Roto Grip Clone ball review
VLS 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 1 7/8
The Clone is another ball that gives me a shape different than anything in my bag right now. As I was a big fan of the E.T. Core, getting a new piece using a revised version of it was something to look forward to. Combined with the Optitrax solid cover with a Reacta gloss finish and you have a great new addition to any arsenal.

This ball is plenty clean through the front of the lane thanks to the Reacta Gloss. It really shines (no pun intended) in the midlane. The Clone really picks up for me there and makes a really strong move, even on heavier oil. The ball is pretty forward on the back of the lane, making it very controllable. If you play more up the lane like me, this will really make this ball usable on a variety of conditions. It gives me a good angle to carry while not going sideways if I miss a little. Whenever I used it so far I have seen some big scores. I also find it easy to read the lanes with it as it makes that very defined reaction in the midlane.

With the Reacta Gloss finish, this ball is much cleaner and sharper than any other solid covers I have right now. It's a little less overall than my Summit, but stronger than my go to pearl which is the Eternity usually.

This ball should be a great addition for fresh oil, or when you need something strong but not too early. If you were a fan of the UFO Alert, you will definitely want one soon.

Dave Adams
Storm staff

Roto Grip Clone
Cover: OptiTraxâ„¢ Solid Reactive Reacta Gloss
Weight Block: Cloned E.T.â„¢ Core (Asymmetrical)
Color: Alien/Deep Mist/Cyber Grape

Review:
First off, the colors on this ball and logo are awesome and look SOOOO good in person with the reacta gloss (major shelf appeal). We drilled this ball with our normal layout: tweener, 350-375 revs, 16.5mph, layout of choice is 4x4x2 (pin is above bridge). This ball is pretty comparable to the UFO line if you had one of those pieces. If you didn’t, you can expect a clean ball motion through the front and mid parts of the lane. The reacta gloss finish is perfect for an immediate ball down from a strong Asym piece when starting out on a fresh block. If we were using this on the fresh we would probably knock the reacta gloss off and go with a slight bit more surface to blend the lane a bit. Overall this ball looks great on the lane and on the shelf. Go pick up your Clone today!

Kyle, Joel, & Dean Johnson
Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff Members
joel@parklanes.net
kyle@parklanes.net
dean@frontierfuncenter.net
www.rotogrip.com
#SquadRG

Ball Specs:
Roto Grip Clone
Optitrax Solid Reactive
Asymmetric  Cloned ET Core
Finish Reacta Gloss Polished
Layout 4.5 x4.5 with 3.5” Pin Buffer

Bowler Specs:
Right Hand. PAP 5” Over 1/2 up
Rev Rate 300. Tilt 20. Rotation 50.
Speed at release 17


Review:
I was very excited to get this ball because of how much I liked the UFO Alert and also the look of this ball was enough alone  to order it! The Clone has an Asymmetric core that is not overpowering but provides a medium to strong predicable motion. I do feel this ball is a bit smoother than my Alert but the Clone is a stronger ball with a more powerful roll. I rolled this ball on a few house shots with no worry of over- under and I was able to play a few different angles with success. I could stay in the oil and the ball still read well and if I got it to the dry it came back with a strong hit. The dry shot will be obvious in the video.  I seemed to have my best reaction when I let the Clone roll off my hand while playing just inside the friction. This should be a nice shiny medium type solid for most people and styles. This ball fits between my Hustle M-M and my Exotic gem in total hook. The Clone is another nice addition to the Roto Grip line of balls.

Summary:
The Clone is a nice rolling predictable solid.
The color and shine of this ball gives it great shelf appeal.
This ball could be used as an asymmetric benchmark ball.

Video Link:
https://youtu.be/-68SlP2xxXE?si=2LxzCE38KOd4SY8g


Glenn Wendel
Storm Pro Shop Staff

gwendel@comcast.net
www.stormbowling.com

Roto Grip’s newest HP4 line ball has a little bit of a different twist on it. The Cloned ET core which features an RG of 2.51, differential of 0.056 and PSA of 0.016, has the new Optitrax Solid cover but this solid is polished with Reacta Gloss. This ball has been a big surprise for me in how much it shapes in the oil. The polish helps the ball get through the heads, but because of the such strong core, it picks up so well in the midlane with plenty of backend reaction. It is very versatile, as I am able to throw it on fresh house shot, as well as longer sport shots. I compared this ball to an earlier and stronger UFO Alert, Next thing to do is get another one and put some surface on it, as I think it could make a good heavy oil ball as well.

Sam Cooper Roto Grip Amateur Staffer. Layout 50x5.5x40.   I was looking for a bigger piece to add to my arsenal that was versatile. I was having a hard time deciding between the Clone and the Eternity PI. Needless to say, I am very impressed with the clone and have not put it down. My only regret is that I did not drill one sooner.

I knew getting this ball it was not a UFO Alert replacement but I saw similar tendencies of how it rolled and hooked. I always loved how the Alert slowed down in the mid lane. Even with the reacta gloss finish on the Clone it does not have any trouble getting into that mid lane roll.  Then following up the mid lane roll with a smoother yet strong move on the back end. At this moment I don't have any plans of altering the surface which is a rarity for me especially with shine. I believe this could be a versatile piece for anyone.

The Cloned ET Core paired up with the Optitrax Solid cover with shine is an impressive combo. It is not a UFO Alert replacement but IMO it is not too far off. You will see similarities that made you like the Alert just a little sooner on the lanes.

User Specs: Left handed, 375 rev rate, 17mph speed, 45 degree angle of rotation, 7 degrees tilt

Layout: 4 ¾ x 3 ½ x 2 ½

The Clone is a new asymmetric ball in Roto Grip’s HP4 line.  It features the new OptiTrax solid cover which is medium strength.  The core is the Cloned E.T. core which is modified from the original E.T. core in the UFO and UFO Alert, and it comes in at a 2.51 RG, .054 differential, and a .016 intermediate differential in 15 pounds.  On paper it’s a slightly stronger solid version of the UFO Alert, but this cover is a decided step down in strength from the MicroTrax on the UFO and on the balls in the Gem line. 

The box surface is Reacta Gloss, but I resurfaced mine down to 1000 grit on a resurfacing machine and then finished it with a light application of Storm’s Step 2 compound.  The result was underwhelming.  The ball is significantly earlier and smoother than was expected, and with the shine, it was lazy and flat, so I decided to take a 2000 pad to it by hand.  This completely changed the reaction, the surface now better fit what the core wanted to do and I got an incredibly controllable and forgiving reaction.  Early rolling without being early hooking, and an even, continuous, climbing arc on the backend. 

The Clone feels like an asymmetric version of the TNT.  It’s got the same slow, heavy roll, but for me, the Clone has the torque that the TNT lacks to give it more conviction and presence at the pocket.  It works best for me on tougher conditions, but it’s surprisingly effective on regular league conditions because remember, the cover is clean enough to where it’s still able to be in play on lighter conditions.  It’s a step down from the Gem, a step sideways from the TNT, and a step up from the Tour Dynam-X in my opinion, and for me it’s one of the best sport condition balls out there right now. 

Right Hand Tweener
Ball Speed: 16/17 of hand
Revrate: 325-350

Test lane:
Length: 42'
Pattern: THS
 
The Invasion Begins Now!
Starting Specs:

Coverstock: OptiTrax Solid Reactive
Weight Block: Cloned ET Core
Factory Finish: Reacta Gloss
Flare Potential: High
Radius of Gyration (RG):15lbs - 2.51
Differential (Diff): 15lbs - 0.056
Intermediate Diff: 15lbs - 0.016

Designed to resemble the popular UFO Alert we mixed in a few upgrades & performance enhancing tweaks for the bowlers of all skill levels.

Drilled mine Pin Down 3 3/4 X 4 X 3 5/8 VLS like my Alert and RST-X2. Out of box my initial reaction was so/so with the continuation down lane. So I took off the Reacta Gloss with a 4000 pad no polish like my TNT. Now I have an asym with as much punch and a 1-2 combination at league or tournaments which can blend out a pattern.

It's shape is easy to read for me and with better control of the transition. I have had success playing all parts of the lanes in particular my comfort zones. I was able to open up my angles when needed on a 44' sport pattern as energy retention was maximized. Dominate cover with a forgiving core equals better pin carry. More like a Duo Plus if you think about it.

For the league bowlers this is a great choice for your 1 or 2 ball bowler. For the competitive bowler it's another ball in your arsenal when you need that smoother asymmetrical solid.

Simply put, this version is the next generation all bowlers need in the bag.