Got my Particle Gryphon on the lanes last night and boy what a treat this piece is.

It's 16 pounds with a 3-4" pin out distance drilled for early roll.  The layout the operator put on it has the pin next to the ring finger (about an 1"), the CG kicked out slightly from there, but it is under the center line in the positive thumb quadrant.  The weight hole was placed down in there as well on the VAL for early roll.

The lane condition I used it on was wood surface, fresh upper medium crown pattern, outside of ten develops a hold area.  I don't know the units or the length of oil laid on the lanes.

On the lanes I lined up with my slide foot on 25 using the ten board as my break point.  I was able to keep this line the whole night, with the major adjustment being speed corrections.

The Burgundy Gryphon for me, got through the heads well and picked up about the 30-35 foot mark.  Just like I wanted it to, it revved up in the mids and didn't hesitate to turn the corner.  The move is pretty aggressive, once it turns it won't stop until it falls off the pin deck.  The reaction shape is like a crescent moon, relatively smooth but strong at the same time.  Even though it's a strong hard arc, the Gryphon still retains a decent sized backened for an aggressive particle.  Actually it felt like I was playing on a wall, just toss it out and watch as it revs, then hooks back into the pocket.

The ball will hold the line some in oil, but not too much because when it wants to move it will.  If you put it in the dry too soon it will fly off the lane.

It's very release friendly and responded well to various tracks and speeds.  If I turned the ball harder, it would cover more boards, if I played a lower track it would make a bigger move towards the back.  Obviously it's easy to control the ball and get out of it what you put in to it.  It's pretty forgiving with any release mistakes, not too forgiving on speed mistakes though, unless you're in enough oil to hold the line some.

This is a huge flaring ball and I wouldn't recommend using it on medium to lighter patterns or house walls because it would probably explode from burn out.  The flare rings are numerous and widely spaced out over at least 60% of the ball.

It hits harder than the Blue Gryphon, and carries better than it too.  As a matter of fact I'm quite interested in the G-3 now, because of the new Gryphon core.

Compared against:

Army Green Carbide Bomb: The Gryphon starts at least six feet earlier, not as squirty, more agressive turn once it starts moving, but less backend.  Hits two time as hard and carries alot better.

Original Ash Black Super Carbide: Almost the same here, pretty much the same reaction shape except the Super Carbide rolls at your feet and continues down the lane.  It also has more flare than the Burgundy but can cover the same amount of boards, maybe a bit stronger over all.  Hit and carry power are the same, except the Super Carbide generates more pin action only.

Purple Ice Executioner: Both early rolling balls, but the Burgundy doesn't roll as early as the Purple.  It doesn't roll as true as the Purlple neither, I'd say the Burgundy makes it at least ten extra feet before it goes into a roll.  The Purple doesn't have any real backend since it rolls like urethane, and is smooth all the way down the lane.  Obviously the Burgundy will have more backend than the Purple.  Hit and carry are the same...

Overall the Burgundy is pretty aggressive and will work wonders for anyone needing an extra bite through heavier stuff.  I only ran into a problem when the no handed straight ball bowlers carried down the oil all over the place.  The Burgundy hesitated to turn and I hit the pocket very flat because of that.  Since I was being tentative I didn't want to over turn the ball knowing it may jump on the backend.

Take your pick, either the Granite or the Burgundy, but from what I've seen the Burgundy is more aggressive.

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"The future is a mystery, the past is history, and the today is a gift, that's why it's called the present."~Kirk Jones~

Pin_Krusher IS a serious threat to modern day bowling wood as we know it today.


Edited on 1/12/2004 9:46 AM