Here is my detailed review of the ball. Pictures of the ball are located at
www.proshoptraining.com.
Pin to PAP Distance: 5"
10 Degree Layout
Balance Hole: 25/32" Hole x 2" Deep on my Positive Axis Point
Surface Preparation: Box Condition
What I Was Looking For in this Ball and Layout:
Many of my shiny Ebonite balls get down the lane really clean and have a very quick transition at the spot. Some of this is due to ball selection, and some of it is due to layout selection. Balls like my Big Time Pearl, polished Overtime, and my second Whirlwind all seem to get through the front of the lane very easy and then have a fast breakpoint. With the SmashTime Pearl, I was hoping to create a pearlized polished ball that didn't read the spot as quickly, and was smoother throughout the lane.
What I Ended Up With in this Ball and Layout:
The front of the lane is no problem for the SmashTime Pearl. This ball goes to show what a polished pearlized coverstock can do for you. In the same rg and differential and a solid coverstock (SmashTime solid), this ball would hook very early and have trouble getting through heads that don't have sufficient oil on them. But with the pearlized and polished coverstock, the SmashTime Pearl has no difficulty whatsoever. You can view a video of me throwing the SmashTime Pearl on some Guardian lane surface heads that tend to hook early. The SmashTime Pearl handles these easily.
Breakpoint was the key that I was trying to zone in on. Remember that I wanted a smoother look downlane, with a ball that didn't squirt through the oil too much. I was able to get exactly what I wanted by doing two things with this layout. First, I used a 10 degree layout, moving the preferred spin axis of the ball near my positive axis point. This gets the ball to lose axis rotation more quickly and gives it a smoother breakpoint. I combined that with the very low pin position, just 1/2" above my midline. This makes the ball roll earlier or closer to me at the foul line.
It is important to realize that not everybody can use pins in lower positions like this. People who track very high and close to their gripping holes are definitely in danger of flaring over the middle finger hole with this type of pin height. If you are considering this type of pin height and layout for yourself or a customer, be sure to examine their track closely and make sure that they are not going to roll or flare over the gripping holes. Airborne bowling balls don't tend to hit the pins real effectively.
In overall hook, the SmashTime Pearl is a solid contender for the upper-tier of the mid-level hooking balls. It's not going to bend like a One series ball. But it's definitely going to outhook everything in the Elements series, such as the Whirlwind and Ice balls. My SmashTime Pearl is very close in total hook to the new RXS300 that I drilled earlier.
Length from 1-10 (Early to Late)
7.0
Breakpoint Move from 1-10 (Smooth to Sharp)
5.0
Overall Hook from 1-10 (Low to High)
7.0
***Our ball reviews are developed from a wide variety of lane conditions, surfaces, and environments. We are attempting to give you an idea of our overall experience and findings from a ball. Remember that all bowlers are different in regards to ball speed, revolutions, axis rotation, and axis tilt. Bowlers will see different qualities from bowling balls based on these factors. Be sure to also take into account the bowler's environment (lane surface, oil pattern, etc.) and their expectation (hook, score, etc.) before drilling a new ball for anybody.
Remember:
"There are no bad bowling balls, only bad bowling ball reactions"
"You cannot out execute bad ball reaction"
And
"There is no replacement for the well-executed bowling shot"
--------------------
Jeff Ussery
Powerhouse Training Clinics
www.proshoptraining.comPro Shop Help Desk Hotline - 785-843-2658
Edited on 12/13/2006 8:44 AM
