Checkmate: Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 Bowling Ball vs Storm Pitch Black Comparison on USBC Pattern

This is a comparison of the Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 and the Storm Pitch Black bowling balls on the 2019 Open Championships doubles and singles pattern

Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 Bowling Ball Comparison Against The Storm Pitch Black

Hey everybody, welcome to another video, today we’re going to be looking at the Rubicon UC3 vs the Pitch Black on a very difficult sport pattern in the 2019 Open Championships Doubles and Singles pattern which is 42 feet, 28.4 mils and a 2.02 to 1 ratio, with a guest appearance by the Fast Pitch.  Thanks to Storm and Turbo for the support, they keep me in equipment and supplies, BowlersMart links are in the description and at the end of the video, and my code Rosdahl10 will get you 10% off at Coolwick.  Also, the Storm Roto Grip Bowling Balls For Sale group on Facebook is the one stop place to find all things SPI, specializing in used, rare, and overseas equipment.  

Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 Bowling Ball is Special

There’s been a lot of buzz about the UC3 already, some of it is a general curiosity about an asymmetric pearl urethane, and some of it is GENUINE buzz from staffers and others who have gotten it early and recognize that it’s a different animal.  I’ve been stunned so far, I wasn’t sure what to expect, and it’s far exceeded my expectations.  I know I know, staffer guy hyping the new stuff, but especially after the Helios sport comparison, you should know that’s not my thing.  However, I’m really feeling it with this one, itching to just let loose and go full staffer guy hype train-ish, so here is my incredibly informative and helpful synopsis of the UC3 to get started.  THE UC3 IS AMAZING, DEFINITELY A NEXT LEVEL BALL THAT IS A MUST HAVE IN EVERYONE’S BAG.  IT’S CLEAN THROUGH THE FRONTS, BUT ROLLS AND REVS UP STRONG IN THE MIDLANE, YET STILL SAVES ENERGY FOR A BIG CONTINUOUS MOVE ON THE BACKEND.  IT WAS MADE WITH THE SWEAT OF TOM BRADY AND WHATEVER KEEPS BETTY WHITE ALIVE.  IT HITS LIKE A MACK TRUCK FILLED WITH BRICKS MADE OF VIBRANIUM.  I KNOW I’LL BE TAKING IT EVERYWHERE WITH ME AND IT WILL BE THE FIRST BALL OUT OF THE BAG ON EVERYTHING JUST LIKE THE OTHER 35 BALLS IN THE CATALOG.  EVERYONE NEEDS A UC3.  

Why I Love the Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 

See how much more helpful that was?  I’m gonna pull up my BowlersMart metrics right now and watch the sales pour in after that incredibly helpful, descriptive, and accurate, not to mention compelling review, that’s apparently the way it’s supposed to be done, I’ve been slacking and falling short of my responsibilities.  So ok, getting serious about the ball, I really just wanted to give you a chance to watch it roll for a bit.  The good news, is that every single thing I said is true, although I’ve probably just killed Betty White.  It’s very nicely balanced, the roll reminds me a lot of something like an Omega Crux or an Incite.  Pretty rolly and controllable, it’s hard to get a read on if it’s really any different than those two are for the first 30 feet, maybe a touch cleaner, not as strong overall, and somewhat slower down lane.  If you made a sanded pearl urethane Crux, this is what I imagine it’d look like.  It IS ACTUALLY very continuous, obviously, it starts hooking and continues to walk up or continues to continue like urethane does.  It’s definitely a different look though, you can see how it really does stabilize and control the midlane well, if I get it out a little, it’ll pull up due to the traction and if I tug it it’ll give me some hold because of the blend, and then down lane, there’s a lot more torque and it’s quite a bit more defined than regular urethane.  It seems to do all the right things in all the right places, and honestly it looked better on this condition than any of the balls I showed in the Helios comparison.  It gave me more hook on the outside than the Helios, more blend in the middle than the Axiom, more forgiveness getting slow than the Phaze 2, and more forgiveness getting fast or firm than the Zen Master, which is actually dumb good on heavy and flat stuff when you can’t use urethane . . for everyone but me.  

Storm Pitch Black Bowling Ball

Ok, here’s some Pitch Black now, and I think you can see very quickly that we’re miles apart here.  The Pitch Black is obviously the premiere traditional urethane look on the market, been around forever, our big rev rates and lefties have won several titles and majors and all kinds of stuff with it on tour, and when you want the traditional old school black solid urethane ball, it hits that note.  It’s very early and smooth, incredibly consistent, it controls the heads better than perhaps anything else out there, and manages friction without puking or getting weak, it doesn’t just kind of hook early and limp the rest of the way down the lane.  That being said, the UC3 does nearly all of that, plus is more playable, more effective and much more versatile from several more arrows on the lane.  It’s not as early, it gets more length, definitely winds up more in the mids and obviously is a lot firmer on the backend.  Now, from just a down and in, straight up 5 and walk it in type of look, the Pitch Black is going to be the ball.  You can definitely do that with the UC3, but just the way it’s built lends it to more of a Purple Hammer type of use case, and the Pitch Black is already the goat of playing the rail, at least on shorter or medium patterns.  On longer heavier stuff like this, the PB just doesn’t quite have the wheels I don’t think, it’s better at controlling friction than it is at doing this, but it really doesn’t look bad.  

Storm Fast Pitch Bowling Ball Comparison 

Pretty short and sweet with the Fast Pitch, I threw exactly 3 shots that I’m now going to loop irritatingly until I’m done talking, I didn’t expect to see much out of it here and I don’t.  I already use it as a compliment to the Pitch Black on shorter and flatter stuff that’s medium or lower volume.  It rolls like old school urethane like the Blue Hammer, and I’m a huge fan.  Nice and smooth and round and controllable, but on something like this, it’s not the ball, it’s just not.  I can force it to work, because as a lefty this automatically gives me plus 3 to urethane AND a crit rate multiplier, but this isn’t the condition for it.  

The Roto Grip Rubicon UC3 Bowling Ball Is Impressive

The UC3 is just impressive, it really is, and yeah I threw some shade at the typical staffer guys earlier, but there’s a difference between just throwing a post up to fulfill your responsibility and really gushing about something because you’re a bowling nut and you like what you’re seeing.  I don’t think you’re going to see the TYPICAL hype with this one.  You’re definitely going to see hype though, no one had any idea what to expect and we’re all shocked and genuinely excited about it because it does so many things so well.  Now obviously make your own decision, not everyone is going to need or want something like this, my intent is to show you ball reaction and comparisons and help you find what you need or want.  We have a few dozen balls in the catalog for you to choose from, no reason for me to push you in any one direction, but if you’re in the market for something like this, I absolutely without hesitation recommend the UC3.  Thanks for watching and may the strikes be with you.  

roto grip Rubicon uc3 bowling ball

The Rubicon™ UC3 (Ultimate Concept 3) takes Tour Level performance to a whole new level. We first focused on core specifics and decided that the mildly asymmetric Rondure™ Core was the ideal core shape in order to generate adequate flare.

From there we engineered the Tour-ethane™ Pearl coverstock to maximize performance and control on those higher friction patterns and lane surfaces. This core and urethane cover combination changes the game!

Tour-ethane™ Coverstock
Sometimes in the search to find the answer to modern day situations, you are forced to take a step or two backwards and investigate pre-existing alternative options that in the end, just may hold the answer to what you are in search of. Such is the case in the development and creation of our new Tour-ethane coverstock material. This material was derived as the result of this new direction of thinking and formulating. Our R&D Team followed the chemistry path of pure urethane from yesteryear in order to find the answer to the modern-day struggle in terms of excessive friction. Whether it is due to friction in the oil pattern, friction in the lane surface, or a combination of both. To that we say – Fear Friction No More!

Engineered for Light Oil – Medium/Light Oil

Coverstock: Tour-ethane Pearl
Sku: BBMRBN12
Weight Block: Rondure Core (Asymmetrical)
Color: Platinum Pearl
Factory Finish: 1000-grit Abralon
Flare Potential: High
Condition: Light/Medium Oil
Radius of Gyration (RG) 15lbs – 2.49
Differential (Diff) 15lbs – 0.052
Intermediate Differential (Diff): 0.011

Storm Pitch black bowling ball

Storm has created the Pitch Black, a solid urethane ball, for their Thunder Line. This ball is intended to provide control on lighter and shorter oil conditions. The Capacitor core gives this ball a straighter but strong delivery.

-Coverstock: Controll Solid Urethane
-Weight Block: Capacitor Core
-Factory Finish: 1000-grit Pad
-Ball Color: Pitch Black
-RG:2.57 (for 15# ball)
-Diff:0.022 (for 15# ball)
-Recommended Lane Condition: Light Oil

storm fast pitch bowling ball

We’ve spent the last 30 years obsessing over it. Breaking rules and building balls with a conviction others would probably call crazy. Many look to Storm to cut through oil and create supreme entry angle, but not every situation requires maximum ball motion.

BE FAST OR BE LAST

Many look to Storm to cut through oil and create supreme entry angle, but not every situation requires maximum ball motion. In fact, shorter oil patterns and drier conditions can be as equally as challenging as a lane with oil backed up to the head pin.

Balls in the urethane classification can be sensitive to the weight blocks put inside them. The perfect position of the RG, the proper amount of differential, symmetric vs asymmetric – these all play a vital role in the motion in this type of ball. Dialing in the precise measure of each was no easy feat, but we were up to the challenge. Urethanes are meant to bring back the breakpoint to control shorter patterns. But when the RG is too low, the end result is simply too much of a good thing. The higher RG, medium differential Tour Block weight block keeps the Fast Pitch reading the lane exactly where its needed.

Controll XL is making its debut on the Fast Pitch, bringing the performance characteristics between the Pitch Black™ and the Pitch Purple™. The Pitch Black reigns supreme as the hook/set type of reaction with the Pitch Purple being the cleaner and more angular option. The Fast Pitch blends the line between early read and entry angle making it the most versatile Pitch series ball to date.

Weight Block: Tour Block
Cover: Controll XL Solid Urethane
Finish: 1000 Grit Abralon
Flare Potential: 3-4″ (Medium)
Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.61
Differential (Diff): .030
Intermediate Differential (Mass Bias): .NA
Fragrance: None

roto grip bowling Balls

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