THE SHOWER of new releases has slowed, but we have a full review on the Brunswick Speed Zone Speed Demon and Purple Quantum. However, we also have tech skinny on new Columbia and Dyno-Thane releases, as well as a new Quantum, which includes an instruction sheet with info to take hook out of the ball. Scary, huh? Without any further adieu, let's get on with the parade:

Brunswick: Speed Zone Speed Demon
The dark red (almost burgundy) Speed Demon uses neon yellow and white logos and pin. The Speed Demon has a modified Speed Zone core (slightly high Rg core), but the big change is the cover. This new one has a new set of tires - the cover is the new Arrow Dynamic Defiance reactive material, which has been formulated to lessen the effects of variances in the bowler's release. Many of the cover materials in use today can greatly exaggerate inconsistencies in the release of the ball or speed, often with ugly results. The new Speed Demon Arrow DF cover can be used on a variety of head-oil patterns, and will minimize the variances of the bowler's release. This cover stays on line very well through the heads, and delivers a very aggressive move on the back end. Our compadre, Jerry Francomano, has gone on record stating that this is a Zone he likes - clean through the heads and very strong on the backend.

Pin-in and pin-out constructions will be available in 12- to 16-pound weights and can be drilled in any two-piece manner. Brunswick's seven popular layouts still apply to this one for specific roll, flare and hook potentials.

Thanks to Chad and Kip for a pair of Speed Demons to drill. Both balls were 3-inch pin-out. One received the standard label drill - pin outside ring finger (leverage position) and Cg in grip center. The other ball had the pin stacked above the fingers with Cg outside grip center and the balance hole on the axis line. Hey, guys, what a ball - this Zone actually goes down the lane. The first session was on a league condition: light 10-out and heavy from 10-to-10 with 32 feet buff and fresh backends. From past Zone experiences, we figured the balls would be good for maybe two game. Wrong! Even when the third game rolled around (which normally requires a less hooking ball or big area-code moves left), the Speed Demons did not have to go to the bag. Even when the heads toasted out, the Speed Demons gave very playable length with big flip and great hit. The high pin gave great length, but the strong drill still had easily-playable length without forcing the shot or throwing out an arm. A couple of nights later on fresh head oil with no strip, all that was needed was a little tighter alignment to play the back-end reaction; this ball will turn the corner on carrydown.

We passed these around to a variety of strokers and crankers with excellent feedback. All users were very impressed with how well the Speed Demon gets down the lane, yet still delivers that Zone flip and hit. Brunswick says the cover can be scuffed, sanded or polished as needed, but these balls stayed in box-polish finish and performed very well on a variety of oil patterns.

Naurally, the heavy hands liked the extra length of the high pin while we weaker hands (or should we say rev-challenged) received great length and liked the help from the strong drill. Who'da thunk it? Brunswick uses cover to get the length a lot of players need on most "house" conditions. Look for a retail in the $245 range, and do check the Speed Demon out as a complement to the Speed Zones.

Brunswick Technology Ventures: Purple Quantum
The new deep Purple Quantum (white logos and pin) utilizes the Quantum mushroom core in two-part compound core with three-component, two-piece construction. This core offers dynamic integrity in 12- to 16-pound weights. Pin-in and -out construction will be available in all weights, and the Purple Quantum can be drilled following Brunswick's seven popular layouts or in any two-piece manner. The core design has been borrowed from the Sage Tour Quantum.

The cover material on this ball is the very aggressive Arrow D reactive material developed by Bayer Corp. for Brunswick. This polished cover can be tuned (sanded or polished) easily as needs dictate. The Arrow D cover, combined with the core, will offer length in between the Sage and Raven Quantums while delivering strong hook. In other words, this ball booms on the backend. The only problem we encountered with the test balls was the aggressiveness of the cover - find some head oil, or put the ball in the bag. On the tightest of local league conditions or early heavier oil patterns at the Industrial Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, we found no need to remove the polish from these hookers.

Again, a tip of the hat to Kip and Chad for a pair of Purple Quantums to shake out. One 2-inch pin-out ball got the label drill with pin outside and below the ring finger, while the 21Ú2- inch pin-out ball received pin, Cg and balance hole 33Ú8 inches from PAP. With any kind of head oil, the label drill played great from anywhere on the lane with good length, a sharp flip and pin-scattering hit. The cranker pups liked the way they could fire this one out and have it boom back and crush pins. Softer hands liked the length (with head oil), along with the hook and hit the ball delivered. The baptism of fire for the "triple" leverage Purple Quantum was the heavy oil in Dayton. The label drill was a little weak on the backend, so the "boomer" ball came out. Move left and fire away! This ball turned the corner hard and flat busted some pins on its way to three out of six squad high-game pots.

Back home on a league condition, we followed the Attitude advice: "Just throw the damn ball!"... preferably to the right!

Both balls open up the lane for this old guy, but the big leveraged ball needs a lot of room and head oil. On house oil, the boomer ball was spooky for the heavy hitters; too much power can be tough to control. In a heavy hand, this one was very over/under, but a light haze with a Scotch-Brite pad dusted off some of the energy and got this one somewhat playable. These old bones like the polish and the fact that we could play the kids' game and bank the ditch.

Look for a retail tag of $249, look for oil in the heads and look to give the new Purple Quantum some room.

Columbia: Super Beast Titanium
The new Reef Blue pearl polished Super Beast uses a titanium/ceramic core in all weights - that's right, folks, even in 10- and 11-pounders. The 14- to 16-pound balls use the Beast light bulb core with the Titanium inner core. The 12- to 13-pounders offer a modified bulb core with a Titanium inner core, and 10-11 pound balls utilize a three-piece core with the Titanium inner core. Pin distances of up to 5-inches out will be offered. Cover by Super-Flex Resin. While this ball is designed for medium to light oil, the cover can be sanded to increase performance on heavier oil patterns. More on this $160 ball next month.

Dyno-Thane: Special EFx Blue Pearl
The Special EFx Blue Pearl features D/T's aggressive SH2 reactive cover in a satin finish that can be polished easily or sanded as needed. The innards are D/T's dual-density bell curve core with a high density flip block on top. This one also ran late, so look for more next month.

Concept XXtra Swirl
Dyna-Thane's new XXtra Swirl missed the boat this month, but it has a cover material of D/T's exclusive Blow Mold dual-density stacked core with a Bisconium insert (puck).

BTV: Quantum Leap (Black)
The spec sheet on this new one from BTV shows a lower Rg compound core than the Purple Quantum, with just as much hook and back-end potential and a higher flare potential rating. The two-part compound core will offer Quantum's dynamic integrity in 12- to 16-pound weights, and the ball can be drilled in any two-piece manner.

While not named, it sounds like the Quantum Leap will use Brunswick's new Arrow DF cover with a 320-grit box finish. The spec sheet states that the new cover used on the Quantum Leap is formulated to minimize release inconsistencies by the bowler to keep the ball on line better.

The two items we find intriguing about the release sheet on this ball are the price (rumored to be an "economy" Quantum), and the fact that the ball will have an instruction sheet packed with information on how to take hook out of this ball. Most boxed drill sheets we've seen offer tips on use of a balance hole or surface to deliver extra hook. We're gonna put on our Missouri hat for this one: BTV, show us!

In closing, we want to remind you that the three most critical factors to hook are surface, surface and surface. The manufacturers are putting some big motors in the balls and some very aggressive tires on the outside. You must match the surface of your ball to the oil pattern on which you want to use the ball.

Lately, some very aggressive oil-soakin' covers have been introduced for heavy oil patterns. We've gotten calls from players who have duplicated successful "house" drills, polished the balls to a sheen, and received less than expected performance. Hello?!? If the ball is designed for use on heavy oil and works best on heavy oil, why would anyone think that a super polished version and a gloss polish will be your next super "house mouse" ball? Ball reaction involves fine-tuning and tweaking of the surface. So, work your surface in small stages; don't jump directly from a sanded, oil-hungry box finish to a slick surface.