- Scorcher NPT

First Impressions
The Visionary Scorcher NPT, which hit the market in October 1999, shows up in a deep blue design. Because of the manufacturer's particular production processes, pronounced light and dark color streaks can appear on the surface, though these are purely cosmetic and should not affect the ball's performance. The absolute heart of this ball is the innovative NPT cover. NPT stands for Non-Particle Technology and describes an active urethane blend that does entirely without the textured particles so common in that era. Instead, special chemical additives are worked deep into the shell to create a unique roll characteristic. Out of the box the surface carries a 1000 polished finish, which gives it an appealing, smooth look. Inside works the asymmetric Scorcher NPT core, designed as a modified, weakly asymmetric Z-Spin core. At a ball weight of 15 pounds, this core delivers an exceptionally high RG of 2.630 combined with a massive differential of 0.069 and a slight intermediate differential of 0.006. This extremely rare specification — very high RG for pronounced length paired with a giant differential for immense flare potential — gives the ball a completely distinct technological character. It should offer the reliable control and predictable lane read of a urethane ball without giving up the explosive dynamic energy of a modern reactive ball.
Comparison Drawing a detailed comparison to a classic, modern urethane ball like the Storm Pitch Black makes the technical extremes and the unconventional design philosophy of the Scorcher NPT clearly visible. The Storm Pitch Black uses a traditional, symmetric core with a low RG and a very small differential. As a result it reads the lane extremely early, responds very softly to the friction it encounters, and offers a short, heavily limited arc with minimal flare. The Visionary Scorcher NPT, on the other hand, uses its extremely high 2.630 RG to skid noticeably cleaner and appreciably longer through the heads without losing energy early in the oil. But as soon as it reaches the end of the oil pattern, the enormous 0.069 differential produces a massive stand-up of the core and huge flare potential. Compared instead to a strong, symmetric benchmark ball like the Storm Phaze II, another significant difference emerges. Where the Storm Phaze II often turns sharply and very aggressively toward the pins at the breakpoint, the Scorcher NPT creates no uncontrollable or jumpy changes of direction. The special NPT cover noticeably dampens the reaction on dry boards, so the ball does not skip unpredictably but maintains an extremely consistent, strong and steadily building forward motion into the pocket.
On the Lanes In practice the Visionary Scorcher NPT proves to be a genuine, controllable powerhouse for medium-heavy to heavy oil conditions. It should show its true strengths especially on difficult, highly changeable patterns or on lanes with hard-to-predict carrydown. The active NPT cover provides excellent and reliable traction in the oil without reacting overly aggressively or nervously to the friction it meets in the dried-up area, the way a traditional reactive ball would. That makes it an ideal tool for bowlers looking for a smooth, quiet reaction who don't want to keep making big moves across the boards on choppy conditions with heavy transition. Thanks to the massive asymmetric core, the ball generates excellent, powerful carry at the pin deck, well beyond that of a passive urethane ball and closer to the hit of high-end reactive balls. If you play a more direct line, you can use this ball very well to attack the pocket strongly and safely, since the surface is very forgiving of release mistakes and delivers a constant, almost bulldozer-like forward energy that clears the pins effectively. On extremely dry lanes or heavily played house shots, however, the massive flare potential in combination with the strong shell is often hard to keep in check. So the ball primarily shines in situations where predictable control in the oil is absolutely required and the bowler needs a hook that hits the pin deck with no compromises and plenty of forgiveness.