- Ogre Urethane

First Impressions
The Visionary Ogre Urethane, released in November 2008, is a very special entry within the manufacturer's Ogre series. Unlike conventional reactive models, this ball relies on a classic hard urethane cover. Since this material is naturally heavier than modern resin, the manufacturer had to adapt the symmetrical core specifically for this construction. The core was fitted with a lighter, spherical outer shell in order to keep the overall weight in balance without destroying the dynamics. The specs show a radius of gyration of 2.59 and a considerable differential of 0.034, which is comparatively high for a urethane ball. Out of the box, the surface is polished to 1500 grit. This shiny preparation of the solid cover should let the ball glide extremely cleanly through the heads and react only late down the lane. In looks and feel it is a true oddity, originally conceived primarily as a high-quality spare ball, though its internal dynamics quickly revealed that it has far more motion potential than that.
Comparison Comparing it to a modern urethane classic such as the Storm Pitch Black makes the particular character of the Visionary Ogre Urethane very clear. The Storm Pitch Black uses a core with a very low differential and a consistently dull surface. On the Pitch Black this leads to an extremely early read in the oil and an extremely smooth, almost flat backend motion. The Visionary Ogre Urethane behaves noticeably more agile thanks to its polished cover and the significantly higher differential. It ignores the front part of the lane almost entirely and stores far more rotational energy. When it meets friction at the end of the oil pattern, the symmetrical core generates track flare potential that is remarkable by urethane standards. This results in a more defined change of direction toward the pocket, which is never as angular as with a reactive ball, but is noticeably more dynamic than with traditional dull urethane balls. When the lane goes through a strong transition, the Ogre Urethane also holds its length much better, while the Storm Pitch Black often loses energy too early and therefore risks hitting flat into the pins.
On the Lanes The absolutely ideal environment for the Visionary Ogre Urethane is extremely dry lane conditions or very short oil patterns. If you have a high rev rate, it is an excellent tool for keeping control on heavily played house shots. The polished urethane cover drastically tames the reaction on dry boards and keeps the ball from turning into an uncontrolled hook. If you have a lower rev rate, you can use this ball very well as a premium spare ball, since it holds an almost dead-straight line on a typical house shot. When the oil moves around significantly over the course of a tournament and conventional reactive balls simply react too aggressively to the transition, the Ogre Urethane lets you keep the line tight and play directly over the outside boards. One important performance trait is its consistent carry. Because the ball releases its energy very late and evenly, it keeps driving through the pins on the pin deck, which noticeably reduces the chance of leaving corner pins on dry lanes. All in all, it is an extremely versatile option that skillfully bridges the gap between a pure spare ball and a specialized solution for extremely light oil.