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Author Topic: Rubicon Solid  (Read 19003 times)

BallReviews-scodaddy21

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Rubicon Solid
« on: August 06, 2020, 09:18:15 AM »
Roto Grip is doing something different with the Rubicon upper-mid performance ball in their HP3 line of balls. This ball introduces the asymmetrical Rondure Core which was designed to provide more ball motion overall without the need for the now banned balance hole. This performance core is wrapped in Roto Grip's eTrax-S20 Solid Reactive coverstock which can be sanded or polished to meet your needs without reducing traction or responsiveness. Out of the box this ball is ideally used on medium to medium/heavy oil conditions.

Color: Azure/Black/Navy
All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown
Core: Rondure Core (Asymmetrical) (14-16#)
Coverstock: eTrax-S20 Solid Reactive
Finish: 3000-grit Pad
RG: 2.49 (for 15# ball)
Differential: 0.052 (for 15# ball)
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium to Medium/Heavy

 

PJ Haggerty

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #31 on: November 16, 2020, 11:54:45 AM »
Roto Grip Rubicon Ball Review by PJ Haggerty

The latest addition to the HP4 line at Roto Grip is the Rubicon.  With an RG of 2.49 and a differential of .052, this rock wants to hook early, often, and cover some ground down lane.  Also, with the surface being at 3000, I’ve noticed the Rubicon can be a bit cleaner than expected.  After drilling two of these so far, I’m thoroughly impressed.  The one I can see using the most is mapped out as 5 x 4.5 x 70.  This put the mass bias just to the right of my thumb.  I also took the surface down to 4000 + water.  This keeps the teeth of the surface in the coverstock so it gets through the front a little easier and still retains energy down lane.

I’ve been able to play all over the lane with the Rubicon, but have had the most success when covering a lot of ground with it.  When my angles have been open and needed something to come off the spot in a smoother fashion, the Rubicon has been my go-to piece.  From what I’ve seen, it compliments the UFO, Axiom pearl, and MVP pearl really nicely. 

If you need a versatile ball that allows you to play multiple angles and varying speeds, the Rubicon should be the next ball you drill!

StormRoto

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #32 on: November 21, 2020, 07:54:06 PM »
The new Asymmetrical solid from Roto Grip is the Rubicon.  Roto Grip's intent on the Rubicon's design was coming from the USBC's weight hole change.   I drilled mine with standard pin up above bridge.  The motion is like in between an asymmetrical and symmetrical ball.  Still have that good mid lane roll from an Asymmetrical core but the downlane motion from a symmetrical.  For a solid cover the Rubicon is pretty responsive to the friction down lane.  The Rubicon has been very popular with the PBA guys all the way down to the everyday league bowler.  Very versatile. The Rubicon has similar motion to Storm Code X with more backend motion.  Good step down from a UFO but stronger than Idol line. 

Brian Watson
Storm Pro Shop Staff
PAP - 4 up 1 1/8
Speed - 16-
Tilt - 17
RPM - 400

hittnhard

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #33 on: November 22, 2020, 04:33:30 PM »
Roto-Grip Rubicon

Core: Rondure

Cover: eTrax S-20

The Rubicon brings a new Asym core to the HP3 line. I say it over and over again...if you want bang for your buck you have to look Roto Grip.

The Rubicon is a solid but shapes like a pearl. It wants to go long and make a strong turn. It shows you the how much oil is out on the lane based on the move. In heavy oil I was seeing a quick turning, angular shape. On a normal house shot, I see a little earlier read and a much smoother reaction.

Biggest thing I have noticed about the Rubicon is that it is useful for a variety of players. I am seeing but high rev and low rev players scoring well and playing all parts of the lane with the Rubicon...which is not usually the case with asym solid balls.

Rubicon is going to fit between my Omega Crux and my well used, trusty Phaze 3 in my tourney bag.

ShimWreckerEnterprises

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #34 on: November 23, 2020, 03:52:18 PM »
New core, new cover, even more awesome than before - the first HP3 asym since the Critical is a home run! The Rubicon brings an updated version of the Idol Pro cover (eTrax-S20 Solid) at a 3000-grit surface. The all-new Rondure core is the star of the show though - it was designed to mimic what would happen if you drilled a hole-down layout on an Idol core, and the tunability is incredible with this ball! It doesn't dig quite as much as something like an Idol or Phaze II, but also is smoother off of friction than a ball like an Idol Synergy, Idol Pearl, or Phaze III. If you loved the Code X from a couple years ago... this ball should absolutely be on your radar!

rotogrip_rick

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #35 on: November 24, 2020, 08:08:01 PM »
Roto Grip Rubicon - 65 x 3 1/2 x 45 - 2000 grit ( box is 3000 grit )
e-TRAX S20 coverstock with Rondure Core
This addition to the Roto Grip HP3 line was a great add! using my Idol and Idol Pro with motion holes, I found that the Rubicon to be a great replacement for my Idols that had motion holes. The "light" asym core with the very reliable e-TRAX cover was very readable in all aspects of the lane. Very close to my MVP attitude with a 2 1/2 pin to pap layout that I used. Can stay outside of the traffic I run into when bowling league with 3 other lefties. The Rubicon is very constant and stable throughout a night a league bowling and also in tournament play on patterns 40ft to 45ft. You can be speed dominate or rev dominate and the ball works for all styles of bowlers. The flares are nice and tight and that shows how consistent the ball reads the pattern with out giving up hitting power. Check out rotogrip.com for a video from the RG pro staff on how good this ball really is. It rolls like a Super Hero!

MANCSTORM

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #36 on: November 25, 2020, 04:32:09 AM »
Winner winner winner. The Rubicon is a ball that will fit in everyone's bag.  Clean enough to get play from the stronger players while strong enough to help the players with less hand get the ball to pick up.  All styles will see a tremendous back end from a solid coverstock ball.  Slower speed players who usually can't get much use from the big monster balls will get that big ball reaction from this ball.

peterdohanjr

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #37 on: November 28, 2020, 11:38:18 AM »
Speed: 15.5 Mph
Rev Rate: 300
Drilling: 50 X 4 ¼ X 25 Dual Angle

Being a bowler that likes to see the motion of the new ball before I drill it, I was excited when I saw Pro Staffers rolling this ball during the PBA League. My first impression was this is an asymmetrical version of the !Q Tour Solid. It is clean through the fronts and rolls earlier than the !Q Tour Solid but has the same shape down the lane.

In my arsenal this ball fits below the Phaze II but is stronger than the !Q Tour Nano. I have noticed after putting games on it the solid cover likes to lane shine quicker than other pieces in my arsenal.  This will reduce the overall reaction but by having a 1000 or 2000 abralon handy will help with keeping the cover fresh. I use this ball in a second shift league or on a house with a little more friction down lane. The ball is just too clean in the fronts for me to use on higher volume house shots in my area.

For tournaments this will be a benchmark ball on lengths between 37-39 for bowlers with my speed and rev rate. This will give the bowler a smooth and controllable reaction off the end of those patterns.

Pete Dohan 
Storm Amateur Staff
#StormNation

C-MartStorm

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Rubicon is simply a winner!
« Reply #38 on: November 30, 2020, 07:01:01 AM »
Bowlers Info: RH tweener, PAP 4-1/2 x 7/8 up, 365 RPM, 17* of Axis tilt, 60* of Axis Rotation

Ball Layout: 45 x 5.25 x 70

Finish: OOB

Hands down, the Rubicon has quickly become one my favorite, more versatile balls in my arsenal for medium to heavy oil conditions.  I almost passed on this ball but decided to give a shot and man I’m glad I did.  I drilled this ball 5-1/2 pin that placed it under my middle finger and PSA kicked right for a controlled motion front to back.  In two back to back Masters tourneys, this ball helped me lead qualifying in both those tourneys!  This has such a nice controlled motion front to back and the carry is just tremendous!  The shape of this block really does feel as if I drilled a 4th hole that’s no longer allowed.  I drilled a 2nd one pin up with less surface and once again the motion is still strong yet controllable.  One of the most versatile and reliable pieces and when you see pros consistently throw this, you know it’s good.  Go get you one today!!

Chris Martinez
Storm Amateur Staff
www.stormbowling.com

tommygn

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #39 on: November 30, 2020, 12:08:19 PM »
The Rubicon is a new asymmetric ball, in the HP3 line of balls from Roto Grip. This new release has a new core called Rondure and features a mild asymmetry of only 0.011 (intermediate differential) in 15lb weights. The Rg in said 15lbs comes in at 2.49 with a differential of 0.052. The idea behind the Rubicons lower intermediate differential is to produce a motion on the lanes similar to that of a symmetrical ball with a balance hole. The color combination of eTrax-S20  cover is azure, black, and navy, and comes finished from the factory with a 3000 grit abralon pad. Looking at the Rubicon, I am reminded of the very first Cell.

I drilled the Rubicon using a 4.5 X 3 X 4 layout based on Storm’s VLS layout system. The idea of the Rubicon is to give bowlers a shape on the lanes similar to that of symmetrical balls with a balance hole, and I would say that I can see that kind of shape out of the Rubicon. The Rubicon has a slightly more defined breakpoint, being asymmetrical, but still has a little more continuation like that of a symmetrical ball. The Rubicon is surprisingly strong with the out of the box finish. The read in the front of the lane is close to that of my Axiom with the same pin placement. The Rubicon rolls really well on fresh patterns with clean backends, and is a very good ball to start with. I can transition to my second Nuclear Cell with a 4.5 X 4 X 4 layout almost seamlessly.

I like the Rubicon enough that I will be getting a second one and using a different layout on it. Being a left hander, we see different conditions than what right handers see mainly because there just isn’t the same amount of lane play, and the lanes are not scratched up as much like they are on the right, so we tend to need balls that slow down a bit earlier to smooth out the breakpoint (pro tip of the day). Yester-year when we bowled on wood lanes and every so often they would get cut, lefties and righties would “see” similar ball motion until the right side of the lane got worn in again. Today, you would have to bowl on a brand new synthetic install to see similar ball motions on fresh conditions. With that said, I have watched plenty of right handers throwing Rubicons, and they look great for them too! In closing, left handed or right handed, drill a Rubicon and OWN IT!
God creates us with a blank canvas, and the "picture" we paint is up to us. Paint a picture you like and love!

EVollmar

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #40 on: December 06, 2020, 12:22:22 PM »
Length:42

Volume: High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Rev Rate: 450

Ball Speed: 17 mph

PAP: 5 1/16 x 3/4 up

Here we have the Roto Grip Rubicon, the newest solid release in the HP3. The Rubicon uses the brand new Rondure core and has the eTrax-S20 cover. This is the first asymmetrical core released in the HP3 line in quite sometime. The layout that I went with was 5 x 4 x 4, this layout puts the pin under both fingers and kicked the mass out to the right of my thumb. I wasn't sure how this piece was gonna fit into a line that already had a few solids in it but man did it. With the asymmetrical core in the Rubicon compared to the Wild Streak and Idol Solid, it gave me a stronger read in the mids but with the eTrax-S20 cover it still had plenty of energy left down lane to continue through the pins! The Wild Streak is one of my favorite pieces and the Rubicon will compliment it really well! Stop out to your local pro shop and pick one up!

Earon Vollmar

Roto Grip Amateur Staff

Tknoop1127

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #41 on: December 07, 2020, 11:46:09 AM »
My Rubicon is layed out with the pin over the bridge of the fingers, and it's 3 inches from my PAP

This is one of the newer releases that Roto Grip has came out with, and it's an asymmetrical bowling ball. It will come out of the box with 3000-grit polish and it has the e-traxS20 coverstock on it.

I really like this ball when the block first starts, especially on higher volumes of oil. The Rubicon reads the lanes early, for me, but not too early either. I have found out that it blends the lanes perfectly when the block begins on fresh oil. I am also able to move left later in the day, and it doesn't seem to roll out for me - it continues through the pins great. It's nice having such a big core bowling ball in my hands later in the day and still seeing it have the energy that is needed to crush the pins. For comparison, the Idol would be the bowling ball that I could drop down from the Rubicon.

I believe this would be a perfect ball in anyones bag that is looking for an asymmetrical bowling ball to start out blocks with - either house shots or sport shots.

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Trent Knoop
Storm Staff
Level 1 Bowling Coach

Storm2DaROLL

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #42 on: December 10, 2020, 12:14:45 PM »
The RUBICON is the WOW ball you didn’t know you needed!

Patterns used for review are HP modified.

Pattern A: 42Ft, 28.56 Mls, 5:1 ratio

Pattern B: 43Ft, 29.86 Mls, 4:1 ratio

Pattern C: League 42Ft, 30.1 Mls 7:1 ratio

COMMENTS

PLAY

The RUBICON has become a big favorite of mine. Very few balls that OB I can use at the start, middle or end of a session. Easy to play, easy to manipulate and easy to roll it around!

Pattern A:

The RUBICON out of box is revved up and held the mid lane.  Rolled quick but stayed on line and was able to play md lane control from multiple angles from 17 right. Once I moved in to the left the Rubicon faded a bit on the back but stayed with the angle.

Pattern B:

The RUBICON out of box just went a little further down lane and held the line with a strong arc. Great when I needed to be left and moving in deeper. Playing from the right tended to have a little over and under based on pattern design if I didn’t stay forward or up the back of the ball.

Pattern C:

The RUBICON out of box just went Vroom and I could basically just free wheel it from just about anywhere. What can you say… HOUSE shot and just go after until you no longer wanted to move, speed up or back-off.

NOTE A:  This ball is very versatile. One of the few balls that I love it Out of box ad with lane oil in the cover.

NOTE B: The Rubicon is that ball that replaces the Pro Motion in your line up. You will be able to get the controlled roll of the Pro Motion but get more action and recovery with the RUBICON!

LOW DOWN: This RUBICON is my all-terrain ball. I will use it during league, tournaments or just a fun night of bowling. Able to play on just about everything and very responsive to speed and hand positions. She gets better as the surface picks up oil!

rodbowler75

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #43 on: December 11, 2020, 10:15:01 PM »


Roto Grip Rubicon is one of the newest addition to the hp4 line. It will come out of the box with 3000-grit polish and it has the e-traxS20 coverstock on it.

I really like this ball when on fresh higher volumes of oil. The Rubicon reads the lanes early, for me, but not too early either. I have found out that it blends the lanes perfectly when the block begins on fresh oil. I am also able to move left later in the day, and it doesn't seem to roll out for me - it continues through the pins great. It's nice having such a big core bowling ball in my hands later in the day and still seeing it have the energy that is needed to crush the pins. My Idol is a nice step down to give a comparison to the Rubicon.

I believe this would be a perfect ball in anyones bag that is looking for an asymmetrical bowling ball to start out blocks with - either house shots or sport shots.

StoRoto2013

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #44 on: December 13, 2020, 05:24:40 PM »
LANE CONDITION

Length: Medium

Volume: Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): HOUSE Pattern

A new addition to RotoGrip’s HP3 Line is the Rubicon.  The Rubicon is different because it is an Asymmetrical Bowling Ball that is not in the HP 4 Line.  The Rubicon Core provides enough strength even for the lower rev player.  The e Trax-S20 Solid Reactive cover stock is strong enough for the slop and can be modified to handle almost any lane condition.  The Combination of the Core and Cover stock makes the Rubicon a extremely versatile bowling ball.  Out of the box the Rubicon tends to start up rather quickly and has a strong distinctive motion on the backend.  I had to move away from the friction and play deeper into the lane and found out that the Rubicon was no joke.  I will be polishing or hitting it with a 4K pad soon.  The layout I used is 5 X 6 X 1 1/2 or 60 X 5 X 25.  This layout I have used in numerous asymmetrical bowling balls and it seems to help the bowling ball conserve some energy but not be ridiculous on the backend.  My coordinates are 5 5/8 over and ¾ up with a lower rev rate (approx. 300) and a medium ball speed.  Hindsight is 20 / 20, I should of either drilled it stronger or weaker.  The Rubicon is the most readable asymmetrical bowling ball I have thrown is the past 5 years.  The motion reminds me of an IQ Tour but at least 5 boards stronger.  With that being said, I would love the motion if I was bowling more sport shot or challenge patterns.  I will be drilling another Rubicon for sure because of the readability and dynamic backend is just too good to pass up.  The Rubicon is a great addition to anyone’s tournament bag.


Likes: Versatility

Dislikes:


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Daniel Schaden
Storm/RotoGrip Pro Shop Staff
Vise Grip Staff Member since 2002
Bowlers Corner Pro Shop since 2002

hammermike2000

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Re: Rubicon Solid
« Reply #45 on: December 28, 2020, 01:35:43 PM »
Roto Grip Rubicon

Layout: 50 x 5 ½ x 35

The Rubicon has become my go-to ball on medium to medium-heavy lane conditions. The combination of strong midlane and downlane continuation that this ball possesses matches up perfectly with my game, and is one of my favorite bowling balls of the past few years. With the lower mass bias differential that this ball has, it does have slightly more skid and backend when compared to an Axiom or other similar solid symmetric upper-mid performance bowling balls; because of this, it is easier to get left and go around the lane when the fronts start to dry out a bit. I get excellent pin carry with this bowling ball when used on the right lane condition. When it does get a bit too dry to use the Rubicon effectively, I can switch to my Idol Synergy.

Mike LeViner