Expert: Chip Aki - 1/22/2006

Question
Hi Chip,

Can you explain the difference between a small, medium, large, and maximum hook as ball companies like to attatch to certain balls or drillings.  Also, the difference between an arc backend, controlled backend, and sharp backend.  What exactly are early revs and what are late revs?

Thank you for the help, you always answer questions very well.

Jay.

Answer
Hook potentials are dependant on the lane condition.  In a perfect world, the diagrams the ball companies use would match up to the conditions you bowl on...........but we arent in a perfect world so they dont.  They can give you some comparisons on the different balls and give you an idea of how one ball will react to another.......but in general terms.

The sharp backend reaction will be the most angular, while the arc will be the smoothest.  Controlled backend will have the ball hook/set.

Late revs will help create the sharp backend while the early revs will help give the control/arc backend.

All of this depends on the coverstock and lane conditions as well.

Good luck,
Chip