough out of bounds to miss the pocket wide if swung outside of 5 board. Strong backends. Its a fair shot that's usually produces some big scores.
Using the out of the box finish (1000 grit sanded), the ball just wasn't too impressive. It had a smooth arc, but didn't cover very many boards and hit fairly weak. The ball flared about 2" in the oil. Never seemed to get into a roll.
I rarely have luck with dull equipment, so I decided to shine the ball up some. Initially sanded to 800 grit and applied Ebonite Factory Finish to bring the ball to a gloss. If nothing else, dramatically improved the appearance of the ball!
Threw the ball with the high gloss on a second shift of the shot described above. Track area was pretty dry, but the insides still had lots of oil. The ball would jump early when played in the track area (due to being burnt up). Bump inside and the ball would just skid when in the oil. There was an average shot when swung from the oil out to the dry, but this was a very over/under reaction. Not something you would feel comfortable playing.
Back to the drawing board... Initially tried to sell the ball, but couldn't find any takers... so I plugged it up and experimented with a new drill. Placed the pin 4" from the PAP and the PSA 4.5" from the PAP. This resulted in the pin being about the same height as the fingers, directly beside them. the cg was swung out at about center of the grip height. Large weight hole was used to bring the ball back to 1oz side. Finger and thumb were approx 0.
Hit the ball with Ebonite Matte finish (my personal favorite surface for medium to heavy oil conditions). Took it out and tried it again on the fresh shot mentioned above.
Stared out playing up the boards in the track area. This time the ball started to role much earlier and made a pronounced hard arc to the pocket. Hit was great. As the track area burnt up (beginning to middle of the second game), progressively bumped inside and played the swing a little more. Ended the night playing 20 at the arrows to 10 at the break point. This ball proved to be plenty strong all night long. The hit was much better as compared to the initial drill. The ball flared 5 to 6 inches in the oil.
With the correct drill to match conditions, I rate this ball highly. It allows you to get to the pocket from a variety of angles. Hit and carry is above average. Out of the box surface is plenty for most heavy oil conditions. As many of you know, I am not the biggest Ebonite fan in the world, but feel this is a solid ball. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.
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Go Bengals! .500 season is a victory!
Post by: KENNY on November 29, 2003, 07:32:14 PM
Post by: Phatdon on December 06, 2003, 06:14:33 PM
Drilled it up 5x4 for heavier oil and tournament shots. Left it in box condition for the same reason. Ball works really well on a fresh house shot, just need to move a little left and give it room.
I can send it deep (30) out to the twig and count on it recovering. Once the oil is fried tho, probably not a great choice for late games.
Very strong midlane roll and very strong breakpoint reaction. Great ball to have with this drill for specific conditions.
Once again, Ebonite creates a winner with the combination of strong core and V2 coverstock.
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PHATDon
If it don't say Ebonite, it might as well say K-mart!
Post by: slimeypebble on December 10, 2003, 02:43:02 AM
Post by: coltfoet5 on December 17, 2003, 11:05:15 AM
Post by: RF38 on January 19, 2004, 12:03:30 AM
I've bowled on freshly oiled alley conditions. Medium to heavy oil 38'. I was standing/adjusting between boards 26-31 and throwing one board left of the second arrow. If it went to wide at the gutter, it recovered well and still hit the pocket for a strike!! I have only bowled two games thus far 200 and 205. This is one great ball.
Robert
Post by: Ray Edwards on February 25, 2004, 12:23:47 PM
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** Ray Edwards **
Ebonite Regional Staff
Post by: MarkJohnson on June 15, 2004, 12:54:19 AM
The first one I drilled with a 5†pin above the ring finger and the PSA in my track, 105* drilling. This drilling revs up early in the midlane and is smooth in the backend.
The second has a 4 ½ “ pin with the PSA 1†to the right of my thumb, 75* drilling, with the hole 1’ below my PAP. This ball goes farther down the lane and has a stronger backend reaction.
I am a big fan of the propeller core and putting the versatile V2 cover on it is fantastic. I would recommend this ball to anyone.
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Bowl to Win
Mark Johnson
Ebonite Regional Staff
Post by: BrianN on August 25, 2004, 02:51:20 PM
I got it specifically as a sport ball. I was hoping for a slightly longer V2 with more of an arcing movement that would be suitable to play tight inside. For comparison, my V2 is in Ebonite's symmetrical #5 layout with about a 5 1/2" pin to PAP, pin under the ring and mass bias strong. It is a very strong ball.
We laid TPC out with about a 5" pin, right of the ring, and the PSA in the track. I have never had a bad ball with mass bias in the track, and this proves the rule again.
TPC has only a mild family resemblance to the V2. TPC isn't as strong overall, and it's a bigger step down than I thought.
There is at least a full ball in between them. TPC is definitely longer than V2 original. It has a very consistent arcy hook, with great midlane control. Sweet roll when it turns, even for my middling revs. The roll is tight and powerful, and the energy transfer at the hole is notable. This is one of the very best rolling balls I've seen to date. Propeller core is intriguing; hope we haven't seen the last of it.
It was cleaner through the heads than original V2, much more so than you'd expect from a rolly ball with a dullish cover. It will probably wind up doing for me what particle pearls do for a lot of other people. One of the hallmarks of the high-flare Ebonite equipment for me is that it tolerates some release inconsistencies. There was nothing touchy or squirrelly about TPC. It didn't mind if you ripped it a little bit, and played very smoothly off the dry if you got it out a little too quickly.
When they carrydown, TPC never labors like some balls, but this layout was too shallow to carry. When the lanes were even reasonably fresh, TPC was big tweener fun to play. I really hated to put it up. I got the definite impression that it will be the right answer for a range of conditions.
It is not as strong as you think it's going to be. I would drill it strong if I needed to play it on substantial oil. This one will not be an oil ball for me, or something that can really get around the corner from deep. However, it will be a first-rate sport ball and light-medium to heavy medium league ball. This is exactly the look a lot of tournament bowlers need.
Post by: dizzyfugu on September 05, 2004, 08:59:35 AM
Surface was O. K., and I thought THIS couldn't be a bad deal, since the ball got good critics and has the V2 sanded coverstock PLUS the very reliable Propeller Core... it was the deal of the year for me!
About me:
Style = Stroker/mild Tweener, right-handed
Speed = 13,5-14,5 mph
PAP = 5" & 7/8"^
Axis tilt = 18,7°
Revs = 250-300 RPM at release
For more details, check out my profile, please.
Ball setup:
I originally bought The TPC Player for heavier oil, as a particle alternative. At the time of purchase, it was to be my strongest ball in the arsenal.
The ball is a 3" pin-out. It was drilled lable leverage, 4" distance pin to PAP, ending up ~1" at 3 o'clock of my ring finger hole. PSA at ~120° from PAP for a hook/set setup, possible/safe through the low mass bias of only 0.004. CG consequently located exactly in the middle of my palm. No X-hole necessary, oval rubber finger inserts.
==o=o=*==
=========
===#=====
=========
===O=====
=m=======
* = Pin
# = CG
m = mass bias/PSA marker
After some testing on various lanes and patterns I opened up the surface even more, because the 1.000 grit sheen lacked midlane traction and recovery for me on a 40' fresh sport shot, for which I wanted the ball. At first, I used a 3M white pad and finally a grey pad, sanding the ball wet by hand to something about 800 grit matte now. That's how I still use it (January 2006), but I think about a higher grit finish since my arsenal changed a lot since I got it, for less oil, maybe carrydown situations.
Generally, the ball's path is smooth. On long oil my TPC layer will move in a wide, "banana"-like arc. My hook/set drilling with the matte surface and the high differential (The TPC Player flares like hell: with 15 lbs, the RG Diff. is 0.68!) give the TPC Player a good, early midlane recovery on long oil after 35-38' with a nice straight backend roll into the pins.
On shorter patterns (30-35') my label leverage drilling lets the ball hook out early, after a rather edgy breakpoint. But it is still playable and does not burn up as easily as a solid reactive ball would do - tribute to the pearl coverstock, I think? As long as there is some head oil, this ball will work just fine.
From my experience so far I can tell that it will not hook much on heavy oil, but my ball is not drilled for a dramatic turn, anyway. Consequently, swinging it out and back to the pocket does not carry well unless the pattern is short or the back end is dry. What it delivers with the lable leverage setup is control and a very good energy retention for the pins on almost any condition I used it.
Lane utility for tested ball (pattern length vs. oil volume):
|S M L
|h e o
|o d n
|r . g
|t
_______
|0 0 X| Light volume
|+ X X| Medium volume
|X X +| Heavy volume
Legend:
X = Best suited with effective control & carry
+ = Fairly suited (works, somehow, but lacks control)
0 = Unsuited (ineffective, either slips or burns up)
The chart concept is inspired by Storm's 2003 catalogue. Surface prep and drillings may change the results, it is just personal experience with my style
With my hook/set setup, my TPC Player is playable almost anywhere. By today's standards I think it is good for medium-oily conditions at best. With my dull 800 grit finish it is playable an medium to oily conditions, except for a true flood. With polish it should look great and even do well on medium-dry conditions or a THS.
It hardly ever over-reacts and is a very good control ball. Additionally, it seems to be well-suited for inside lines across 2nd arrow or even lower. Down-and-in-players should love this ball in general. This underlines my impression that it does not like to be swung across the lane? But maybe it is just my drilling.
Only drawbacks I found so far is that it will fail when the heads run completely dry (like any strong, sanded reactive ball) and that I have to stay exact with my delivery to make it perform well. Due to this sensitive reaction to hand and wrist changes I do not consider it to be a beginner's ball. Its counterpart, the TPC Shooter (also have one), reacts equally sensitive to release changes for me. I tribute much of this to the Propeller Core, which revs up nicely and offers surprising "force forward" for the backend.
This odd core offers experienced drillers many options to make the ball react just the way it is supposed to do through mass distribution and PSA/mass bias placement, even though it has only a low mass bias. Strange, maybe it's just the weird core shape?
I give my TPC Player an overall 7,5 out of 10. The ball is by far not outdated, but it surely is not the strongest option today, neither concerning core nor coverstock. If you (still can) find one, it is nevertheless a good purchase and a good complement to the polished solid reactive TPC Shooter for lighter conditions, in case you want to build up an arsenal with TPC balls. They complement each other well.
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DizzyFugu --- Reporting from Germany
"All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream..." - Edgar Allen Poe
My TPC Player's impact in the pins is tremendous! Great coverstock, even matte. It is quite unimpressed by carrydown, marches through the pocket and pushes away anything in its path. "Clean desk policy"
. Edited on 26.09.2011 at 7:44 AM
Post by: bowlfishing on November 23, 2004, 03:43:56 PM
You will need some head oil. If the heads are burnt, don't bother.
Very good carry and hits well.
Post by: PinkillerNick on December 11, 2005, 10:14:39 PM
I use this ball on my THS (synthetic) league and will use it on a higher oil THS (wood) tournament. Recently I used this ball at a tournament which used a higher oil shot (wood lanes). I started throwing the ball around 2nd arrow standing at 4-5 dots. it had good mid lane read then grabed the lanes and hit the pocket (like a mac truck i might add). Later in the tournament i started leaveing some 4s and 8s but other then that 95% of the pocket hits reasulted in strikes.
The Tournaments Players Choice Player holds up to its name its My (a tournament player) choice for a med heavy oil.
However if you are playing in a higher amount of games tournament you might want to bring a med-med.light oil ball.
on a scale of 1-10 i would give this ball a 9.2 easy maybe higher if it was a bit more versital.
Would highly reccomend it if you are looking for a med-heavy oil ball
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Proud owner of an Ebonite
Post by: JessN16 on May 31, 2008, 01:44:44 AM
The drill: Pin under ring, CG 1.5 inches out towards VAL, MB about 2 inches away from the thumb at 4:30. Works out to a 3 x 2.5 x 4.5 drill for me. Surface tested in two preps (box, then at 2000 Abralon plus polish)
Me: PAP 4 over 3/8 up, tweener revs, good speed, good circumference coverage
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Bought this ball used without much game traffic, and coverted it to fit me simply by redrilling the thumb hole.
I first tested it in box finish and had one of the most unique experiences with a ball that I can remember. There was no big backend in the ball, on any condition. It much preferred to be played with a lot of forward roll rather than tilting it over and trying to loop it. And the more oil, the better -- on anything lighter than absolute medium, the ball would grab too quickly and burn up.
But increasing the speed to throw it "through" the condition wouldn't work. The ball did not have much recovery downlane. However, it made up for it by being an impressive ball in the oil, and it displayed great drive through the pins and good carry even from tight angles.
Given that I wasn't seeing many medium to medium-heavy conditions, however, I decided to test it at 2000 Abralon plus Track Clean & Polish. Shining this ball up really makes its looks come through this is one of the most attractive coverstocks I can remember in recent years.
The polish also gave the ball a little angularity downlane, allowing it to clear the heads better and begin its move to the pocket later. It's still a midlane monster, though not a ton of move in the very backend but it does have a last-second kick that is impressive.
Overall carry is just average, and even with the polish this ball doesn't seem to care for a lot of tilt with my style. It prefers to play up the boards, but when it finds a zone, it just kills it.
This ball is plenty strong enough to still be used on today's conditions, and the surface has proved easily changeable. Here's my overall take:
Positives: Cover easily tunable, good carry from inside angles, thrives in oil, attractive looks for those who care about that sort of thing.
Negatives: Not a backend boomer, doesn't like anything below medium-light no matter what the surface, carry anywhere other than inside is questionable
Summary: A good ball for oilier leagues and for sport shots given its penchant for playing direct, but might be an arsenal ball rather than a benchmark ball for most.
Jess