I thought 50x5x60 was the one.

well Justin, i guess we will be talking layouts soon for a raptor for myself... cant wait to see what you can come up with.

Justin,

So should I plug and redrill my ball? The layout listed in my sig is the one you gave me. I'm not sure what else to do with the ball. I don't know if it's burning up or not because I don't bowl on anything heavier than the Kegel High Street. I bowled on the Kegel Broadway the past weekend but the Raptor was way too strong for that.

10 yr old Brunswick synthetics. I have not shined it. It's 1k now.

I gotta respond to all of this...hope I don't step on anyone's toes...we are all just trying to get the best out of the equipment we use...but..............

The Raptor is great; I love mine. But, it isn't the ball for every center or every condition; no ball is. I can't even use mine from league to league or week to week in the same center. Conditions change. Oil moves; sometimes it appears to not even be there.

Point is that based upon your statistical info given to Justin, he gave you a layout that should possibly be best for the ball and you, albeit if the lane condition/surface matches up. That does not mean it will work in your center(s) every day or even at all. Lane topography, weather, lane machiine, oil choice, lane cleaner choice, buffer condition, etc. play a big, no HUGE, role in what works or doesn't. Most of today's game, after achieving a certain level of skill, is based upon ball to condition to player match-ups.

I would guess that if your Raptor is hitting like a marshmallow and you've been given a layout that matches your stats, that the ball surface doesn't match up to the friction available. Thus, as Justin said, polish it.

Then that brings me to ....

I never understand drilling a strong dull/matte finish ball and then polishiing it to react like a out of box polished ball. I guess people could save money by buying 1 ball, a spinner, cleaner, polishes, abralon pads, et. al. and bringing the 1 ball and the surface adjusting equipment to bowling. Then just change the surface to match what you need that set.

oops...that won't work cause you can't scuff (dull) the surface in the middle of a block....so if you needed to go from polished to dull your are out of luck...

One ball doesn't fit all conditions. If you change it and then go somewhere which needs earlier/different reaction than you change it to, then you'll be back in the same boat.

Oh, and by the way, while we are at it...
Hey Justin, I need a ball and layout that will strike every time it touches the surface, no matter the environmental factors, operator errors, whatever, never burns up energy and leaves a flat 10, never over reacts and stones a 9 or a 7. Got one?


Just having fun with you guys...

I don't mind the feedback. My ball was great for about 40 games, now she sits in the bag. The conditions haven't changed much but the ball reaction is gone. I'll try polishing, but being a lefty, the condition doesn't break down, and polish never works well for me. My SR2 was a turd OOB but at 3k no polish, she's a beast.

In all seriousness now, knowing that it is 40 games or so on the ball, yeah, I agree with Justin that the ball surface needs to be hit.

On the Motiv path....the Scuff cleaner product is really good for what is needed. It'll scuff the cover a touch, rubbing firmly with just a towel. Also, let the stuff dry to a powder to soak some of the oil out of the ball. I do this about every 6-12 games.

At the 20, or so, game mark is where I apply cleaners with a 2K abralon, or with a fairly worn green scotch brite (but without a lot of pressure).

By the way, being a lefty, you should just be able to kick it down the lane on a THS.

I kid a lefty on one of my teams all of the time about that. He'll say he had to move 3 boards tonight. I'll go yeah you think you did. He'll kid back that I only moved 3 boards. I'll say I know I did, they just all had arrows on them.

Have a good one. Hope the surface adjustment works out. Plugging and redrilling is no fun.