BallReviews
Reviews => Roto Grip => Topic started by: Ballreviews on November 24, 2014, 11:10:51 AM
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Features:
- Color: Cobalt Blue (colors may vary from the picture shown)
- Core: Late Roll 69 (14-16#)
- Coverstock: 60M Pearl Reactive
- Finish: 1500-grit Polish
- RG: 2.58 (for 15# ball)
- Diff: 0.049 (for 15# ball)
- Recommended Lane Condition: Medium Oil
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Orientation: Right Handed
Rev Rate: 375 RPM
Speed: 16-17 MPH
PAP: 5 across ¾ up
Location: Enterprise Park Lanes, Springfield MO
Pattern: High Volume THS
Layout: 40, 4 7/8, 65 with p3 hole
The Roto Grip Unhinged is the ball I’ve been waiting for since the Nomad Dagger. It’s super clean through the front but makes a smoother motion down lane compared to other high RG balls. The Unhinged is the pearl version of the Hysteria, which for me was a little too strong of a cover. It tended to read too early and not recover enough on the back when I sent it away from the pocket.
The Unhinged solves those problems. It definitely has a strong cover, but does not labor through the fronts. I put a pin down layout on the ball and it makes the Unhinged one of my favorite balls. Clean and controlled backend equals a lot of strikes.
If the Hysteria was a little too much for you or you want a drier lane option, then go out and get the Unhinged!
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Roto Grip Unhinged Ball Review by Walter McKnight
Lane Conditions: Medium-Heavy Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: Combination
What part of the lane did you play? Second Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Polished
What grit was the surface of the ball? 1500
Likes: Great performance at a low price point Smooth and predictable back end reaction
Coming to Proshops 1-6-15 The Rotogrip Unhinged. Another great addition to the HP3 line. The 60Mâ„¢ Pearl coverstock comes out of the box 1500 polished and is a wrapped around the Late Roll 69â„¢ Core. This ball has a lot of guts. Smooth early motion down the lane and strong read off the friction. The Unhinged is a versatile ball that can be drilled to hook the lane or go straight up the boards.
I drilled my Unhinged 45° x 6" x 40° pin over the middle finger, CG kicked out on the midline. I was expecting a tamer reaction but was pleasantly surprised by it's mid lane read and power. The Hysteria gets a little further down lane and has a gradual shape toward the pocket. The Unhinged still gets down lane well but it starts it's motion a lot sooner and has a sharper breakpoint.
The Unhinged produces a high end reaction at a mid range price point. It could easily be the next go to ball in everyone's bag. I would suggest this ball for players of all skill levels. It would also compliment an array of styles.
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Roto Grip Unhinged
Introducing the latest release in the Roto Grip HP-3 Line, derived from the Hysteria comes the "Unhinged." This ball is a great compliment to the Hysteria. The Unhinged provides excellent length with a strong backend motion. This ball has no trouble clearing the heads and can still get down the lane even when there is little to no volume of oil.
The Unhinged uses the Late 69 core seen in the Hysteria, and uses the 60M Pearl coverstock. This coverstock compared to the Hyper Cell Skid's 73MH cover will give you more length and is not as aggressive. With this core/ coverstock combination, you will see excellent backend motion while still providing hit power going through the pins.
In my bag, this ball fits as the ball that I know will hook off the spot but still clear the heads. When the lanes get a little dry for me and my Hysteria or Disturbed is hooking to early and not retaining energy, I can easily switch to this ball to get that reaction back to the pocket.
Based off performance, I will rate this ball an "A-." This ball is a great filler in my bag because of its incredible retention of energy at the breakpoint while still clearing the heads very easily. Based off the cosmetics, I will give it a "B." I love the blue coloring of the ball.
Visit our website for more information: BowlersDeals.com
Thanks for reading this review and hope you stay tuned for future reviews,
Joshua Tajiri
BowlersDeals.com Technician
Storm/Roto Amateur Staff
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Lane Conditions: Medium Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: All Synthetic
What part of the lane did you play? Second Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 1500
Likes: - Smooth and continuous - Clean through the fronts - Easy to read ball motion - Doesn't overreact to friction
Dislikes:
The Roto-Grip Unhinged is the newest release from the brand in the HP3 line and is the pearl compliment to the Hysteria. This ball is a definite go to as the lanes begin to dry up in the fronts because it easily creates length and gets through even the most burnt up heads.
I drilled my Unhinged with a 60x4.25x30 layout to compliment the coverstock and core combination and play off that long and strong reaction. I personally feel this ball is similar in overall motion to the Nomad Line that Roto-Grip found a lot of success with.
I absolutely think this ball will match up to a good majority of bowlers out there and I would find it hard to believe anyone would be disappointed to have one in their bag, I sure wasn't!
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Ball: Unhinged
Layout: 40 x 4 1/2 x 60 - box condition
Test pattern: 41ft THS and 39ft sport pattern high volume - HPL lane surface with Kegel FLEX machine using fire and ice oil.
Results: It might look like the Nomad Pearl or even the Neptune, but it is WAY better. This ball was a site to be seen. It moved in the backend so strong, I was extremely impressed. This ball out hooked my Optimus, Skid, and Totally Defiant in the back end. The ball swept thru the pin decks with relative ease. I think using a 4 1/2 pin helped the ball maintain the motion off of the pattern. I would not do a stronger degree on the hook angle, if it would be 35 to 45, it would be way to angular in the back end. The overall performace of this ball was excellent on both patterns and I highly recommend this ball to everyone even if you are rev dominant or speed dominant.
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Weight: 14 lbs.
Pin Length: 2.5-3 â€
Drilling: 35 X 4 1/2 X 40
Pattern Length: 39 ft. & 40 ft.
Pattern Volume: Medium and Light
Pattern Type: THS
Right Handed
The UNHINGED has the Late Roll 69 Core from the popular HP3 line, and the 60 M pearl reactive cover stock. The box finish is 1500 grit polished, but as always, can be changed to suit a variety of lane conditions.
I have used the UNHINGED on a 39 ft. light volume house pattern, and a 40 ft. medium volume house pattern.
For the 39 ft. THS, I consider the UNHINGED to be my new benchmark ball. At box finish, it gets through the heads with ease, and has a very strong backend motion, continuing through the pins. As the pattern broke down, I was able to make a move in and swing this ball, still with great recovery.
On the medium volume 40 ft. pattern, the UNHINGED is still plenty of ball, as it is very aggressive coming off the pattern. I had no trouble carrying the corners.
If you are looking for a longer and stronger motion than the HYSTERIA, the UNHINGED should fill that spot in your arsenal. #OWNIT
Carol Teel
Roto Grip Amateur Staff Member
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Layout: pin above bridge cg kicked out to right 2.5 inches OOB
Condition 40 ft house pattern
I wanted this ball to to fit between my pin downed hysteria and outcry. it has been the PERFECT fit i was looking for. The ball cleared the heads very easy and transitioned off the spot strong and continues thru the pins strong also. I have had a recent wrist surgery and my first 2 nights back i have shot 706 with 278 high and 793 and 300. Like i said before this ball was perfect for me.
If you dont have one yet I srongly reccomend getting one, see your localpro shop and get Unhinged today!
Roto Grip-Own It
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LANE CONDITION
Length: Various lengths
Volume: Various Volumes
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Various patterns
The RotoGrip Unhinged was the January Release in the HP3 line. The Unhinged has the Late Roll 69 weight block surrounded by a Pearl Coverstock. The Unhinged is the pearl version of the Hysteria. The Unhinged provides generous length with a predictable almost smooth backend motion. The layout I choose was pin in the center of the grip with the cg kicked out with a weight hole 3 3/8 from my axis on my VAL in the thumb quadrate. This layout is sometimes called Rico. The layout emphasized the smoothness and predictability of the Unhinged. My coordinates are 5 5/8 over and ¾ up on the PAP, Ball Speed around 15mph, Rev Rate around 300, I like to throw it straighter than most and I am right-handed.
The patterns I threw the Unhinged on were a fresh house pattern, broken down House Pattern and some medium sport shot patterns. The word that describes the Unhinged is predictability. I compared the Unhinged to the Hysteria and the Hyper Cell Skid. On the fresh whether it was a house pattern or sport shot the Unhinged blended the over under out. Whereas the Hysteria and Hyper Cell Skid were just too aggressive when they hit the friction either down the lane or to the right. The issue with a smooth rolling ball is that when you have to move left and get through the carry down the Unhinged might not be able to go through the pins well. Then maybe go to a bigger ball like the Hyper Cell Skid or a more skid flip ball like the Hysteria to go around and through the carry down. The Unhinged is becoming my benchmark ball very quickly because of its predictability and the readability of the ball motion. Unhinged will be in my bag!
Likes: Predictability
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Roto Grip Unhinged Ball Review by PJ Haggerty
Looking at my Roto Grip arsenal, it felt like there was a gap between my Disturbed and Uproar. The Unhinged is a perfect fit. A cleaner, angular motion that is a few boards stronger than my Uproar, but still cleaner and stores more energy than my Disturbed. I especially like the Unhinged when the lanes are more blended front to back and friction in the front part of the lane. If you are looking for a clean, and predictable shape to use after your Sinster or Hyper Cell Skid, the Unhinged is the next step down.
I’ve drilled one so far and love the shape it provides. I drilled it with the following specs: 4 x 4 with a 59/64 hole two inches deep on my axis. My goal was a smoother and more predictable shape in case my Uproar or Hysteria were too quick off the spot. Because the Unhinged comes out of the box relatively shiny, I also knocked the surface down with a 3000 pad by hand. I am definitely considering bringing the Unhinged to USBC Nationals this year because of the amount of friction there is!
#OwnIt
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The Roto Grip Unhinged is the pearl version of the Hysteria. It uses the same late roll 69 core that has an Rg of 2.58, and a differential of 0.049. The cover is a pearl reactive called 60M and is finished to 1500 grit polished. The cobalt blue pearl color makes for a very attractive ball. I drilled my Unhinged 5.25x5x2.25. This layout puts the pin about ¾†above my ring finger, and the cg in my palm, with no extra hole needed.
The Unhinged gives me great length with a smooth roll off the dry. This ball doesn’t overreact to the dry boards, even though it is a polished pearl. The Unhinged is a solid 3 and 2 move left with my feet compared to the Hysteria. The Unhinged gets down the lane like my old trusty faithful Victory Road Pearl, but has a smoother change of direction. I have been able to use the Unhinged on a few different house shots, all being of the medium length and medium to lighter volumes of oil. Higher volumes of oil would call for some surface adjustments, as the cover and core really has some built in length. The Unhinged will round out an arsenal for a bowler that really wants some length out of the ball, without having to over muscle the ball down the lane.
The Rg of a bowling ball tends to be very important for me and my style of play because I have a softer ball speed and release. Based on this, I can get high Rg, high differential bowling balls down the lane further and better than low differential, medium to low Rg bowling balls. A ball like the UpRoar or Punch Out, although technically weaker cores, hook earlier and more for me than a higher Rg ball like the Unhinged. It is very important to know your individual game, when it comes to making a ball selection, and trying to fill out your arsenal. Knowing that you are speed dominant or rev dominate, or matched will help give reason to why your Unhinged is hooking less than another ball that it is supposed to be hooking more than, or vice versa. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Roto Grip Unhinged.
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The new addition to the Roto Grip HP-3 Line is the Unhinged. This is the Pearl version of
the Hysteria. I drilled mine 60 x 6 x 45 or 6 x 4.5 x 3 1/4. I used this layout so I could use the ball in league. With having the Hysteria core I still see that hard midlane roll but with the Pearl I do see more length. Even with a 6 inch pin this ball is a very strong pearl for me. As it is hard for me to throw through the breakpoint. Definetly a few boards stronger than the Uproar. A lot of the guys that have a lot of hand will like this ball as it clears the fronts and really opens up the area at the breakpoint.
Right Hander
PAP - 4 up 1 1/4
Tilt - 15
Rev - 400
Speed - 17
Brian Watson
Pro Shop Staff
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Right Handed
Ball weight: 15
Rev Rate: 378
Ball Speed: 18.2
Axis Tilt: in flux
Axis Rotation: in flux
PAP: 3 9/16 horizontal, 1 3/8 up
Layout: 45 x 5 x 30
After having success with the Hysteria, I originally considered using this as a ball down; however, after doing some research, I had found that the Unhinged may be too angular to be comparable to the Hysteria.
I decided I wanted it for when the middle of the pattern blows out. I want to be able to jump left and just send it right and have it jump back. Because it is so condition specific, I haven’t had too many opportunities to try it out.
One chance came in a tournament using a THS. The middle had started hooking and I wanted to find a way to get to the breakpoint. The Unhinged would get there and make a move. The only issue I had was mechanical. I had some problems trying to get the ball to the spot, so my reaction was not good. When I did get it to the spot, it made a defined move and hit really well. I liked the movement, but I was so inconsistent, I could not take advantage of its use.
The next best opportunity came on a short sport pattern after about 22 baker team games. This time, I was able to use it as a ball down from the Hysteria (which now has some surface), and it rolled great. I was not crossing a lot of boards laterally, but trying to allow the ball to just roll to the end of the pattern and make a move. When it was on target, it looked great. When I pulled it, it was just too much (as it should be on 36ft.). I really only rolled it about 6 times, so I didn’t have a real chance to move around with it.
So far, I think it will be good, but I have to get more games on the right conditions. Just going to have to be patient while waiting to use it.
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Lay Out: 5" from PAP at 50* PAP angle and 65* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 50/5/65. No weight hole as I wanted to throw it first and then make tweaks if needed. This is a pin thru the ring finger drilling for me.
Surface: Box which is 1500 Reacta-Shine. I also tried it at 2000 sa-air abralon by hand.
Purpose: I wanted a pearl ball to throw either on medium or slightly broken down league patterns.
Observations: The Unhinged has a very unique look to it. I see a long and strong type of look even with a slightly mellower lay out for me. I threw it some side by side with the Optimus, Lucid, and Hyper Cell Skid. The Optimus was slightly earlier with a stronger shape. The Unhinged was a great "ball down" option.The Lucid v Unhinged look was a little more of a gap as I keep the Lucid still at 4000. I would have to pick up my speed with the Lucid since the Unhinged wasn't quite making the corner in box condition. I noticed the same with the Hyper Cell Skid v Unhinged comparison also. I did try to take the Unhinged down to 2000 by hand and closed the gap considerably. I got a stronger move and a little earlier with surface and took some of the over/under out of the Unhinged.
Conclusions: The Unhinged is definitely a great piece and ball down option with the Hyper Cell Skid or Optimus. It is also a good piece to fill the gap between your stronger solids or Outcry to the UpRoar/Wrecker. If you notice too much of a gap, put some surface on it and watch the over/under go away. Try one out, you won't be disappointed.
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BALL SPECS
Pin Length: 3"
Starting Top Weight: 2.5oz
Ball Weight: 15lbs
DRILL PATTERN
Pin to PAP: 3.5"
PSA to PAP: 5.25"
X Hole (if there is one): 3/4" hole 2" deep 3" below midline on VAL
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate: 430rpm
Ball Speed: 17mph
PAP/Track: 4 3/4" x 1" up
SURFACE PREP
Grit: Box Finish
Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): 1500 Grit Polish
LANE CONDITION
Length: 38ft
Volume: Medium/Heavy
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
COMMENTS
Likes: Drilled up my Unhinged to be a solid benchmark pearl to throw on a variety of patterns. 3.5" Pin to PAP x 5.25" PSA to PAP x 3" Buffer. This is a layout that I like to use a lot simply because of the high friction surface that we have here. The back ends are squeaky clean and everything just flies off the spot, so often times I try to tame the cores a bit to gain a little predictability downlane. With that being said, this ball is by no means tame! Very very clean through the fronts but really reads the mids better than most pearls. This is especially true with the 3.5" Pin to PAP measurement. The motion that the ball makes at the end of the pattern is not sideways but reminds me of the motion that the original Storm Reign had. Strong and very continuous with a quicker change of direction. The ball retains energy phenomenally. As the pattern breaks down I'm able to move my angles in and really bank this ball off the spot downlane. It has enough power to open up the lane with a little friction for anyone who has a rev rate over 325-350rpm and appropriate speed. All in all, it's an excellent benchmark ball that provides a consistent and thorough read of the pattern with enough pop downlane to be versatile and dangerous! For those starting the night with a stronger solid or hybrid (aka. Crux, Hyper Cell, IQ Tour Nano), this ball will be a wise step down when those covers start to tear up the lanes or use up too much energy.
Dislikes: NONE! Great piece!
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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 ¼ x 6 x 2 ½
The Roto Grip Unhinged is the smoothest symmetrical pearl I have ever rolled. I use the Storm VLS software to come up with my layouts which have been working great and for this one the pin is left of my ring finger with the cg out a little bit straight down with the pin with no hole. I kept the factory finish on it which is 1500 polish and so far won’t change the surface because it rolls like it should. It is awesome on a house shot when there is a lot of high friction on the outside and need something that is not going to make sharp turn. Comparing it to the Roto Grip Hysteria that is in the same line up the Hysteria has much back end motion for it being a solid and the Unhinged is much smoother for being a pearl. Typically you would see the solids being smoother and pearls stronger on the back end but it is the opposite with these 2 which have been great.
My experience with the Unhinged has been superb mostly on shorter sport patterns that need control but still need to get down lane. Shorter patterns normally I would have to stand left and go up around 6-8 board with a surfaced ball to help tame the back ends which I love BUT the Unhinged gives me another look to where I could actually stand in the same spot with my feet as a surfaced ball which would be around 13 and get a similar look OR I could stand a little more right when needed especially when it breaks down. Have not had great success with it on longer oily patterns which makes sense for it so for me anything around 36 to 41 feet which is short to a house shot would tremendously. For a pearl for me it is pretty versatile for me and still stays smooth overall on multiple patterns and situations.
If you have any questions about the Unhinged email me at garrett.richardson@pinolebowlerssupply.com. I have a video on youtube!
Garrett Richardson
Storm/Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff
Vise Inserts Amateur Staff
Pinole Bowler’s Supply
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