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Author Topic: Eraser Pearl Particle  (Read 12551 times)

admin

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Eraser Pearl Particle
« on: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM »
Coverstock: PRO-Thaneâ„¢ LT Pearl Particle

Weight Block: Multi-Density with Power Ball Technology

Ball Color: Midnight Blue / Gold

Ball Finish: 1500-grit Polish - Can be Sanded

Radius of Gyration: 2.539 (Medium-Low)

Differential: .050 (High)

Durometer: 76-78 Rex D-scale

Track Flare: High (6" plus)

Fragrance: Lemonade

Weights: 10-16 lbs.


 

LuckyLefty

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Re: Eraser Pearl Particle
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2004, 12:17:27 PM »
I've tried to get into pearl particles with mixed success.

So far my favorites were the Riot Zone(still like) and the Shock Zone from Brunswick.  I also have some affinity for the Columbia Spirit II.

In general this class of ball has sort of been an occassional fit for my game.
But I kept going back to reactives and solid particles when I really wanted to do some damage and feel certain of what I thought was gonna happen.

Now this beauty.  Ball specs.  3 inch pin out purchased from Todd Sipes righty.
Due to some old ball plug laying around I butchered up this ball but on the side opposite my track.  But I couldn't wait had clean track and drilled.
Drilled 4 1/4 X 3 1/2 pin next to ring and cg slightly out and down.  7/8 weighthole down about 1 1/2 inches from PAP on VAL on a line from grip center to VAL thru CG.

I's seen this ball and thought it would be a beautiful fit and it is!  Left out of box 1000 with polish!  Shot's around here are all overreactive on the backend.

I took this ball out to our local lefty killer house (high series I've seen by a lefty is 688 in 10 weeks).  The overreaction is amazing.  Usually I have ended up using polished solid reactives drilled hook set for this lefty jump shot the best stuff has good healthy  flare potential but the flip drilled out.  Pearls are exciting but will leave splits in this house real quick!!

But one needs head clearance!  I saw this EPP in another's hands and I thought that might be a fit.  Boy is it!

This ball clears the heads almost like a reactive and then flares smoothly and drives hard but never jumps.  I remember my exciting Eraser pearl reactive how that would go down the lane and then flip jump at the pocket.  Great when you needed that but often too exciting.  This ball on the other hand rounds all that movement off slightly.

I put this ball up next to my Ego, a best of breed middle condition reactive and next to my lower flaring Spirit II and this ball fit right in the middle.

Great clearance, strong smooth midlane and then a beautiful smooth powerful move to the hole.  Every game was easily in the 200s on a very difficult guick grabby heads jumpy shot!!

In comparison to the really great in it's day Riot Zone this ball has more clearance in the heads and touch more reactive drive in the back(lighter load).
In comparison to the Shock zone which really got down the lane this has more control of the midlane.  Basically I'd always thought that in this class of balls if I could just get a lower rg particle that reacted right in between the Riot and the Shock I'd be really happy.  I'm really happy.

I don't know if this ball is better than the X Reloaded but I don't know how a ball for this intended purpose could be better!

For great head clearance, strong midlane and the ability to play inside with a lot of control and hit!  This has got to be the one!

I may be the lefty who can beat this house now!

REgards,

Luckylefty
PS I like it so much I may pick up a couple others and drill a touch weaker.  Oh for the moderate handed I would drill medium strong to weak. Oh to get this ball to hook set one does not need to kick it way out.  My ball is drilled about 60 degrees.  This ball has a lot of core!
It takes Courage to have Faith, and Faith to have Courage.

James M. McCurley, New Orleans, Louisiana

dizzyfugu

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Re: Eraser Pearl Particle
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2004, 05:55:17 AM »
I bought my 2nd hand 15 pound Eraser PP in July 2004 (at about half new retail price, already plugged and polished back to OOB finish) through Ebay.

About me:
Style = Stroker/mild Tweener, right-handed
Speed = 13,5-14,5 mph
PAP = 5" & 7/8"^
Axis tilt = 18,7°
Revs = 250-300 RPM at release
For more details, check out my profile, please.


Ball setup:

Ball is a 4" pin-out. Pin to PAP is about 4 1/2". Pin was positioned high, 1" up at 1 o‘clock above my ring finger hole for god length. Mass bias is at ~60° from PAP, so that the CG ended up 2" to the right of grip center. Small X-hole (1" wide, 2" deep) was added on PAP to compensate and make ball legal. Silicone oval finger grips and a urethane thumb slug completed the job. Surface remained in OOB 1.500 grit polished.


=====*=====
==o=o======
===========
======#==x=
===========
===O=======

* = Pin
# = CG
x = X-hole


Ball picture: http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3473647

The testing program:

On light to medium conditions, my EPP shows a clearly defined break point at 39-41' down the lane. With my drilling it shows a strong, continous back end move. Not jumpy, but with a sharp reaction. I can stand on 24th board with my right shoe tip and play over 12th board, stand at 28th and aim for 3rd arrows or even go to 40th board, playing over 18th board, and have it break on 6th board, 42' feet down the lane - it will still hit the pocket and clean the deck!

I found much potential in this ball on a sport pattern when the oil fades away and strong pure pearl reactives become erratic. A fresh, oily sport shot is just too much for it, though. With the Pro-Thane LT coverstock, which is based on the Accu-Tread pearl coverstock used on the original Eraser or the Trauma, I still get enough length and the particles smooth out possible over/under reactions. The medium-strong core is by far enough to create very good ball movement on this condition - rather rolly by nature. The Power Ball core generates lots of rotation and converts revs nicely into a forward roll. VERY controllable, a good core/coverstock match IMHO.

The EPP hits very well with a low thumping noise, a typical Storm particle ball sound. The pin mix is very good, too. In order to find the pocket or pick spares, I simply adjust my address position. I can take out anything except a single 10-pin with it, just by a change of hand and foot positions. It is easy to control, I tribute much of this to the light particle load.

I like this ball VERY much, an inconspicuous winner. BUT there is a weak point to it, as always... The EPP is quite oil- and carrydown-sensitive, what surprises me for a particle ball. If there is somehow oil in the back end, carrydown or simply a (too) long oil pattern, it will slide forever, never reaching its breakpoint. I guess the particle load is truly very light and that the particles used in the coverstock are not the spike/carbide type like in Brunswick's balls to make it grip in the oil, but rather soft ones which simply increase lane contact area. This works great on dry boards, but NOT on/in long oil.

Additionally, also beware of dry heads, too. The EPP will grip on dry ground sooner than a shiny reactive, which might be easier to handle in this situation. An option is to loft the ball, though.

Compared with my Trauma, with a pure Accu-Tread pearl shell, the EPP just has a bit more of bite, reacts earlier and has a smoother and more controllable reaction at the breakpoint. Where my Trauma is a bit nervous and has more hook to offer, the EPP shines with its more arcing move, very good back end and hit. Nice and strong for medium-dry to medium conditions.


Conclusions:

I give it a solid 9, even a 10, out of 10 on those medium conditions it was made for. I can hardly imagine anything better, and the EPP has a great price/performance value, too. I can recommend this ball to players of any experience level looking for a powerful, steady and controllable ball for light to medium conditions (around 30-35 feet of oil), just like Storm claims for the EPP in the final catalogue description from 2004.

Lane utility for tested ball (pattern length vs. oil volume):

|S M L
|h e o
|o d n
|r . g
|t
_______
|0 + +| Light volume
|+ X +| Medium volume
|X + 0| Heavy volume

Legend:
X = Best suited with effective control & carry
+ = Fairly suited (works, somehow, but lacks control)
0 = Unsuited (ineffective, either slips or burns up)


The chart concept is borrowed from Storm's 2003 catalogue. Surface prep and drillings may change the results, it is just personal experience with my style

Some side note: Storm made some confusing recommendations about preferrable lane conditions in the past for the EPP. The 2003 catalogue tells about heavy oil, but light/medium oil with clean backend is the turf it obviously was made for, as stated and corrected in the 2004 catalogue.

The coverstock reaction makes it a great ball for fresh THS patterns, when you have dry outside boards to play with but need some good length to get the ball with power down the lane. The ball is strong enough to swing it. But the EPP is a bit condition specific, it is IMHO not an all-round ball. Rather a very good arsenal addition for played-down oily patterns or medium turf. You have to know when to play it, and when to put it away.

PS:
The Eraser Particle Pearl REALLY smells intensively, especially in the summer. Somehow it reminds me of air conditioner used in public toilets, dunno? I wonder how long Storm gives a guarantee on this fragrance...?

PPS (updated 9/29/05):
My EPP still goes strong (and smelly), and it still surprising me with potential. If you are looking for a control ball, look out for Storm's light load particles!

PPPS (updated 5/15/07):
Ball is still in the bag, and has luckily lost some of its fragrance power. Currently it is my go-to ball for my club's summer league: viscous new oil, flatter crowned pattern gutter-to-gutter, about 37' long. When the lane is fresh, this ball has anything one can ask for: clean through the heads, very good mid lane read and roll transition, and once it hits the dry the particle load prevents the ball from jerking around. Sweet piece. Only when the heads break away, depending on the lane traffic, I have to switch to something "longer" like my Sahara or Pure Hammer. Nevertheless, I can hardly imagine to get rid of the EPP. Let's see how long it lasts...?

BTW - it responds well to hot water bath treatments, and with some surface refreshment (1.500 grit + Brunswick's High Gloss polish) the ball has recently increased traction considerably, I can hardly use it on medium-dries! Cool stuff, very user friendly ball
 
Edited on 26.09.2011 at 7:46 AM
DizzyFugu ~ Reporting from Germany

davidellisonispcom

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Re: Eraser Pearl Particle
« Reply #18 on: August 18, 2004, 08:06:10 PM »
above avg speed, med-hi revs, RH
Lane Conditions: Medium-Heavy Oil
Played 10-5
Weight of bowling ball: 16
Surface of bowling ball: 1500 Polish (Out of box)
Likes: Excellent Length, great backend and great carry. Reasonably forgiving  especially if you miss wide (except when flooded)
Dislikes: Heavy oil, reads too late and runs past the breakpoint.


9 out of 10


BrianCRX90

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Re: Eraser Pearl Particle
« Reply #19 on: July 16, 2005, 03:05:52 PM »
There was a time I wanted to replace the best ball ever made, my trusty Eraser. I had put so many games on it it got to the point the maintance could have been done but it was still not as good as it used to be. It lasted more then any other ball I've ever owned. So naturally, I would have gotten another one. But  a pro shop owner talked me into this ball insted. Same awesome core and cover but with particles. The drill was 5" to the PAP , holes right below the pin with the CG in the strong position and small weighthole.
It used to be too eratic at times, then would give me under over when I first had it. But after awhile I liked the reaction. It grabs the lane a little harder and turns a little bit sooner then the original Eraser. The backend is the exact same, late hard continuous curve. (love the core). It hits just as hard and just like the original Eraser, the carry gets you strikes that you may not normally carry. Shot back to back 700 series in two league nights and two different houses, including a 299 last night. This is a very good benchmark ball.