Stumbled on your reviews and have to say I really appreciate the honest feedback. Seems harder and harder to find useable feedback in reviews these days. Too much "hits like a truck" "gotta have it" in them. No ball manufacturer will match with your game on every release, but reviews like yours and the feedback you provide help keep the average bowler from trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I love to keep up with technology, drilling layouts and work with my driller to put the right cover/layout combination into my equipment but for those that don't have the interest or time honest reviews like yours help bowlers match up to equipment and should be what a company looks for in a staffer not just typical marketing hype. Very refreshing.
Thanks, I appreciate that! That's the angle I'm going for. Most of the time if you've seen one ball video, you've seen them all. Bowling balls are expensive, and it's frustrating to end up with one that doesn't work out. Just because it's new doesn't mean it's the ball for you, and even though I'm "on staff" and it's my job to promote the equipment, it's more accurately my job to have a very good knowledge of the equipment and to help you choose the right ball. Storm and Roto have pretty well every reaction possible covered somewhere in their lineups, so we'll find what's right for you, it just may not be the "latest and greatest." Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
I haven't thrown any Storm/Roto gear for a while, opting for Brunswick/Radical over the past 5 years, but I'm compelled to comment more on your world class videos than the equipment itself. I do drill a lot of equipment just because I have more money than common sense although my OCD won't allow me to have a disjointed bag set. I'll eventually pop a Codeblack and Sure lock based on your reviews. OUTSTANDING work. Keep posting!
I got one of these December 2016. I scuffed it to 2000 before I ever rolled it. I liked it and had pretty good success with it. In a fit of madness I hit it with a bit of polish this week. Code Red seemed to be reading a little early so I went with Code Black. 279/773. Those Storm guys are some smarty-pants.
How would this ball compare to the hypercell skid ball motion wise? I had 2 skids and they were great but I typically couldn't find enough oil on house shots to use them as much as I would like to.
At a crossroads Luke. Bowling extremely well now with my Hy Road Pearl on wet/dry house shot. Improvement is mostly better mechanics, better focus. Also love the consistency of the symmetrical balls better. But, when conditions change when the ac goes on early summer, I lose that. Plus now we also bowl in a sports league which is currently delivering a 43' WSOB Chameleon shot. When you stated that the Code Black is like a Stronger Hy Road, I liked that. But being an asym ball, would I not be better off with a symmetrical Phase II? Ideally, I want a ball that's more flexible, since I do not want to carry around 4-6 balls, and do not typically do tournaments.
When you watch the reaction, it's hard to think of the CB as an asym . . generally asyms have much stronger covers, in which case I'd agree with you. I don't think the cover has the necessary strength for a longer/heavier pattern. CB acts symmetrical for me. I also favor medium strength symm stuff, Hyroad Pearl, Hyroad, IQ Tour, that's what I do the majority of my league bowling with. Phaze 2 cover is very sensitive BTW, I favor the Daredevil Trick over it.
Thanks! Maybe, but probably not . . I actually don't mess with my angles too much. Aside from doing something crazy for a tournament, I usually stick to 70-35, 65-40, or 50-35 for my angle setups on drilling. Pro shop work usually prevents me from bowling many tournaments, so the VAST majority of what I bowl on are house shots. I actually went 50 x 4.5 x 35 on my Dare Devil, should have that video next week. I prefer to stick to angles that give me weight hole flexibility rather than either forcing me to use one (as I had to do on my Dare Devil), or making me do extra weird things with hole depth to give me the option. So usually pretty simple, stock angles, and go with different pins depending on what kind of flare I'm going after, and on this particular ball with the diff being so high, I just pushed it, ultimately getting the reaction I wanted.
Hey Luke, I need some help. Looking into getting a ball with more angle in it. I throw a Marvel Pearl now (60 feet of butter) with 280-300 revs 14 ish mph on a ths 41 foot 19 point pattern. This upcoming summer league is increasing the pattern to two more feet and 2 more points of oil. In shock of this, I'm looking for a strong skid snap ball that will give me a different angle then my amazing marvel pearl. Code black, Daredevil Danger, and the Katana slash are all on my radar. Just would like your opinion please. Thank you
I'd skip all that and go Hyper Cell Fused. Code Black is still pretty buttery, Danger isn't THAT strong, and the Katana Slash is a Radical ball and they don't really make anything sharp on the backend no matter what they say, so go Fused, take it to 3000 grit right out of the box, and you'll be in good shape!
With the release of this one, the Crux Pearl is being discontinued for starters, but these two are miles apart for me. The Crux Pearl rolls really heavy and is really smooth, the CB is MUCH cleaner through the heads. It's also quite different from the Snap Lock, but in a really odd way. The cover of the Snap Lock is stronger, but the core is weaker, so for me, the Snap Lock is both earlier and sharper, the CB is longer and smoother, BUT the Snap Lock can get a bit wiggly in carrydown where the CB revs up and drives right through it. Snap Lock has a quicker response to friction, but needs to have a bit to get going. The CB is less sensitive than both. The Crux Pearl was really chuggy and a bit sensitive to transition, the Snap Lock is snappy and a bit sensitive, the CB is right in between both of them as far as shape goes, and being a pearl it can be a bit sensitive to carrydown like I said in the video, BUT the core is strong enough to still roll up and hit, where the Snap Lock and Crux Pearl both can be flat when carrydown sets in. They definitely all have their strengths and weaknesses, but I match up best with the Code Black personally, though I've had success with the other two. Thanks for watching!
Eh, maybe, maybe not. It hooks an awful lot, I'd almost suggest the Street Fight rather than this one. I have a video for the Street Fight also if you want to check it out!
It's hard to say. For me, the Code Black is a bit weaker and a bit smoother, but I've seen other people who have it the opposite way around. Technically, the Code Black has a weaker cover and stronger core, so depending on the conditions and layout used, it could be either/or. I know that doesn't really answer the question, but generally speaking, they're very close to each other. The Code Black is like a really strong Hyroad, and the Snap Lock is like a stronger Optimus.
Dare Devil trick is going to give you the biggest hook difference, you would have some overlap with the Code Black and Timeless as far as total hook goes, but you would see pretty different shapes, so it kinda depends on what you're after.
Value: 0 Design Intent: +2 Hook: -1 Versatility +2 Composite rating: +3 Shot Shape is a clean hard arc Condition type is both sport and house The premium price point is really the only thing that hurts the Code Black, if it was in the Master line, the composite number would be around +6 or +7. Very good ball, good on a lot of things for a lot of people. Would definitely recommend it!
IN MY EXPERIENCE, the left side of the lane is cleaner but tighter, so I would definitely suggest using this layout. Early rolling, controllable on the backend, perfect lefty type reaction in my opinion.
hey. i know that you dont have any idea about how i throw but ill describe it cause i could use some advice. im a two hander, rev rate around 550rpm ball speed only 15-16mph (15 years old and have bowled 2 handed for only 2 years after converting from 1 handed to 2 so im going to improve on that later when i get comfortable on everything else, release, balance at the foul line, approach etc.) axis rotation around 45-55 degrees and i have a low axis tilt. i bowl on all oil conditions and i have choices of balls... i have 4 balls that look good and i can only get 2 of them. hy road, hy road solid, unhinged and wrecker. do you have any recommendations on which ones i should buy. and oh yeah. i really like a early roll so i need one that does that, and i need one that really has a big snap at the back and will hook. so if you can recommend balls for me and tell me what they do and in what ways are they different, i would highly appreciate that. thank you. and btw sorry for my english. its not too good.
Your English is actually quite good, it's better than most teenagers that actually live and go to school in this country as a matter of fact . . where are you from? Anyway, of the 4 that you listed, the Wrecker is early rolling and smooth on the backend, so it offers a lot of roll and control at the same time. As far as a big snap at the back, the Hyroad is one of Belmo's favorite balls of all time, he uses it a ton, so I'd have to think with you being a 2 hander also that it would work really well, plus it's kind of the opposite of the Wrecker. It's longer and a lot stronger on the backend. I think those two balls would be the best choices for you. I was never that big a fan of the Hyroad Solid, the Rocket Ship is a similar but much better ball, and the Unhinged is basically Roto Grip's version of the Hyroad, they're very similar, but the Hyroad is also the best ball between the two by just a little. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you. I'm from Finland! And thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate that. Tomorrow I'm going to have a conversation with a guy from my nearest pro shop and my coach and will probably buy the wrecker and hy road. When i get those balls I'll come and tell you the results I got with those balls. But again thank you so much for your advice.
Cool! Always fun to hear from people overseas, always wanted to travel. I think those two will work just fine for you, look forward to hearing from you!
Luke Rosdahl trust me... people love visiting Finland becouse finnish people if so "different" compared for example americans, we're quiet but really nice people so if you ever get a chance to visit Finland... take it!
Luke - i have a Snap Lock, seeing that the Snap Lock has a strong core and a pearl cover stock, do you find that the Code Black is a stronger ball? Also the R2S coverstock was used on the Storm Frantic, but its was a R2S Hybrid coverstock, any similarities? I have the Optimus, didn't like it that much, i have the Frantic, love that ball, one of my favorites and i also have the Lock and Snap Lock which i love but the Snap Lock seems to lose it's momentum when playing multiple games, at least for me, on the house shots when the lanes break down. Where would this Code Black fit with my lineup of bowling balls? I would definitely like to get the Code Black, but need more information before i make the purchase. thanks!
It's hard to say. The Snap Lock has a stronger cover and a weaker core, and the Code Black has a stronger core and weaker cover. R2S was used on the Hyroad Pearl, and the Hyroad has R2S Hybrid on it as well. The Code Black is like a supercharged Hyroad. I've had both and a friend of mine has both, the Code Black revs better than the Snap Lock, so I believe that the Code Black is overall the stronger ball. The Snap Lock needs more friction than the Code Black does, but the Code Black still gets down the lane pretty easy. I feel the Code Black is a bit more predictable at the backend, sometimes the Snap Lock just doesn't make the corner. If that doesn't answer your question, leave another comment and I'll be happy to discuss further!
Hey Luke thanks for responding back. Yeah that just confirms my reason to purchase the Code Black. Throwing the Snap Lock last night in league, lanes dried up quicker than i expected, but still having that pearl coverstock, i thought i would be able to get the Snap Lock down the lane, which i did. It just seemed to not make the corner quick enough and when it did, it left up weird splits and single pins. Code black seems to be cleaner through the heads, the Snap Lock reminds me of the Optimus, which when i throw it, leaves a ton of 10 pins no matter what.
Yeah, the Code Black is cleaner through the fronts and is more of a hard arc than a flip, so I find it to carry better for me because it doesn't jerk off the end of the pattern.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Stumbled on your reviews and have to say I really appreciate the honest feedback. Seems harder and harder to find useable feedback in reviews these days. Too much "hits like a truck" "gotta have it" in them. No ball manufacturer will match with your game on every release, but reviews like yours and the feedback you provide help keep the average bowler from trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I love to keep up with technology, drilling layouts and work with my driller to put the right cover/layout combination into my equipment but for those that don't have the interest or time honest reviews like yours help bowlers match up to equipment and should be what a company looks for in a staffer not just typical marketing hype. Very refreshing.
Thanks, I appreciate that! That's the angle I'm going for. Most of the time if you've seen one ball video, you've seen them all. Bowling balls are expensive, and it's frustrating to end up with one that doesn't work out. Just because it's new doesn't mean it's the ball for you, and even though I'm "on staff" and it's my job to promote the equipment, it's more accurately my job to have a very good knowledge of the equipment and to help you choose the right ball. Storm and Roto have pretty well every reaction possible covered somewhere in their lineups, so we'll find what's right for you, it just may not be the "latest and greatest." Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
I haven't thrown any Storm/Roto gear for a while, opting for Brunswick/Radical over the past 5 years, but I'm compelled to comment more on your world class videos than the equipment itself. I do drill a lot of equipment just because I have more money than common sense although my OCD won't allow me to have a disjointed bag set. I'll eventually pop a Codeblack and Sure lock based on your reviews. OUTSTANDING work. Keep posting!
Thanks very much, really appreciate you watching and the kind words!
Just bought one this past weekend. Incredible length and flip in the back end.
Thanks dude! The Dark Phaze and IQ Rising were the first two balls I ever designed!
They both look pretty awesome!!
Nice video. Cool intro. Matric code is kinda my thing on my channel, but it fit here due to the name of the ball. Thanks !
I got one of these December 2016. I scuffed it to 2000 before I ever rolled it. I liked it and had pretty good success with it. In a fit of madness I hit it with a bit of polish this week. Code Red seemed to be reading a little early so I went with Code Black. 279/773. Those Storm guys are some smarty-pants.
Richard Schott I just got one drilled up last Friday and shoot a 770 with it my last game was was a 279 lol
I never got to throw a Code Black, but from what I hear it was an awesome ball, hoping to see similarities out of the Astro!
How would this ball compare to the hypercell skid ball motion wise? I had 2 skids and they were great but I typically couldn't find enough oil on house shots to use them as much as I would like to.
X-Factor Vertigo my favorite ball all-time and still use it for leagues today.
Oh yeah, I was a big fan of the whole X-Factor line.
At a crossroads Luke. Bowling extremely well now with my Hy Road Pearl on wet/dry house shot. Improvement is mostly better mechanics, better focus. Also love the consistency of the symmetrical balls better.
But, when conditions change when the ac goes on early summer, I lose that. Plus now we also bowl in a sports league which is currently delivering a 43' WSOB Chameleon shot. When you stated that the Code Black is like a Stronger Hy Road, I liked that. But being an asym ball, would I not be better off with a symmetrical Phase II? Ideally, I want a ball that's more flexible, since I do not want to carry around 4-6 balls, and do not typically do tournaments.
When you watch the reaction, it's hard to think of the CB as an asym . . generally asyms have much stronger covers, in which case I'd agree with you. I don't think the cover has the necessary strength for a longer/heavier pattern. CB acts symmetrical for me. I also favor medium strength symm stuff, Hyroad Pearl, Hyroad, IQ Tour, that's what I do the majority of my league bowling with. Phaze 2 cover is very sensitive BTW, I favor the Daredevil Trick over it.
Hey Luke, thanks for the videos. You do a *great* job. Would you have change your angles if you had decided to go with a 4.5 or 5 inch pin distance?
Thanks! Maybe, but probably not . . I actually don't mess with my angles too much. Aside from doing something crazy for a tournament, I usually stick to 70-35, 65-40, or 50-35 for my angle setups on drilling. Pro shop work usually prevents me from bowling many tournaments, so the VAST majority of what I bowl on are house shots. I actually went 50 x 4.5 x 35 on my Dare Devil, should have that video next week. I prefer to stick to angles that give me weight hole flexibility rather than either forcing me to use one (as I had to do on my Dare Devil), or making me do extra weird things with hole depth to give me the option. So usually pretty simple, stock angles, and go with different pins depending on what kind of flare I'm going after, and on this particular ball with the diff being so high, I just pushed it, ultimately getting the reaction I wanted.
Hey Luke, I need some help. Looking into getting a ball with more angle in it. I throw a Marvel Pearl now (60 feet of butter) with 280-300 revs 14 ish mph on a ths 41 foot 19 point pattern. This upcoming summer league is increasing the pattern to two more feet and 2 more points of oil. In shock of this, I'm looking for a strong skid snap ball that will give me a different angle then my amazing marvel pearl. Code black, Daredevil Danger, and the Katana slash are all on my radar. Just would like your opinion please. Thank you
I'd skip all that and go Hyper Cell Fused. Code Black is still pretty buttery, Danger isn't THAT strong, and the Katana Slash is a Radical ball and they don't really make anything sharp on the backend no matter what they say, so go Fused, take it to 3000 grit right out of the box, and you'll be in good shape!
Luke - I'd love to hear your thoughts comparing the CB with the other two pearls in the Premier line. Thanks!
With the release of this one, the Crux Pearl is being discontinued for starters, but these two are miles apart for me. The Crux Pearl rolls really heavy and is really smooth, the CB is MUCH cleaner through the heads. It's also quite different from the Snap Lock, but in a really odd way. The cover of the Snap Lock is stronger, but the core is weaker, so for me, the Snap Lock is both earlier and sharper, the CB is longer and smoother, BUT the Snap Lock can get a bit wiggly in carrydown where the CB revs up and drives right through it. Snap Lock has a quicker response to friction, but needs to have a bit to get going. The CB is less sensitive than both. The Crux Pearl was really chuggy and a bit sensitive to transition, the Snap Lock is snappy and a bit sensitive, the CB is right in between both of them as far as shape goes, and being a pearl it can be a bit sensitive to carrydown like I said in the video, BUT the core is strong enough to still roll up and hit, where the Snap Lock and Crux Pearl both can be flat when carrydown sets in. They definitely all have their strengths and weaknesses, but I match up best with the Code Black personally, though I've had success with the other two. Thanks for watching!
That's awesome, thanks for the thorough explanation!
Luke- I am two handed bowler and I have a very high Rev rate but I want more length down the lane do you think this is a ball for me
Eh, maybe, maybe not. It hooks an awful lot, I'd almost suggest the Street Fight rather than this one. I have a video for the Street Fight also if you want to check it out!
Is it stronger then the snap lock?
It's hard to say. For me, the Code Black is a bit weaker and a bit smoother, but I've seen other people who have it the opposite way around. Technically, the Code Black has a weaker cover and stronger core, so depending on the conditions and layout used, it could be either/or. I know that doesn't really answer the question, but generally speaking, they're very close to each other. The Code Black is like a really strong Hyroad, and the Snap Lock is like a stronger Optimus.
Would you pick a code black or the dare devil trick to fit with a timeless
Dare Devil trick is going to give you the biggest hook difference, you would have some overlap with the Code Black and Timeless as far as total hook goes, but you would see pretty different shapes, so it kinda depends on what you're after.
Have you found any of the new balls that are similar to the optimus?
The Snap Lock is the most similar, in my opinion. Now, it's going to be a few boards stronger, but overall the shape is very similar.
What are ratings for this ball?
Value: 0
Design Intent: +2
Hook: -1
Versatility +2
Composite rating: +3
Shot Shape is a clean hard arc
Condition type is both sport and house
The premium price point is really the only thing that hurts the Code Black, if it was in the Master line, the composite number would be around +6 or +7. Very good ball, good on a lot of things for a lot of people. Would definitely recommend it!
can i use this same layout for a left hander ?
IN MY EXPERIENCE, the left side of the lane is cleaner but tighter, so I would definitely suggest using this layout. Early rolling, controllable on the backend, perfect lefty type reaction in my opinion.
hey. i know that you dont have any idea about how i throw but ill describe it cause i could use some advice. im a two hander, rev rate around 550rpm ball speed only 15-16mph (15 years old and have bowled 2 handed for only 2 years after converting from 1 handed to 2 so im going to improve on that later when i get comfortable on everything else, release, balance at the foul line, approach etc.) axis rotation around 45-55 degrees and i have a low axis tilt.
i bowl on all oil conditions and i have choices of balls... i have 4 balls that look good and i can only get 2 of them. hy road, hy road solid, unhinged and wrecker. do you have any recommendations on which ones i should buy. and oh yeah. i really like a early roll so i need one that does that, and i need one that really has a big snap at the back and will hook. so if you can recommend balls for me and tell me what they do and in what ways are they different, i would highly appreciate that. thank you. and btw sorry for my english. its not too good.
Your English is actually quite good, it's better than most teenagers that actually live and go to school in this country as a matter of fact . . where are you from? Anyway, of the 4 that you listed, the Wrecker is early rolling and smooth on the backend, so it offers a lot of roll and control at the same time. As far as a big snap at the back, the Hyroad is one of Belmo's favorite balls of all time, he uses it a ton, so I'd have to think with you being a 2 hander also that it would work really well, plus it's kind of the opposite of the Wrecker. It's longer and a lot stronger on the backend. I think those two balls would be the best choices for you. I was never that big a fan of the Hyroad Solid, the Rocket Ship is a similar but much better ball, and the Unhinged is basically Roto Grip's version of the Hyroad, they're very similar, but the Hyroad is also the best ball between the two by just a little.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Thank you. I'm from Finland! And thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate that. Tomorrow I'm going to have a conversation with a guy from my nearest pro shop and my coach and will probably buy the wrecker and hy road. When i get those balls I'll come and tell you the results I got with those balls. But again thank you so much for your advice.
Cool! Always fun to hear from people overseas, always wanted to travel. I think those two will work just fine for you, look forward to hearing from you!
Luke Rosdahl trust me... people love visiting Finland becouse finnish people if so "different" compared for example americans, we're quiet but really nice people so if you ever get a chance to visit Finland... take it!
Jere Turunen I'll be sure to do that!
Luke - i have a Snap Lock, seeing that the Snap Lock has a strong core and a pearl cover stock, do you find that the Code Black is a stronger ball? Also the R2S coverstock was used on the Storm Frantic, but its was a R2S Hybrid coverstock, any similarities? I have the Optimus, didn't like it that much, i have the Frantic, love that ball, one of my favorites and i also have the Lock and Snap Lock which i love but the Snap Lock seems to lose it's momentum when playing multiple games, at least for me, on the house shots when the lanes break down. Where would this Code Black fit with my lineup of bowling balls? I would definitely like to get the Code Black, but need more information before i make the purchase. thanks!
It's hard to say. The Snap Lock has a stronger cover and a weaker core, and the Code Black has a stronger core and weaker cover. R2S was used on the Hyroad Pearl, and the Hyroad has R2S Hybrid on it as well. The Code Black is like a supercharged Hyroad. I've had both and a friend of mine has both, the Code Black revs better than the Snap Lock, so I believe that the Code Black is overall the stronger ball. The Snap Lock needs more friction than the Code Black does, but the Code Black still gets down the lane pretty easy. I feel the Code Black is a bit more predictable at the backend, sometimes the Snap Lock just doesn't make the corner. If that doesn't answer your question, leave another comment and I'll be happy to discuss further!
Hey Luke
thanks for responding back. Yeah that just confirms my reason to purchase the Code Black. Throwing the Snap Lock last night in league, lanes dried up quicker than i expected, but still having that pearl coverstock, i thought i would be able to get the Snap Lock down the lane, which i did. It just seemed to not make the corner quick enough and when it did, it left up weird splits and single pins. Code black seems to be cleaner through the heads, the Snap Lock reminds me of the Optimus, which when i throw it, leaves a ton of 10 pins no matter what.
Yeah, the Code Black is cleaner through the fronts and is more of a hard arc than a flip, so I find it to carry better for me because it doesn't jerk off the end of the pattern.
Is this really compared to the x factor? I'm just getting back into bowling and I loved that ball.
I feel like it is, it reminds me of it anyway!
Luke Rosdahl would I drill it up the same way
I don't see any reason not to, I think that would be fine.
I think this ball sucks and is way too long and by the time it wants to turn the corner u have already left a 2-8-10
All the codes ball sucks I got a code red and it only lasted like 16 games and it died out
Lol ok . .