- Ogre Particle

First Impressions
The Visionary Ogre Particle, released in July 2008, is an extension of the popular Ogre series and was designed specifically for oilier conditions. Visually, the ball comes in a plain but distinctive design in pewter and black. At its heart sits the modified symmetrical Ogre core, a dual-density design fitted with a special flip cap to ensure steady, predictable energy transfer. The technical specs list a radius of gyration of 2.59 and a moderate differential of 0.029. These numbers favor a controllable rotation without the ball burning up too early. The real distinguishing feature of this model, however, is the cover: the in-house Ionic Particle material. Unlike conventional reactive shells, this cover has microscopically small, soft particles worked into it that are meant to act like little snow chains in the oil. Out of the box, the surface is dulled with a 1000 grit Abralon pad. In combination with the particle material, this rough preparation should make the ball grab the oil extremely early and build up high traction well before it reaches the back third of the lane.
Comparison Comparing it to the popular Storm Phaze II, which is also considered a benchmark for strong symmetrical balls, some interesting differences in material technology emerge. The Storm Phaze II uses an extremely strong, modern solid cover designed to react chemically with the lane surface in order to create traction and play a continuous, strong arc. The Visionary Ogre Particle, on the other hand, generates its friction largely mechanically, through the particles worked into its surface. As a result, the Ogre Particle reacts even more evenly and more roundly off the lane surface than conventional solid balls. When the Storm Phaze II hits friction at the end of the oil pattern, it still reacts with a certain directness despite its symmetrical core. The Ogre Particle, by contrast, is built precisely to smooth out so-called wet/dry conditions, meaning abrupt transitions from very oily to very dry. The particle cover almost completely ignores dry spots and prevents uncontrolled over-reaction, which makes it considerably more forgiving than pure solid models when the oil line gets messy.
On the Lanes The ideal environment for the Visionary Ogre Particle is high oil volume, long oil patterns and freshly oiled house conditions. Because of its extremely rough surface and the particle structure, it is not an optimal choice for dry lanes, since it would lose all of its rotational energy in the heads there. If you have a lower rev rate, you'll benefit enormously from the Ionic Particle cover, since the ball develops a strong, dependable hook toward the pocket all on its own, without you having to force rotation onto it. For bowlers with high rev rates, it is an excellent tool for calming the reaction down drastically on extremely angular or difficult oil patterns and regaining control over the breakpoint. When transition sets in over the course of a day of play and the oil gets pushed unevenly across the boards, the Ogre Particle shows its greatest strength: it reliably blocks out these difficult transitions. Another central performance feature is the excellent carry. Since the symmetrical core, working together with the particle cover, produces a very even roll phase, the ball reaches the pin deck with steady forward rotation. That drives the pins flat and deep into the pit and should noticeably reduce the risk of leaving corner pins.