- Dare Devil Trick

First Impressions
Released in March 2017, the Roto Grip Dare Devil Trick expands the popular Dare Devil line with a grippier solid version. Visually, the ball stands out thanks to its striking Black, Teal and Red Solid color scheme, which looks especially rich under the matte finish. Inside works the extremely low-RG, symmetrical Madcap core. At the time of release, this core was the symmetrical core with the lowest RG value in the Roto Grip lineup (2.48 at 15 pounds), paired with a moderate 0.041 differential. This combination produces an extremely early revving and very stable rotation. The core is wrapped in the Reckless Solid Reactive coverstock, which has been chemically adjusted to create more friction in oil than the cover of its predecessor. Out of the box, the ball comes with a 2000 grit Abralon finish. This technical setup aims to eliminate the nervous reaction of pearl balls and instead ensure maximum control and an early read of the lane.
Comparison Compared directly to the original Roto Grip Dare Devil (Pearl), which was known for its length and angular backend motion, the Dare Devil Trick behaves in completely the opposite way. It reads the lane much earlier, smooths out the reaction at the breakpoint considerably and offers a continuous, rolling motion instead of a "snap". An unavoidable comparison is the one to the legendary Roto Grip IQ Tour (Solid). The Dare Devil Trick is often called the "big brother" of the IQ Tour: it offers a similarly controlled core characteristic, but has a noticeably stronger surface. Where the IQ Tour skids too long on heavy oil ("squirt"), the Trick grabs reliably. Compared to the Storm Phaze II, another heavyweight among the symmetrical solids, the Dare Devil Trick often acts a touch earlier and rounder, while the Phaze II unleashes a bit more aggressive energy on the backend. The Trick positions itself right between the IQ Tour and the strong asymmetrical balls like the No Rules.
On the Lanes The Roto Grip Dare Devil Trick is the ultimate benchmark ball for medium to heavier oil conditions. It is the perfect choice as the first ball out of the bag to "read" the oil pattern, since it does not react extremely to dry or oily spots but rather evens out those differences ("blending the pattern"). Its strength lies in controlling "wet/dry" conditions (cliffs), where the lane is dry outside and oily inside. The ball keeps you from being punished when you miss to the outside, because it does not jump excessively, and it offers enough traction in the oil not to slide past the breakpoint. For rev-dominant players (two-handers) it is a dream, since it prevents overreaction at the end of the pattern. If you have fewer hand revs, you'll benefit from the strong solid cover, which helps get the ball rolling earlier. It is not suited, however, for dry lanes or when the heads are already burned up, since it then loses energy too early and "burns up".