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Author Topic: Clone Review  (Read 14868 times)

addynyr

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Clone Review
« on: August 07, 2023, 02:35:45 PM »
Layout: 5 x 4.5 x 4.5
Surface: Reacta Gloss

The new Clone features the enhanced Cloned ET Core which lowered the RG Value and increased the differential compared to the ET Core of the UFO and Alert. This creates a stronger foot print in the oil for heavier oil conditions.  There is also a new coverstock on this one with the Optitrax Solid.  The finishing process is also Reacta Gloss which is completely new for a solid coverstock since the Eternal Cell many years ago.  What makes this finishing process great is that it gives a cleaner look on the lane while giving a more angular and continuous backend than if it were a dull finish.  This surface alone will give this ball more usability across more different lane conditions.  I was able to test this on a typical house pattern and the 38ft Kegel Alcatraz Pattern.

On the house pattern, I found this ball to be cleaner through the front and more angular down lane.  The solid coverstock allowed me to still see good continuation and control on the lane good enough for the fresh.  The reacta gloss did give it a little more length in the oil at times and did leave a weak 10 pin.  When I got this ball to the friction, it read the lane very well and had a lot of hitting power through the pins.  Compared to a Gem, the Clone is definitely cleaner and more down lane motion.  Knocking the reacta gloss off this ball will bring it a lot closer to the Gem while still being overall cleaner.

On the Alcatraz pattern, I found the reacta gloss finish to give me too much length to have success on the fresh.  It often finished a little too behind the head pin and was a little too strong if I went more direct up the lane.  As the lanes transitioned and gave me more hook to the outside part of the lane, this ball really started to shine.  It still gave me easy length but angled more harder than on the fresh.  It went through the pins significantly better.  As the lanes continued to transition and I moved more left with my feet, the ball reaction still stay strong.  It continued to angle through the pins while also controlling the flatter part of the pattern.  This reaction is a great thing for my style because it still controls the lane while giving more length and continuation.  On medium to medium long patterns, this ball will be in my bag as it is perfect for them.  Heavier oiled patterns, would need some extra surface to get it to slow down a little quicker, especially on the fresh.  I can also see myself having two of these in the bag, one being shiny and the other dull.  Compared to the UFO alert, the stronger solid cover of the Clone makes it earlier and smoother.  They can easily play off of each other well if the surfaces are both similar.

Adam Chase
Storm Staff
Adam Chase
Storm Regional Staff
Vise Regional Staff
Bowlifi Regional Staff
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adamchasebowling

 

StanleyW

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2023, 02:51:27 PM »
Clone - Ball Specs
Cover Stock: OptiTrax Solid Reactive
Finish: Reacta Gloss
Core: Cloned E.T. Core
Color: Alien/Deep Mist/Cyber Grape
RG: 2.51
Differential: 0. the 056
Intermediate Diff: 0.016

Review
The Roto Grip high performance Clone has the reimagined Equalizer Technology Core,  which changed the core’s density by lowering the RG value and increasing the Differential value and wrapped with the OptiTrax Solid Reactive cover stock. The Clone is cleaner than the UFO Alert stands with a very strong finish on the backend and great striking power. I tested this ball on a 40 feet typical house pattern with no issues playing right of the track area and standing left of 25. As a low to medium rev player this ball will be great on house patterns and medium oil tournament patterns. This is a great ball for all levels of bowlers. Available for preorder one from your local pro shop today! My ball review videos are posted on YouTube channel Stanley Waite.

Stanley Waite
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Dover, DE

Kevin Duncan

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2023, 09:47:56 PM »
Roto Grip Clone
Layout: 4.5 x 5 x 2 Storm Pin Buffer Layout
Rev Rate: 325 rpm, 7 degree of axis tilt, 40 degree of axis rotation
Testing information: 41 foot THS (medium to light volume)
Bowling Center: Fulton Bowling Center
Kegel Machine – Brunswick Anvilane

The Roto Grip Clone combines the E.T. Core (made famous in the UFO line) and the new OptiTrax solid cover.  We tested with the factory gloss finish.  We tested alongside the Storm Summit.  The Clone was a foot to two feet longer before the hook phase started when compared to the Summit.  I can see the Clone being used when your biggest hooking ball starts to burn up early and your pin carry goes way.  I didn’t get to throw the UFO Alert so I can’t say if it is a replacement, but I can say the Clone is going to be a popular choice for many tournament bowlers when they need some mid to down lane hook.
Visit your local Storm VIP Pro Shop!
#Stormnation
#SquadRG 

djecko

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2023, 06:14:55 AM »
Roto Grip Clone - HP 4
Coverstock: OptiTrax Solid - Reacta Gloss
Core: CLONED E.T.
RG: 2.51   Differential: .056 (15 lbs)   PSA: .016
Layout: 5 ⅛  x 5 x 5
PAP: 6" Right, 1 3/8" Up
Axis Tilt: 16°
Rotation: 51°
Rev Rate: 450-500
Speed: 17-18 mph
Location: Vista Lanes - Yorkville, NY
Pattern: Kegel Main Street

The Clone has LANDED! It features the OptiTrax Solid cover with the CLONE E.T. core which is designed to provide more overall midlane and downlane motion than the original E.T. core. The cover/core combination will help create increased shot predictability when looking at skid distance, midlane traction, and downlane response. The Clone is designed for medium to medium/heavy conditions and is the second generation of the UFO/UFO Alert. The Clone gave me an excellent look sliding on 30, looking 18 at the arrows with my breakpoint around 8-9. I was able to easily play different zones on the lane by manipulating my hand position and speed. When compared to the TNT, I was able to stand and look in the same place, but the ball reaction was different. The Clone was cleaner through the fronts and had more downlane motion. If I need the ball to start up quicker and roll more forward, I would use the TNT. I can see the Clone being useful in league and on tournament conditions when the backends get tighter. Stop by your local Storm VIP pro shop to check it out! Available on August 18th.

Dave Jecko
Storm Amateur Staff Member
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@maximumpotentialbowlerssho7625

william.tefft

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2023, 07:14:23 AM »
Ball Specs: Clone
Cover stock: OptiTrax Solid Reactive
Core: CLONED E.T. Core, Asymmetrical
Finish: Reacta Gloss
Color: Alien/Deep Mist/Cyber Grape

Review:
The new Clone comes from a long line of successful bowling balls in the HP4 line from Roto Grip. With the new and improved CLONED E.T. core the Clone sees a great mid lane read with more backend motion then you would typically see from a bowling ball with a solid cover stock. This ball was very predictable and I was able to manipulate the shape I wanted to see simply by adjusting my hand and ball speed. I see this ball as a step down when my Summit starts to burn up the lane. I found that the Clone offers me a smoother and more round shape when lanes begin to change how they are playing. The Clone is going to a great option for bowlers of all skill levels and styles. The high rev platers you will see a ball that can get through the mid lane and still have plenty of backend motion, but that will also allow you to move a little further right if you desire to do so. If you are a lower rev bowler you will get a ball that brings plenty of pop without being a ball that can’t control. Make sure you grab your Clone today!
Will Tefft
Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff Member
will@parklanes.net
www.rotogrip.com
#SquadRG

jshoe97

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2023, 12:18:01 PM »
The Clone features the Cloned E.T. core and is wrapped in Optitrax solid. The Cloned E.T. core is almost a carbon copy for the E.T. core that was found in the UFO series balls. The Optitrax solid cover feels like a slightly milder version of MicroTrax found on the Gem. The Clone is going to be a fantastic option for someone that needs the same amount of traction that the Exotic offers in a rounder package. Be sure to stop into your local Storm VIP pro shop and preorder your own for the 08/18/23 release!

Review Video: https://youtu.be/jKWE3CL_8Sk

myers007

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Clone Review
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2023, 01:07:48 PM »
The clone is one of the newest balls in the Roto Grip catalog. It has a slightly modified core from the OG UFO and UFO Alert. For me, this ball is closer to the OG UFO than the Alert even though I was hoping for a Alert replacement. I did knock some of the shine off the ball lightly with a 3k pad. It is overall stronger than the alert and stronger off the spot. It is not quite as strong/early as the UFO was but has more down lane shape. The clone is going to need some oil though as I threw it in league, it was a bit too much. I was able to throw it on Dragon and it looked really good.

Compared to the Gem, the clone is a ball down. The Gem is much earlier and smoother down lane than the clone was when testing. I have the clone cleaner and more shape down lane.

Compared to the Reality, at the same surface I would have them roughly the same strength wise. I would have them reading the lane in the same area but the clone appears to be more forward off the friction with the reality being a bit rounder.

Tobias Myers
#RotoGrip

k1ngsizepapa

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #7 on: August 18, 2023, 04:28:35 PM »
Core: Cloned E.T.â„¢ Core (Equalizer Technology Core)
Cover: OPTITRAXâ„¢ COVERSTOCK
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.51 (15 lbs)
Diff: 0.056 (15 lbs)
PSA: 0.016

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 X 4 X 3 VLS

The "new" HP4 release from Roto Grip may seem familiar. The Clone is intended to give back the motion that fans of the UFO Alert loved. The Clone ET core and optitrax combo makes for a strong ball with some great down-lane motion.

I tested the Clone on the high volume, long house pattern at my home center.  The Clone is definitely strong enough to throw on the fresh here. It has turned out to be a great ball for bouncing off the friction even with as heavy as this pattern is. The high diff makes sure you get the flare you need for dynamic motion. The higher RG and clean cover keep it in play as you have to move left in the transition. I definitely feel like this ball likes high volume patterns, but it's no one trick pony. I was honestly a little surprised at how easily I could get this ball through the front of the lane as the night wore on. When I finished shooting my reaction video I decided to experiment with adding friction. I gotta say from a personal standpoint I think I like this ball even better at 2k than I do polished. It's still pretty clean, but smoothing it out a little down-lane was great for me and helped with over/under.

I would recommend the clone for just about anyone. It's strong enough for people who need help from the ball to see motion and it's clean enough that rev dominant bowlers can use it on a variety of conditions.

See my full ball reaction video at: https://youtu.be/kf-WZCd0UBw

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

Steven.Collins913

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Re: Clone Review
« Reply #8 on: August 19, 2023, 08:09:49 AM »
Dual Angle Layout: 55 x 5 x 25
Storm Vector Layout: 5 x 4 3/8 x 1 3/4

The Clone is a strong ASym that provides you all the backend pop you need.  This ball is super angular, maybe a bit too much on a fresh house shot but as the lanes start to transition and you need to move deeper this is going to be my go too ball.  No matter how far left I move it still find a way to recover and get to the pocket with enough energy to strike. 
About Me

Storm Staff Member - Ball Driller- 230 Average Bowler - Right Handed - https://www.facebook.com/keglers.k.proshop?mibextid=LQQJ4d