Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
# Diff: .044
# Lane Conditions: Medium - Heavy
# Coverstock: Galea (Reactive Solid)
# Core: Mohawk
# Factory Finish: 2000 Abralon
Post by: darkman on May 04, 2008, 09:37:02 PM
Make your oppenents cower in fear as you destroy them with the Gladiator
The new solid reactive, recently released by Visionary, provides a nice continuous arcing motion. I am not sure if the mohawk design plays a role in this, but all I know is this thing really does drive right through the pins. All in all, great continuation, I havent had this much consistent hit since the time when I was throwing the original Danger Zone! This ball is not ment for lighter volumes of oil nor is it for a flood. For most medium conditions this ball will work great for most styles of play, that is why this is a very good benchmark ball. If you looking for a ball to start off with in the Visionary Line, this ball or the Ogre Pearl would likely be the best choices. This ball provides a very consistent read, consistent powerfull arcing motion, and excellent drive through the deck. Here is a short video displaying the balls hitting power and so forth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dARAw5-TwaM
Post by: tomf on May 07, 2008, 07:44:57 PM
Left handed, ball speed around 16 MPH, rev rate around 300 RPM, axis rotation of around 60 degrees, and axis tilt around 30 degrees.
I've loved my other Visionary stuff so much I just had to try the Gladiator. This past league season is the first time I’ve ever used Visionary equipment, and I carried a higher average than I ever have and had more honor scores than I’ve had in over 10 years. And this in a house where they were having so much trouble putting out a consistent shot that I got to use everything from the Ogre SS to the Granite Gargoyle. The balls just flat out perform. Given the price, performance, and how long the coverstock lasts (very important to me), I can’t think of a reason to throw anything else. To top it all off, the folks at Visionary have been more than helpful with answers to my questions, suggestions, and explanations about their products. All in all, the best experience I’ve ever had with any ball company. But on to the Gladiator review.
I drilled this one up pretty strong. I bowl better when the ball has a defined break point. I can make adjustments easier and I don’t have enough hand to get into too much trouble with these drillings. The Gladiator is definitely not for dry lanes and not for a flood, but appears to be a player on just about everything else. It gets good length, excellent read of the midlane, and is very smooth at the break point. Now, sometimes you hear “smooth†as a euphemism for “I can keep it in play, but it’s kind of weakâ€. Believe me, that is most definitely not the case here. It doesn’t turn on a dime, but once this baby turns for home, nothing stands in its way. It’s one of those balls that seems to pick up speed after the break point. It doesn’t give you the impression that it “attacks†the pocket like some flippier balls, just makes a very strong arc and rolls through the pins like it weighs 50 pounds instead of 15.
When I saw that this ball is made with a wrap, I wondered if it would hit as well as Visionary’s non-wrap balls. Not to worry. It may not give me the screaming messengers that I get from the Immortal Pearl, but there’s more than enough pop to get the job done. Even I could play pretty deep and not have to worry about the corners.
In summary, this is an outstanding medium condition ball. It’s smooth enough to be used as a benchmark ball, and strong enough to stay with if you want to. It is versatile enough and has enough range to let you cut down on the number of balls you have to carry. It’s a ball you can pull out of the bag with confidence. Great job, Visionary!
Post by: seldent on May 08, 2008, 12:59:31 PM
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Tyler Selden
"...I am NOT a merry man!" - Worf
Post by: dukeofearl on May 08, 2008, 08:10:47 PM
With 12 games, ball seemed to lose reaction. Coverstock was shiny from oil absorbtion and lane surface polishing. Cleaned with hot water and dawn(used this since urethane came on the market), and reaction returned to original condition. I'm hoping the coverstock will maintain reaction longer now that it has been used a little.
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there are no magic balls, only MAGIC bowlers!
Post by: Brian Green on June 11, 2008, 11:35:30 PM
Ball specs:
15 lbs
pin 2-3
top 2-3
I laid this ball out 4 by 2 with the pin under my ring finger and cg kicked out with x-hole on my pap.... left the surface OOB 2000 abralon
This ball is the ultimate benchmark ball..... this is the first ball out of my bag allmost all the time..... the gladiator sold is a very readable ball and a very consistant roller..... This ball will cover all the medium conditions out there, the only drawback is that if your on the drier side of medium it likes to hook early and on the heavier side of things this ball will skid and not turn the corner but on a true medium shot this ball will shine........
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"USAbowlersmart.com - only the best Survive"
Post by: Gunny on July 20, 2008, 05:27:40 PM
15.20 lbs
3.5" Pin
2.94 T.W.
drill pattern:
3 3/4" Pin to PAP (pin next to ring)
CG 4" to PAP
X-Hole 3" from PAP in thumb Quadrant
My profile:
PAP 5 3/4" x 1" up
Current wrist problems have reduced my "Power" game, making me now a light tweener/stroker.
Lanes:
THS on Brunswick Anvilane Lanes...(newly installed)
With my current condition, this ball is just what i have been looking for. for a stroker this ball is a great benchmark ball. ball is very forgiving on wide & pulled shots. a stroker will be able to play 10-12 at the arrows, sending out to 5 for breakpoint, and having a nice strong arc to the pocket. a tweener would be around 15 at the arrows with break point around 8. i've noticed that the Visionary balls keep the pins low and flying.
On a few sessions i have been able to "HIT" on the ball, playing my normal high revs release, and this ball is just a beast! on the THS, i was forced to play 5th arrow getting decent length and a nice strong move to the pocket. but that was only a few shots seeing how my wrist couldn't take the abuse.
the Visionary Gladiator Solid is a very versatile ball and has made me a believer in Visionary Bowling Products.
Post by: icewall on July 26, 2008, 01:13:23 PM
pap = 4 1/2 ^ 1/2
revs = approx 275
speed = 16-17mph
Lane condition: medium - heavy
drill pattern: 4 inch pin from pap
pin up drilling
*will update where cg/mb was swung (i forget)*
Tried this ball on a fresh THS doubles league. Not a very easy shot but still theres room for error.
The first thing I noticed about this ball is your going to want to let it do its thing. dont force it just get soft with your hand and the backend comes to life. The best thing about this ball is the AREA it creates. I had incredible area forgiveness and just like all of my visionary equipment it keeps the pins low. Ive noticed I dont leave many splits with my visionary equipment as I did with my old stuff.
the roll would be desribed as a slow to moderate reaction to the drier boards but with strong continuation. very controllable and much smoother then I thought it would be. this ball just doesnt quit. once it makes its move left it locks into the pocket.
also id like to comment on how well it is made. you can tell its a quality ball and the thickness of the coverstock TO ME is a big bonus. I dont think thickness will give you better carry but it sure will help the ball live a long long life.
Id give this ball a 4 out of 5. cant ask for much better.
Post by: olererack on July 31, 2008, 02:24:17 AM
RG: 2.51
Diff: .044
Lane Conditions: Medium - Heavy
Cover stock: Galea (Reactive Solid)
Core: Mohawk
Factory Finish: 2000 Abralon
2000 Abralon
Medium (.044" diff.)
3-5" flare
While testing the Gladiator Solid
I’ve noticed that the Visionary balls keep the pins low and flying right to left.
This ball is at it’s best in medium oil. The 2000 abr. finish on the cover is perfect.
produces the right amount of traction without burning up too soon.
The GLADIATOR Solid line is equipped with an asymmetrical, dense center core design with a lighter wrap. This allows for a quicker revving ball that begins to roll in the midlane while keeping a controllable continuous arc reaction on the backend. The "MOHAWK" on the core creates a mild mass bias for fine tuning the balls reaction.
I’ll have to say the gladiator Solid really does drive continually through the pins.
All in all, the Gladiator Solid has great continuation & consistent reaction,
This ball is not ment for lighter volumes of oil nor is it for a flood.
For most Medium Conditions this ball will work great for most styles of players,
That is why this is a good benchmark ball.
If you looking for a ball to start off with in the Visionary Line,
The Gladiator Solid ball or the Ogre Pearl would likely be the best choices for a very consistent read, consistent arcing motion,
Member of Buddies Pro Staff
Post by: gpm30030 on September 08, 2008, 09:35:28 PM
My specs: slower ball speed with medium revs.
Ball specs: 3" pin, 3oz top
Drill specs: pin 3-3/8" from PAP, 3/4" side weight.
OOB surface the ball got me a little too deep on basic wall shot. Did not like the carry down on the old wood lanes. Could not control the over/under. Had to move too much too often in the first game alone to really get lined up and score. Changed to 1000 abralon then polished the rock and now it has become my go to ball. Became my first ball out of the bag to read the lanes just about anywhere. Even on a heavier pattern on synthetics it had a better look than my new OGRE solid.
Probably rolled about 30 or so games with the GLADIATOR SOLID and the cover stock is holding up very well. Very durable for me.
Current arsenal:
OGRE SOLID
GLADIATOR SOLID
TRACK RISING
STORM SHIFT
Coming soon:
OGRE PARTICLE
B/G CENTAUR
VISIONARY STAFF MEMBER 2008 AND BEYOND!!
Post by: danny96 on September 30, 2008, 01:53:16 AM
Lane Condition Med Heavy approx. 23.4 ml House Shot oily side
Core : Mohawk
Finish Sanded down to 1000 abrolon WET Sanded
Flare: 5 - 7 "
Became a Test staff for Visionary in July But didn't get a chance to throw
anything till I wet down to Detroit and bowled in the Ham Town Classic
on the 213 of July 2008!
I bowled with the gladiator averaged 220 for 4 games
My Specs: Pin 3 to 4" - 14 lb. ball with 2 3/4 top 1/2 oz. Neg. Side
pin approximately 1 inch from ring finger center of gravity swung out to track
area for bomb to be approx 1/2 to 1 inch from my VAL.
this gave me all the length and backend i needed for my play my game.
Ball speed 14 to 15 mph line was 3 arrow out to gutter an back.
Ball hit like a tank...
This is a ball that was made for the heavier conditions so for get it if you
want to play on med to light conditions...
On the heavier conditions this ball works great up the out side around 8 to 10
board...
Post by: d bowler on November 02, 2008, 12:01:51 AM
Have about 7 games on this ball so far. Three different centers, league and tournament conditions. With this drilling and cover the ball gives me a good read in the mids with a good strong arc/roll in the backends. Very consistent reacting ball that responds well to hand adjustments. Another great piece from Visionary.
--------------------
STATE CHAMPION
state of confusion.. that is
Visionary Test Staff Member
Good Luck And Good Bowling
Post by: pba-20420 on January 27, 2009, 01:19:41 PM
I have mine drilled with the pin right above the fingers at 12 o'clock, and the cg kicked out a 3/4 of an inch to give it 1/2 ounce side weight.
The ball is exceptionally smooth through the heads, even on dryer lanes. It then has a smooth consistant backend reaction. I'm yet to have any case of over under with this ball.
If you are looking for a smooth cosistant and forgiving reaction ball, I highly recommend the Gladiator!
Post by: SoupNation on February 13, 2009, 12:10:19 AM
Rev Rate: 275-300
Ave: 195-205
Lanes: AMF medium oil house shot
Ball drilled up at 12 o'clock. Pin between the fingers and one inch up. Usually I have all of my bowling balls drilled this way. If I need to have a different roll I just switch hand positions. The Gladiator Solid is an awesome ball!! Perfect for medium conditions. My first night shooting this ball in league was outstanding. 700 out of the box!! Rolled out perfect with a nice arching motion on the backend. Not snappy at all. Devastating the pins everytime!!
Post by: gsback on June 23, 2009, 07:34:05 AM
Most of the bowling I did with the ball was on a THS in a 3 man summer league and in a Youth/Adult league with my son, so I saw very different lane reactions between the 2 leagues with the ball.
I have 3 games that are outlines in my profile. The Gladiator allowed me to play a bigger swing shot and then as the condition changed, I would move left and take hand out of the ball and let the ball play the lanes instead of me playing them. I was never really successful with the B game. As the lanes got dried, the ball was just too strong for the lanes and I would have to be thrown a lot harder to stay in the pocket. What I saw then was more deflection since I was also having to take too much hand out.
The ball does handle a decent amount of oil from what I saw. The ball reads a little early and had a strong continuous motion to and through the pocket. On fresh lanes, I don’t see the ball burning up. As lanes transition, I start to see a little less hook on the backend which I attribute to burning up. I don’t usually move left and try to stay in the oil since I am not a deep shot player, but the ball handled the transition well when I moved right and played less hand in the ball.
The overall reaction of the ball is more of a strong, aggressive arching shot. It reminded me very much of the reaction I got with my SledgeHammer, but easily able to handle more oil.
What I liked about the ball was that it plays well with my different styles. Slight hand and speed adjustments worked very well with the ball as I saw different reactions. As mentioned, transition is when I see the ball burning up more and not hitting as strong. My typical move will be to the right to cut down the angle and allow the ball to save a little of the energy needed to push through the pins versus deflecting slightly.
Overall, I give the ball a solid A. The ball was a replacement for my Cell and I found the Gladiator to be more useful than the Cell as I could play different shots more consistently without the ball overreacting, which I really don’t care for.
Gladiator didn’t read as early as the Cell, but the strong reaction at break more than made up for the early read, and again, solid read to the pins and through the pins is what made this ball a winner in my book.
I see this as an excellent choice for a medium to medium-heavy shot for most people. Strong recovery from the dry as well.
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BR.com.....going down the toilet one nugget at a time!!
g thing is back....with a vengeance!!
www.visionarybowling.com - Accept no substitute for the very best there is!!
Post by: kreinerjr on August 13, 2009, 11:19:42 PM
pin 3.24
I have to say this ball is amazing. we drilled it up to be on the weaker side so i could have alot more control of the ball. But it still hooked a ton. We wound up sanding it to 4000 abralon and the new reaction was amazing. the first games i through with it was 279, 192, 244. I only average 196 in league and this ball will give me the edge and hit that i was missing in my arsenal. Not to mention affordable. if u want a high performance ball at a mid ball price this is it.
Post by: walk on February 06, 2010, 10:58:44 AM
I had to change the finish to 500 grit because of my speed but once I did that this ball was amazing. It is drilled to arch with a nice heavy roll on the backend which is what this ball does.
The ball hits hard and it leaves very few ten pins. It is the first ball out of my bag and once the lanes break down I go to the NBPP. I cannot wait to test my other Visionary bowling balls. If they are as good as the Gladiator and my NBPP I will be a very happy bowler.
In my bag
Gladiator
New Breed Particle Pearl
New Breed Pearl
Ogre Particle
Soon to be New Breed Solid.
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Bruce Walker
Visionary tester
Post by: bitbytebit on March 18, 2010, 04:23:10 PM
for all ranges of conditions. I chose the 4 balls package, exchanged the
bag for an extra ball and bought a 6th ball too. Any one can join the test
staff, so I'm not partial to the company, but found them myself from others
suggestions on how durable and long lasting while high performing visionary
balls are. Also all mine are aimed at playing mostly outside straighter lines
with an arc, no angular type reactions. They can play inside quite nicely
though still, so very versitile.
Heavy Oil: Ogre Partical 600 Grit scotchbright 4" 75x65 Drill
Medium-Heavy Oil: Ogre Solid OOB Surface 4 1/2" 45x42 Drill
Medium Oil(bench mark) Gladiator Solid 1000 Abralon 3 5/8" 45x55 Drill
Medium-Light Oil: Ogre Pearl OOB Surface 4 1/2" 60x45 Drill
Light Oil: Gladiator LE OOB Surface 5" 75x42 Drill
Dry/Spare ball: Ogre Urethane OOB Surface 5" 105x42 Drill
All balls around 3 ounces top weight, top 3 are 3" pins, bottom 3 are 4" pins.
My Speed 17 Mph
I have Low-Med Revs
My PAP is 5 5/8" and 5/8" UP
The Gladiator Solid is my medium oil ball, and benchmark ball.
I took the surface down to 1000 Grit, recommended for me by Jason Wonders
of Visionary. This ball is really different for me than the others in
my arsenal, seems to have a really smooth arc to it. I have had a little
trouble getting used to how smooth of arc, I basically don't want to
give it any hand at all and then it'll just make it's way to the pocket
but very smooth and have to fully trust it'll get there. Once it gets
there it hits hard, scatters the pins, and even when it doesn't quite make
it usually it'll still strike. I have to work a different type of line with
this ball than the Ogre Solid, more direct towards the pocket and not as
much of an arc. It also needs about medium oil, too much or too little then
it won't work optimally, I found the perfect amount of oil today when my Ogre
Solid was hard to keep from hitting the nose. The Gladiator solid at that
point worked great, when I got used to it I almost never missed the pocket.
I will probably get more used to this ball the more I use it, and like it
more and more, just wasn't used to the gradual arc at first or behavior of
over hooking when given too much hand at release.
Post by: bitbytebit on March 22, 2010, 11:30:58 PM
Post by: batbowler on June 05, 2010, 11:58:12 AM
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"Train a child up in the way they should go and when they are old they will "Get MOTIVated, with a Big B cause a Storm''s a brewing and not turn from it.
Bruce Campbell
USBC Bronze Certified Coach
IBPSIA Certified Technician
Originator of the -35deg x 25 leverage drilling!
http://www.motivbowling.com/products/2/
http://visionarybowling.com/?cat=4
Post by: VBP-Dustin on September 15, 2010, 06:00:32 PM
The Gladiator Solid was the first ball I wanted to drill up for this season because I usually fall in love with solids that have box surfaces of 2000k-4000k. I like these because for my game I can leave them box and they are the strongest in my bag or I can shine them up and have them be my benchmark ball. With this ball it had a nice 3-4 pin and around 2.75 on top. I first left this ball at box surface but quickly realized that for the house conditions around town that I would not get much use out of this guy. I just don’t see enough oil of the 30 or so places around town to use this guy but I did get a few games in at box surface and it gave me a nice archy reaction with a little pop on the backend. So back to the proshop I went and gave it some polish and boy did it make a difference. This ball was totally different for me because now it is something that I can use almost everywhere around town. I was impressed at how this read the lane and gave me a good amount of length and a great backend motion. This ball hits very well for me and the one thing that has stuck out for me would be the carry the deeper I get, it never seems to quit on me. So far I am impressed with this ball and will be able to give more updates as I use this guy more.
Post by: Visionary 4626 on April 16, 2011, 04:33:29 PM
LANE CONDITION
Length: 40'
Type: THS
COMMENTS
I now have several games at three different centers on this ball, so it is time to write a review.
Gladiator Solid:
# RG: 2.51
# Diff: .044
# Lane Conditions: Medium - Heavy
# Coverstock: Galea (Reactive Solid)
# Core: Mohawk
# Factory Finish: 2000 Abralon
3-4 top weight
3-4 pin
I tend to track high so the layout is as follows:
70 degrees x 30 degrees
4 x 4
Two of the centers I have bowled in use AMF synthetics and the other has synthetic heads with a guardian overlay over the remainder of the lane. I left the ball in OOB condition.
I found that I was able to stay with the Gladiator Solid for the entire set of 3 games on the all synthetic lanes by watching the breakpoint and making minor adjustments as needed. Carrydown occurs fairly quickly on these lanes, so you need to be aware of the ball reaction. This ball reacts with a strong arc with no quitting on the backend backend. On the guardian lanes I had to move inside quite a bit until the oil carried down and then could move outside a few boards with my feet. On both the all synthetics and guardian lanes the ball has a very dependable look. With the OOB surface the ball picks up in the mids and has a strong continuing backend arc. This is now my benchmark ball. I can swing it on medium or light oil or play straighter on oilier lanes. This ball handles carrydown better than any other ball in my arsenal at present. I would say that slower ball speeds would need open up the lane on any medium or lighter conditions with the OOB surface.
Visionary has put out a great ball that will work on multiple lane conditions for most bowlers. If you don't have this ball you should get it.
In my bag
Gladiator Solid
Spartan
Ogre Pearl
Ogre Pearl SS
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Tim Scott
Visionary Ball Test Staff Member