Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
Post by: SKIP on October 13, 2000, 02:00:00 AM
Post by: Doug Sterner on May 16, 2001, 08:49:30 PM
I received the ball used from a friend. Drilling is a basic 12:00 drill with the grip shifted 1/2 inch for some side weight and a tad finger.
This ball is just a plain beast.
I started my summer scratch league last week and was told that our "new" normal house shot would not be there...32 feet tophat, buffed to 40, 1-day old backends. Instead, the lane man went to more of a flat oil shot with a severe out of bounds.
Since the Scorcher was too long I got out my X-it (see previous review). The ball didn't move. I was standing 10, throwing 12 if that gives you any indication. So I figured why not try the ball?
Not only did the ball hook, it went past the headpin and clipped the 2 pin on it's way to drill the 4. I now had AREA. This ball makes my X-it look sick!
The coverstock is a very fuzzy feeling cover and it loves oil. The more oil it gets on it the better it reacts. Very strange but very cool as well.
If you need a ball for the soup, find one of these. YOu will not be disappointed.
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
www.dougsproshop.com
Post by: TRMC47 on August 03, 2001, 10:17:41 AM
Post by: audize2 on January 23, 2002, 06:07:37 PM
Post by: lander0 on May 08, 2002, 06:06:34 PM
revs,and my scorcher is drilled maxed out for me.The only suggestion I have
is not to max it out.With my speed I believe the shell burns up on me before
it has time to react.But all in all I think this is a great ball.
Brent Couch
Test Staff
Post by: MichiganBowling on June 05, 2002, 11:41:28 PM
Update: Still very much a condition ball for me. It still gets an A out of me just because it carries so well. 93% grade.
Post by: Ball_Tester on June 13, 2002, 07:17:34 PM
Right Handed Tweener
15.0 to 16.5 mph (typically, but dependant on shot)
Above avg. Hand
Likes: Best oil ball ever created.
Dislikes: This ball stinks so badly, it can give you a headache. It would be nice if they could have added smells to it, like Storm has done to cover up the stench.
I went out and tried this one on fairly oily synthetic heads, and wood backends. This ball hooks a ton, and needs a lot of oil. Like all the other stuff I have thrown from Visionary this ball hits the pocket like a ton of bricks. From the other reviews I have read on this ball I expected it to hook early and set in the pocket. From my experience this ball arcs back into the pocket much stronger than one would think, and doesn't over/under like a lot of stuff on the market today. The Schorcher hooks a couple feet earlier than my Granite Gargoyle, but as I said doesn't lose any hitting power. I believe that Visionary's particle technology is far better than any of their other competitors in the industry. I'll give this one a 8.5 out of 10. It deserves a much better rating, but I don't bowl anywhere that I would need this thing any more than about 6 frames of the first game (but that's why I have my granite). If you bowl on a ton of oil or don't have any hand by all means buy this ball. Visionary is definitely the best kept secret in the bowling industry. Try one and you won't regret it.
UPDATE
The Midnight Scorcher has become one of my favorite ball for oily lanes. I added a little polish to this thing, and the ball is incredible It arcs the entire lane, and hits as good as anything else on the market. If you want a ball for the soup I believe this is the best thing on the market. I'll increase my first review of this ball to a 9 out of 10.
Post by: leftyjimbo on July 15, 2002, 10:53:50 AM
Pin:2-3
T.W. 2.75 oz.
Drilling: 3.5x4 extra hole on val mass bias just below and right of thumb
Lefthanded stroker w/ low to med revs and med speed
Typical house shot: 38 feet with dry backends
I had trouble with this ball rolling out on my typical house shot until I sanded the ball with the track instead of across it. This is the best oil ball I've ever had...got to try it on heavy oil at the state tournament in the team event and shot 660. I would recommend this ball to anyone looking for a heavy oil ball
Good Job Visionary
Post by: roystriker on March 16, 2003, 10:49:46 PM
Weight: 15.05#
Top Wt: 2.4 oz.
Pin: 2-3"
Drilled using an approx. 10:30 pattern--pin directly above the ring finger, CG mark about 1.5" right of center, and mass bias slightly below and to the right of the thumb hole. Kept ball in out of box condition (320 Wet-sanded) This drilling gets the ball farther down the lane before getting into its roll in the back part of the midlane. The DC [offset] core produces a large flare, and combined with the aggressive nature of the "retro-active" coverstock allows the ball to make a hard arc into the pocket and hit with little or no deflection. If you're looking for a skid/flip reaction, I would not recommend this ball. THIS BALL NEEDS OIL!!!! It is very condition specific, so I don't get to use it often; nonetheless I feel that my arsenal would not be complete without it. I give it an 8+ out of 10 due to its lack of versatility.
--------------------
Leroy H.
roystriker@verizon.net
Visionary Test Staff Member
Post by: phippsk on September 11, 2003, 08:53:30 PM
pin 1-2"
Drilling: pin below ring finger, cg at 6:00
This ball needs a lot of oil. I have not met any conditions in league or tournaments in which I need this ball. For me, this ball rolls early and very heavy. It is fairly forgiving, but does tend to roll out if it hits some dry on the lane. This ball does seem to kick out a lot of 10 pins. I would not recommend buying this ball unless you are having a problem getting the ball to hook, because of excessive oil.
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email: http://phillial@student.gvsu.edu
AIM: phippsk813
ICQ: 81438986
Post by: A_P_K on February 26, 2004, 11:59:15 PM
My Scorcher is 16 pounds, has a pin out distance of 2-3" and is drilled pin next to the ring finger with the CG kicked out far enough to the right to put the MB on the VAL.
I needed an early rolling drill on a very high load particle ball to combat my Thursday synthetic league. The oil pattern is 40 foot flat no buff, sometimes walled 10-10 sometimes not. No matter what carrydown forms after the 6th frame of the first game. To compensate 90% of the league playing up the five or ten board and creating a wall, I use the Scorcher and play deeper than everyone else.
On the lanes this ball rolls extremely heavy and early, it gets about 20 feet down the lane before it digs into the surface and starts to roll. The reaction shape is a very even arc that is continuous until it falls off the pin deck. The Scorcher doesn't cover very many boards, probably about five in the heaviest oil and carrydown which is more than enough to get the job done. It flares a decent amount, around the vicinity of 4+" even in sludge.
The point I was trying to make with this ball on this condition was to use something that started very early, utilizing the heavy head oil, and also something that wouldn't go beserk once it hit the dry.
It's possible for me to play a tight line like 15 to 10 staying inside other bowlers, or play deep like 20 to 10 with slow speed as well. As long as you have a ton of oil the Scorcher is managable from many angles, and won't loose carry or hit from that.
Obviously a higher track will make the ball start earlier than a low track will, it's semi speed sensitive because we're talking about the floods here. Since this ball wasn't designed to cover many boards you can't swing it way out and expect it to bounce back. YOu can tug the line some and it will hold, but once dry becomes more apparent the ball will move sooner.
The more oil you see the better the ball will play, it will grow a beard after the first game once it absorbed more oil, which will cause it to roll harder and earlier. As I said before it will hit and carry like all other Visionary equipment does on the floods, which is a plus.
The only down side is that since the ball abosrbs all this oil, it makes clean up a pain in the rear.
If you need more hook/roll apply some oil to the ball before league starts, where you'll get that is beyond me but Visionary says to do so...
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Stunt 101
Pin_Krusher IS a serious threat to modern day bowling wood as we know it today.
Post by: Pro Street on March 31, 2004, 12:25:05 AM
) BTW:: I am Audize2`s son---Look at his review
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Rollin- Rollin-Rollin
Keep that bull sh*t flowin
Drinking beer while bowlin
Hoora!!!
I got lost in my mind! DOES ANYONE HAVE A MENTAL MAP!!??
Post by: Gene J Kanak on April 12, 2004, 12:22:42 PM
Specs: 16.12 lbs
Pin 3-4"
Top 2.6 oz
Drilled: pin next to ring, cg stacked below, small weight hole on pap, box finish
Have not thrown this ball in competition just yet, as it is intended to be my flood ball. I have, however, tested it in a couple of patterns.
Condition 1: Medium-heavy volume 10-10 taken down to 40 feet.
On this pattern the Scorcher could be played from a variety of angles, but carry was off an on, as the ball dug its teeth into the clean backends and lost a bit of energy.
Condition 2: Heavy volume up front 10-10 and taken down to 36 feet.
On this pattern the Scorcher was simply an animal. It got rolling very early and gave a smooth and predictable arc to and through the pocket. The ball could be played anywhere from down and in to deep inside on this pattern, as the heavier volume up front allowed the ball to do what it does best: chew through oil.
Overall this ball is impressive. It appears that the more oil you have, the more this ball will impress you. I've heard that it doesn't polish easily, and I would not advise trying. This ball was meant for oil, thick, soupy, oil, period. If you throw it on the conditions for which it was designed, you will not be disappointed. No surprise, this is another winner from Visionary.
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Bowling is without a doubt the dumbest, most pointless, most idiotic excuse for a game that has ever been invented. So, what time are we bowling tomorrow?
Post by: Mr Pantera on February 03, 2005, 09:47:36 PM
Anyways,
Ball Specs::
13.6lbs after drill
Drilling
Flip Pin Location- Leverage (3 3/8" from axis) - for best length / hook combination.
Locator Pin Location- 1:30 ( / ) - (Strong Arc) - place the locator pin to the left of the thumb
Lane Conditions- Various, ball seems to hook more as my alley put more oil out.
Reaction from the Scorcher was just how I drilled it. It had a very nice arc right to the pocket. Could not possibly make this ball snap if I tried. Very nice rolling for all types.
Hook out of this ball wasnt really what I was expecting, but yet again I was about 11 at the time. I also was using a brace. Doing so I probably hooked it a good 10 boards or so. Shot 6.. something with this ball my 3rd time out in league.
Control with the Scorcher is terfreckinrific! I could not miss with this ball. It had always found a way to recover. Threw it to far right, it would get a few boards more, threw it to far left, it held line and came in flush.
Hit with the Scorcher wasnt to grand because of the obvious that it was only 13 pounds. But for a 13 pounder it sure did get me allot of strikes. I had to keep the ball a little bit higher in the pocket because it would just bounce off the pins cause of weight.
Readability can be related to the control. I always knew what this ball was going to do once I threw it. I knew if I threw I horrible shot, of course I would not get a good result, but if it was somewhat close to my line, I knew I had a good chance of striking.
Overall this ball has been a great one. It was my second finger tipped ball and it helped me practice my mechanics and such. It was a sad day when I had to sell it cause it was WAY to light for me
A great ball by Visionary though. If you have the chance to pick one of these stink bombs up, do it! If you dont, well, your StupidGreat Job Visionary
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Bowling is the DEVIL
Post by: Spike2112 on January 24, 2006, 06:41:27 PM
Spike
Post by: Nor Cal Bowler on July 14, 2008, 04:16:57 AM
Right Handed
Speed: 16-19 mph
Rev Rate Not sure
Bowling Ball Specs:
Weight: 16.05
Layout of ball: Stacked Leverage
Surface of bowling ball: Box Finish
Lane Conditions: House Shot
Type of Lane: Synthetics
Likes: Ball hits like a truck! Not enough oil around to use it
This ball is very unique! I got it used from raiderh20boy here on the board with hardly any games on it. It soaks up oil like a bad boy, but like I said I can't really use it this summer. The cover isn't like any other particle cover from Visionary, and I can't wait to use it in an upcoming tournament, provided there is lots of oil!
--------------------
Visionary Test Staffer 08/09
Post by: Mbosco on January 30, 2012, 12:08:31 AM
Have you ever sliced butter? That's what this ball does to oil: it cuts right through the oil, finds any tiny bit of friction it can, and starts to move. Mine is drilled stacked leverage for a full roller, and I have to give it a LOT of angle through the front to keep it right of the 1-3 (probably more than normal because I'm a lower speed player). This thing will also beat up the heads like no tomorrow. I don't usually find myself moving more than once in a 6 game practice session with anything I throw, but if I repeat the exact same shot with this ball I'm moving every 4-5 frames or less. It's pretty intense.
Needless to say most bowlers will never find a house shot to use this on. I use it in the most flooded house I know and I still end up lofting to get it to push far enough right. However, at a competition with a sea of oil, this ball gives me complete confidence that no one has the look I have (and as they move left they're moving into burnt up heads tehehe). Just push it far enough right and let it plow through the pins.
Post by: nord on June 30, 2017, 11:23:01 PM
The Midnight Scorcher is a super strong Particle Urethane ball made by Visionary Bowling. The specs of the DC core are: a high RG of 2.67 but also a very high Differential of .069. The ball is actually a weak asymmetric with an intermediate differential of .006. These core specs, combined with the super strong cover, make the ball very smooth and controllable with a very heavy roll.
I laid this ball out as a symmetric, which is ok to do because of the weak asymmetry.
I am a Full Roller and drilled the ball with a strong Full Roller layout with pin at 3 3/8”.
According to Visionary Bowling the particles in the ball are a very tough, but soft Polybutadiene compound, somewhat similar to the rubber used in tires. The particles have the ability to absorb small amounts of oil and expand slightly to create even more traction in the oil, and that is why the ball feels like it has beard stubble once it gets some oil on it. The Particles act like tire treads and allow the Scorcher to hook in even the heaviest oils.
The stock grit is 320 wet sand, but this has been way too strong for me on a house shot so far.
After experimentation, I settled on 1500 grit. This suits my slower ball speed and full roll. Remember, when changing the surface of this ball, only use Scotch-Brite pads or you will sand down the particles and lose the reaction.
Jason at Visionary bowling said, if you ever need to truly refinish a Midnight Scorcher, (should you get one that was polished or sanded down with an Abralon or Siaair pad) first wet sand the ball on four sides with 200 grit Wet/Dry sand paper on a ball spinner and then repeat with 320 Wet/Dry sand paper. This will restore it to brand new, out of box condition. You can then use Scotch-Brites from there to tune the surface.
In the test video below, I am bowing on the Big Ben pattern and the lane surface is the very slick Brunswick Anvilane. This particular lane is very, very smooth as it never gets league play and has not been tracked in. Compared to the same pattern on the league lanes, this lane has 6 boards less hook for me with this ball, so I had to stand more right and go down and in. I wanted to challenge the ball and see if it could hook and roll through this much oil even at 1500 grit.
I think you will see for yourself that the answer was yes!
This truly is a unique ball which seems specially made for my vintage style of of play.
Enjoy the heavy rolling, hard hitting Midnight Scorcher which I have dubbed: “The Dragon!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eprmr4vLp1Q
Post by: nord on December 31, 2018, 08:36:57 PM
This day I was bowling on Brunswick Pro Anvilane with the Big Ben pattern.
The oil was especially dense today and possibly carried down from open house ball play.
I took three balls this day:
1. Purple Hammer at stock 500/1000/2000 grit
2. Visionary New Breed Solid at 3000 grit.
3. Midnight Scorcher at 800 grit Scotch-Brite. (The gray pad)
In the video below you will see 4 shots with each ball.
The Purple, followed by the New Breed, followed by the Scorcher.
I am laying each ball right into the dry, directly up 8.
I am going up the boards and giving the balls every chance to hook.
As you will see, the Purple will not even grab the lane and just bounces off the pins.
The New Breed rotates all the way down the lane barely grabbing at the very end, but then also just bouncing off.
Then the Scorcher.
You can see it rolling up so early and strongly and just walking through the rack.
This is the purpose for which the Scorcher was created, to be a heavy oil ball that allows you to control the pocket and get roll when no other balls will roll.
Also the Scorcher is not bothered by carry down either, it just rolls!
Also the Scorcher does not cover a lot of boards once it gets rolling, but goes pretty straight. This is a big bonus in ball motion because you know you can keep the ball on a nice line and have a lot of control, yet with a very powerful ball.
Enjoy the Scorcher once again, doing its thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SydoaZ6cnQ
Post by: nord on January 25, 2019, 11:29:28 PM
They are out of business.
No more Visionary balls!!! :'(
Because of this loss to the bowling industry, I felt it was very important to contact Jason Wonders of Visionary bowling and try to get an interview with him.
Because of the unique design and capabilities of the Midnight Scorcher, for me it was vital to get a record of the design and intent that went into it.
Below is that interview.
Please enjoy this rare and informative look into one of the most iconic balls ever created, the "Midnight Scorcher."
Q: What year was the Scorcher first released?
A: April 1999
Q: How did the idea of creating a particle urethane ball come about, what was the design intent?
A: One of the main issues with tournament bowlers at the time, was heavy oil patterns at the beginning of the tournament. Many bowlers would flop on their first two games simply because they were getting an erratic reaction, or not getting any reaction at all on the heavier oil patterns. Our goal was to create a ball that would not only handle the heaviest of oil patterns but also give them control and enough drive to carry the corners. So we took the power of the DC Core design, and combined it with the control of urethane and the traction of a particle ball.
Q: What type of urethane base formulation did you use in the creation of the Scorcher, it seems very hard, durable and strong?
A: It is definitely a very durable coverstock, but I would not say that it's hard. The shore D hardness was in the typical range for a urethane bowling ball. It is however, very impact and scratch resistant, and creates a decent size footprint on the lane. This in turn helps create more traction. The base urethane material is simply a blend of the strongest urethane's that we used in the 80s and very early 90s.
Q: Can you tell me about the type of particles used in the Scorcher and how they work?
A: The particles are a soft polybutadiene material that flexes and creates a tread similar to that of a tire. It works by allowing the particle to touch the lane surface instead of completely hydroplaning over the oil.
Q: What is the best way to maintain the coverstock of the Scorcher and when changing grits, what is the recommend way to do this to prevent damage to the particles?
A: The easiest way to maintain the cover is simply to use a 320 grit wet dry sandpaper, and wet sand it on a spinner. The particles are evenly distributed throughout the entire cover, so as you sand it down, more particles break through to the surface. Because the cover is so scratch resistant, you may need to start with a slightly lower grit sandpaper and work your way up to 320. You do not have to worry about the particles being damaged on the scorcher, because they flex. Eventually they will wear down slightly and you will need to resurface the ball, but you should have to do it less frequently than most particle balls.
You will need to clean the ball fairly often because this type of urethane will keep the oil at the surface of the ball instead of absorbing it like a reactive. All you need to do is use any kind of ball cleaning product, or even a wet rag with dishwashing detergent. Detergents are designed to break down oils, so if you simply lather the ball with a dishwashing detergent, and then rinse it off, it should remove the majority of the oil from the surface of the ball.
Q: Am I correct in understanding that the original Stock Grit of the Scorcher was 320 wet sand? This seems pretty darn strong for a normal house shot. What types of oil patterns did you expect the Scorcher to be used on?
A: Yes, it came factory finished at 320 sand. As previously mentioned, the intent for this ball was simply to give bowlers an opportunity to score well in the first few games of a tournament, especially on heavy, long oil patterns. For many bowlers the first couple games of a block were the only thing keeping them from cashing consistently. The difference between shooting 160 and 210 at the beginning of a tournament can be the difference between winning and not even cashing.
Q: If I understand correctly, the Scorcher has a weak asymmetric core that has a very, very high RG of 2.67 and a very, very high Diff of .069 with an intermediate Diff of .006. How was this core chosen for the Scorcher and why did this seem like the ideal core for this ball?
A: First I would say weak is a misused term at times. I like to use the term mild asymmetric because the term weak implies that the core is not very strong which would be an incorrect statement. The reason for using a core with such a high RG is simply to allow the ball to get down the lane a little further. With such a strong cover, an earlier rolling core would have made the ball start too soon on the lane and hit weak or not carry well. We tested a few different core designs, but the DC core gave us exactly what we were looking for. A ball that handled the oil very well, gave us a nice controlled reaction, yet still hit hard enough to carry almost as well as a reactive.
Q: Is the Scorcher a two-piece ball or a three-piece?
A: In my opinion this is very outdated terminology. A three-piece simply refers to a pancake weight block, while a two piece refers to any dynamic core. This is because in the early stages of core development, most dynamic cores were simply one density. So you had either a single density core and cover (2 pieces) or a pancake weight block that has two densities and a cover (3 piece). Most people would refer to the scorcher as a quad density core two piece bowling ball. In reality it is a five piece ball because the core is four different density pieces.
Q: I see a very unique ball shape from the Scorcher compared to other urethane balls. The Scorcher seems to go very straight and starts hooking in the mid-lane and then transitions into a very heavy roll that arcs very moderately to the pins. But even though it doesn't look like the Scorcher has moved much, or covered many boards, when it hits the pins it's like an A-bomb went off! Even light hits are blasting the pins apart or shooting them all over the place. Even a low rev/low ball speed player like myself is seeing this effect. What do you attribute this heavy hitting power too?
A: This is a topic of debate for a lot of people as well. The term hook varies depending upon who you talk to. In my opinion the scorcher hooks a lot. It may not appear to because it is not very angular, but the total deviation from its initial trajectory is significant.
If you are on a truly long, heavily oiled lane pattern, and you try to throw most reactives on the same line, you'll see that the scorcher "out hooks" most reactives.
The hitting power comes from a combination of both the core and the cover. The core helps the ball get into a nice continuous roll while the thick cover helps create maximum impact with the pins.
Q: I also see another unique property of the Scorcher compared to other urethane balls, its seems immune to carry down. I can use the Scorcher on the same line for a long time and never see it quit in the back. People can be throwing plastic up the middle and urethane on the sides and still the Scorcher keeps hooking just like it did on the fresh. If anything, as the set goes on, I am forced left with the Scorcher, like you might see with a resin ball that eats the oil off the lane. How is the Scorcher able to do this?
A: The particles play an important role in making sure that the ball is not affected too much by carry down. Again I will liken it back to the tread on the tire. If a tire has good tread, it is not affected too much by oil or water. However if you put racing slicks on in place of a tire with good tread, it will be great on dry pavement but as soon as it hits any oil or water it will just spin and lose traction.
Q: Where did you get the idea for the name of the ball and the Dragon logo?
A: At that time our company was basing our logos on medieval characters, and a dragon just seemed like a proper fit for a ball that would just chew through the oil.
Q: Can you remember any other cool facts about the Scorcher or any stories from people who have used it?
A: I have had countless people tell me their stories about how their Scorcher would hook when no other ball could. Many bowlers with average, to below average revs, won tournaments, or made the TV finals because they shot 220- 250 when everyone else was struggling to shoot 180 because there was too much oil on the lanes.
My favorite story came from a High-ranking amateur player, who shot 849 for his first three games of a tournament, and was 190 pins ahead of everybody else in the field. He ended up being high qualifier for the stepladder finals by 65 pins. The reason that his story will always stand out in my mind is not only because he bowled great, but because that is exactly what the ball was designed to do. It gave him a tremendous advantage during the first few games of the tournament, when nobody else could get their ball to hook. When you hear stories like that it validates all the hard work you put into designing and developing a ball.