Nomad Pearl

[bowlrbob]

The new Nomad Pearl is a great compliment to the Nomad Solid. When the lanes are hooking a little early with the solid you can step right into the Nomad Pearl. The pearl will go through the front of the lanes with ease go longer and save energy for the back end. I drilled this ball with the pin just under the fingers in grip center with the cg directly below 12:00 stack. This ball came with a 1 and ¾ inch pin from cg. My track is high axis is 6 over and ¼ up. The great part is I found that I did not get skid flip. I got a nice controlled hard arc reaction in the back. Because the Pearl is saving energy the carry was exceptional. I used the Pearl in a local tournament on July 19th 2009 it was a single game elimination tournament. The lanes are synthetic heads to 30 ft. then wood to the decks. For this tournament short oil pattern was used. I started the tournament with the Roto Grip Mars to hold the back end flip down. The shot was tough so I just hung in there for two games. Then the transition hit the oil carried down very fast. I switched to the Nomad Pearl and the lane opened up for me. In the last 4 games of match play I had 225-244-218-222 and won the tournament. This on a shot that most of the bowlers could not get a read on the lanes and if they did could not carry. I had both with this ball. Try it with the Nomad Solid for a one two punch and coupled with the Cell line you will have all conditions covered. Bob Korth writer of ASK BOB Q. and A. article.

[dougb]

Thanks for the mini-review. These balls sound like winners... makes me think of the T-Road Solid and Pearl.

I'm also excited to see the Storm Reign in action.

[Rockteschel]

Roto Grip NOMAD PEARL, 15LB

I drilled my Nomad Pearl a week ago. The ball started out with a 3-1/2” pin and 3 oz. top weight. I drilled it 5 x 4-1/2 with a 1” pin buffer. I placed a weight hole 1” in and 1” up from my PAP as I needed to remove some side weight and some finger weight. The ball weighed in at ¾ side weight and ¾ finger weight when done. After drilled, the pin ended up above and to the right of my ring finger.
I bowled with this ball on a THS and it has strong movement off the break point. The house that I bowl at oils 39 feet. I started the ball at 3rd arrow and breakpoint at about 8 at 40 or so feet. The ball hits hard and retains energy nicely throwing the pins around the deck. When missing outside with the break point, the ball recovered nicely but had a tendency to leave a 9 or 6 pin. When I missed in it sat still hitting the pocket and throwing pins around and striking with a higher frequency than missing out but not as often as hitting the mark. If you like to throw pearls this will be a hit for you.
I bowled on the Shark pattern next. This layout did not match up with the length and volume of this pattern.
I bowled with this ball on Cheetah next. Like with Shark, it was a bit touchy but this ball matched up better on Cheetah as it had more dry lane to work with. When missing out it would recover but when missing in it did not sit. Neptune was my ball of choice for this pattern previously. I will pull my Nomad pearl out of the bag for this pattern first from now on.
Overall, I think that this ball will fit nicely under the Cell Pearl and over the Neptune. The Nomad Pearl will be a benchmark ball for those that only throw Pearl equipment. Good Job Roto Grip.

[tbs1]

Basically what I wanted for this piece was something for the transition.
If the Nomad Solid started burning up too quick, the plan was for me to make a small adjustment and switch to this ball.

Well sometimes plans change..

4 1/2 x 4 pin under ring finger.

This ball is its own animal. It took my expectations and shattered them, to say I am blown away is an understatement.

It does make it down the lane and it recovers!!

Its everything the Illusion was supposed to be.

Let me elaborate on that statement. The Illusion(for me) was too much over/under. If I sent it to the dry it would would react super hard, but if I kept it in, it would skate. Seemed to be very condition sensitive.

I feel that with this pearl I have room for error- almost like I can throw it anywhere with confidence.

Video Coming soon to YouTube (bowlerssolution) and bowlerssolution.com

Thanks,
--------------------
James McCarter
Co-Owner/Operator
The Bowlers Solution INC
Roto Grip Amateur Staff

[precisionrotoguy]

Layout- Pin 3 3/8” off of PAP (4 ¾” straight out) with a 7/8”x 1” hole 5” straight out.

I have been excited about the release of the Nomad and Nomad Pearl for a while, but in all honesty, both balls have exceeded my expectations. Believe it or not, my Nomad Pearl is stronger than my Cell Pearl (albeit it is also drilled a bit stronger and is newer) by roughly an arrow. What’s nice is the increased length this ball has over the middle and high end stuff Roto has released lately. It gives their lineup a completely different look they were lacking before. You can still get the smooth, archy reaction with the Cell line, but now the mid range stuff covers the longer stronger reaction missing from the line for so long. The Illusions were good, but the separation from the Cells wasn’t enough in my opinion. This ball, even with a stronger drilling, is clean through the front for me (a must considering I’m a high rev/medium speed player that is very “up the back” of the ball) and really aggressive on the back. The continuation is more than adequate and the ball punishes the rack in an almost violent manner. It makes me happy inside… lol..

The color is sharp, very reminiscent of the old Silver Streak Pearl (a ball sharing the same core as the new Nomads), but with blue instead of purple. It looks sharp on the rack, in your hands and going down the lane, not to mention on the pro shop shelf. The great part about this ball, as well, is its versatility. You can put this core in the hands of pretty much anyone and have success on a large variety of conditions, making it a must stock in the pro shop and a must have for bowlers looking for a little more from their benchmark ball.

[John Brodersen]

Ball specs – 15 lbs 3 oz, 3.12 top weight, 3.25 inch pin.

The Nomad Pearl was drilled using the dual angle drilling method. I was looking for additional length and a stronger move down lane to compliment the Nomad Solid (please refer to my Nomad solid review for specifics). The layout used was a 5-inch pin to PAP distance with a 55-degree drill angle and a 35-degree VAL angle. This placed the pin above the ring finger about 1 inch and the non-marked mass bias just below and about 2 ½ inches to the right of the grip centerline. The CG ended up 1 1/2 inches under and to the right of the ring finger but no extra hole was needed. The cover was left in OOB condition.

The Nomad Pearl is very clean through the fronts with about an additional two feet of length than the Nomad Solid. The backend move was quicker and also stronger off the spot (more angular) than the solid. The Nomad Pearl provides tremendous recovery and the pins really scoot when hit by this powerful pearl !

With the return of the “Rotary Core” combined with the new, tweaked cover stock, the Nomad Pearl and the Nomad solid is a hard combination to beat for those medium conditions. The Roto Grip Sword line continues to advance in performance.

John Brodersen

[RonCase823]

My Axis is 5 5/8 right, ¼ up, my speed is average and I would consider myself with higher revs but more up the back. So not a cranker but not really straight either.

Placed pin under ring finger and CG in positive thumb weight quadrine. Extra hole to right of thumb to get weights back to 0 thumb and ¾ side. This is how I had a couple of Silver Streaks drilled in the past and it worked then with those and it works really well with this ball. This ball is very smooth through the fronts and mid lane then it hits the back end and just goes hard. You cal also release it up the back more to play more parallel on the lanes and then it reads the mid lane a bit before it hits the back end jump (that release works well on the extreme outside shots I have come across on some PBA patterns). It’s a great ball for me when I have to move inside a lot because this ball has enough back end to turn the corner and get back to the pocket. This ball drilled this way has scored well for me on fresh house shots, PBA shots and even burned house shots especially when the heads go. The ball is like the older Silver Streak Pearl with a bit more kick.

[MoonsLefty]

The layout I used on my Nomad Pearl is 60 x 5 x 35, this places the pin above middle finger, and no balance hole.

This layout gives me a LOT more length than my Nomad Solid. I can move farther left and play straighter with this ball. I normally can't use many balls that a skid/flip but with this I can. Usually I get a lot of over/under with balls like this, but with the Pearl I don't. Even though this is a skid/flip ball, I actually don't get too much flip, nor do I get too much reaction off the break point. This could be a pearl ball that I can use more often than not.

[mred2u]

Drilled my first Nomad Pearl with a 5 1/2 pin under my middle finger and the ball is in box condition as of this review. My usual ball motion is an arc on the back end but this ball will go sideways in the back for me. I bowled on a PBA-X scorpion pattern and after 2 games I was able to open the lane up and finish third in the qualifying round. This ball compared to the Grand Illusion this is a ball that goes longer down lane and makes a stronger move off the spot. It really reminds my of the motion that the Mystic makes. I never got to use the Silver Streak line of balls so that is why would compare it to the Mystic. This is another winner front the Roto-Grip team and I am proud to be part of the team.


--------------------
Ed Riffle
Roto Grip Advisory Staff

[Bucko the Bowler]

This ball works great on wood or synthetic lanes and light to medium oil patterns. The ball seems to roll great on any distance of oil. It is clean through the front and mid lane. The ball has a very angular back action with good drive through the pocket no matter how deep or straight you are playing on the lane. With this ball’s strong backend reaction, the oil carry down does not seem to affect its reaction too much. Overall I feel that no matter what style and type of bowler you are everyone will get a great roll with this ball in their hand.

My drill settings: Pin under riddle finger 5-3/4 from PAP; CG swung out at 40° angle 4 inches from PAP; 11/16 weight hole over 4 inches, down 1-1/2 inches.
:D:D:D:D

[msherman]

Pin: 2.5 Inches
Top: 2.5 Oz

The Layout:

***Special*** Pin 2 Inches below the bottom of the Thumbhole with the CG in the thumb itself. There is a weight hole (3/4 Inch, down 2 inches) 2 inches below the pin

The reason this layout was chosen was to have a pearl ball read the midlane and still have that continuous pop on the back end due to the cover. It reverses the flare to the bottom of the ball which is why you need to pin 2 inches below the thumb because this is where the bow tie will be located.

The Motion:

This ball does exactly what I wanted it to do and more. It hits like a truck just like the Solid Nomad due to the fact that the ball itself is all Cover and Core (No filler), and it is remnant of the Silver Streak Pearl in so many ways but has a stronger, more versatile coverstock. This ball has a strong read on the midlane but still clears the heads with ease, even with the early rolling layout because of the pearl cover. I have used this ball on a variety of PBA patterns and THS’s, I can say it is a great ball out of the bag to read what the lane is doing. Overall, it can be used at any time. Off the break point, on a fresher pattern, it will fly because of the pearl cover. It really has an angular backend. Once oil carries down further the reaction smooths out but still has a great pearl reaction off the breakpoint.

Thoughts:

Not only is this ball a winner but this layout is as well. I am thinking of doing a similar layout to a Nomad Solid and possibly a Rogue!!!

[tonybowler]

For those that are looking for a big backend, look no further. Roto Grip Nomad Pearl delivers all the backend that is needed for today’s look. I will admit that it does need some dry boards for this look. But if there is oil, there are other balls in the Roto Grip line that delivers better in the oil. I drilled this ball as the same as my Nomad solid. I drilled it with a 4.5” pin and a 50 degree layout. The pin to VAL is 3”. I threw this ball with the out of box cover. I found this ball fitted me better from a deeper angle on the lane. This ball complemented the solid very well. I would not recommend changing the surface on this ball. It really retains the energy till it finds the dry boards then look out because hook is an understatement.

[pbacanuck]

When I drilled the Nomad Pearl I set it up the same as my Cell Pearl, with the pin 4 ½ from my axis and about 1 ½ above my finger holes. The pin was only out 2" on the ball so the cg ended up just to the right of my ring finger. I placed the weight hole through the CG, 4" from the center of my grip to prevent the ball from flaring over it. My plan was to have a ball with the same length as my Cell Pearl but with a more controllable backend. It worked exactly as I planned, with the only surprise being the backend was stronger and more continuous than I expected. To be honest if I didn't have both balls to roll back to back I would probably not even be able to discern the difference. As a Pro Shop owner if I have a customer that wants the reaction of a high end ball but can't afford it, the Nomad Pearl is an excellent choice.

[cmsubowler]

First ball out of my bag on all lane surfaces and patterns I have faced. Slight surface changes and your favorite layout will allow this ball to play on all lane patterns Including Shark and Cheetah. Drilling pattern is 4 and 5/8 pin to PAP with short 3/4 inch pin, 4 inches off PAP in the Thumb Positive quadrant inline with the thumb hole. Best surface is by far the 1000 abralon surface to help handle the heavier oil in the middle on a house pattern and to help smooth out how incredibly angular this ball really is. Nearly too good to be true out of my hand and directly out of the box. I have had favorites to write about on here and a staple of mine has been the Cell since it came out, but I have to say that if I don't have more than 2 of these in my bag by the end of the year I will shortly there after with possibly one in reserve. Keep up the great work Rotogrip. Keep this one around for a while guys.

[Mr Scary]

Drill angle – 70 Deg., Angle to VAL – 30 Deg., PIN to PAP distance – 4 ¼”. 15 lb, box finish

This ball is more skid flippy than the solid, but it does not give you much over-under reaction when it hits the dry. Similar to the Silver Streak Pearl, but again, slightly stronger. Another ball I really liked. I play a little straighter with this ball. Despite the pearl cover stock, it does not jump off the dry. The transition from oil to dry is very strong, yet forgiving and predictable. It wasn’t too long ago, I took the Silver Streaks out of my bag, now it fells like I have them back. Great job Roto Grip!!

[L.Hoffman]

I believe this Nomad Pearl will out shine the great Silver Streak pearl. With the same core as old Silver, but with the updated Ultra Vision Pearl Reactive I have found nothing was lost after the break point & the carry to the pocket was super. My drilling with a 3 inch pin…has the pin 1-½ inch above & left of ring finger...CG is out another inch w/ X-hole..My lst 4 games of practice was on a modified house-sport shot w 42 feet oil. As ta 70 plus LH stroker, I went up 1st arrow & the ball had a strong flip on back-end. High games of the 4 were 245-252.Last Thursday night I subbed on a house shot with 2 of my sons at Fremont Lanes, Michigan before going to AZ. for the winter.. With hand behind ball, I went 12 to 7-8 for 300 1st game & front 9- 278 2nd game..The boys had not seen Dad punch out a 300 before, so it was a special night for me.My Nomad games have all been out of the box…(Photo of Layout on Roto-Grip Web Reviews)...Larry Hoffman, Roto Grip Advisory Staff

[PaulMc]

I liked my Nomad Pearl from the first time I threw it. I have the pin over the fingers with the CG kicked out a little and the ball goes long pretty easily with a strong back end (much more so than I expected).

The first time I threw the ball in competition was in a six game sweeper here in Houston. Since it was a new ball, and I always have new ball fever that gets me in trouble, I put the ball up after a couple of shots. After the start of the 4th game, when I was out of the cash, I decided to try it again. I struck from the 3rd frame of the 5th game through the 7th frame of the 6th game where I left a solid 9. A seventeen bagger that took me from out of the cash to 3rd place. Pretty Cool!

I really like the easy length with this ball and the really strong back ends I get. The ball also really hits hard..

[BShep]

I drilled my Nomad Pearl 4 1/2 x 3 pin under ring finger. I did this because I wanted to compare with the Silver Streak SE drilled the same. For me, the Nomad Pearl is slightly longer with similar backend motion as the SS SE. I'd recommend this ball for use on medium/light to medium lanes.
I also compared this to an original Illusion and found similar length with 4-5 more boards of pop on the backend.
With this layout, the Nomad Pearl is slightly longer and not quite as strong in the backend as compared to my Nomad solid.

If you're looking for a high performance pearl at a lower than expected price point, you cannot go wrong with the Nomad Pearl.

[Rotomike]

Layout:
Pin: 4 1/2" from pap
Pin over fingers
CG: 4" from pap
no extra hole
surface: Box finish
On the House pattern I found that I could move in as much as I wanted and the Nomad Pearl would SCREAM back from the dry. The change of direction was very strong and definately loosened up my swing.
On the shorter PBA conditions I found the Nomad Pearl was very strong when the lanes were fresh and I found my best look when the fronts had broken down a bit and I was forced to open up my angle of attack. Confidant change of direction.
On the longer PBA patterns I found my best look at the very end of a block when the fronts really dried up and I wanted to keep my angles a little tighted.
Compared to the Illusion the Nomad Pearl I much cleaner through the fronts and is more angular.
I will report back when I play with the surface a bit.