BallReviews
Reviews => Roto Grip => Topic started by: Ballreviews on December 04, 2012, 11:04:40 AM
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Roto Grip Deifant Soul Ball Specs:
- Color: Gold & Green Pearl/Purple Solid All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Reaction: Mid-lane Control with Strong Backend
- Coverstock: 77Hâ„¢ Hybrid Reactive
- Core Type: Paragon Core
- Factory Finish: 4000-grit Abralon®
- Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.49**
- Differential (Diff): .054**
- ** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
- Hook Potential: Heavy
- Length: Greater than Defiant - Less than Deifant Edge
- Recommended Lane Condition: Heavy Oil
Description: When the Defiant Soul was compared to the Edge and Defiant in testing Roto Grip found that the Defiant Soul read 19% more midlane than the Defiant Edge. They both have the same core but the newer Defiant Soul is a great combination of the best features of the solid and pearl. This ball is a great in-between giving you more length than the Defiant but less length than the Defiant Edge making this ball a little more versatile.
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LANE CONDITION
THS: Modified Stone Street (42 ft, 20 ml)
Sport: WTBA Athens (40 ft, 26.55 ml)
COMMENTS
We got a chance to test this ball with 4 bowlers, stroker, tweener, power tweener, and cranker and on 2 different conditions. The Defiant Soul is the real deal. It's a strong ball with excellent midlane read and strong backend motion with lots of continuation. Our stroker and tweeners all saw excellent motion while the cranker would need a much higher volume pattern to get good use of this ball.
This ball also offered excellent control on the sport pattern and allowed all bowlers to open up the lanes.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
For complete review, video, and Digitrax analysis, go to:
http://tamerbowling.com/index.php/roto-grip-defiant-soul-bowling-ball-review-digitrax/
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Defiant Soul #1: Layout: 50 x4 x 50 box condition
Tested on: 40ft HPL house condition, ½ HPL and ½ wood 41ft house condition, and SPL with a 44ft house pattern.
The Soul tested well on the HPL and the SPL w/44ft THP. To stronger on the fresh ½ and ½ lanes. Once the conditioner was “pushed†up lane, the overall reaction improved. Noticed on the SPL lanes, the ball did not slowdown in motion down lane like I have seen with the EDGE and Defiant on this lane surface. The ball really reminded me of a Critical Theory in the box condition but a board or two stronger. Very, very predictable and very trustworthy of a ball. Great benchmark ball and any type of condition with just slight cover changes.
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Defiant Soul #2: Layout: 60 x5 x 70 1200 grit then polished
Tested on: 40ft HPL house condition, ½ HPL and ½ wood 41ft house condition, and SPL with a 44ft house pattern.
This Soul worked better on the fresher pattern on the ½ and ½ lanes and the HPL lanes. It went a little too longer on the SPL after the conditioner was pushed around after only a few shots. I also found after 3-4 games with the 50x4x50, this was the next ball out that allowed me to play the same area of the lane without hooking a little earlier. This ball polished reminding me of my Mutant Cell Pearls I had a few years ago and did so well with in leagues and tournaments. Was a great ball to use on the 40ft Earl Anthony pattern after about 3 ½ games. A very predictable of a ball sanded or polished. A great benchmark ball and any type of condition with just slight cover changes.
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Hand: Left
Ball Speed: 16-17mph
Ball Weight: 15lbs
PAP: 5 left 7/16 up
Degrees of Tilt: 17
Layout: 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.5
The Defiant Soul is my favorite out of the 3 Defiants. With the surface at 4000 polish on a typical league night the Defiant Soul gives me that in between look of the Defiant and Defiant Edge to where it is just even enough to control like the Defiant but have the strong down lane motion of the Defiant Edge. I drilled both the Defiant and Defiant Soul the same with the pin in the ring finger and mass bias about a 1 ½ inches away from my thumb. The Defiant Soul gives me about a 5 board stronger difference from the Defiant which was surprising!
When I used the Defiant Soul on our kegel sport league which at the time was 41 feet I did not get a good read with it at 4000 out of the box finish so I changed it to 2000 abralon and the ball came to life on the long pattern. I was able to play more up the boards; around the 10 board and watch the ball move to the pocket with an even reaction. If you are a fan of the Defiant series this is a MUST to have in your bag!
If you have any questions about the Defiant Edge email me at garrett.richardson@pinolebowlerssupply.com
Garrett Richardson
Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff
Vise Inserts Amateur Staff
Pinole Bowler’s Supply
www.facebook.com/grstorm
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www.stormbowling.com
www.rotogrip.com
www.viseinserts.com
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LANE CONDITION
Length:Various
Volume:Various
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS and Viper
The Defiant Soul is the most readable bowling ball that I have thrown in years. The layout that I used was 60 X 5 ½ X 70 or pin under the fingers with mass bias in the strong position roughly 1 ½ from the center line with no hole. My axis point is 5 5/8 over and ¾ up with not a lot of axis tilt and my ball speed is around 15 mph. The Defiant Soul's arching nature will come in play on the short to medium and tough/flatter sports patterns for me where readability is key.
The first pattern that I threw the Defiant Soul on was a typical house pattern with low volume and about 36 feet in length. The Defiant Soul gave me the best reaction on the fresh than any other ball that I have thrown before. The over/under that I usually have was gone! I know that house patterns are easier but for me being a tweener the first game is usually adventure! The Defiant Soul is a readable bowling ball but has enough guts to throw pins around.
The next pattern that I used the Defiant Soul on the Viper pattern because it blended out the over under at the break point on the fresh. The Defiant Soul is smooth enough to blend the wet/dry but is strong enough to move left and follow the breakdown and will get through some of the carry down. I started the day playing around ten with modest angles through the front to the last game (game 8) playing between 20 and 15 with confidence. For me, the Defiant Soul is not a send the ball right and watch it turn sideways type of ball. Out of the box the Defiant Soul will go longer than the Disturbed but not as long as a Shatter. The Disturbed and Shatter are more violent at the break point while the Defiant Soul is more readable.
The defiant Soul is my benchmark ball and will be in my bag whenever I bowl.
Likes:The mix of readability and power
Dislikes:sometimes not enough backend motion
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 39 feet
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): House shot
COMMENTS
Likes:
I tested my Defiant Soul on my 39-foot house shot. This is the latest release featuring the Paragon weight block. This Defiant is offered with a 4000 grit Abralon finish Hybrid cover. With this version, I was able to play 2-3 boards deeper than with the Defiant Edge.
My Soul is drilled with the middle fingers where the pin was with the CG in the palm and the mass bias in the strong position. This ball produced about 5-6 inches of flare. With the hybrid cover, the ball skidded nicely through the heads on the fresh oil. Once the ball encountered some friction, it revved up nicely and made a predictable controlled move to the pocket.
As with all the Defiant balls, it drove through the pin deck and devastated the rack.
The Soul has a very predictable reaction, and with the 2.49 RG and .054 differential makes it a great addition for the lower rev medium speed league player who needs that little extra to make the corner.
What I enjoyed the most about this ball is the controlled hooking reaction. It produced a nice dramatic hook to the pocket and destroyed the pins. This will be the ball of choice on medium and heavy league and tournament conditions.
The Soul is a nice ball to round out the Defiant line. This ball is a must have and a nice addition to tournament players.
Mike Johnston
Roto Grip Staff
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Ball specs – 15 lbs 4 oz, 3.45 top weight, and 3.5 -inch pin.
The Defiant Soul was drilled using the dual angle method with a layout of 4 1/4 inch pin distance, 55 degree drill angle and a 65 degree VAL angle. Using Storm’s drilling methodology the layout is 4 1/4 X 4 1/2 X 3 7/8 pin buffer. An X-hole was needed and was placed at the P2.5 location. The surface was left OOB which is 4000 abralon.
The HP4 line Defiant Soul, which is a hybrid, was rolled on a left over 41 foot, 24 micro-liter house condition. I threw some shots to get lined up and ended up standing 32 and targeting at 16. Once lined up the Soul made the house pattern play very easy as it struck on 16 of 18 shots. The Soul was clean through the fronts, picked up appropriately in the mids and unleashed a hard arc on the backend. The Soul had plenty of energy on the backend with hit and carry being exceptional. When comparing the Soul with the original Defiant, the Soul had more length and a stronger move down lane. When comparing the Soul with the Defiant Edge the Soul picked up sooner and was not as angular on the backend. The overall hook of the Soul was close to the Defiant and a little more than the Edge.
The Defiant Soul is a great fit between the original Defiant and the Defiant Edge. If you are only going to get one ball in the HP4 Defiant line, the Soul may be your best pick for medium/heavy to heavy conditions.
John Brodersen
RG amateur staff
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Weight: 15 lbs.
Pin Length: 3â€
Drilling: Pin above fingers, stacked
Pattern Length: 40 ft.
Pattern Volume: Medium
Pattern Type: THS, Kegel MotR
I tested the Defiant Soul on our 40 ft. house pattern, at box finish (4000 abralon), and on Kegel “middle of the road†navigation pattern (39 ft.)
On the Kegel nav. pattern, I found the Soul to be my best piece. It came off the pattern with a strong motion to the pocket without overreacting. If I missed a board or two right, it still made a strong recovery to the pocket and carried. It smoothed out the pattern for me, where others gave me more of an over/under reaction.
This ball is great on our 40 ft house pattern as well. It’s a great compliment to the original Defiant. This ball gets down lane and makes a slightly later, stronger turn to the pocket. When the Defiant starts to read the mid lane to soon, I use this piece and it’s like having a fresh shot again! The Soul has a very strong back end motion to the pocket. It is always in my bag, for THS or tournament patterns. I will not be leaving this ball home. It is a must have for your arsenal!
Carol Teel
Roto Grip Amateur Staff Member
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Defiant Soul
PAP - 4 3/16 over 1/4 up
Ball Speed 17-18 mph
Rev Rate 300-350
Right Handed
Layout 35 x 5 x 35
Surface Preparation: OOB
What I was looking for: I wanted this ball to be very strong and roll smooth. A ball I can use when there is a lot of oil to just hook and be strong and predictable.
What I got: This is a hook monster! The hybrid cover really helps this ball store some energy and that’s also why I went with a 5†Pin to Pap. I by no means have a ton of hand but to throw this on house conditions I had to stand in front of the ball return. Once there I had a ton of room and all I had to do was throw the ball right and watch it turn the corner and crush the pins.
This is going to be probably my benchmark ball for when I go out o nationals. This and the Disturbed are going to make a great pair on almost any heavier volume shot.
This fills the shoes of the original Defiant very well. It is a little cleaner through the front part of the lane and is a little more angular but doesn’t seem to trade length for overall less hook. It creates a little better entry angle in my opinion.
Have a little SOUL.
Steven Fagan
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Lexington, KY
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LANE CONDITION
Length:18 ft and buffed to 32ft
Volume:30 units
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Defiant Soul
PAP – 5 over and ½ up
Ball Speed: 15-17 mph
Rev Rate 300-350
Right Handed
Layout 4x4x2
Surface Preparation: Polished
What I wanted from this Ball: Clean throughout the front portion of the lanes creating hold when the heads dried up a bit and recovery when the oil carried down to the outside portion of the lanes.
Result: Exactly what I expected. Good length and some recovery with a consistent arc.
I tested this ball on our at home house condition on our wood lanes. The house pattern is heavy oil 16-18 ft. and buffed down to 32 ft. Our typical house pattern is not an easy pattern and usually creates carry down on the outsides of the lane and a massive snap in the middle. An out of bounds typically forms quickly and the mid-lane becomes very dry.
The Defiant Soul is a hybrid cover-stock and I tested this ball on a fresh oil pattern immediately after the lanes were oiled. I started at my typical area which is 30-35 with my feet and my target around 15 board sending the ball out to the 5 board. The Defiant Soul was clean through the front part of the lane and picked up about the 30ft area down lane and gave me a great arc to the pocket. I tested this ball for 6 games. After each game I moved one board left with my stance and kept the same target area until the 4th-6th game required moving my target to 20 and sending the ball out to the 8 board due to the carry-down. This ball continued to roll clean through the front part of the lanes and kept its arcing motion on the backend. I am very impressed with this ball on our house pattern. I was able to get the ball through our dryer mid-lane conditions and even get some recovery when I sent it wide.
Compared to my Defiant and my Defiant Edge, this ball isn’t as angular as my defiant but much cleaner through the front portion of the lanes. Compared to the Defiant Edge, my Defiant Soul did tend to pick up a little sooner and not flip as hard on the backend as expected on our lane condition. This is a great addition to the Defiant series and is perfect addition for my in-between ball with my Defiant and Defiant Edge.
I have Drilled up 6 Defiant Souls for various customers and have only positive feedback. This is an awesome ball!
I highly recommend to anyone purchasing the Defiant Soul first and deciding which direction to go from there when drilling up Defiant series.
Sean Baker
Roto Grip/Storm
Pro Shop Staff
Likes:Very clean through the front part of the lanes
Dislikes:Didnt recover from the out of bounds like I expected.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Lay Out: 4 3/4" from PAP at 45* PAP angle and 60* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 45/4.75/60. I have a 7/8" & 2" deep weight hole in the P3 position.
Ball Surface: I started box finish which is 360/500/4000.
Lane Condition Observations: I have thrown this on a couple of different patterns: Our league pattern which is around a 38' shot and I also threw this on our state tournament shot that was a 40' modified house condition. On our league pattern, the OOB finish was too early off the spot. I had to get inside of the oil line to get the ball down lane at all. When I did this the backend move was still very strong and the pins danced around the deck quite a bit. On the modified 40' house pattern, this ball came to life. The Soul rolled up very strong on the back end and even gave me some area to the right of target. The longer and more blended pattern is a better place to put the Soul on the rack. Our house condition is more medium length and medium volume and the Soul would need a smoother surface to compete better on that condition.
Other Ball Comparisons: I did get to throw it some side by side with my Defiant Edge, Disturbed, and Nomad Dagger. The Edge pushes about 3-5 foot further down the lane and was a good "ball down" option when the Soul started to check up to early as it had a similar look on the lanes. The Disturbed was very similar in that is was early reading, but the Soul pushed thru the front of the lane a little better. I would recommend "balling up" to the Disturbed if your Soul is not quite making the corner or loping too long off the spot. The Dagger was longer than the Soul and smoother/earlier than the Edge. The Dagger was not a good comparison ball because it is in an entirely different category and would need major surface to handle the volumes the Soul effortlessly takes on.
Final Thoughts: I see a good looking ball that is starting to make its way on the ball returns here in central Ohio. I am myself going to punch one up with a pin high layout and try to get a "stage" of reaction similar to the Defiant Edge that I am throwing quite a bit lately. Out one of these in your bag if you need something to bridge the gap from your stronger balls to your medium reacting balls.
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The defiant soul is a great ball for a variety of different lane conditions. It gets through the heads clean and makes a good mid lane read with a strong finish. The Defiant series is one of the hardest hitting line of bowling balls available. The Defiant Soul is good ball for all types of bowlers.
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Review
I decided to try a different layout with this ball. I put the pin way above my ring finger and the mass bias is right above my thumb.
The combination of this layout and defiant soul gave me a ball roll in a part of the lane I didn’t have in my bag before. It is a great complement to the defiant edge. It gives me earlier roll but still strong on the backend. I ended up using this ball at the PBA regional in Pensacola on the Chameleon pattern. There was a fair amount of friction because the center had purchased a new oil machine 2 days before the tournament. This ball gave me the best look; it created a fair amount of hold for me. Also when the ball hit the pocket, my carry percentage was very high and the pins were kept pretty low to the ground.
Overall, this ball is a great additional to the defiant line. I would definitely recommend to put this ball in your bag.
Jeff Mersch
Roto Grip Amateur Staff
PBA Member
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drilled this ball with the pin under my ring finger with the cg&mb kicked out to the right of my thumb. i wanted this ball to pick up its roll a little earlier and still finish thru the pins with a punch.
i tested it on 42ft fresh house pattern, typical heavy oil in the middle and tapered out to track area, but this center has an out of bounds past five.
my A game is to swing the ball across the boards, so i started with my feet on 30 and started the ball at board 25 and play out to the track area. i was able to get to the pocket with ease and strike. so i decided to see what kinda of area i had with the ball, so i pulled a few in and it held pocket, but the true test for me was to get the ball out in the out of bounds and see if i could get it back to the pocket, and true to form this ball dug in its heels and made it back to the pocket.
i would definitely recommend this ball to any bowler looking to add a new piece to their arsenal or to replace an old one. look for this ball at your local pro shop, you wont be disappointed.
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When the New Defiant Soul first arrived at my door, I was very puzzled on how I was going to drill it. I havent had much success with asym. cores in the past, so i was going to experiment. I drilled it 5x5x1 and was finally able to get a clean smoother roll through the front, with a nice aggressive move down lane. I will definitely drill more asym. core much weaker from now on. Another great addition to the Roto Grip family!
Erik Ramos
Storm/Roto Grip Staffer
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Weight 15lbs.
Pin length 3â€-3.5 “
Drilling- 4x4x2
The defiant soul is a great ball for a variety of different lane conditions. It gets through the heads clean and makes a good mid lane read with a strong finish. With simple changes to the coverstock we were able to play multiple lines and angles. We drilled up 2 with interchangeable thumbs and had “tweeners†as well as “crankers†throw the Defiant Soul (Bowling on a THS) they all had positive feedback on this ball. Nice to have a go to ball in the bag! On a longer pattern the Defiant Soul still read the midlane very well and was still very angular off the breakpoint, we really like the ball roll on the Soul.
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Hello all and thanks for reading. You can find our video review here : http://www.youtube.com/user/CompetitiveEdgeBowl
Defiant Soul was one of the releases I was most looking forward to. For those of you who know me I drilled up three regular Defiants and 2 Defiant Edge bowling balls and loved all of them. The Soul is without a doubt extremely versatile and takes great to surface changes depending on the conditions and house you are bowling in. When polished the Soul picks up earlier than the edge and maintains backend reaction. When scuffed or out of the box the Soul picks up earlier than the edge, pushes further down lane than the original Defiant but picks up with a sharper backend reaction. This ball, just like its predecessors, doesn't lack in hitting power and has excellent continuation through the pins. One of the hardest hitting most versatile balls on the market today in my opinion. You will love one as well, maybe two. Keep up the good work Roto.
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Defiant Soul
By far the best of the Defiant series. Good continuous motion down lane. Requires more oil up front or the ball will try to read to early. Much stronger than the Edge and a little more versatile. Good asymmetrical core to compliment your arsenal.
Kelly O’Driscoll
Roto Grip Staff
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LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
COMMENTS
I throw this ball on THS, and I recommend this ball because of the forgiveness it gives. I drilled this ball with the pin above my ring finger with the CG in line. It's very aggressive and opens the backend of the lanes up. This ball reads the fronts so smoothly; it never jumps or reads early. I left the out of the box finish on the ball so I could play deeper in the oil. When I put a little polish on the ball, it allows me to open the backend of the lane up giving me more room for error, and still carriers great. I have seen nothing but great results with this ball; the Defiant Soul would be an awesome addition to your arsenal
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 41
Volume: Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
COMMENTS
Layout 40x4 1/2x40. I am a true believer in this series and this one didn’t fail me either. This ball reads the mids and is very smooth off the spot. Pure controllability and pin carry. I had to take this ball back towards zero side to help with carry, but once I got there it is a monster. The bowler that is looking for something they can throw all night on a typical league house shot needs this in their bag. Not many moves needed as the night goes on. I get the same assessment from the righties!
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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I recently attended a Storm / Roto-Grip demo day expecting to leave being impressed with the IQ Tour Pearl. There were 2 conditions present. The first was a very broke down THS, and the other was a slightly worn THS. I took with me a Track 718A with a 60 x 4 7/8 x 65 layout with a P3 hole and a Victory Road with a 45 x 5 1/4 x 40 with a P2 hole. The first condition was bad, but was better than my home house shot on synthetics. After a quick lesson with Chris Sand, I stayed on second condition. My 718 was very arcy from the arrows to the pins but had plenty of energy left. The VR was about 15' longer and a little stronger on the back, but not much energy. I threw the IQ Tour Pearl, which was very similar to the VR, and the Sync, which was considerably better. I then threw 2 Lucids, one with the pin near the ring and the other with the pin 1" above the ring. The second was the best reaction yet and was definately something I would buy. I then threw a Defiant Soul with a 55 x 5 1/4 x 25 layout. What a great reaction. Even with the factory finish it got down the lane easy and recovered very strong and striked at will. As the lanes broke down I had to move left and kept on striking.
I purchased a Defiant Soul and have used it almost every game on 4 conditions in my home house, all 3 events at the USBC Open, and at a tournament in another house on wood. It is by far the strongest and most versatile ball I have owned since the Storm Super Power. It is 15 boards stronger than the 718A which was the strongest ball I had. When my home house has no backends, it will hook. The one time in 3 years we had backends, I shoot 117 the first game, come back the second and third game with a major hand adjustment and shoot 250 and 260. I didn't fare too well at the Open. It still wasn't the right ball for me there. And the other tournament with many alignment and hand adjustments I shoot 550, 610, 700. The 700 was again with the major hand adjustment.
If you have friction right, less is definately more with this ball. Do less to it and watch it eat. It revs up so hard on the backend and the pins will know it!
Likes:Easy length, easy backend revs, recovery, continuation, energy at the pins
Dislikes:none
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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LANE CONDITION
Length:
Volume:
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
COMMENTS
Likes:
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
I had not purchased a new ball for over 3 yrs as money was tight. I used to buy 2ndhand balls and have them redrilled even though I played well and kept a good ave 2 leagues a 210-212 over many games I knew something was missing.Finally had enough to purchase a new one and wanted it to be right so had a few discussions with my pro shop man/driller. He decided knowing my game revs/speed etc that I should go with the Defiant Soul. The difference was pretty startling right off. On the right conditions this ball is so different to any of my other balls giving me that extra 6/7 boards at the finish and really drives into the pocket. I'm not sure what all the specs are on the ball I left that to my driller I know the pin is just above the ting finger and cg below and out a little. Well the scores I've had over the past 4 weeks over about 20 sets I've never been below 620, I've had 5 700s 709,720,750,755 and the best was a 793 with a 300 game. So I'm really pleased with this ball I have already ordered a Wrecker to go below the soul for when the lanes dry up a little and the Soul rolls out. I have not got a lot of revs but I don't seem to need it with the Soul. I am very happy right now and never having tried a Roto Grip before I am well pleased.Thanks for reading this.
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I am a higher rev player and I love how this ball gets down the lane and has a strong snap in the backend. This ball works great on anywhere from short to long patterns. This is a versatile ball and it works great on both house and sport patterns. What I like a lot about this ball is that it goes smooth down lane, then when it hits the friction, It has a strong backend. There are many lines you can play with this ball. You can go as straight up as second arrow and it will hold to the pocket or you could hook the entire lane and it will come back to the pocket with a strong backend. Any surfaces and layouts will work great on this ball. This ball makes a great benchmark ball on medium-heavy house conditions, long patterns, and allows you to open up your angles and throw out to the gutter on short patterns. This is a good, predictable, versatile ball that gets down the lane, then comes back with some astounding pin carry shreading a bunch or racks. This ball is a must have for any bowler and on any lane conditions.