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Author Topic: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?  (Read 1499 times)

Raven829

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Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« on: June 08, 2008, 03:54:42 PM »
I've had a little bit of success in my summer leagues recently playing up the boards with my Mercury.  It's drilled pin above bridge about 5 1/4 to Pap with no x-hole.  I usually have to wait until the lanes open up a bit before using it, or I have to point it a bit.  My Illusion, which is pin below ring, is quite flippy and a little stronger than I need right now.  I do have a Mystic that is drilled the same as my Mercury but me and that ball do NOT get along well.  I was thinking maybe a pin up Pluto, but wanted to get some opinions first.  Thanks.

Don
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charlest

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2008, 01:20:03 AM »
A Pluto is a fairly strong ball, even with the mild core. AT 2000 grit dull, it will probably be earlier than the Illusion, unless it's polished.

The Venus is a 1/2 to 3/4 of step stronger than the Mercury, especially with your drilling. For some people it handles as much as medium oil, which is what the Illusion handles, in a more flippy mode. With a 4" pin-PAP, maybe even as much as 4.5", the Venus should be fit between the two. (Wait for Mark Curran to chime in, for corroboraiton. Mark and I both had/have a Venus, and we both really liked it, but Mark also had the Mercury and has an Illusion.)
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Locke

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2008, 02:09:54 AM »
I second the Venus. I also say that perhaps a polished Pluto could do it.
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Raven829

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2008, 03:15:14 PM »
I had also thought about the Venus, but with the success I've had (very little) with particle pearls I was hoping to avoid it.  There's a chance I could get my Mystic to fit there but at the very least it will take a ton of experimentation with the cover, and possibly a new layout.  

I immediately thought of the Pluto because of the solid version of the Mercury cover.  The RG numbers are quite close with the Mercury having a slightly higher differential.  From what I've read here, and also in BTM, this ball handles quite a bit of oil.  Perhaps a 5" pin to pap and some sort of polish would fit the bill.  In all honesty I probably won't waste the time with my Mystic anymore...I've already tried a bunch of cover preps and I just don't seem to match up.  It's odd since I loved the Horizon pearl and Illusion.  I'm not writing off the Venus either I'm just a little leery after my failed Mystic.

Don
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mrbowlingnut

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2008, 03:27:27 PM »
Pluto would be a great choice, Venus for me never had any hitting power for whatever reason.

Maybe a Street Rod pearl would be another ball to try??? I have the street Rod solid for me it would fit right where you are saying you need.
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charlest

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2008, 04:33:56 PM »
quote:
Pluto would be a great choice, Venus for me never had any hitting power for whatever reason.

Maybe a Street Rod pearl would be another ball to try??? I have the street Rod solid for me it would fit right where you are saying you need.


Barry,

I can't imagine the Street Rod solid fitting under the Illusion, a resin pearl. The STreet Rod Pearl, maybe.

Raven,

The Pluto has the inverted core. The Saturn is the solid Mercury, so to speak. Inverting that core seems to make a big difference.

FYI I have rarely had success with any particle pearls except for the Riot Zone, I avoid them like the plague. Mark and I both (Mark, where the heck are you?) drilled out Venuses strong, like 4x4, and it does not overreact or over hook or overskid when used on medium-light oil.
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A_P_K

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2008, 08:08:30 PM »
Having all of the Planets I feel the Venus is a good choice but you can also go with a strong drilled Neptune as Mark suggested.  It easily fits in between my Mercury and Venus, then again my Mercury is drilled pretty weak.
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Raven829

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 09:03:46 PM »
Thanks to all of you for your input.

Mark-
  The Mystic has been very strange.  Fresh off the press I shot a 279 with it.  After a few shots I asked my driller and another guy watching me if they thought it was reading early.  They both said yes, so I went deeper.  It was starting very early, but yet still going quite long...hard to explain.  Almost like it was rolling out, but then farther down the lane it would hook again.  I didn't care because it was knocking down pins.  

After not having much success with it apart from a couple 700's I got early, I started to mess with the cover.  I tried a lot of things to make it more usable I guess you could say.  With a dull or high abralon finish it wouldn't handle enough oil.  When polished it was a dart.  Upon closer examination I saw that the ball was flaring very little (not surprising considering the pin placement).  So my driller put in a flare-increasing hole.  This did very little to alter the reaction.  It went a little longer with a little more backend.  

I think the problem is that the cover wants to read very early, but the drilling is weaker so that it has turned into a very condition-specific piece one that really has no place in my bag.  If I had to do it over I would go to a stronger pin placement, but I'm not sure it is even worth it.

/rant

Don
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abrown

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2008, 09:07:06 PM »
pluto is a very underated ball IMO something about it when theres a really squirlly shot move right and throw it up the boards and it realds the lanes like a higher end ball but makes a nice smooth roll
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Raven829

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2008, 09:46:43 PM »
I ended up ordering a Pluto with a longer pin.  I'll probably go pin above ring without an x-hole for now, and probably do some sort of cover prep with polish.

Tonight I got to league late so no warm-up.  I grabbed my Illusion and had the front 8.  9th I left a 2-8.  I picked it up and punched out for 278.  

Second game I had the front 11 and left a greek church on the 12th for a 295  My own fault everything was bad about it, but nerves weren't the problem.  I had a great shot at 800, but we move after every game and I moved to my worst pair.  I bowled well but had a split and bad carry for 205.  The last game was more of the same and I finished with a 215.  

993 is my new highest ever 4 game set.  It won me quite a nice chunk of change.  I'm really starting to like the Illusion.  I can't wait to see how the Pluto stacks up.

Don
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Edited on 6/12/2008 3:53 AM
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Raven829

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2008, 09:28:35 PM »
quote:
quote:
left a greek church on the 12th for a 295


If it makes you feel any better I shot a 295 the last week of winter league this season. Maybe Roger could send us T-shirt blems or something to ease the pain :-)

Mark


That is a wonderful idea Mark.  What say you Roger?

Don
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srlunatic

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2008, 09:40:02 PM »
Dang..sorry I missed this post early....

If you could get a hold of a Saturn......

Another option would have been another Illusion drilled very weak....I have done that with mine and it is quite controlled and really good for playing the track area on broken down conditions...


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Raven829

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Re: Ball between Illusion and Mercury?
« Reply #12 on: June 12, 2008, 10:09:29 PM »
During my 4th game tonight my Illusion started to move too soon so I tried my Mystic.  I actually had to make a large move right and just played in the burn while everyone else was trying to force the ball down the lane.  It got effortless length but I had zero miss room to the right just very odd.  The Mercury would have been a better choice to ball-down to but I wanted to see if the surface I tried on the Mystic helped any.  

The Pluto arrives tomorrow and gets punched.  I'll let everyone know how it works out.

Don
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