I apologize in advance for the lack of terminology and length. I want to be sure to add as much info as I can (the little I have), to help make it more understandable. First, a little about my style since if you are diffferent, the ball will react differently for you!
I bowled in YABA from 5 to 11 years old, but stopped and haven't bowled more than once every 4 or 5 years since then (25 now). So, I remember the feel of bowling but don't have the mechanics or terminology anymore. I recently joined a league with my brother and have been using a Columbia Beast I got when I was 14, using a modified version of astraight ball with fingering way too short for my hand now. Still I have put up a 155 average, being extremly inconsistant from 110 games to 190's. Two weeks ago I began using the two finger approach ith my brother's Messenger Ti since his grip is too wide for me to use 3 fingers. I have been pretty consistant with that but my low scores came from a lack of consistancy picking up spares with the beast. (My average has steadily climbed with this ball hitting no lower than 150s.) Now on to the Pain that my bro bought me today. (I will add to this review as I get more games under it.)
The lane is using a Standard Christmas tree, 40' 5 to 5 oil on synthetic lanes. We bowled tonight on the 9 and 10 lanes so the oil was medium, unlike 1 and 2 that are like bowling in mud. My Pain is a 15lb, and I believe to be a "standard" drilling for the Hammer line. (There is a bad pic linked below that I will update later.) It is out of the box condition.
Bowling with my brother's Messenger Ti I was somehwat a Tweener with the two finger style; medium to high rev's with a skid/flip. What a difference this ball was being dull! At first I saw no pin action and that was completely my fault since I was used to the skid/flip or a Pearl ball and this ball is more of a full arc. Once I found the line and slowed down a bit this ball worked wonders, throwing pins and keeping them low. Weak hits still kept the pins low enough to roll across the lane and take out the 9 and 10. My own inconsistency in picking up spares cost me my scores, but I still rolled a 170, 202, and 171, well above my average and more consistant.
Pic of ball drilling:
http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3681816I hope to have a video up soon as well.
This ball does like a heavy arc and can come back from the gutter on wide throws with alot of force since it revs itself up really well. Slow down too much though and you will see this ball find nothing but the 7 pin. It may be a New Yorker as well because it loves smash the pins like a Brooklyn Brawler. It sucks up the oil pretty well also so make sure this one gets cleaned often.
I stood as far left as I could and threw toward the center arrow. The ball come off nicely and gets a roll through the midlane with some revs on it. By 30 feet it's hitting stride and veering back for the pocket with heavy revs. When I slowed down the revs, it caught early and veered way left. Thrown with too much hand it will just barrel a hole through the pins instead of causing action. I had to push it farther down the lane to get a more consistent arc to the pocket.
Overall a really nice ball for someone who's switching from a near straight ball to a hook. I will slowly begin practicing with my thumb, but until then the ball has some punch and good enough grab to work in medium to medium/wet conditions. I may have to roll my Beast with it's urethane cover when the dry lanes come out though or else I'll be grabbing nothing but seven pins.
As a side note, my brother drilled a Black widow the same day and the difference form his Messnget Ti was like night and day. High rev, low rev, swung out far or taking an inside line he had a hard time NOT hitting the pocket. It blew pins apart sending messengers everywhere. I may have to play with it next week during practice just for the heck of it
