Hello, I just recently purchased the Storm Invasion ball online. I decided to take some time to research the best layout for my style of play. I will of course consult with my driller but just wanted a second opinion.

My style of play is down and in. I am a low-med rev stroker and play straight up boards 5-10. I generally like a very strong backend reaction. My speed is about 15-16mph. My PAP is 4 3/4 x 1/4.

Looking at the lightning strike drilling guide I was interested in possibly using the 4x4x2 or 4x4x1 layout. I am looking for something I get straight down and then have a strong reaction on the backend. The pin on the ball is 2.5-3 inches.

Any advise you could give would be awesome.

Thanks in advance.

Tizzle - Thank you for the good suggestions. I think I may go with either the 4x4x1 or the 4x4x2. I think the 4x2 layout would be good for me when playing deep on some of the tournament shots in my area. I'm going to start this ball out on the 1st - 2nd league games and see what it does. If I like it then I will grab another one and drill it for tourney shots where I cant play the outsides.

I'm going to run your suggested layouts by the driller and see what he says. I have a Dimension that has a strong drill on it. Pin next to the ring finger and it does not seem to work well for me on fresh shots so I may plug and re-drill that as well.

Thanks again. I will keep this posted updated once I make a choice.

That's because 4x4x2 is WAY too strong for a ball as nuclear as the INVASION for MOST bowlers.  

In my experience, most bowlers drill today's strongest bowling balls FAR TOO AGGRESSIVELY. This leads to their balls burning up before they even get to the breakpoint in many cases! Then they say thing like "This ball stinks" and "This ball doesn't hook at all."  No, it is done hooking at the arrows.

Nixusr, without seeing you bowl and knowing what kind of lane conditions you bowl on I couldn't give you any solid advice but I would caution you to be very careful drilling the INVASION too strong. Find yourself a GOOD pro shop guy who knows your game and tell him what you want and hopefully he can help you.

Paying for what someone like that can give you is worth every penny.

The INVASION is an incredible ball but it's like a sports car -- it's got to be handled properly and carefully.
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The No. 1 source for bowling news, analysis and opinion is my blog, The 11th Frame, which is here:
http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/

Thanks a million you guys for the solid insight! I just started bowling January 09 and since then have been hooked on bowling. I've been researching and really learning the game and ball dynamics of which is still puzzling. (I always thought a ball was just a ball.)

The pro shop that I go to is great except the driller who is awesome is a seriously busy man. It is a great help when the driller can see how you throw the ball but I realize this may not be possible for a while. Thank goodness for the internet! I'm going to be taking lessons in April from a certified coach so I can work on my form so then I will have him also review my equipment.

Riggs & Shipper- you make great points. I have a dimension that is drilled strong and I have watched it not perform up to par on fresh patterns at all. I will have it plugged and redrilled in the near future. Seeing that I didnt want to make the same mistake with the invasion.

I do typically like for the ball to snap so I am not sure if I will like the 4x3. If 4x2 is too strong...would going with a 4x1 be tollerable?

Rival has it nailed -- my favorite VIRTUAL GRAVITY was my first one with the pin above and LEFT of my middle finger -- nearly 6 inches from PAP. CG kicked back to grip center. No hole. Very versatile ball that has won me a ton of money.
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The No. 1 source for bowling news, analysis and opinion is my blog, The 11th Frame, which is here:
http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/bowling/