BallReviews

Reviews => Roto Grip => Topic started by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM

Title: Horizon Solid
Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM: Innovation, Versatility, and Superior Performance defines the Horizon SolidTM. This newest release from Roto GripTM is sure to be one of the most sought after balls of the year for several reasons.

First of all, it comes to you at a performance price. Roto GripTM has a history of bringing you some of the best performance priced products over the last several years. We pride ourselves in giving you more "bang for the buck" than anyone and this one delivers yet again.

Second, we utilize the HeliosTM core found in the original HorizonTM. This single density symmetrical core boasts a lower RG for mid-lane read along with a medium to high Differential for that strong continuation down the lane. That translates into pin shattering carry from any angle.

Finally, We surround the powerful core with our most versatile solid coverstock to date Ultimate GripTM. Versatility is the key to this shell. The 800 machine finish gives you all the traction you want in oil as well as superior traction on the backend. Add some polish and you can create more length and even stronger backend motion on those lighter volume patterns.

Specifications

Factory Finish 800- Machine Sanded
Track Flare Potential 5 Inches
Lane Condition Medium - Heavy Oil
Cover Stock Ultimate Griptm Reactive
Weight Block Heliostm Core
Color Crimson / Black
D-Scale 75 -78
Available Weights 10 -16 Pounds

Core Dynamics

WEIGHTS RG DIFFERENTIAL
16 lb. 2.46 (Low) .048 (High)
15 lb. 2.47 (Low) .052 (High)
14 lb. 2.49 (Low) .051 (High)
12-13 lb. 2.60 (High) .032 (Med)
10-11 lb. 2.67 (High) .018 (Med)
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Mark Curran on October 27, 2006, 12:36:15 AM: Hereâ€™s my review for the Horizon Solid. Have had the ball for a few weeks now and thrown it on a couple different surfaces and conditions. Interested folks can have a view of my active RotoGrip arsenal at the following link:

http://bowl-team-internet.com/pictures/mark/index.html

Ball is drilled up 5.5 x 3 with the pin under the bridge and an x-hole to make it static legal. Surface is OOB. Ball is giving 4-5+ inches of flare. The skinny on this ball is smooth and strong. Just like the pearl Horizon, the Solid is easy revving, gives a phenomenal midlane read and moves strong off the friction. It is continuous through the deck and Iâ€™ve not been able to make it hook-set on any type of scoring line. As with all the recent RotoGrip balls the hit is crisp and the carry is good. Easy to snap the ten out and it slaps the four across the lane. Nice!!

Folks will want to know how this one compares to the prior Roto solids and the Horizon pearl so here are some comps:

Compared to the Horizon pearl the difference is what we would expect. The solid reads the lane earlier and that gives it an earlier arc. Solid is several boards stronger overall and is better in carrydown by virtue of the coverstock. It reacts very quickly to friction. Both balls are very stable and predictable. Together they will make a superb 1-2 punch for the conditions that predominate in many houses.

Compared to the RSX the Horizon solid is stronger in the midlane and backend. When lined up with the RSX I then have to move a few boards left with my feet and give the Horizon solid more room right (few boards) on the lane in order to stay flush. The Horizon solid is noticeably stronger through the pins. It may be that the Horizon simply has fresh coverstock but I think it carries a bit better and creates a little more room for error than the RSX. And that is not a light comment as the RSX is brilliant for me.

FWIW, comparing the Horizon Pearl to the RS-1 is a 5-6 board difference in my hands. The difference is simply that the RS-1 sees the friction later. Almost exactly what the Horizon solid vs the RSX looks like.

Take home on the Horizon Solid â€“ itâ€™s the ball I hoped for as soon as I had hands on the first Horizon. I really like this core and look forward to seeing it wrapped in a pearl particle or perhaps a solid particle in the future (fingers crossed).

Looking forward to reading other reviews on this nugget.

Mark
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: rotomike on October 31, 2006, 10:37:09 PM: Drilled ball 5 (pin) x 5 (cg) with pin next to but slightly below ring finger.
Box finish.

JOG Medium Sport pattern - A bit too strong initially but when the pattern broke down the Horizon Solid came to life. Very strong carry and consistent reaction. SHOT 300 THE LAST GAME LAST NIGHT!!!! Upon USBC certification it will be my first Sport Bowling 300.

39 ft high volume Sport pattern - Ball was in play even through transition. Cover in box finish gives me a great read through the mid-lanes. The hitting power of this ball is very impressive. Very easy to read and adjust. I like the fact that I do not have to change balls nearly as quickly.

THS - Great ball strong midlane and diff send it, it comes back strong, play the oil line and it hits like a train very versatile....

A great heavier oil compliment to the Horizon Pearl.
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Mike Sinek
Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff
Kingdom member for life
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: ODriscoll on November 02, 2006, 07:06:00 PM: The Horizon Solid much like the pearl gives you a much different look than anything in your bag. More predictable through the mids than original Horizon. Don't be fooled by the price. This ball is comparable to the high end balls. With slight adjustments the coverstock is very adaptable. Great hitting power. Due to the versatility of the coverstock and strong core, this will fit many different lane conditions. I especially like it when the lanes are in transition.

Kelly O'Driscoll
Roto Grip Staff
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: SenorRotoGrip on November 06, 2006, 10:51:27 AM: I drilled the box condition (800 machine sanded) Horizon with a 4 1/2" x 3 3/8" layout, pin below my ring finger, with a weight hole 2" deep on my axis, leaving approximately 1/2 ounce of side weight.
I bowled on a freshly oiled house condition, 32' of oil buffed to 39 feet. I stood 28 and rolled the ball 12 at the arrows to 8 at the break point. This ball hit hard, kept the pins low, and struck on shots even when I missed a board or two out. As the shot broke down a little, I moved inside to stand on 32. I slow hooked it through the front part of the lane out to 12 and the ball set up and struck.
The Horizon Solid rolled smoothly through the fronts and midlane,with a very readable, smooth arc on the backend. For oily conditions, bowler's with medium to heavy hands should have no problem getting this ball down the lane with plenty of pop left for the back end. Drilling this ball with a slightly stronger layout (pins above fingers) will help those bowler's with weaker hands/lower rev rates, play more in the oil up front, and still have pop left for the back end. Changing the surface to alter the breakpoint can easily be done by using finer grits of sandpaper on the ball. The coverstock is porous, so be prepared to keep this cover clean. If you're looking for a ball for oiler conditions and do not want to spend alot of $$$, the Horizon solid, priced under $200 will get the job done.

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Senor RotoGrip
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: DP3 on November 14, 2006, 10:04:04 PM: I have about 10 games on my Horizon Solid.

It's layed out 4 x 4 with the pin 1 1/2 inches above the midline. X hole is on the VAL 2 inches below my PAP. This ball is a true joy to throw. Want as much ball as the $200+ offerings but a better read in the midlane, more predictability, and stronger continuation......the Horizon Solid is for you.

On fresh house patterns, the Horizon solid allows me to get in deeper than I ever have before with any ball I've ever thrown(and that's nearing 100+) and still get a predictable read on the THS and sport patterns. On a higher volume sport pattern when I struggled to get other equipment into a roll in the midlanes, I was able to actually back off at the release point with the Horizon Solid and play direct with a strong roll in the oil and much continuation. On house patterns I can play a touch left of the sprayers and ride the oil line much longer without getting penalized by washouts and big splits from going light. This ball thrives in a heavier volume and with strong backends, this ball gives a movement similar to that "Spider Ball" that everyone seems to love, just more predictability as the lanes break down.

For the low rev players, they will be able to get a touch firmer with their speed in their comfort zone and enjoy a large amount of recovery and drive through the pindeck. The Tweeners will love being able to play as much lane as the boomers, but having a more controlled look off of the spot. Crankers will love this as a big hooking symmetrical option where the big assymetrical pieces are too touchy in transition or on fresh patterns.

This ball is just pure resin power and is a must have release for ever player out there. Think V2 on Steroids or a more controllable version of that "Spider Ball".
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: doubleS on November 27, 2006, 11:34:44 AM: I finally got a chance to find some real oil to test this ball out and give it some time to have fun. I drilled mine to replace my RS-X (for tournaments) which was drilled around 7 1/2 by 8 with a 2" pin (pin under the middle finger, cg toward the track about 40 degrees). I highly polished it to give it a smoother transition right off the press. This ball doesn't give me as much angle on the backend as the RS-X and just rolls off my hand. On the house shots that we have around here I'm able to play it up the track area without having to swing the ball a lot. I gave one of these the young guy that I'm training in my shop, we drilled his up with the pin 1" above his bridge and the cg under the ring finger to give him just a bit of recovery (he doesn't have nearly as much hand as I do and still tries to rev the ball himself). On the christmas tree pattern with extremely clean backends he is able to keep the ball inside. What I've noticed about this ball is that it gives you that typical Roto Grip look, the ball reads the mid lane extremely well and extremely clean. On the backend of the ball is all based on the layout. I've drilled some for customers and they get a real early release from the transition, for the young guy I train it gives him a quick release with a long transition, mine gives me a lay down look out of the long transition. If you are looking for a ball that rolls a little earlier than the pearl, then the solid is the best ball. I recommend this to all my customers trying to get a clean rolling ball without the cleaning out their pockets is definently the Horizon Solid.
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Roto Grip Priority Pro Shop
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: John Brodersen on November 27, 2006, 03:16:23 PM: Ball specs â€“ 15 lbs 5 oz, 2.82 top weight, 3.0 inch pin.

The Horizon Solid was drilled 3.0â€ X 90 degrees with the pin 1 inch left of the VAL and the non-marked mass bias 1 inch left of the thumb hole. An extra hole was not needed but the fingers needed to be drilled deep for this layout. The cover was hit with a 1000 Abralon pad.

The characteristic that is very obvious about the Horizon Solid is how strong in the mid lane this ball is. It revs quickly off the hand, has a very, VERY strong mid lane, and has the same strong backend arc as the original Horizon. Very good hit and carry. This ball will really perform well on longer oil patterns.

Compared to the RS-X (the ball it replaced in the mid performance line), the Horizon Solid reads the mids sooner and much, much stronger and is smoother in the backend. With the Horizon Solid, youâ€™re getting a high performance ball, with a very different mid lane look, for a mid performance price.

John Brodersen
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Admiral50 on December 08, 2006, 10:41:02 AM: The thing that stands out the most about this ball is it's incredible read of the midlane. Don't be fooled into thinking that this ball doesn't recover at the backend of the lane because of it's superb midlane read. This ball really rolls great on longer patterns and hits extremely hard. I have drilled up two of these so far and am waiting to drill a third. Compared to the Horizon Pearl, in my hands, it is a good 4-5 boards stronger with your feet. The Horizon solid seems to go through the pin deck and carry better than its pearl counterpart. Do youself a favor and pick up one of these today.

Thank you,

Justin Godfrey
RG Pro Shop Staff
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: bowlersrus on February 24, 2007, 09:50:01 PM: I drilled my solid with a 4.5" pap to pin location and stacked mass bias. I can't say enough good things about this ball. I shined it to about a 1500 grit polish over the box finish. With this finish it will sometimes go a little long on the heavier patterns but it always will make a turn for home no matter what. I've used it on house patterns, short patterns, pba patterns, long patterns, and I've never had it roll too soon. It always gets through the fronts, revs fast, and turns a hard corner. It's about 4-5 boards stronger than the Horizon pearl, which I also love.
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Cliff Saliba -Saliba's Bowlers Shop
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Aloarjr810 on March 16, 2007, 02:11:56 AM: ROTOGRIP-HORIZON SOLID

BALL SPEC'S
Pin Length-3"
Starting Top Weight-1.76oz.
Ball Weight-16lbs.

COVERSTOCK
Ultimate Grip Reactive

DRILL PATTERN
Layout "C" of Rotogrip drill sheet
Pin to PAP 4"
CG to PAP 4 3/4"
mb Location "A") Med.Length (6)/Hard Arcing/Backend reaction(7)

Click Here for Photo

BOWLER STYLE
RH, Medium Rev's, High Track, speed 17-18 mph approx. 15 mph at pins.
PAP is 5 7/8' x 5/8"up using standard grip layout

SURFACE PREP.
O.O.B. 800grit Machine sanded
for most styles I think this is going to be the best surface texture.

LANE CONDITION
Brunswick Pro Anvil lanes
Pattern (Fresh) buffed to 41" Maybe just little flatter than THS.

BALL REACTION
Lane play was standing on 22 with break point on 6/7 board at about 36-37' (zone 2) for optimum strike shot. Outside of 7 ball had very strong reaction but still hit the pocket with strong carry, with few 10 pin leaves.
This shot held for 2 1/2 games!
Length- ball was hitting break point at about 36-37'.
Backend- Was very consistent with a very strong mid lane reaction.
Overall Hook-When leake out ball made it back from outside of 5 to hit pocket.
Break point- Shape a very strong arc.

COMMENTS
I wasn't sure what I needed, so I trusted my ball driller when he suggested this ball. He uses the pearl verison himself. I'm glad I did! This ball reacted just the way I was looking for.

The ball is kind of deceptive at first. The first few throws with it seemed ok I was kind of down and in with it. But it didn't show me much, then I made a adjustment. I moved my feet left alittle and gave the ball a little room to work. What a difference!

The ball headed out and I thought it wasn't going to turn. But the tall core kicked in, it hit the BP and went to the pocket. The ball looked like it rev'ed up as it rolled to the pocket. It held axis tilt and rotation very well.

Very strong hit with good deflection, carried the corners nicely. When I leaked the ball out it still came back to hit the pocket leaving a couple of 10 pins.
When my line broke down I left some 9's & 4's.

This is a excellent medium to oil pattern ball. Dry or shorter patterns would be a problem for me. But polished and with a faster speed player might still work ok.

DON'T BE DECEIVED THIS IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE BALL IN THE MID-PRICE RANGE.
GIVE IT A TRY!

Edited on 12/29/2010 at 5:41 PM
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Striker89 on March 31, 2007, 11:03:13 PM: I've just bought this ball today at my local pro shop for $170. Some info on the ball:

15 Lbs
Pin 4' from PAP
X-PAP 5 1/4" over 3/8" up
CG 4 1/4" from PAP

I used it on a "Christmas Tree" pattern in a Brunswick Center. This ball is a monster! I've been using a Saturn by Roto Grip for the past couple of months, and I've seen a great difference in my game. I went from being a tweener with little hook, playing fairly straight to the pocket. After the first shot with this ball, I needed to give it more room and play it like a cranker. It hooks well right out of the box like mine is. I was amazed at the backend action on this ball. This Ball is a must for those looking for maximum hook at a minimum price, and the ball definitely delivers more Bang For The Buck!

Bravo Roto Grip!
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Current Arsenal:

Roto Grip Horizon Solid
Roto Grip Saturn
Ebonite Maxim
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: CHawk15 on April 26, 2007, 01:41:30 PM: Horizon Solid

Pin to CG Distance - 3"
Topweight - 2.5 oz.

Layout:
Label with Pin slightly above fingers.

Reaction:
Versatile with a very strong midlane and hard arcing backend reaction.

Comments:

I liked this ball from the beginning, I rolled a 760 with it out of the box in practice. In the OOB finish, this ball definitely needs oil to get it down the lane because it has one of the stongest midlane reads that I've used in the 2+ years I've been bowling again using more modern equipment. The backend with this drill is more of a hard arc, but the hit is very good. This ball shines playing more down and in shot when there's a little more oil and it works suprisingly well on some "not so nice" lane surfaces. It was my go to ball in my scratch match point league when the lanes had a little more oil on them. I was able to get in a little and bump the dry, but I have other bowling balls that do that better (Domination, Fired Up, SSSE for example). It also rolls through carrydown conditions very well. I bowl a league on Sunday night where they don't strip the backends and if it was a busy day, the carrydown is extreme. Once this ball starts to make the turn, carrydown is not a factor.

All in all, a great ball for oil and carrydown because of the superb midlane read, epsecially when playing straighter angles. Can play further inside with it, but there are other balls that do that much better.

UPDATE: 8/3/07

As the ball broke in a little more, I was finding that it was starting up too early and burning up, even on the longer oil patterns because most centers in Tucson use the cheap oil without alot of volume. So I changed the surface to 2000 and this made a huge difference, this ball is behaving correctly through the front part of the lane again with the superb midlane and a little more backend than it showed OOB. This ball will be perfect for over/under conditions that I know I'll see next season. One center in Tucson is nearly infamous for it. I also used it on a Scorpion Pattern with light oil volume (lanes were hooking alot !!!!) with pretty good success.
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Mongo on October 23, 2007, 12:32:54 AM: (purchased from BrunsDustin for a song, thanks again)

Drill specs:
4 x 3 (pin under ring, CG out)
2000 Abralon, shiny

WOWOOWOWOWOWOOWOOWOWOWOWOW

How's that?

This is a mid-performance ball? I think Roto Grip is just being nice, this bad boy matches up with a ton of the "good" stuff. In fact, this was the EXACT reaction I was looking for when I drilled up my Black Widow (see review (http://"http://www.ballreviews.com/Reviews/Reviews.asp?ManufacterID=18&BallID=726&ReviewID=28295"). The ball motion is, well....here's the review

Threw the Horizon on a fresh 36' THS (OB outside of 5, good backends, medium/heavy volume). I was looking for a way to open up the lane since I've been forced to play them pretty tight. Wanted something the really revved up in the midlane and made a strong, continuous move in the back. Well, the Horizon Solid delivers. It was fun to see it get to 25-30 feet and just pick up revs. Downlane recovery was not a problem either, as I missed out more than a couple of times and watched it ROAR back.

As the night wore on and the heads went a bit, I could move in and continue to get the same read and recovery. A little squirrely the last 5-6 frames and had to bag it, but still thrilled with the overall results.

Comparable to the Black Widow in overall hook, but much, much smoother.

Highly recommend this gem.
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GOLD MEMBER
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: abrown on January 13, 2008, 09:41:38 PM: drilled this ball three weeks ago so im ready to give my opinion, this balls is really underrated at its hooking ability, on a fresh shot it has nice smooth breakpoint and when it hits the pockets it for me sends more messenger pins then any other ball ive thrown. In the later games when i normally have to change balls or move around the carry down this balls drives right threw the oil it never seems to get the over under reaction that my black widow. On drier lanes this ball is still managable it reminds me of a urethane you have to be a little more accurate with it but it smoothes out even more and isn't as jumpy as i expected it to be. the best thing about this ball is its friendly to cover adjustments I've tried it from 500 all the way to 4000 abralon and it seems to keep its controllable roll with each surface some obviously more aggressive then others
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: MLBOWLER on March 04, 2008, 09:50:36 AM: ONe of the best ball i have. i recomended for medium to heavy oil, just for medium is too agresive.

no needs a lot of cleaning.

The reaction: the ball go long and strong hook, with a simple drilling with the pin above the fingers.

Roto-Star Roto-Grip my new preference Brand to bowling...
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ML_Bowler
"play with your heart, play with passion to win"
Pd:For view my arsenal, check my profile.
Title: Re: Horizon Solid
Post by: Jesse James on April 15, 2009, 09:53:09 AM: 15#er 2.5"pin
Tommy Jones layout: high pin, about 3" higher than fingers, and 2" right of ring finger (cg in ring finger) X-hole on pap

I've had this ball for well over a year. Rarely got to use it because it is an oiler, and I rarely see heavy oil anymore. So it just sat on my rack. Probably had only used it 4 or 5 times. After about 6 months of non-use, the ball developed a crack in it, from the finger holes, all the way around the ball, to my balance hole. I was very disappointed to say the least. Anyway the good people at RotoGrip advised me to take it back to my driller. I did. My driller, Gary Parsons fixed it in less than a week, and after discussing my difficulties with using the ball, we settled on the drilling listed above.

First off, this ball is a monster. The problem I had in using this ball on heavy oil, was....I couldn't control it. The ball is very smooth, but deceptively strong! It was so contiuous on the backend, I could only use it on the fresh shot, and then I'd have to put it away.

Now mind you, the original drilling I had on this ball was 4x4 stacked, which made this a beast. IMO this ball is every bit as strong as a Widow, and more continuous thru the pocket area.

With the drilling I now have on this ball, it has become my go-to piece. It is the 1st ball out of my bag, and some nights I use it all three games.

The coverstock makes this ball smooth as silk! I can use it on heavy oil, medium oil, and just recently have had success on lite oil as well! The core on this ball is magnificent. It is strong, yet predictable.

The past 5 weeks I have shot many great sets with this ball. I bowl in three leagues:

Monday nite- medium hvy condition= 639,634,648,612,624
Tuesday nite- lite oil(dryish)= 644,558,549,546,552
Saturday nite- medium oil= 706,648,693,621,656

The drilling allows this ball to push extemely long, which then allows for me to take advantage of the strong core/coverstock combination. It gives me area, it gives me control, and it is so smooth, it's unbelievable. I love this ball.
I don't throw with a lot of speed. I am consistently at 15.8mph. I am also rev dominant.

You may wonder why I bothered to post a bunch of middling 500 scores above. That is my toughest league, and my toughest condition to bowl on. I have only averaged 175 in there all year long. Do the math. I am very happpy now.

This ball is indeed a sleeper, every bit as good, and better than a Widow in my opinion. I have thrown the Widow, and did not like it, due to it's unpredictability. The Widow is nowhwere near as smooth as the HS, on all accounts. And I have only seen one person attempt to throw a Widow in my Tuesday nite league, all year long. I use my Horizon Solid, every week there now.

If you ever get a chance to pick one of these babies up,.....do yourself a favor and get it. It will be well worth your while. I love this ball.
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