Radical Innovator Solid Ball Review by Jeff Ussery
Layout: 60 degrees x 5" x 30 degrees
RG: 2.49"
Differential: .053"
M/b: .012"
Surface: 1500 Sia Air
Core shape: Asymmetric
Manufacturer's Intent: The Innovator Solid uses the very aggressive MOtion Magic Plus Solid cover to create a stronger and earlier motion. The Innovator Solid features the same core as the original Innovator. The Innovator Solid will have a distinctive strong motion, handle heavier oil patterns, and perfectly complement the original Innovator.
After having so much success with the Outer Limits out of the box, I decided to use the same layout on the new Radical Innovator Solid. Innovator Solid features core properties that are very close to the Outer Limits but has a far more aggressive cover formulation combined with a 1500 grit Sia Air surface. If you're someone who looks at core properties alone, you might think these two balls would be pretty close in reaction. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Where Outer Limits is an extremely versatile, everyday league ball type of piece, Innovator Solid is going to have one thing in mind - extremely heavy oil.
The difference in cover formulation is easy to see from the first shot. This MOtion Magic Plus Solid cover is extremely dusty and dull, and it grabs immediately when thrown on anything but heavy oil. It's easily the most aggressive cover on Radical balls right now. Combined with a 1500 grit surface, it truly is meant for that first ball out of the bag type of slot in your arsenal. Unless your someone with lower revolutions or extremely high speed, that's likely to be first out of the bag at National/Greater Ozarks Team Event/sport shot tournaments, and not much else. Lower revolution players will certainly get more use out of the Innovator Solid than most. If you're someone who likes to fire the ball with a lower revolution rate, this is your piece for 2023.
You can see the core motion attempting to create some continuation down lane when the ball is thrown on an average house shot. For my particular game, the ball is so aggressive that even a dynamic core like Radical uses can't keep this one from rolling up and out a bit. Some attempts at Olathe East proved unsuccessful. If I still bowled league at Sterling I'd really like to give this one a try.
So, you're probably thinking this one doesn't stick around long, or gets a surface change. Wrong. I've already got this ball pegged for Greater Ozarks. This is the perfect type of ball to take Ozarks and destroy the right 6-8 boards with at team event. We actually won the team event one year doing this with no intent of staying there. Then it broke down the right way and we stayed there.....and we stayed there.....and we stayed there. All of the sudden, another Ozarks trophy on the wall. Pieces like the Innovator Solid have a unique spot in the bag. The key is knowing when to use them, and to not be tempted when they're obviously the wrong ball. If I didn't have Ozarks/Nationals coming soon, I'd probably try a change to 2000/3000 on this piece for my game.
Innovator Solid comes in a blue/aqua/black combination with green logos. They'll be available March 23rd at Total Bowling Gear.
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