win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: Forza SS first impression  (Read 7491 times)

milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11153
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.
Forza SS first impression
« on: August 24, 2017, 11:50:33 AM »

I threw my new Forza SS for the first time last night. It's a bowling ball. Not a bad bowling ball but not a "game changing" bowling ball either.


Is it a "must have" in your bag? No, not if you already have something similar to it like a Revolt Havoc or Forza GT which are pretty much the same ball motion. The SS would sit directly between these two balls with the same shot shape and strength and honestly, there isn't that much room between those two balls anyway. It would be a decent replacement for either of these two balls if you happen to need one.


If you have the Chronic Paranoia, you probably don't need the SS either.


However, if you need an even rolling solid that can handle some oil with a predictable down lane motion, the Forza SS would be a good choice and it's a good value at it's price point.


Sorry Motiv fans, I would have loved to be all geeked up over this ball as I love the Sigma Core. Perhaps I will change my mind after throwing is a few more times, but my first impression is a just "meh, it's usable."
"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

 

Impending Doom

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6288
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2017, 12:12:44 PM »
Milo, you are not staffer material. Shame on you for being honest.

spmcgivern

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2079
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2017, 12:15:32 PM »
I currently use a Venom Shock.  I imagine the SS is a strong Venom Shock. 

I won't buy anything till after league starts because I just don't know what to expect.  The Venom Shock can be too much ball for me and the SS would be unusable.

As for the "meh"-ness of the SS, do you think any of it is attributed to the shape?  There is nothing exciting about the expected shape of the SS. 

I am as big a Motiv proponent there is.  As with other companies, some balls just don't work out and Motiv has had some that didn't work out for a lot of bowlers.  But I will still support them since they provided my wife with a sponsorship years ago in the early days.  I will say, the equipment is tons better now than it was then.

Thanks for the honesty.

milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11153
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2017, 12:30:42 PM »
I currently use a Venom Shock.  I imagine the SS is a strong Venom Shock. 

I won't buy anything till after league starts because I just don't know what to expect.  The Venom Shock can be too much ball for me and the SS would be unusable.

As for the "meh"-ness of the SS, do you think any of it is attributed to the shape?  There is nothing exciting about the expected shape of the SS. 

I am as big a Motiv proponent there is.  As with other companies, some balls just don't work out and Motiv has had some that didn't work out for a lot of bowlers.  But I will still support them since they provided my wife with a sponsorship years ago in the early days.  I will say, the equipment is tons better now than it was then.

Thanks for the honesty.

The best way I can describe it would be the Forza SS is a stronger version of the Sigma Hybrid.

I'm a huge Motiv fan since the early days. Not a staffer, don't wear any clothing with Motiv on it, but I do like their equipment. I don't regret buying the SS and I will get good use out of it.

I can see it being a very nice option on flatter patterns, but on a THS, the late breaking, sharp hooking reactive pearls are probably going to out score this ball.

If the Venom Shock is too much ball, look at the Venom Cobra. Awesome ball(finally) in that line to follow up the Shock. The Forza SS will be more of an option when there it a bit too much oil for the Shock, but not enough for the Ghost.
"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

LookingForALeftyWall

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 658
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2017, 12:58:10 PM »
I watched a staffer throw it on a house shot Monday night.  Ball motion was flat, leaving quite a few corner pins.  It did not look amazing and the staffer changed to another ball and started striking at will (big ups to Motiv for recognizing local talent in my part of the world).

In the small sample size of shots that I saw thrown, it looked like a must or should have for any high rev player looking for a smoother motion on sport shots with booming back ends (like an EJ Tackett-type bowler).   

tkkshop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1173
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2017, 05:34:49 PM »
I have 3 games on mine in league play, shot 747. Another gentlemen we drill for, averages 215, has a 668-736-678 on his since last Wednesday. Game changer? No. Great solid midrange ball? You betcha. It's not as angular as the revolt havoc or ghost, but a better ball down compared to the chronic (I hate my 2 chronics). My shock is also more angular, but about 3-4 weaker overall. I'll put more action on mine tomorrow to see if I had a good nigh last week or if the ball balls me out again.
 

Snakster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 767
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2017, 08:46:40 AM »
I threw it at a test drive last weekend and I would agree with the OP assessment.  It's a ball I would like a lot, but since I drilled an original Forza at the beginning of the summer (and love it), the SS is not something I will be needing to buy any time soon; too much overlap.  Maybe in a year or so.
Current bag:
DV8 Turmoil 2 Pearl
Radical Squatch hybrid
Motiv Forza GT
Hammer Black Widow Gold
DV8 Vandal
DV8 Creed Rebellion

tkkshop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1173
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2017, 10:01:03 PM »
698 tonight. Bowler missed transition game 3, 209.

Drilled up 2 before league. 2 handed lefty, 220 avg, shot 712.  210 high rev righty, 750.

Ball is racking up in my area. It's really nothing crazy motion wise, but it's just consistent and I think it's a really good benchmark type reaction. Consistent and predictable. I think when the pearl version comes out, Sigma Sting 2.0!

mainzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4405
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2017, 10:56:32 PM »
698 tonight. Bowler missed transition game 3, 209.

Drilled up 2 before league. 2 handed lefty, 220 avg, shot 712.  210 high rev righty, 750.

Ball is racking up in my area. It's really nothing crazy motion wise, but it's just consistent and I think it's a really good benchmark type reaction. Consistent and predictable. I think when the pearl version comes out, Sigma Sting 2.0!

Unfortunately to many people in this post are complaining because it doesn't hook in ocean scream left on the last 15 feet of the lane and just really isn't flashy...when it was never marketed to be any of those things.
"No one runs...from the conquerer "

MainzerPower

milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11153
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2017, 11:14:36 PM »
698 tonight. Bowler missed transition game 3, 209.

Drilled up 2 before league. 2 handed lefty, 220 avg, shot 712.  210 high rev righty, 750.

Ball is racking up in my area. It's really nothing crazy motion wise, but it's just consistent and I think it's a really good benchmark type reaction. Consistent and predictable. I think when the pearl version comes out, Sigma Sting 2.0!

Unfortunately to many people in this post are complaining because it doesn't hook in ocean scream left on the last 15 feet of the lane and just really isn't flashy...when it was never marketed to be any of those things.

Too many people? Who? I don't see a single comment where someone is complaining about that.
"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

mainzer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4405
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2017, 09:45:50 PM »
698 tonight. Bowler missed transition game 3, 209.

Drilled up 2 before league. 2 handed lefty, 220 avg, shot 712.  210 high rev righty, 750.

Ball is racking up in my area. It's really nothing crazy motion wise, but it's just consistent and I think it's a really good benchmark type reaction. Consistent and predictable. I think when the pearl version comes out, Sigma Sting 2.0!

Unfortunately to many people in this post are complaining because it doesn't hook in ocean scream left on the last 15 feet of the lane and just really isn't flashy...when it was never marketed to be any of those things.

Too many people? Who? I don't see a single comment where someone is complaining about that.

General statement of how the average Joe Bowler acts and reason why they won't like the  ball
"No one runs...from the conquerer "

MainzerPower

milorafferty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11153
  • I have a name, therefore no preferred pronouns.
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2017, 09:48:52 PM »
698 tonight. Bowler missed transition game 3, 209.

Drilled up 2 before league. 2 handed lefty, 220 avg, shot 712.  210 high rev righty, 750.

Ball is racking up in my area. It's really nothing crazy motion wise, but it's just consistent and I think it's a really good benchmark type reaction. Consistent and predictable. I think when the pearl version comes out, Sigma Sting 2.0!

Unfortunately to many people in this post are complaining because it doesn't hook in ocean scream left on the last 15 feet of the lane and just really isn't flashy...when it was never marketed to be any of those things.

Too many people? Who? I don't see a single comment where someone is complaining about that.

General statement of how the average Joe Bowler acts and reason why they won't like the  ball

General statement of the  average bowler?

You made the bullsshit claim that users in THIS post was making the claim.
"If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?"

"If you don't stand for our flag, then don't expect me to give a damn about your feelings."

themagician

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2962
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2017, 08:40:12 AM »
Drilled mine up a little over a week ago, got around 20 games on it. Ball isn't quite as strong as I expected, but not in a bad way, very even rolling piece, will be my benchmark ball moving forward.

Comments above about this being the typical midrange rolly ball are spot on, I redid span and am moving some new equipment in to make the change and had a hole in my aresenal that this is filling nicely.

Used it in league and had a couple big games, and nice sets so far, this ball won't amaze anyone with a lot of downlane motion, but for a ball to read and smooth out an over/under THS or work for controlling the backend on flatter patterns it's going to be very valuable. I will be using mine a lot, and when it starts to flatten out I can grab my Venom Shock with the same layout and start striking again.

-Mike
-MOTIV Staff

Impending Doom

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6288
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2017, 09:11:48 AM »
Ball is just a great benchmark with nothing flashy going on? If this was any other company, I'd expect discontinued asap. But this is Motiv and they were aiming for this.

tkkshop

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1173
Re: Forza SS first impression
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2017, 09:23:56 AM »
Drilled mine up a little over a week ago, got around 20 games on it. Ball isn't quite as strong as I expected, but not in a bad way, very even rolling piece, will be my benchmark ball moving forward.

Comments above about this being the typical midrange rolly ball are spot on, I redid span and am moving some new equipment in to make the change and had a hole in my aresenal that this is filling nicely.

Used it in league and had a couple big games, and nice sets so far, this ball won't amaze anyone with a lot of downlane motion, but for a ball to read and smooth out an over/under THS or work for controlling the backend on flatter patterns it's going to be very valuable. I will be using mine a lot, and when it starts to flatten out I can grab my Venom Shock with the same layout and start striking again.
true. Ball up is Havoc if you have one. If Not, Ghost. Ball down is Shock. It is a great middle ball around. My current 5 ball is Havoc, SS, Shock, Paranoia, Tag Cannon. Covers everything I need it to on ths as I bowl in 8-10 different houses a season in the UBA.