BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: avabob on October 14, 2019, 12:10:57 PM
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Not hearing much about these composite shelled balls since they both were introduced to quite a bit of hype. I was looking hard at one of these, but now thinking of trying something like the Purple hammer. Traditional urethane has its limitations, but the prior mentioned balls look like they can be the worst of both worlds as often as the best of both. Any thoughts?
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Can't speak for FP or CT but Purple Hammer is my favorite urethane ball of the dozen new and old school ones I own. Best carry have seen with urethane and is very strong but not super early like most urethane. Highly recommend. Purple Hammer have far outsold the other two from what I understand as well.
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I like urethane.
I bought a fever pitch.
Wish i hadnt.
It cant make up its mind what it wants to be.
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I have one Fever Pitch and two Covert Tanks (drilled very different w/ different surface).
My 5 in Pin to Pap Fever Pitch is close enough to the 4 1/2 Pin to Pap Covert tank, that, really no need for both. I almost only use non-reactive and so was curious and excited to get Covert Tank, although I didn't have a big need for it.
Then the 1 in Pin to Pap with 4000 polished surface Covert tank is to go between those two and my weak urethane ball.
For most layouts the balls are so close, can just go with whatever company you like. Fever Pitch is slightly more skid-flip. If I had to choose just one, I'd go with Fever Pitch, but it's close.
The advantage to the Covert Tank is the larger differential, so can do more with different layouts.
I hate carry down and the way to avoid that with these balls is to get the track to flare. Fever Pitch flares enough so oil rings separate, but would not with a 1 inch pin to PAP.
Covert tank flares a lot. Even on 1 in pin to pap I get some separation. So I would go with that if want to put on a control layout.
I did not get a purple hammer because it has a .013 differential at 14 lbs. So unless you are in a tournaments and moving every games, you will very soon be playing in your own carry down. Although the 16 pounds is 0.30, so that will flair.
I really don't care how many people rave about Purple hammer, I had zero interest in a urethane ball that can not flare. and with a .013 diff at 14 lbs, and .015 at 15 pounds, it's not going to flare no matter what layout it used.
As a rev dominant player, with about 3 degrees of axis tilt, who bowls on sport conditions, theses balls are amazing. I've seen enough people complain about Fever Pitch. It's my favorite ball ever.
These balls are not bad when used for the purpose in which they were made. Control on difficult patterns. Great for high rev players on sport conditions. As a no thumb bowler with low axis tilt I feel like these balls where made for me, and maybe with all the two handers now, they were designed for players like me.
On a house shot, I'm better of standing left and chucking a reactive ball right.
Both these balls have much more pop on back end than traditional urethane and you avoid the carry down issues. Compared to my blue hammer, or Natural Pearl, I have to move about a whole arrow left.
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Granted mine is a light #16 (15lb 10oz) second but Purple Hammer flares decent and seems to have less of an issue with carry down and loss of reaction than virtually any of my other urethane and I am a speed dominant high axis tilt guy. Have a strong feeling 2 years from now only one of the three will still be on the market but to each their own.
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Everyone is playing catch up to the Purple Hammer. They are trying to figure out the formula, and right now the Purple is King. It is a top 5 seller of all balls made for a few months now.
I had all three hated the Covert, didn't like how it rolled all balls drilled the same. Fever Pitch was better but it was hit or miss. Purple is the only one of the three that I know what it will do, very consistent..
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I have 2 Covert tanks. One with a 5 inch pin to pap and box surface. The other with a 6 inch pin to pap and polished. I am rev dominant and these 2 balls have saved my tail on cliffed house shots. The video below is not me, but this is spot on to how my box finish Covert Tank rolls. Which is NOTHING like urethane as the CT is more of a weaker reactive blend based upon observations.
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16.5-18 mph off my hand (monitor), 540 rpm, about 55 rotation, 3-4 degree tilt. My personal opinion, the 16 lb Purple is the best urethane on the market. I had a 15 lb, drilled it stronger to try to conpensate for the lower diff, didn't care for it. Unless you're rev dominant or literally point the ball, I wouldn't touch a 14-15 lb Purple. The Fever is honestly really good. Not as good as a 16 lb Purple, but it rolls pretty darn good. It's cleaner and flippier off the spot. Fever is also very good shiny (whether it's lane shine or polish), but it won't offer the control you need for fresh harder sport. I can't speak on the Covert since I have no experience with it.
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I guess I’m in the minority, but the Fever Pitch has been that go to piece for me, when I need control, and stronger, but predictable motion on the short patterns, and lighter conditions. To each their own I guess.
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I guess I’m in the minority, but the Fever Pitch has been that go to piece for me, when I need control, and stronger, but predictable motion on the short patterns, and lighter conditions. To each their own I guess.
It's all good, thankful for multiple companies...:)
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It looks like a new Tank has been approved on the USBC site.
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It looks like a new Tank has been approved on the USBC site.
Wonder if it will be a limited edition like the Combat Tank.
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Its not. More info on this ball as well as another in the coming days/weeks.
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If it's a pearl version of Covert Tank, that's another toy to buy.
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Rebel, from my sources, its not. Lets keep the guesses coming and see who can hit the nail on the head.
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With the changing rules my guess is an asymmetrical version to provide more core manipulation. Much like what they did with the Venom line.
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spmc, shockingly you are closer. Not it though. :-X ;D
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Now this is on my mind.
If it's in the Tank line, I'm going to assume is the Frixion coverstock, or something else that microcell polymer. The Covert Tank is too good and Motiv did too much to have something so unique for them to abandon it.
While they could do something like recon core in same coverstock for more length, I don't think they'll repeat that. Not different enough.
Not pearl, not asym.
They just brought out the thrill which is their light oil ball for length, so probably don't need to redo that.
Hydra is on way out, but can't fill in that spot with something in tank line.
This would be unique, but maybe something like old Visionary Scorther, Some type of particle additive, so is goes from a light oil ball, to usable on heavy oil, but very controllable?
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Rebel, some info has been posted in another thread but you hit it. The ball will move up the chart 2 pegs vertically.
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I would add that I suspect the thing that finally kills off urethane is not reactive.
It will ironically be the urethane resurgence, which led the ball companies to look for a new urethane formula that is as Brunswick put it is "better than urethane."
The Brusnwick BTU was just the first experiment in a urethane alternative. It was simply a weak reactive that did nothing to replace urethane, but it was first attempt to replace urethane with something else.
Now Motiv, Storm and 900 Global have non-urethane alternatives.
I wonder if people are disappointed with these balls, not because of any problem with the product, but not matching expectations of a traditional urethane reaction?
That's what I think when I read someone who likes urethane doesn't like Fever Pitch.
It would be worse if people get this Tank Blitz thinking urethane like.
I don't think this trend of non-reactive, but not urethane balls is going to go away. If anyone is reading this forum thinking about getting any such ball, I suggest being open minded that it's not a urethane ball and not to expect traditional urethane reaction.
At first I thought this was marketing, but Motiv was right, microcell polymer is NOT urethane. It's best to throw the word urethane away with regards to these balls. I love what Motiv is doing, producing the best non-reacitve balls they can and not trying to be urethane.
Being rev dominant and about 3 degrees of axis tilt, on few conditions could I compete against people who have 13 - 18 degrees of tilt using reactive on sport conditions. With these new balls now I feel I can. How I think about my arsenal and how to approach sport bowling is totally different now than it would have been a year ago.
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I have since picked up a purple hammer sfter starting this thread. So far with limited use it seems to give much better continuation thru carrydown than other urethane I have used
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I have since picked up a purple hammer sfter starting this thread. So far with limited use it seems to give much better continuation thru carrydown than other urethane I have used
Imagine if you had the 16 lb version that actually flares a decent amount. I really wish Hammer had the Purple cover and a diff in the .040s for all weights.
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I only own the Covert Tank (2 now actually), but have seen quite a few of the Purple Hammer and Fever Pitches get bought, used a few times and tossed out. Not to say they are bad, but many think they can use those on walled house patterns and they just don't roll well.
The Covert Tank has been quite interesting, it's pretty strong, flares a bunch, and is the best ball i've ever had at blending a wet dry house pattern. Mine has saved my bacon a ton this year, and locally others are starting to notice and pick them up. It's just so smooth, but goes through the pins so well, if you aren't on high volume house patterns, I'd bet on it being a good choice for a lot of bowlers.
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Purple Hammer is a high rg. Low diff ball. In my opinion it is a very good core, shell matchup
At least it is for me.
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Probably should have posted under reviews, but got a chance to throw the purple hammer on the wolf. Best look I have ever had on that pattern. Carrydown is usually an issue on wolf, but this ball cut through it snd actually opened it up by the 3rd game playing playing 4-5 board. Best urethane I have iwned yet
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Probably should have posted under reviews, but got a chance to throw the purple hammer on the wolf. Best look I have ever had on that pattern. Carrydown is usually an issue on wolf, but this ball cut through it snd actually opened it up by the 3rd game playing playing 4-5 board. Best urethane I have iwned yet
+1. Ball is special for sure which is why is outselling every other urethane right now.
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>> It is a top 5 seller of all balls made for a few months now.
Please cite your source or is this another made up opinion? Nobody posts sales figures for bowling balls that I know of. It would give too much away to competitors.
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I didn't make that statement but I am almost willing to bet that the Purple Hammer and Pitch Black combined are at least close to the majority of urethane with a real core ball market. Everything else is a distant third.
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Yeah, this balls is special.
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Yeah, this balls is special.
I agree