BallReviews
Reviews => Roto Grip => Topic started by: Ballreviews on July 03, 2014, 08:43:42 AM
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Roto Grip Sinister Ball Specs:
- Color: Neon Yellow & White Pearl / Navy Solid All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Core: Cage Core
- Coverstock: 76H Hybrid Reactive
- Factory Finish: 4000-grit Pad
- Reaction: Ease through the fronts, continuation through the breakpoint
- Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.52**
- Differential (Diff): 0.054**
- ** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
- Recommended Lane Condition: Heavy Oil
- A few tiny pit holes in the cover stock of the ball are normal
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 38' THS
Volume: Unknown
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
THS
Ball Surface:
Out of Box 4000grit
COMMENTS
Likes: Very impressed with the new 76H hybrid cover and CAGE core! One word to describe the hit and ball motion is BOLD! The look is like a sinister child with a yellow highlighter chose a Roto Grip Wrecker as his canvas. This ball keep pins low!
Dislikes: It's a great ball all around hands down. Only thing I dislike is that I don't have another to punch up!
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
Went with a 50 x 4 3/4 x 70 Dual Angle Layout. This put the pin below my middle finger and close the the bridge. I tended to go pin down as all other available videos on the ball went pin up.
(https://www.ballreviews.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg841.imageshack.us%2Fimg841%2F7335%2Fvpq9i.jpg&hash=93ee65e295e9974bc5d1f501986f600b53cc0075)
Quick Demo Playing 3 lines
*OVERALL*
The ball definitely stands out to everything else I've thrown. I was able to play any arrow on the lane with the Sinister while retaining optimum hitting power into the pocket, which is something I don't expect from my pin downed equipment! It's the perfect ball down from the Hyper Cell, yet, a little too strong to be a benchmark. I think the ball will fair best with higher speed players.
Be sure you get yours!
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LANE CONDITION
41ft Medium THS
COMMENTS
Likes: This ball is going to be a hit for Roto Grip. I think of this ball in the vein of the Defiant Soul except that it's more aggressive off the dry. Really overpowers the midlane. This is a strong ball but not so much so that it has no energy on the backends. Very strong continuous motion.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
http://tamerbowling.com/roto-grip-sinister-bowling-ball-review/
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LANE CONDITION
Length: Various
Volume: Various
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Various
The Roto Grip Sinister is a great addition to the HP4 lineup! The Hybrid cover and the new Cage Core provides a distinct bowling ball reaction. The colors (Neon Yellow & White Pearl with Navy Solid) livens up the shelf while the Sinister’s ball motion will open up the lane and provide devastating motion through the pins! The layout that I used for the Sinister is from the Storm VLS System which is Pin to PAP 3 ½, PSA to PAP 6 ¼ and Pin Buffer is 2 ½ or roughly for the dual angle people 70 X 3 ½ X approx. 45. It is a strong pin layout with pin right of the Ring Finger and the Mass is below my Thumb and the weight hole is on my P3. My coordinates are: PAP 5 5/8 over and ¾ up, around 300 rev rate, Ball speed around 15mph, more up the ball release and I am right handed.
I compared the Sinister to the Hyper Cell and the Totally Defiant on various patterns. What I noticed is simple the Sinister is cleaner through the front part of the lane than a Hyper Cell with more backend motion. The Totally Defiant is cleaner than the Sinister and backend motion is very similar. The Sinister’s ball motion is very similar to the Defiant Soul but STRONGER throughout the lane. The Sinister is a strong ball that is versatile. The Hyper Cell has a distinct ball motion that can be tweaked…. But the tendency is to start up early and have a very smooth backend motion. The Sinister also has a distinct ball motion but because of the Hybrid cover and Cage core it stores more energy and has a strong backend motion. For the weaker players moving left with a Hyper Cell and going “around the pattern†was not really an option but with the Sinister it is a very good option! I was able to use the Sinister on a house pattern and continued moving left and Sinister was still motoring through the pin deck! The other ball that I was comparing to the Sinister was the Totally Defiant. The Totally Defiant is cleaner and a tad more responsive at the break point when there is a defined dry area to throw to. The Sinister starts up a little sooner and is stronger in the mid lane than the Totally Defiant. When the House pattern starts to break down and the Sinister is forcing you out of your comfort zone than switch to the Totally Defiant. The Sinister and Totally Defiant are a good one two punch on the medium house patterns and Sport patterns. The Sinister is a perfect blend of strength and finesse!!!!
Likes: Decent Length and Strong Backend
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Sinister - 60 x 4 x40 pin thru ring finger - out of the box
Oil patterns: 42ft Kegel Flex with Fire and Ice oil and 43ft PBA regional pattern
Lane surface: HPL installed 10 years ago and rescreened in 2014
On the house pattern, the ball was a little too strong in the middle of the lane when standing 22 and looking at 6-8... Moved into 29 and looked at 12-14 and the ball held better and was really strong thru the pin deck. I was really thinking that with the strong layout in this ball, it would burned up before it got to the pocket, but it did not one bit. I put the Sinister on the Innovative ball spinner and hit it with 4000ab and polished it and it gave me that additional length i was looking for when playing the lighter oil part of both patterns. On the 43ft pattern with the out of the box finish, it was just too strong to play the "playable" outside part of the pattern, BUT once polished, the Sinister was the complete package, on the fresh and also while I and another left hander beat the pattern up, I just move a little bit after a couple of frames and continued to tuck in a little to stay in the playable area.
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Orientation: Right Handed
Rev Rate: 375 RPM
Speed: 16-17 MPH
PAP: 4 5/8 straight across
Location: Enterprise Park Lanes, Springfield MO
Pattern: High Volume THS
Layout: 45, 4 ¾, 65 w/1 hole
The Sinister is a hook machine! If you’re looking for an aggressive asymmetrical with a lot of backend, then the Sinister is your ball!
I put the pin down on this ball with a weight hole. It gets through the fronts well enough because of the mid RG core (2.52) but still revs up strong and makes a hard turn left. Some Asymmetricals tend to roll too early and lose energy, but not the Sinister. It retains energy and makes a very strong motion and still continues strong through the pins.
Definitely one of my new favorite heavy oil balls!
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42 ft THS
Layout: pin of above the ring finger with Cg and mass bias kicked out to the right of the thumb hole, maybe an inch or so.
This ball is truly amazing and has a sick color scheme. The ball was very clean thru the heads and with a strong move towards the pockets once it hit friction. I was able to get deep in the oil and have the ball still reacts and hits with power. I was able to get as deep as I wanted and it just kept making the turn and crushing the pocket. This ball is a must have for your heavy-medium oil arsenal.
Own It
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Weight: 14 lbs.
Pin Length: 4â€
Drilling: 35 X 4 X 20, pin up
PAP: 3 1/8 & 1/4 up
Pattern Length: 39 ft.
Pattern Volume: Medium
Pattern Type: THS
Right handed
The SINISTER has a 76H Hybrid Reactive Coverstock, with an asymmetrical Cage Core Weight Block. Factory finish is 4000 grit Abralon. The SINISTER is in the HP4 hook potential line, has a 7†flare potential, and is yellow/pearl/navy in color.
I used the SINISTER on our 39 ft. house pattern at box finish (4000 grit), but I added some polish to get some extra length. The SINISTER, at box finish, hooked a bit too early for me on our house pattern. With the added polish, I got the extra length I was looking for and a great read coming off the pattern. SINISTER made a strong turn to the pocket and continued right on through the pins. This ball will be a hook monster with the proper surface changes.
I found that even with the polish, by the end of the 2nd game, the SINISTER was a little too much ball for the house pattern. I put the SINISTER away, and switched to the HYSTERIA, and I was able to move back out a couple boards and finish out the set strong.
I think this will be a great piece for heavier oil shots at it’s 4000 grit box finish. It is versatile enough, that with a little polish, it looks great on medium oil house shot patterns as well.
Carol Teel
Roto Grip Amateur Staff Member
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SINISTER review by Storm staffer Jeff Richgels
Drilled July 4, 2014
The SINISTER specs are here:
http://www.rotogrip.com/balls/sinister
The SINISTER video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le0tJsyuPks
You can see a picture of it at the end of my blog here:
http://www.11thframe.com/reviews/44
The SINISTER is Roto Grip’s latest HP4 line ball and for those looking for strong motion for oil, this powerful hybrid will not disappoint you.
In an effort to take advantage of its power – and following the old adage of “drill a strong ball strong†– I drilled my SINISTER with the pin above and a little right of the ring finger and the drilling angle at about 75 degrees. A big weight hole was needed to get it static legal.
(I am not providing numbers on my drilling because I just don’t know what to use for my PAP numbers. For years, I used old numbers that I know weren’t accurate and my re-measured numbers came on one of my experimental grips that I gave up on as I returned to my long-time grip. I plan to get re-measured when I get a chance.)
Because of how strong it is, I’ve really only had one opportunity to use my SINISTER in competition: at the PBA50 Tour tourney in Hammond, Indiana where the pattern was the 47-foot PBA50 Scorpion. But combined with some practice on Sport and house shots, it was more than enough to give me a solid handle on the ball.
Essentially, I consider the SINISTER a great benchmark ball for higher volume patterns – it’s not so powerful and jumpy that I have to get left and open up my angles, which is a bad thing on many fresh patterns.
Especially on the second qualifying day in Hammond, the lanes were wet/dry and it was incredibly easy for me to leave a 2-10 combination when I pulled it.
On the first day, the lanes weren’t quite as wet/dry and the SINISTER was not my best option for carry.
If I could go back and do it over, I would definitely have pulled the SINISTER out earlier in the second day – it worked great when I finally got it out, including a final game 279 that ultimately left me in 26th place, two spots shy of the cut.
The SINISTER is a relatively easy review: It’s a strong ball that rolls very hard and continuously, assuming there is a decent amount of oil on the lane.
The combination of the new Cage core with the 76H hybrid cover is a great pairing.
I would say it rolls similar to the Roto Grip TOTALLY DEFIANT, but with a tad smoother motion. It’s also not far from the HYPER CELL, but gets down the lane easier and doesn’t make quite as dramatic a move. (The SINISTER lets me play straighter as a benchmark ball on that fresh pattern, where the HYPER CELL would make me get left and open up more.)
With the SINISTER, I don’t have to “fight†as much to get it down the lane as I do with the HYPER CELL, or the Storm SYNC. The SYNC and HYPER CELL may make a more aggressive move at the breakpoint than the SINISTER, but that just means I have different reactions to choose from.
I have no need to try it with a shiny surface, and have seen my best results with a rougher surface than the 4,000-grit box finish – 1,500 Turbo sandbagger has been excellent.
If you’re looking for a ball for heavy oil with strong but relatively smooth motion, it’s a great choice. Even players with high revs should be able to use the SINISTER on heavy oil. Those with low revs may want to drill it with a low pin, or perhaps choose the HYPER CELL.
I’m expecting to get a lot of use out of my SINISTER in wet/dry house shot tournaments during the coming bowling season.
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Layout is pin in the palm weight hole down.
I am a left handed tweener with a 325 rev rate.
I am usually not a big fan of asymmetric core ball motion, but I have to make an exception for the Sinister. If I didn’t know it was an asymmetric ball, I would have thought it was a symmetric ball. I recently used this ball in a tournament where they decided to put out a ton of units out, so I had to close up my angles and use the strongest ball I had i.e. Sinister. I didn’t leave any flat 7 pins, which I am rev impaired and that never happens on higher volume patterns for me. This is a great ball that would fit in any arsenal out there, especially tournament players.
Jeff Mersch
Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Roto Grip Sinister Ball Review by PJ Haggerty
After throwing the Hyper Cell, our wonderful team and Roto Grip created a motion that is a perfect complement, while keeping a similar motion. If you loved the Hyper Cell, you will love the Sinster as well. I can honestly say, the motions are very similar between the Hyper Cell and Sinister are the same. They are both forward, heavy rolling motions that are very versatile on many types of conditions. I’d say the real difference with the Sinister is the down lane motion. It provides more pop while still reading the body of the lane.
I’ve drilled two of them so far. The first one is a high pin above my ring finger with the mass bias just above my thumb. For me, this comes out to 5.5 x 5 x 95. I polished this one and am able to use it when some oil gets down lane and some of the symmetrical balls don’t go through the pins the right way. Also, when some symmetrical balls are too quick off the spot, the Sinister keeps a slower response time with still a clean and angular motion. The 2nd one I drilled is a lower pin under my middle finger with a bigger shift. This maps out to be 6 x 4 x 25 and it’s a much stronger and forward motion. This slows the response time down a lot and still provides a great motion.
The Sinister takes surface well too. Even though it is in the HP-4 line, the cover is still clean enough to scuff up and dig into without using too much energy. I can see the high rev guys using this to cover a lot of boards and the straighter guys using it as their new piece for the league season. Go drill one and #OwnIt!!
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bowled on a 43 ft oil pattern with carry down brought the surface to 1500 grit. ball is fantastic in oil . stood on 20 threw over 8th board ball turned the corner with no problem destroying the hole with no trouble at all. fantastic oil ball you won"t be disappointed with this ball
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Rotogrip Sinister Ball Review By Walter McKnight
Lane Conditions: Heavy Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: All Synthetic
What part of the lane did you play? Third Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 4000
Likes: Keeps the pins low and has a tremendous amount of angle
Rotogrip has finally unveiled the Sinister. The Sinister is the most aggressive ball in the HP4 Line. The Sinister’s outer shell is the 76H Hybrid Reactive Cover. The inner component is the BRAND NEW Cage Core, It is Highly Aggressive and with an RG of 2.52 (15LBs) it’ll get down lane without problem. The Sinister’s out of box finish is 4000. If you need a little bit more pop down lane do not hesitate to bring it down to 3000 or even 1500. The flare on this ball is insane! 7+ Inches and the ball keeps going. If you need a ball that cuts through heavy oil without a problem or a ball with devastating hitting power then its time to get Sinister.
I went with a standard pin down drilling. My pin is directly under my ring finger. CG Kicked out, with a weight hole in-between P2 and P3. 60º x 5 x 60º.
I find this layout is very smooth and continuous on Asymmetric balls. I tend to start with the Sinister a bit inside around 12 and keep my break point around 7 or 8. As the lanes break down I can move in even deeper and keep the same breakpoint. The Sinister keeps the pins very low and gets a tremendous amount of angle. I would suggest this ball to anyone looking for Heavy hooking benchmark ball.
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Roto Grip Sinister
Layout: 55 x 4 3/4 x 35
Box Finish
Bowler Info:
325 Rev Rate
Speed: 16 - 17 MPH
The Sinister immediately made an impression on me when the first 2 games out of the box, in league, were 300 and 279 with this ball. What amazed me was the overall strength of this ball combined with the continuation and entry angle that it maintains through the pins. This is not the old-school heavy oil ball; this ball was designed to be used across a variety of conditions, but with a little bit of surface, it can handle the heaviest of heavy oil. Out of box, however, it is perfect for medium to heavier house shots, where you can give away the pocket but still expect a strong but controllable back end reaction. There is a noticeable roll that you will see with the core of this ball that is unique and exemplary, as the energy it maintains down lane is different than any ball I have seen in quite some time.
When compared to a Roto Grip Outcry, the Sinister is approximately 5 to 6 boards stronger. Because of the dull box finish of the Outcry, they 2 balls are good compliments to each other, as you can easily adjust a couple boards to the right and change to the Outcry after the Sinister begins to hook too much, and maintain a similar ball reaction.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-lelJVjCAg&feature=youtu.be
Mike LeViner
Bowlers Mart
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Right Handed
Ball weight: 15
Rev Rate: 378
Ball Speed: 18.2
Axis Tilt: 6.67
Axis Rotation: 45*
PAP: 4 1/8 horizontal, 11/16 up
Layout: 50 x 4 x 50
I decided to use this layout because I wanted a few different asymmetrical cores with the same drill to see how much the reaction can differ. It really has enlightened me to have 3 balls with the same layout and see totally different reactions. Early on, this ball won me over.
Using it on a THS, I was just standing left, trying to bounce it out to the dry (right of 9) from our puddle (around 10-12). With the OOB finish, the Sinister acquired lane shine rather quickly, which is probably a good thing. This layout causes it to be early and shape like a banana. I like the overall movement and as it shined up, it got a bit more length and turned the corner quite strong. I was really able to open the lane up and just migrate left deeper into the puddle, making 2-1 moves. It never gave up and as long as I kept my speed consistent, there were no issues as the conditions broke down.
I also used this one on the Kegel Abbey Road pattern. The tournament was uber-high scoring and everyone was talking about how it played like a beefed-up house shot. I could not argue. I started around 25, rolling at 15 at the arrows, swinging out to about 6-10 (plenty of room…), and never looked back. Because of the volume, I only made a couple of 2-1 moves over the course of the 4 games, while moving pairs. I ended up averaging in the 240s and qualifying for the stepladder as the 2 seed. I didn’t win the tournament, but being able to use this ball for the entire tournament, including the stepladder was quite impressive. The overall motion was really nice, which I assume was because of the volume. It wasn’t as early and made a bit of a sharper move at the end of the pattern, which had great results.
I can say that this ball will go anywhere I do when the pattern is anything with medium or medium long lengths and there is volume. I find that the more I roll it, the more I like it.
The Roto Grip Sinister…you should #OwnIt!
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The Sinister is one of the strongest ball in my bag right now, it is my go to ball on those heavier oil patterns when i need the ball to read the lanes a bit earlier and not miss the breakpoint, but it isn't just for those heavier volumes of oil. I can get this bag out on a THS and watch it glide across the whole lane and make a nice smooth backend transition. I drilled this ball up with a 30 x 5 x 70 layout. I did this to ensure the earlier roll but didn’t give it such a strong pin that it would burn up early on the lanes. This ball really complements my Storm Crux and Roto Grip Asylum. I can start off early with the Sinister, get that spot I want to be in and then move to the Crux and then to the Asylum without having to think too much about how far do I need to move. This piece plays really well with others, and is an easy choice for first out of the bag on those medium to heavier volumes of oil.
Samuel Benifield
BowlersMart Buford
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Hand: Left
Ball Speed: 16-17mph
Ball Weight: 15lbs
PAP: 5 left 7/16 up
Degrees of Tilt: 17
Layout: 3 x 6 1/8 x 2 3/8
The Roto Grip Sinister is drilled pin to the left side of ring finger and PSA (Preferred Spin Axis) directly under the thumb with 3000 abralon. The Sinister is by far the best heavy oil hybrid ball I have ever used. The Sinister is a great ball for when the hyper cell starts to lose it’s down lane motion and stay in the same spot with the Sinister and can get to the pocket with more back end.
So far the best patterns for me is kegel route 66 and any pattern around 40-42 feet. I can stand around 17 with my feet and hit around 8-9 at the arrows and the ball makes a great mid lane read and makes a turn to the pocket with good angle but predictable. The Sinister reminds me of the original hyroad when my other balls for that particular pattern or situation don’t work too well I can always pull the hyroad out and just seems to work. That is the same thing with the Sinister on heavy oil. When my other high performance balls tend to lay off I can pull the Sinister out and gets down the lane easier and makes a turn or if it comes in a little light it mixes the pins up really good to get a strike or get a break for not getting a split. I have not had a whole lot of success with some high end hybrids but this one is reconsidering my thoughts on them and will stay in my bag as long as I can.
If you have any questions about the Sinister email me at garrett.richardson@pinolebowlerssupply.com. I have a video of the Sinister on youtube!
Garrett Richardson
Storm/Roto Grip Pro Shop 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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The new addition to the Roto Grip HP4 line is the Sinister. Sinister uses the Cage core with 76H Hybrid coverstock. I drilled mine 4.5 x 4 x 4 3/4 or 45 x 4 x 30. I compare the Sinister to the popular Defiant Soul, with more backend motion. But the Sinister is cleaner through the fronts than the Hyper cell. A good combination of both balls. I have used the Sinister with Storm step 2 for league with good success, just can only use it for about a game. I have applied surface to it bowl on Kegel sport conditions, which created a very strong ball motion even on the longer patterns.
Straight players will like the control and hitting power, and the crankers will like it to be able to open up the lane with good continuation. Another great ball from Roto Grip.
Right Hander
PAP - 4 up 1 1/4
Rev rate - 400
Tilt - 15
Speed - 17
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The Roto Grip Sinister is the new hybrid high performance asymmetrical ball, in the HP4 line of balls. It has a new weight block called the Cage core. The cover is called 76H, and has a factory finish of 4000 grit abralon. The core numbers come in at 2.52 Rg, 0.054 diff, with a 0.015 PSA differential. The Sinister is neon yellow and white pearl, with solid navy in color. The guts grit and grime of the ball is 82-76-H.
I drilled the Sinister with a 4 ¼ x 6 x 2 ¾ layout. This puts the pin up and just slightly left of my ring finger. I used the Sinister in the box finish and saw a ball that has a lot of overall motion. When using the Sinister in a regional in Syracuse NY, I had a great reaction on the fresh, and also through the middle of the event. Once the lanes started to get choppy, and the righties started to get really deep into my lay down area, I had to put the Sinister away. The cover was just too strong for me to get it through the front without forcing it, which thus would give me bad angles. The Sinister is a ball that does seem to allow me to chase a pattern a little deeper than I usually would with other asymmetrical balls, but still is at its strength when I can keep it in front of me, and need a strong hard defined motion at the end of the pattern. I have also used the Sinister with 500 grit surface on the very long 52 foot PBA Badger pattern. It worked for a little bit, but lane shined a little quick, and exposed the pin distance of the layout as being a little too long for this pattern. I have also smoothed the cover down with Storm step #1, and used the Sinister on our league condition. It rolls well, and has a nice change of direction with this finish.
Over all, I like the Sinister on medium heavy conditions when I need a strong change of direction down lane. The Sinister is a real good compliment to the Asylum. When the Asylum starts to bog down because there is too much oil, or carrydown, I can go to the Sinister and get that shape that I need to get the corner pins out. The cover on the Sinister has a lot of versatility as far as polishing or dulling the ball to dial in the reaction needed. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Sinister, and always remember to “Own It!â€.
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I had my ball drilled with the pin down above the fingers. This provided me with a strong midlane roll and a very effective continuous, backend! This ball gives provides the hooking power and reaction I need on the longer oil patterns.
The new Cage core along with the 76H hybrid coverstock gives me the look and the down lane reaction I am looking for. With this cover I don’t have to worry about the lanes getting burned up. This ball gets through the head and maintains its power all night long. What a great addition to the HP4 line and my arsenal.
The Sinister is my first ball out of my bag on sport shot or tournament condition.
Mike Johnston
Roto Grip Staff
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COVERSTOCK NAME: 76Hâ„¢
COVERSTOCK STYLE: HYBRID
COVERSTOCK TYPE: REACTIVE
WEIGHT BLOCK: CAGEâ„¢ CORE
COLOR: NEON YELLOW & WHITE PEARL / NAVY SOLID
FINISH: 4000-GRIT PAD
FINISH: METHOD CAN BE POLISHED
DUROMETER: 73-75 ON D-SCALE
FLARE POTENTIAL: 7+ INCHES/HIGH
WEIGHTS: 12LBS - 16LBS
SKU: RIN
My layout: 4 x 4 "x 2
My PAP: 4 1/2" over 1 1/4 up
Once again the Roto Grip brand has a winner with the Sinister. The ball has been very versatile for me. I have had success with it on sports shots as well as house shots. The hybrid coverstock helps the ball get through the heads, and at the same time it reads the midlane early enough to be used in heavy oil conditions. The backend on the Sinister is phenomenal as it recovers from places most balls don’t recover for me. It is a very powerful ball and you will see that when you see how hard the sinister hits the pins. Another positive about the Sinister is I been able to keep it in my hands longer than most heavy oil balls. It doesn’t burn up and slow down as fast as some other powerful balls that I have used. The Sinister by Roto Grip is a winner and it has earned it way into my tournament bag.