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- Coverstock: Ultimate Vision Pearl Reactive
- Weight Block:Photon Core (14-16)
- Ball Color: Dark Blue/Purple All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Ball Finish: 1500 Polished
- Track Flare Potential: 3-4 Inches (Med) on a scale of 1-10 Low-High
- Recommended Lane Conditions: Medium-Light Oil
- A few tiny pit holes in the cover stock of the ball are normal
- Description: Value and Performance have always been synonymous with the Roto Grip® brand, and the all new Dark Star™ stands to continue that tradition. Our first goal was to develop a stronger Shield™ Line ball to fit into the Roto Grip® line. The Team felt that there was too big of a gap between the Nomads and the Planet series balls. The intent was to create more mid-lane read with stronger backend motion, so we developed the Photon™ core with a lower RG value and a higher differential. To enhance this core motion we also added Ultimate Vision™ pearl coverstock to this ball. This performance proven coverstock was found on the EPIC™ and Illusion™ series of balls. It boasts a higher coefficient of friction and surface texture for added traction in the oil and superior backend performance. This combination of core and coverstock was the ideal fit into the line. Our tests showed that it filled the gap between the Nomads and the Planet series balls perfectly. The legacy of value and performance will live on in the new Dark Star™.
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Here is my review of the 1st DARK STAR I Drilled:
4 x 4 extra hole on VAL- Serial# 10RDSB02E186G
Box finish and tested ball for about 14 games.
Medium to longer length, a wicked back end recovery. kept the pins real low to the deck and no carry issue you would see in a lower cost ball. Very good ball on heavier than normal THS. Practiced on Cheetah with it and it was a little strong off the spot. Thanks to Mike Sinek for layout advice on this ball.
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Rick Mitchell
Roto-Grip Staff Member
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This is my review on the 2nd Dark Star I drilled:
30 x 3 1/2 x 60. a medium size hole at P2 position-Serial# 10RDSA19E084G
Box finish and tested ball about 12 games.
Little shorter in length to a break point then the 4 x 4 one above, cleaner and smoother in the back end. We used on Cheetah, it was much smoother off of the gutter going into the pocket, less overreaction then the 4x4 layout. Had a 279 and 275 with this ball so far in league, 275- 8 pin and 10th and used a spare ball for the fill ball for a 7 count. I liked the fact that I can play WAY inside, between 3rd and 4th arrow and the ball "walk" nicely into the pocket.
Thanks to Mike Sinek for the lay out information on these bowling balls.
I hope you this information are useful and helpful.
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Rick Mitchell
Roto-Grip Staff Member
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Surface: Box Finish
Purpose: Was looking for something with a weaker weigh block and a skid flip reaction.
Lane Condition: The first time I used this ball was in a mixed tournament where the shot was moving alot. Out of the box using the Dark Star on one lane and Riot on the other (lane 7 was hooking about 10 boards more than lane 8) I shot 816. I used this ball on my house shot and man does it send the pins flying. The Dark Star is very clean through the heads and when it makes it move on the backend it never stops. What I love the most about this ball is how low it keeps the pins.
Final Thoughts: If you are looking for a one two punch that doesn't cost you alot the Dark Star and Riot are the balls to get. When the heads are starting to burn up I switch from the Riot to the Dark Star and never move a board!
Roto-Grip Staff Member
Rickie Banister
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Drill angle – 40 Deg., Angle to VAL – 15 Deg., PIN to PAP distance – 3 3/8â€, 15 lb, box finish
Very nice looking ball. Gets down the lanes easily. It takes off quite well off the dry, and has above average hitting power. This ball play well just below the Nomad line. For more, check out my video review:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mrchris299#p/a/u/1/tcEzjb4vVds
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Chris Slagter
Roto Grip Amatuer Staff
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The new release from Roto Grip on the dark star and riot are awesome. The combination that both balls bring to the table are well balanced. From the cover stock to the weight block makes these balls my first choice out the bag.
The Dark star- is very smooth and strong in a number of ways that no other entry to medium level ball brings to the lanes. It's Photonâ„¢ Core enables me to just roll the ball and let nature take it's course. The higher R.G. helps me get the ball down the lane even in the drier areas, while the pearl cover stock helps me maintain my skid through the heads while the ball makes it's transition from oil to dry with out a lot of over under reaction. The hitting power I get from this ball comes with great ease and not having to over power the ball just to make the coner and still carry.
I have made a video and I will post the link on here tomorrow.
Kevin Blackmer
Roto Grip-staff
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This ball is made for medium to light oil patterns that are 39 feet or less in length. Out of the box this ball has a skid flip reaction. When it’s in heavier oil I had problems with it skidding too far down the lane. Once it comes out of the oil onto the dry part of the lane it really makes a right hand turn to the pocket. To solve this problem, I changed the surface to 4,000 abralon. This change made the back end smoother and the ball seemed to read the lanes much better and had a more consistent reaction on wooden and synthetic lanes. This ball works well on all lanes surfaces.
My layout on this ball is a 4-1/4 x 4-1/2 with a 4 inch buffer dual angle 90x 4-1/4 x 65. The pin is located under my ring finger.
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BRANDON HARRIS
Amateur Roto Grip Staff
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BRANDON HARRIS
Amateur Roto Grip Staff
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“DARK STAR†Review by Cory Rockteschel
Cory’s Statistics:
Right Handed
Approx. 425-450 RPM
Approx. 17 MPH Down lane
PAP – 5†right
Span – Middle finger (MF) 4.5â€, ring finger (RF) 4.625â€
Pitches – MF .375 left 0 rev, RF .500 right 0 rev, thumb .125 left .375 rev
Review:
I drilled the Dark Star to have a little less flare so that I had a ball that was good for a shorter sport pattern. I drilled it 5x3x2. The ball that I drilled has a 3.25†pin. This layout put the right above, and to the right of my middle finger. The Dark Star moved just as I expected. I was bowling on the Kegel pattern Boardwalk. I was playing 10th board at the arrows and my break point was around the 3rd board. I had a little room outside and none inside. The Dark Star got through the heads easily as expected and made a quick move toward the pocket. The ball has good hitting power and scattered the pins very nicely. I shot a 715 1st night out averaged 227.5 in a tournament on the boardwalk pattern which helped to get 2nd place.
The Dark Star is going to be a very good choice when you want a ball that is a bit weaker than the Nomad Pearl but stronger than the Neptune. It is also a very good for those on a tight budget. You are getting a ball with great performance at a very affordable price.
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Roto Grip Amateur Staff Member
Roto Grip - King of them all
USBC Bronze Coach
USBC Registered Volunteer
cory@tenpincoaching.com
www.tenpincoaching.com
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Here is the link to the youtube video of the dark star I promised you guys. enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhSEp5bvdYg
Kevin Blackmer
Roto Grip staff
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Ball specs – 15 lbs 2 oz, 2.44 top weight, and 3.25 -inch pin.
The polished Dark Star has a very appealing blue pearl and purple pearl color scheme.
The Dark Star was drilled with a 4.5-inch pin, 30-degree drill angle and a 70-degree VAL angle. This put the pin about 3/8 of an inch under the ring finger with the CG bumped to the right about three inches. This layout required an extra hole that was placed on the VAL on a line drawn from the grip center thru the CG to the VAL. (Approximately a P2 hole) Ending side weight was ½ positive. The cover stock was left OOB.
I threw the Dark Star and the Riot on a fresh, softer oil pattern. The Dark Star provided very easy length down the lane, about two to three feet more than the Riot, with a predictable but strong backend move. The backend recovery was more than I expected. Hit and carry also exceeded my expectations for an entry-level piece. Track flare was in the four inch range and the rings were fairly close but not over lapping, similar to the Riot. First set with the Dark Star was 746.
Using an existing cover stock with the new Photon core (.040 differential) allows the Dark Star (and Riot) to fill the gap nicely between the stronger Nomads and the weaker Planet series balls. The Dark Star will make a nice addition to anyone’s arsenal.
John Brodersen
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I drilled the Dark Star exactly the same as my Riot. 50/5/70.
I wanted to drill the two balls the same to see just how different the Pearl and Solid versions of the Ultimate Vision coverstocks are. I was shocked how different they really were. When using the Riot I still had to play inside the track area, but when I changed to the Dark Star I was able to move left and actually play in the track, which is something I haven't been able to do with any ball I have drilled in a long time. Even though the Dark Star is designed to be a little more skid/flippy in nature, with this pin below the fingers layout, most of the flip was gone. Although it was still evident, it wasn't overly strong off the spot, which I like. I have really struggled with the lower end Roto Grip bowling balls, i.e. the planet series, I have yet to struggle with either the Riot or the Dark Star.
Great job yet again guys.
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Rob Haverstock
Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff
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Layout- 4 3/4†from pin to PAP, pin under ring, no hole.
I was surprised by the length that was there in this ball, even with a pin down drilling. What I was even more surprised by was the level of continuation I got. At Seattle city, scores were relatively low this year, but I averaged around 230 once I had the Dark Star in hand, even having to loft gutter caps by the end. This thing not only cornered enough to carry (again, even with a quicker rolling, lower flare layout), it did it better than most anything else being thrown in the tournament. I’ve been able to use this ball on a large variety of conditions, on basically anything but the heaviest of conditions, and been very impressed. This ball has a tremendous amount of value overall and offers tremendous bang for your buck. It is visually stunning and has great shelf appeal. Great work again from Roto Grip!
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Hello everyone and thanks for reading. First off I would like to thank Rotogrip for coming out with this ball. Great addition to the arsenal and I will certainly be drilling up at least one more. Now to the meat and potatoes so to speak. First I would like to refer you to the video here--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLAwweAYAkw . Now you can get the visual and I will tell you what I have found throughout the past couple of weeks. The ball is drilled with the dual angle layout technique with a drilling pattern of 55 x 4 7/8 x 65. I drilled it up the same as one of my Nomad Pearls for comparison. I also filmed the video and settled on a 4000 abralon surface as the best one for me although all surfaces I tried seemed to be excellent. Very versatile with surface changes. This ball is very clean through the front part of the lane but does not pick up roll too early as soon as the ball touches friction. Towards the back part of the lane is where this ball really does well. It not only makes a strong move on the backend but very continuous as well. If you come up the back a little more and slow the speed down you can get it to stop at the pocket a little bit but it still maintains excellent hitting power and clears the front very well. Compared to the Nomad Pearl is tough to tell in the video but with the same drilling pattern after the front starts to break down, I can switch to the Dark Star and keep feet and target the same. Great hitting power no matter what part of the lane I have been playing. Overall this is a great ball to go to during lane transition and also will make an excellent start ball for those individuals just starting out with a slightly lower ball speed.
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I found that I my Dark Star fit well into my arsenal. I also own a Nomad, and I thought that the Dark Star served as a great ball to “ball down to†from the Nomad. It’s my go to ball when the lanes transition and I need something with more length. I threw it on both house and sport shot conditions. It gave me the length I needed to get through the heads and hit hard. I am happy with its predictability and carry. GREAT JOB ROTO GRIP!
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Rebekah Diers
2009 Clash of Champions
Amateur Roto Grip Staff
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For the Dark Star, I took it out on a 39' house shot, using 5th and 6th boards as break point. This ball went longer but was stronger on the backend. I threw several shots with this ball and it gave me more miss room out, but if I missed in it wasn't going to be good. I tried it on a slicker oil pattern, and for me I threw it too firm and don't have enough hand to make it work. This ball will be a great ball for wet dry conditions where you can just throw it right and it will read the mid lane with a strong backend. The Dark Star and Riot are two balls that would be a great fit for any bowler whether a starter or a seasoned bowler. Great job to Hank and everyone at Roto Grip. KING OF THEM ALL!!!
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Combining the Ultimate Vision pearl coverstock (1500 polished) with a new medium core (2.58) and medium differential (.40), Roto Grip introduces the Dark Star to its mid priced line. With a slightly stronger Rg than the Planet series, the Dark Star is a ball for medium to drier patterns. For PBA patterns, with proper layout, a stroker/tweener will find the Dark Star to be a good go to ball on the 37' Viper and 35' Cheetah as the pattern breaks down.
I drilled the Dark Star with a 55 degree pin/pap, pin 4 1/2' from PAP, below my ring finger, with the cg out and a 7/8" weight hole drilled on a straight line 4" from my grip center to create some hook/stop on the back end. This is the same layout I used on a Riot to give me a go to ball when the Riot started to burn off or hook to early as the pattern dried out. For bowler's in the 140-160 average range who want to go to a reactive that is controllable, the Dark Star would be a good choice.
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Senor RotoGrip
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I loved the Dark Star on a medium or dry shot. This ball should be ideal for a house shot. In a typical league shot I could play outside the second arrow most of the night. As the conditions broke down, I could easily move in 3-5 boards and stay in the pocket. With the pearl finish, this ball has a sharp backend and makes a quick continuous move to the pocket.
My Dark Star was drilled with a 4 X 4 layout from my PAP with the pin above the fingers keeping the box finish.
This ball cleared the heads great. In the mid-lane the ball revved up nicely and made a solid, sharp move to the pocket.
The Dark Star has a very predictable reaction. This is great for the league player. As the lanes transition, I made slight adjustments with ball speed and angle and was able keep the ball in play and use this ball all night long.
This ball surprised me and played a lot stronger than you would expect based on the specs. I was getting 4-5 inches of flair and bouncing the ball off the dry all night.
Mike Johnston
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Mike Johnston
Roto Grip Staff
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One problem I've had in the past with the Planet series was the lack of flare. My axis rotation is very high and I hit a lot of conditions that tend to either be very wet/dry or hooking heads/mids with oil downlane. So the Planets pushed easily enough but didn't have the core to handle the oil downlane. They were very conditional for me. Enter the Dark Star with a slightly lower RG but higher diff.
The Dark Star has been a perfect compliment to the Nomad Pearl. It pushes much easier than the Nomad Pearl but because of the higher diff, it can handle a little bit of oil downlane. Plus I have more drilling options with the higher diff. The Dark Star is deceptively strong downlane without being flippy.
If you tend to bowl on lighter volumes or your ball speed is low, the Dark Star will give you a little more versatility than the Planet series.
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Anthony Chapman
Roto Grip Staff 2009/10
Vise Grips Staff 2009/10
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Review Dark Star
Drilling 41/2x4
This ball has an even smooth roll not too responsive off the dry but enough to give plenty of angle to carry the corners very well. From the first shot I made with this ball I knew it has a very nice place in the Tournament bags. But don't underestimate how much this ball can hook it will be a great surprise. Use this ball on what it was intended for and you will not be disappointed. In the performance of this ball. I use this ball in the minor events at the USBC in Reno it allowed me to get thru the front part of the lane and not over react down lane I think this ball should be in your bag at Reno this year
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Ed Riffle
Roto Grip Advisory Staff
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I drilled my Dark Star with a 5 1/2 inch pin to pap (above my middle finger) with the cg slightly kicked out 1/2 inch with no hole. For me this ball gets great length and a very strong backend reaction...much more than I expected. This will be a good ball to go to when my pearl nomad is too strong off the spot. Seems like this will be a great ball for anyone wanting alot of backend pop without spending alot of money. I used this ball on a few house shots and it comes back from almost anywhere, I also used it in a regional on cheetah (but the gutter didnt hook) since the gutter was OB I tried to use my Dark Star and play 10 to 5 but the backend was too much. All in all I think this ball should compete well against the other balls in its price range.
David Tessman
Pba regional staff.
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Dark Star and Riot Review
I am reviewing these balls together because I feel the two balls are perfect companions for each other.
I had a lot of success with the Illusion and Grand Illusion. I felt they were both great control balls. As soon as I saw the Dark Star and the Riot and the technical data on the balls I felt they would be the perfect replacement for them.
I drilled the Dark Star 4 X 4 and the Riot 4 ½ X 4 ½. with the pin above the finger holes. When I started practising on our house shot with them I found the Dark Star to be a bit, what I call, flippy. It gave me an over/under reaction. I have a low track and about a 60% axis tilt with medium/slow ball speed. I find if I have too much shine on a ball that it can have a hard time reading the break point. I took an 4000 abralon pad and went over the ball on the spinner to take a bit of the polish off of it. The difference that made was amazing. I went from having about a 1 board area to a 3 or 4 board margin of error, and when the ball hit, it hit.
The Riot, even though drilled to go a bit longer, had a tendency to roll a bit early and the end result as a weak pocket, leaving 10 pins and 7 pins with the box finish. So back into the shop I went. I didn't want to change the ball's characteristics, I just wanted to help it go a bit longer. This time I used a 2000 abralon pad. It worked out really well too, giving it a little more length and a better finish.
I had a set idea of what I wanted the balls to do when I drilled them and it has turned out great. I can use the two balls in similar lane conditions with usually just a 1 or 2 board adlustment. I can go back and forth between them very easily.
I am not presently bowling in tournaments, the survival of my business taking most of my time. I'm bowling a couple of times a week, one league, 3 games, the other 4. I have struggled a bit as a result of no practise and the average was hovering at just over 200. Since I drilled the Dark Star and the Riot I have had triples of 738, 721 and 720 and 4 game totals of 987 and 939. In the month of March my average has jumped up to 208, not easy to do this late in the season.
In my opinion, for the price, these two balls are about the best value out there. I have already drilled a number of them for entry level customers and well as more experienced bowlers looking for a good control ball.
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My Axis is 5 5/8 right, ¼ up, my speed is average and I would consider myself with higher revs but more up the back. So not a cranker but not really straight either.
Drilled Pin 5" from PAP & CG 4" from PAP in thumb weight quadrin.
Ball is a monster on a house shot. It goes long and then jumps hard when it leaves the oil. It has great backend reaction and on patterns where you need to play inside it recovers and carries very well. It is definitely stronger than the Planet balls but not too strong that it will be too much even when the lanes break down. I have not hit a condition that this ball jumps too early on. Even as more games are bowled, it goes through the heads great and holds its energy for the big bang on the backends. As long as the pattern is not too long this ball will work for most of us.
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Dark Star,
Roto Grip’s intent was to fill the void between the Sword line Nomad’s and the Shield line Mars. When the Nomad’s came out they turned out to be much stronger and therefore widening the gap between the two lines. We needed something to smooth it out.
The Dark Star and Riot easily fit right in. The Dark Star 1500 / pearl reactive polished finish is a nice looking purple similar to the old Oracle Vision. The Dark Star is really smooth through the front part of the lane and I was surprised how much longer I could stay in the dry or track area. It does have a little lower RG than the Mars which allows it to pick up quicker with some unexpected predictability on the backend. Normally when you can get a ball to push well through the fronts half of the lane it can tend to be a little over under on the back. Not the case with the Dark Star.
Great addition to the Roto Grip Shield line it did fit right in.
Kelly O'Driscoll
Roto Grip Staff
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The Dark Star, is a pretty purple ball that will have your competition mystified on its outstanding performance, more noted, its hitting power. The pearl reactive shell tends to be a little skid flip when out of the box. If this is what you’re looking for, then keep the box 1500 polish cover. I like my reaction better with taking the surface to 2000 light abralon and no polish. This evened out the skid flip reaction and made the ball transitions smoother. It goes through the heads with ease and revs up quickly, next is the big move to the pocket. I have my Dark Star drilled with a 4.5†pin and it is just under the fingers and the CG kicked out 50 degrees. This layout produces high flare rings. Even with this drill pattern this ball still plays very well with a deep inside line. The back end is continuous through the pins. The Dark Star compliments the Riot’s ball reaction when the lane condition has transitioned to more on the medium to dryer side.
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Tony Szeluga
Roto Grip Staffer.
Retired All Army Bowler
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I have my Dark Star drilled 5x5, 2" pin 1/2 inch over bridge cg 1" below the bridge. This layout and the balls polished surface gets through the heads very clean and gives me good very good length. The ball makes a strong continuos break on the back end and saves a lot of energy for the back end. This is the middle ball in your arsenal that can turn the corner and give you the strong angle to the pocket needed on many tournament and league conditions. A must for your arsenal.
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KEN TAYLOR SR
AMATEUR STAFF
ATLANTA GA
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For starters, this ball looks great right out the box. That's always a plus by my standards. I drilled this ball very similar to my Riot which I really like. I put the pin beside the ring finger with the CG nearly right under it. For medium to lighter volume patterns this ball matches up on a lot of conditions. Heavy oil and really dry patterns will put this ball in the bag. With the layout that I have this ball is very even with a strong read in the mid-lane. The carry is good and what I like most about this ball is the versatility. This ball is a great compliment to the Riot.
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Dark Star
15lb 3oz with 2.48 oz Top weight. 3-4†pin
Drilling: 5 X 5 no hole
Finish: box
The name on this ball fits so well, for the money this thing out preforms many middle to upper lined equipment in other companies. Its really in the dark, not getting all the attention because its not a high end ball. I tell you what this ball should win B.O.Y for lower price point. It is my belief by watching it down the lane on the same patterns as the Evil Seige, C- System 2.5, a Polished Jigsaw. This ball looked just as good if not better then these on that pattern. Maybe it was the pattern, but I have thrown this ball on a variety of patterns and I can always seem to get lined up. Its nothing fancy just clean through the fronts, excellent length with a strong smooth tip at the back. Any carry seems to be better then expected from a lower entry level ball.
I have yet to play with surfaces yet, but when I do I will be sure to post what I see. Thanks
Any Questions or Comments please feel free to contact me: strike2win@hotmail.com
Jake Bedard
Roto Grip Staff
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My axis is 5 1/16th right and 0 up or down. I drilled my Dark Star with a 5x3 and it really gets through the fronts clean. It gets through the fronts a lot like the Neptune but really finishes strong down the lane with forgiveness. The Dark Star really fills a gap between the Nomads and the Planet Series. On the shelf the purple really stands out and is a very good looking ball. I would tell anyone to drill one of these because I think you will like one as much as I like mine.
Jimmy Crews
Roto Grip staff member
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Roto Grip has 2 more balls for all ages & averages in the high value low price market. The Riot & The Dark Star....As a senior LH Stroker I had both balls drilled with a 3 inch pin 1/2 inch below ring finger. On league & Medium oil conditions the Dark Star has a smooth mid-lane with strong back end for great carry.After lanes opened at the Easter High-Roller the Dark Star gave me the top score in the 1st annual Former Champs 2 game sweeper-484...Layout Photo's on RG Reviews......L. Hoffman, Roto Grip Advisory Staff
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See profile for stats.
Lay Out: 4.75" from PAP at 75* PAP angle and 40* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 75/4.75/40. The pin ended up slightly above my ring finger. I eventually added a weight hole on my axis point. Out of the box this layout was very tight flaring and the weight hole smoothed out some of the tendency to want to skid past the breakpoint.
Surface: I have left it at box which is 1500shine. I have been using Turbo Strike Wipes to remove the dirt but haven't thrown it enough to touch up the surface
Purpose: I wanted to have a smooth rolly control ball for when the lanes started to get spooky in the fronts. This ball also is for when they start to move pretty hard on the back end.
Lane Condition observations: I have thrown this on our house shot and the PBA X version of the Cheetah and a Kegel short pattern. On the house shot it had to get in the dry a little earlier to pick up enough to hit consistantly. If I played a straighter line or line-drived it to the pocket, it would not get the 10 out. On the short patterns, it was nice and I could flatten my hand to get even more versatility out of the ball. On the short Kegel pattern, it was a lot of ball and I had a tough time getting down the lane. This is not an equipment problem as I need to get some holes quickly in a urethane Grenade to combat that condition better.
Final Thoughts: The Dark Star and the Riot fill a much needed price point in the Roto line and can stand toe-to-toe with the Freeze and Slinghsots of the bowling world all day. These two balls have slightly more motor than the Planet series and should have some good use for someone looking for a step up from a 3 piece reactive with out breaking there wallet. These are also good arsenal balls for someone looking for a couple of smoother rolly type pieces to go in there bag.
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"Why don''t you call me sometime.....when you have no class" ~~Rodney Dangerfield to Sally Kellerman, his college professor in Back to School ~~1986
Mike Craig - Storm Products Pro Shop staff -Columbus, OH
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Layed this out 4 1/2 X 5 which puts the pin above my bridge. Tried this ball out of the factory and it retains so much energy I was getting extreme angles. Settled on 2000 abralon. Its still a lot on the backend but nothing crazy like I was seeing out of box. This is always the first ball out of my bag because of how clean it is threw the front part of the lane. My ball speed is slower then most so that is especially important on typical house shots. On some heavier volumes of oil this ball is tame on the backend
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Words of advise. Limiting your self to just one company is never smart. Get proven balls out on the market. Global, Storm inc, Ebonite international, er what ever it may be.
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Dark Star #3
50 x 4 ½ x 30 box condition
My specs: left hander, 230 plus average 3 & 5/8th and 1/16th up, 17+ plus ball speed ,bowl in several leagues in 2 counties and bowl in about every tournament locally and state and nationwide.
Found that is ball fits well after the Nomad Dagger, it moves a little earlier and a little less strong, I used it on the shorter KEGEL patterns and on a 38ft house pattern on HPL. After the front part of the lane was used up, I switch to this ball and not have to change much from where I was playing with the Nomad Dagger.
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Rick Mitchell
Roto-Grip Staff Member
Roto-Grip Staff writer
York-Adams USBC board member
PSBA Sergeant at Arms
USBC Bronze Level Coach
York-Adams Bowling Hall of Fame Member
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As a member of the Wright State bowling team, I bought this ball for use once the lanes dried out and I was forced to move way left. I love this ball because it goes long down the lane and still hits hard. I am able to go to this ball towards the end of long tournaments and know it won't react early. I look forward to using this ball throughout the season on shorter patterns or once the lanes have dried out.
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My name is CJ and i got the Darkstar at the beginning of this year. I got my ring finger drilled through the pin and it's been getting great back end. The ball gets amazing length and killer angle. On a broken down shot this ball performs the best playing long and inside. Truly a ball that should be in every bowling bag.
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I am a member of Wright States bowling team, and i recently got the Darkstar. The main reason i got the ball was for broken down lanes towards the end of our tournaments. The ball goes long, and has a smooth finish. I used it in the 5th game of our tournament when then lanes were fried and shot a 298. So definitely a great ball for sport shots.
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LANE CONDITION
Volume: Heavy
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
Likes: Just awesome
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
All I wanted to say wast that I got this ball over the summer, but have found that my typical house shot every week just doesn't call for this ball to come out of the bag to often. However entering a tournament, I found that in the heavy short pattern of oil laid down this ball came out of the bag and delivered, I was able to get a great roll late that was controlled easily and gave me the ability to be in contention after a fair start with my O'reliable ball. Strong hook, hit like a truck on a deep down and in line.
Thanks Roto grip for saving me in the tournament. "I didn't win however my confidence will bring another roto grip to my arsenal"
V17
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Ball Description:
Pin above Middle Finger, CG at center of palm.
Surface: OOB
Primarily used on THS.
Likes: Very clean through the heads, very consistent, sharp backend reaction. Have been averageing a solid 222 with it over the course of 18 games. Has a good amount of recovery if thrown wide of target.
Dislike: No margin for error if thrown down heavier oil. If you dont get it to the dryer part of the lane, it hits like a purse.
Side note: I bowled once on cheetah with it, and it did beautifully. Got through the heads, and really hit the pins well. Most of my other equipment doesnt get far enough down lane, or is just too agressive for the cheetah, and this ball worked just like I had hoped.
Edited on 3/14/2011 at 1:04 PM
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LANE CONDITION
Length:41ft house pattern
Volume:ALOT
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
Likes:All of the finer points of the ball
50 x 4 ½ x 30 box condition
My specs: left hander, 230 plus average 3 & 5/8th and 1/16th up, 17+ plus ball speed ,bowl in several leagues in 2 counties and bowl in about every tournament locally and state and nationwide.
In the past 4 weeks I rolled 4-299 games and 1-300 games with My DARK STAR and my Theory 55 x 4 1/2 x60... I know you will not be disappointed drilling a new ThEoRy or a Dark Star...
Rick Mitchell
Roto-Grip Staff Member
Roto-Grip Staff writer
York-Adams USBC board member
USBC Bronze Level Coach
York-Adams Bowling Hall of Fame Member