Pearl vs Solid (preferences)

[boatman37]

So I have 2 solids (Kingpin and Conspiracy) and 2 pearls (Black Widow Gold and Squatch). For the last 4 or 5 months I have only been using the pearls. Tried the solids here and there but just not liking what I see with them. The pearls have seemed to fit my game much better. So are there different types of bowlers where solids just don't fit their game or is it more of a situational thing and my lane conditions have just liked the pearls better?

[RobLV1]

Forget about pearls, hybrids, and solids. It's all about the surface preparation. Making three versions of bowling balls is nothing more than the ball companies trying to sell three of the same product.

[Blacksox1]

So I have 2 solids (Kingpin and Conspiracy) and 2 pearls (Black Widow Gold and Squatch). For the last 4 or 5 months I have only been using the pearls. Tried the solids here and there but just not liking what I see with them. The pearls have seemed to fit my game much better. So are there different types of bowlers where solids just don't fit their game or is it more of a situational thing and my lane conditions have just liked the pearls better?

Sounds like me, except it is solids instead of pearls.

[boatman37]

Forget about pearls, hybrids, and solids. It's all about the surface preparation. Making three versions of bowling balls is nothing more than the ball companies trying to sell three of the same product.

I agree with that Rob. I don't think any of my balls are at OOB (other than my new Squatch). Mine are all pretty much at less than OOB surface. I was more wondering if there is something about pearls that agree more with my style. No idea what that might be but if that is the case then I would try to reverse engineer that to figure out why

[bowl1820]

I agree with that Rob. I don't think any of my balls are at OOB (other than my new Squatch). Mine are all pretty much at less than OOB surface. I was more wondering if there is something about pearls that agree more with my style. No idea what that might be but if that is the case then I would try to reverse engineer that to figure out why

I don't believe you quite understood what Rob is talking about in regards to pearls, hybrids, and solids. What he's saying (and he's said it many times before) is that when it comes to pearls, hybrids, and solids there is no difference in them except the surface texture the company put on them (OOB). If you took a companies pearl, hybrid, and solid version of the same ball and drilled them the same and put the same surface texture on them, They would react the same. And the companies are just saying they are different to trick you in to buying more balls.

So it doesn't matter which one you get, it all come down to what surface you put on the ball.

Note there is some documented evidence to back this idea up , it was a video where they took a pearl and solid of the same ball, drilled and sanded them the same etc. etc and there wasn't much if any difference in how they reacted.

You can see it here:
http://www.bowlingboards.com/threads...d-and-Polished

There's a caveat though, the pearls, hybrids, and solids versions of the same ball, have to be the same to be fully true. Same cores, RG, Diff. numbers, layout etc. If these are different, the balls will react differently (at least to some degree) even if they have the same surface.

Something else to note too, is according to Mo Pinel.
MO:
"There are at least 2 ways to pearlize a ball.
1: If you use powdered pearl, you will NOT add length, just increase the shape of the breakpoint.
2: If you use liquid pearl (mother of pearl), you will definitely add length. "

MO:
"Pearl in the coverstock name refers to the presence of mica flakes in the coverstock. Mica is a 6:1 aspect ratio metal flake. There are different size mica flakes available and pearl comes in different forms. Pearl is available to me in two forms, one is powder and the other is a paste. I get a different ball reaction depending on which one I use. One acts like a performance additive and the other yields brighter colors without adding performance. This is very complicated chemistry and there are no rules here."

This shows there are other ways to "Pearl" a ball, Than just sanding or polishing them to make them react differently.

[boatman37]

So the surface on my pearls is more of the determining factor as to how they have been working for me? My Conspiracy is at 2000. I loved it when I got it but this summer the BWG worked much better. Now I got the Squatch and I noticed both of those pearl balls work better for me than the Conspiracy. So maybe the Conspiracy at 3000 or 4000 might work in the recent conditions? Don't think I will do that though because that is purposely at 2000 in case we have very oily conditions or I need to play the middle part of the lane. Lately they have been more on the dry side and I just haven't liked the reaction of the Conspiracy or Kingpin. The Kingpin is at 1000.

I do have a need for an in between ball after the BWG though. After the BWG all I have is the Rhino and it goes almost straight. I haven't had to ball down from the BWG but I think I have been at that limit and any drier and I would have needed less ball.

[bowl1820]

So I have 2 solids (Kingpin and Conspiracy) and 2 pearls (Black Widow Gold and Squatch). For the last 4 or 5 months I have only been using the pearls. Tried the solids here and there but just not liking what I see with them. The pearls have seemed to fit my game much better. So are there different types of bowlers where solids just don't fit their game or is it more of a situational thing and my lane conditions have just liked the pearls better?

Here I thought I would include this comparison of the four ball you listed.

All four ball are fairly similar in RG and Diff. Three are Asym's to begin with (the Int.Diff. are similar also) and the the fourth is a Sym. (But once drilled it becomes a Asym.)

Do they all have the same layout? If so, I think I would try picking the ball with the reaction you like best at the moment. Take the surface you have on that ball and sand/polish the two "Solids" that same surface and see how they compare to the "pearl" ball.

Company	Brunswick	Hammer	Radical	Radical
Ball Name	Kingpin	Black Widow Gold	Conspiracy	Squatch
Cover Name	ECA (Enhanced Composite Adhesion)	Semtex Pearl	Forged 2 Solid	Ai-39
Cover Type	Reactive Solid	Reactive Pearl	Reactive Solid	Reactive Pearl
Box Finish	500 / 1500 SiaAir	500 / 1000 Abralon / Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish	500 / 3000 SiaAir	500 SiaAir / Crown Factory Compound / Crown Factory Polish
Color	Black / Light Blue / Purple Solid	Gold	Black	Black / Teal / Platinum
Core Name	Kingpin Ultra Low RG	Gas Mask	NA	NA
Core Type	Asymmetrical	Asymmetrical	Asymmetrical	Symmetrical
Radius of Gyration (RG)	2.483	2.50	2.487	2.482
Total Diff.	0.055	0.058	0.056	0.054
Int. Diff.	0.020	0.016	0.021	0.000

[bowl1820]

Whoops you posted while I was writing.

So the surface on my pearls is more of the determining factor as to how they have been working for me?

More than likely, Their surface is matching up better with your current conditions. That's why I suggested sanding the solids to that same surface. You'd probably would find they would start working better and/or give you something to ball up or ball down to depending on whats happening.

My Conspiracy is at 2000. I loved it when I got it but this summer the BWG worked much better. Now I got the Squatch and I noticed both of those pearl balls work better for me than the Conspiracy. So maybe the Conspiracy at 3000 or 4000 might work in the recent conditions? Don't think I will do that though because that is purposely at 2000 in case we have very oily conditions or I need to play the middle part of the lane. Lately they have been more on the dry side and I just haven't liked the reaction of the Conspiracy or Kingpin. The Kingpin is at 1000.

I do have a need for an in between ball after the BWG though. After the BWG all I have is the Rhino and it goes almost straight. I haven't had to ball down from the BWG but I think I have been at that limit and any drier and I would have needed less ball.

As close as those balls are in spec. something inbetween as far as the numbers are concerned isn't going to be that different.

As is I think just adjust surfaces to give you a big spread in reactions, before buying a new one.

[boatman37]

I did have them all similar at one point but then they all reacted similarly so when conditions got extreme I didn't have anything to go to, at least in my mind. Like I had no options if the lane dried up. Currently my Kingpin stays at home, the Conspiracy is for really oily conditions (which we haven't seen in awhile), the Squatch is my go-to, and the BWG is for game 3 when it starts drying up. The Rhino is at 5000 polished and I use that for 4, 7, and 8 pins. I tried the Rhino at 1000 before to have something if it got real dry but even at 1000 it barely moved

[bowl1820]

I did have them all similar at one point but then they all reacted similarly so when conditions got extreme I didn't have anything to go to, at least in my mind. Like I had no options if the lane dried up.

Okay that's shows you basically have four balls just alike and the spec's kind of bare that out.

Currently my Kingpin stays at home, the Conspiracy is for really oily conditions (which we haven't seen in awhile), the Squatch is my go-to, and the BWG is for game 3 when it starts drying up. The Rhino is at 5000 polished and I use that for 4, 7, and 8 pins.

I tried the Rhino at 1000 before to have something if it got real dry but even at 1000 it barely moved

The Brunswick Rhino Black was a polished ball (OOB: 500 Siaair / Crown Factory Compound / Crown Factory Polish) originally. Now it wasn't a big hooker to begin with, But sanding it to a courser grit (1000) to use on a dry lane would more than likely cause it to read the friction even earlier, straighten out and not do anything. (Which is basically what you said happened "at 1000 it barely moved", assuming nthe lanes weren;t wetter than you thought they were.).

IMO with the 4 balls I assume they are all drilled basically the same, to see bigger changes in reactions between them. You need to have bigger changes in surface grits between them.

Since the Squatch is your go-to ball currently, leave it as is and try to use it as a benchmark and adjust the others in relation to it. Take the one you think would be best for oil sand it, best best for dry polish it etc. see what happens.