- Tag Cannon

First Impressions
The Motiv Tag Cannon was released in July 2017 as a high-performance extension of the Tag series for conditions with less oil volume. Visually, the ball comes in an attractive color combination of Black and Blue Pearl with neon green graphics. Technically, the Motiv Tag Cannon is built around the proven symmetrical Halogen Core. In a 15-pound ball, this core carries a relatively high RG of 2.55 and a moderate differential of 0.037. These numbers were chosen deliberately to let the ball glide effortlessly through the heads and store rotational energy for the back part of the lane. The coverstock is Agility SFP Reactive. SFP stands for Sanded Finished Pearl, and the ball ships from the factory with a 5500 grit LSP (Laser Scanned Polished) finish. This surface preparation produces an extremely smooth ride through the first third of the lane, while the chemical makeup of the cover is designed to show a quick, angular reaction on contact with friction. The construction aims to close the gap between weaker entry-level balls and powerful benchmark models by combining maximum length with an aggressive move at the end.
Comparison In comparison, the Motiv Tag Cannon slots in as a clearly more aggressive version of its predecessor, the original Motiv Tag (Graffiti). While the original Tag was designed for extremely dry conditions and showed a very controlled motion, the Motiv Tag Cannon offers more hook potential and a noticeably sharper reaction at the breakpoint thanks to the Agility SFP coverstock. Compared to the Storm Match Up Pearl, which also came out in July 2017, the Motiv Tag Cannon shows a somewhat more stable midlane presence. The Storm Match Up Pearl tends to skid even longer and turn even harder at the end, while the Motiv Tag Cannon begins its transition into the hook a bit earlier and more predictably. Compared to the Motiv Venom Shock, known as a legendary benchmark ball with a solid surface, the Tag Cannon behaves completely differently: where the Venom Shock reads early and describes a continuous arc, the Tag Cannon practically shoots through the heads and creates a much steeper entry angle into the pocket. Even next to the Storm Phaze II, the Motiv Tag Cannon looks almost ineffective on fresh oil, since it was built for far less volume, but it shows its superiority as soon as the Phaze II starts reacting too early in the transition and losing carry.
On the Lanes The ideal application for the Motiv Tag Cannon is on light to medium oil conditions as well as on lanes whose heads are already well broken down. When stronger balls start rolling too early in the transition and hang up in the middle of the lane, the Motiv Tag Cannon lets you hold your line or even move further outside without the ball dying in the heads. It is a specialized tool for late-block play in tournaments or for the last game in house league. If you have a high rev rate, you'll particularly appreciate this ball, since it lets you use the enormous friction of the dry boards to create a powerful change of direction without the ball becoming uncontrollable. If you have moderate rotation, it gives you the support you need to generate enough hook on drier patterns to get into the pocket reliably. The big advantage of this model lies in its ability to conserve energy all the way to impact with the pins, which often results in excellent carry when other balls would already be hitting flat. On very long or extremely oily patterns, however, it should not be chosen as a starting ball, because the polished surface cannot create enough friction there to react in time. All in all, the Motiv Tag Cannon is the perfect choice for any scenario in which length and an angular backend reaction are the key to success.