- Scout Urethane Hi-Flare

First Impressions
The Columbia 300 Scout Urethane Hi-Flare hit the market in April 2005 and represents a highly interesting construction in the world of bowling balls. Visually, the ball comes in an eye-catching color combination of Strawberry and Blue. The heart of this model is the asymmetric three-piece core, which is responsible for its specific ball motion. With a radius of gyration of 2.63 and a differential of 0.051 that is exceptionally high for a urethane ball, this core was developed to generate strong flare potential. The coverstock is a High Friction Non-Reactive Urethane cover, finished with a polish out of the box. This combination of a smooth surface, a high RG and a high differential is a rarity in the urethane category and should allow the ball to skid extremely far through the heads before it releases its energy. The construction aims to bridge the gap between traditional, early-reading urethane and reactive covers. The specs suggest that this ball was not designed for oily conditions, but rather plays to its strengths when the lanes are dry and conventional balls react too early.
Comparison To better place the behavior of the Columbia 300 Scout Urethane Hi-Flare, a comparison with the Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane is useful. The Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane stands for the modern urethane reaction. It reads the lane very early, creates continuous friction and is characterized by an extremely smooth and predictable arc toward the pocket. In direct contrast, the Scout Urethane Hi-Flare behaves quite differently. Thanks to the polished surface and the high RG value of 2.63, the Columbia 300 ball skids considerably longer and more effortlessly across the boards in the heads. While traditional urethane balls often lose energy early on dry conditions, the Scout Urethane Hi-Flare stores that energy through its long skid. As soon as it reaches the end of the oil, the high differential of 0.051 comes into play. This should deliver an unexpectedly definite hook on the backend that is considerably more pronounced and more angular than with the Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane. As a result, the Scout Urethane Hi-Flare often generates a better entry angle into the pins, which should optimize carry on very dry conditions. Overall, it behaves more like a weak reactive ball than a classic urethane ball.
On the Lanes In practice, the Columbia 300 Scout Urethane Hi-Flare is a dedicated specialist for extremely dry lane conditions or late tournament blocks in which a heavy transition makes playing reactive material difficult. If you have a high rev rate or tend to put too much hand on the ball, you'll find this model an outstanding tool for controlling the right side of the lane. When reactive covers jump off the burned boards immediately and create too much hook, the polished urethane cover provides the necessary control through the heads. At the same time, the high differential ensures that the ball does not flatten out completely on the backend, but keeps the needed drive to the pocket to produce reliable carry. For fresh oil patterns or heavy conditions this ball is entirely unsuitable, since the polished cover cannot create sufficient friction on oil. Its true strength lies in the combination of length and