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Thread: Arsenal #4 Officially Retired

  1. #1
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    Default Arsenal #4 Officially Retired

    Well, it's mid-late July...and that means a new arsenal. Before posting about the future...time to reflect on the past:

    Arsenal #4
    DV8 Thug Life (154 games)
    Average: 174.79 First Ball Average: 8.61 Strike %: 38%
    High Game: 266 (open bowling). High Series: 643 (sanctioned).

    Ebonite Warning Sign (70 games)
    Average: 178.83 First Ball Average: 8.82 Strike %: 42%
    High Game: 268 (sanctioned).

    Hammer Scandal Pearl (87 games)
    Average: 191.60 First Ball Average: 8.98 Strike %: 47%
    High Game: 267 (sanctioned). High Series: 652 (ABT Tourney).

    Track 300A (26 games)
    Average: 173.85 First Ball Average: 8.65 Strike %: 38%
    High Game: 244 (sanctioned). High Series: 605 (sanctioned).

    Details to follow...
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 185; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

  2. #2
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    The Track 300A was a dry lanes ball. It got very little usage in 2017-2018, so I kept it for 2018-2019.

    The best series I had with it was a 605 back in December 2016. Not sure why I decided to use it, probably was just desperate to find something that would work in that house...by far the harder of the 3 houses I bowled in back then.

    It was a 158-244-203. The high game was a 9 /, 8 /, X, X, X, X, X, 8 1, X, X X X.

    Despite the good game/series above; I would give this ball a rating of "E" on a scale of "A, B, C, D, E, and F". I have it ranked 14th out of 18 balls that I have used and retired. It really has very little movement and you almost have to be bowling on the exact right conditions for it to really perform well at all.
    Last edited by Aslan; 07-27-2019 at 09:18 PM.
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 185; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

  3. #3
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    The Thug Life was the ball I started with and used most often since having it drilled back in July 2017 to replace my Reax Pearl. It was NOT the ideal choice for a "first ball"....was a much better choice as a Ball #3...skid/flip option. However, I had the Scandal Pearl in that spot and I figured, given the specs, it would be a decent replacement for the Reax Pearl.

    The best game I shot with the Thug Life was a 266 during open bowling back in November, 2017.
    9 /, 9 /, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X 8 1.

    The best series I had with it was a 643 this past Wednesday...194-216-233.

    I would give the Thug Life a rating of C+ and have it as #8 on my Top 10 list of balls that I have used and retired.

    It was a very useful ball for me...putting 154 games on it. I just never saw the 'pop' with this ball that I expected based on similar balls like the Reax Pearl and the Scandal Pearl...which had the same drilling and very similar specs.
    Last edited by Aslan; 07-27-2019 at 09:19 PM.
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 185; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

  4. #4
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    The Ebonite Warning Sign was yet another pleasant surprise from an older Ebonite ball. Like the Innovate from the previous arsenal, I had very low expectations for the Warning Sign...which was not a very popular ball in the overall bowling community. It replaced the Innovate as my "Ball #2: ball down option". The specs were the same as the Innovate, the only difference was the hybrid cover (versus pearl cover of the Innovate).

    The best game I shot with the Warning Sign was a 268 during this summer league, back in mid-May.
    9 -, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X 9 /.

    The best series I had with it was a 594 during open bowling back in late 2017. Given that it's my "ball down option", it's not a ball I usually throw an entire series with.

    I would give the Warning Sign a rating of B- and have it as #7 on my Top 10 list of balls that I have used and retired.

    It didn't have the same 'pop' as the Innovate...I had to manipulate the surface a great deal more to try and get the ball to react the way I wanted it to. But, with the right surface...when the lanes broke down...it had a nice move to the pocket.
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 185; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

  5. #5
    Bowling God Aslan's Avatar
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    The Scandal Pearl was my "skid/flip" ball...designed to battle carrydown later in a series. The "concept" was that IF bowlers were throwing enough plastic and urethane...and it was pushing oil to the breakpoint...you'd need a ball with a strong backend motion to battle the effects of the carrydown. However, it has to have a surface that will allow it to go long through lanes that have transitioned.

    The ball was purchased because the Rotogrip Defiant Edge I was using back in 2016 just didn't work for me AT ALL. My coach recommended this ball as the best possible replacement...given what I needed and where my game was at. Most expensive ball I've ever purchased...$267 + $50 for drilling.

    The best game I shot with the Scandal Pearl was a 267 while subbing in the Friday league back in April 2017. Closest I've gotten to a sanctioned 300-game.
    X, X, X, X, X, X, X, X, 9 /, 9 / 9.

    The best series I had with it was a 652 in an ABT tournament back in November 2016 in Rancho Cucamonga.

    I have the Scandal Pearl rated as an A+ and as the #1 ball on my list of balls I've used and retired.

    The number 2 ball on my list is the Reax Pearl. The average of 191.60 wasn't quite as high as the Reax Pearl (192.06), but the strike % was the same (47%) as was the high game (267)...and the first ball average of 8.98 was actually higher than the Reax Pearl (8.91). And, the high series of 652 was probably the highest I've ever shot with one ball.

    Only 87 games in two seasons, but I think that's because PinPal only counts games where you use the ball for the entire game or start the game with it. The Scandal Pearl was a ball I often time switched to between Game 2 frame 8 and late into Game 3.
    In Bag: (: .) Motiv Trident Odyssey; (: .) Hammer Scorpion Sting; (: .) Pyramid Force Pearl; (: .) Brunswick Rhino Gold; (: .) Ebonite Maxim
    USBC#: 8259-59071; USBC Sanctioned Average = 185; Lifetime Average = 171;
    Ball Speed: 15.5mph; Rev. Rate: 240rpm || High Game (sanc.) = 300 (268); High Series (sanc.) = 725 (720); Clean Games: 181

    Smokey this is not 'Nam', this is bowling. There are rules. Proud two-time winner of a bowlingboards.com weekly ball give-away!

  6. #6
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    I haven't kept track like that but lately I have been switching balls after the 2nd game regardless and my 3rd game with a hybrid rotogrip danger have been near perfect. I start with a vapor zone as of 3 weeks ago..lanes are a bit dry and I'm a lefty

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