In my personal life, I live by the motto "What's old isn't always bad, and what's new isn't always good". While I embrace new technologies that really are useful and make life better (like iPods, USB thumbdrives, and the high reliability of modern computer-controlled cars), I can also appreciate the quality of older technologies (like the amazing sound quality of vinyl records, the craftsmanship of an old house, or the exquisite quality and usefulness of pre-World War 2 hand tools). My wife calls me "a unique combination of high-tech and neanderthal".
When I began bowling again in 2006 after a 15+ year hiatus from the sport, I was faced with the challenge of embracing bowling's new technology: reactive resin. Long story short, it made me miserable. I struggled to control their skid-snap tendencies, and muttered obscenities to myself everytime I had to go through the ritual of deep cleaning them. The good folks at my pro shop helped me as much as they could....we took my Brunswick Wizard and "de-resined" it as much as possible to reduce the skid-snap reaction. It worked to an extent, but wasn't quite the same as a true urethane ball. I became increasingly convinced that I'd bowl better if I could score some urethane.
Fortunately for neanderthals like myself, Lane #1 Bowling has taken pity on us and introduced a new urethane ball...the Liberator. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), I had won an auction for a new-in-box Columbia Scout urethane ball on eBay the day before I learned about it. My Liberator arrived a few days ago, so now I can not only report on its effectiveness, but I can compare it to a brand new traditional 3-piece (ie: no core) urethane ball.
Out of the box, the Liberator is sanded to ~800 grit. It was drilled with the pin in the 11:30 position (I'm a lefty) and at leverage. The Scout is sanded to ~800 grit and has no core, so it was drilled right over the label...can't get any more basic than that. Between each test session, both balls were cleaned with a mixture of Simple Green, rubbing alcohol, and water (which makes for a great ball cleaner).
Day 1 of my testing was done on a Brunswick ProAnvil synthetic lane (applied over the old wood bed) with a standard house shot with medium to light oil. I was standing at 13, aiming for the 5th board. My initial reaction is that the two balls are surprisingly similar, and both exhibit that wonderfully controllable and consistent urethane arc. The Liberator was just slightly more skid-snap than the Scout, which I'd attribute to the Liberator's track flare (the skid-snap was still FAR less than with any resin ball). In the pocket, both balls hit hard, and strikes were plentiful. There was a little more mix on the pins when the Liberator hit, which equated to more strikes on light pocket hits and fewer 7-pins when the ball came in a little too steep. However, the difference was not as great as you might expect between a ball with a core and one without. That speaks volumes for the humble Scout...it's a surprisingly effective ball for something considered "entry-level".
Day 2 was on wood lanes with pretty heavy oil in the middle, not so much down the sides, with modest carrydown. I stood at 11 and bellied the ball out to the 4th board. The result was again what you'd expect...a nice smooth move to the pocket. If I pulled the ball a bit, the oil usually, but not always, kept the ball from going high. If I missed my target to the outside, the Liberator did its best to get back in time. If it got close, I got a strike more often than not...the pin action was pretty good. The ball also kicked out more 7-pins than it left. The Liberator was really picking up a lot of oil though...the ball had to be thoroughly wiped down after each shot, and it did not let up all night. The oil does not soak into the ball like it would with a resin ball, so constant cleaning is a must. The Scout went unused this day.
Day 3 was again on wood lanes, but these are hand oiled. Oil here is typically very heavy with long heavy carrydown. If any condition could expose a weakness in the Liberator, this one would. I stood at 11 and aimed for the 5th board. The ball initially acted as it had before...a smooth consistant arc to the pocket. It could climb back if I missed to the outside, and pushed to the pocket if I missed inside. However, the heavy oil eventually took its toll. By the start of the 3rd game, it had lost much of its hooking ability no matter how much wiping off I did with a towel. More importantly, it started deflecting more when hitting the pocket, causing quite a few 7-pin leaves and a few 9-pins as well. It was obvious that wet cleaning during play would be necessary to keep this ball working in heavy oil. I had the Scout with me as well...it again performed similarly to the Liberator, but didn't have as much ability to climb back to the pocket when I missed my target to the outside. In heavy oil, the Liberator's track flare really makes it stand out performance-wise from the Scout.
Overall, I'm quite pleased with the Liberator...it (and the Scout) have made bowling fun for me again. Over the course of the 15 games I bowled using only urethane, I managed a 214 average. I'd recommend it to any bowler needing a ball that offers maximum control, but I think it needs to be thrown like a urethane ball (ie: a straighter outside line) for it to be used most effectively.
To see some video of me throwing the Liberator (and the Scout) on Day 3, click here.