Ball NPS Score: 100.00
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Reactions: Strong roll in the midlane
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

The TPC Player by Ebonite may be the long awaited later breakpoint companion to the Vortex 2 solid/sanded.  The TPC Player has the proven Trimax coverstock from the Vortex 2, arguably the most versatile ball on the market. The TPC Player’s Propeller core will provide extra length and breakpoint angle in comparison to the Vortex core. The TPC line to this point has not had a ball that liked oil down the lane or in heavy volume, this seems to have changed with the Player.

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

I haven't gotten much of a chance to throw this ball. The only place I bowl league in right now doesn't let me very often. The chances I did have to throw it worked out great!

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...

BEFORE I HURT MY HAND, I USED TO BE A 180 BOWLER & HAVEN'T TOUCHED A BALL IN 8 YRS. I HAVE BEEN USING THE TURBO X, & FIRESTORM, BUT WITH ALL THE CHANGES IN LANE CONDITIONS THEY DON'T ALWAYS SNAP BACK ALL THE TIME. AFTER READING OTHER REVIEWS I HAD THE PLAYER DRILLED OUT. WHEN I SHOOT SECOND ARROW THIS BALL ROARS BACK & DEMOLISHS THE PINS. I WOULD RECOMMED THIS BALL ANYTIME.

I bought this ball a few weeks ago and I must say it was well worth the money I payed for it.  The first series I went to an AMF house and tried it out on synthetics.  The ball rolled very nicely but there really wasn't enough oil on  the lanes for it.  So I went down to the house I bowl my league on, I threw 675 which I havn't done in about 2 years.  The ball picked up very nicely and went down a good bit and just turned to the pocket.  I was very easy to control and carried very well.  I played the ball all over(4th arrow 5th arrow and a straight line up the 1st arrow)and it was the same result.  Finally I tried it out at a monthly tournament.  The lanes were flooded and it was a very long pattern, very little room to work.  It still rolled great.  No problems trying to swing the shot.  I could miss a little to the inside and outside, very fogiving ball.  It is a very nice ball and I would have to give it a 8 out of 10.

Just bought this ball three days ago.  The pin is about half inch below the finger holes and the cg is kicked out to the right.  This ball hits like a mac truck!!  It revs up fast thru the heads and midlane and arcs to the pocket without losing any speed.  
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

I drilled 2 Players because I liked the Warrior and the V2. The player has the propeller core and the V2 cover.

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

Got myself a used 15 lbs TPC Player on Ebay - already plugged and re-surfaced to 1.000 grit sanded sheen. Paid surprising low Euro 8,50,- (about $ 10,-!) - I blame it on the ugly online photograph of the ball and the black plugs on the purple/green ball.

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" .