Just two balls have arrived for review, the "new" Black Turbo urethane and the reactive Turbo X reincarnated under the Sports Tec banner. We still have seen nothing of the Red Alert Night Flash, LT 48 Gold, Blitz or Power Blitz, so these might be write-offs.

Oops, we spoke too soon. The day we faxed this column out, the TI Boss II arrived from Columbia, along with the Jade Quantum Tour and Zone Pro from Brunswick. We've also been on watch for the new Pearl Wayne Webb Rx from Dyno-Thane. We will pass along tech skinny on the TI Boss II and Zone Pro (with the new Axiom Proactive urethane cover) and follow up next time with performance reviews on these and the Jade Tour.

Sports Tec: Black Turbo
This Black urethane two-piece ball is the original Turbo brought to life under the Sports Tec logo. The cover is the same urethane formulation as the old Turbo. The neon orange Turbo logo and pin appear on the ball with a neon orange Sports Tec logo. The core is the original Turbo pear-shaped core in two piece construction. Pin-in and pin-out will be available in 12- to 16-pound weights. Utilize two-piece drills on this one.

Thanks to Steve Malloy at Sports Tec for a pin-in, 15-pound Turbo to use. We label-drilled the Turbo with the pin under and inside the ring finger. Using this ball was like stepping into a time machine - good roll, decent length on a house shot, smooth hook and great hit. We played with this one for a couple of games on a fresh house shot and got a smooth arc hook from all across the lane (with proper foot alignment) with good hit and mix. The only place this one was visibly weak was when we took the box-sanded finish outside on the drier boards. With too much dry too quick, the ball ran out of gas on the backend. On a pair with some carrydown (we followed fun bowlers using house balls), the Turbo still delivered a steady arc to the pocket. Throw a little polish on this one and take it to the dry, and the Turbo should give a serious bowler great control. The price (about $100) will make this one affordable as an entry-level two-piece or good performance ball for any bowler.

Sports Tec: Turbo X
Here is another blast from the past with the purple reactive resin cover and the neon green logos and pin. The original Turbo X logo appears on the ball with the Sports Tec logo. The cover is the Turbo X resin, and the "pear"-shaped core is used in this one. Look for 12- to 16-pound weights available in pin-in and pin-out construction. This ball should be drilled in a two-piece manner. The price (approximately $115) will not offer sticker shock for a great performing "econo" ball. We really looked forward to using this one, as the Turbo X was one of the first WOW balls. When the old Turbo X went down the lane and cut left, people said "WOW!"

Thanks again to Steve at Sports Tec for sending a 15-pound Turbo X. We label-drilled this pin-out comp with the pin out and above the ring finger. We have had many bowlers ask about the Turbo X since the ball was discontinued. The requests have come from satisfied owners and bowlers looking to try one. It is nice to have a known performance quantity back at a very affordable price. The rebirth of the Turbo X has not lost a step to the original. This ball clears the heads very well, has a good mid-lane roll and still delivers a strong snap with excellent hit. This ball performs quite well on wet/dry or lighter oil patterns. Its only downfall is the old cover formula and the newer high viscosity conditioners; too much oil/carrydown and the ball works hard to turn the corner. The polished cover can be scuffed/sanded, but it looks so "purty," just find some dry boards. The Turbo X is not a boomer in comparison to newer balls but, hey, it still delivers great performance for the price point.

Columbia: TI Boss II
This one was a late arrival, so we will pass on some tech skinny and report next month on the performance. This latest addition to the Boss line uses a Super-Flex resin cover with a new core shape. The heart of the core is a bullet-shaped Titanium Ceramic Core dense inner core. The outer core is a newly-shaped double cylinder core. The top part of this single density core is bullet-shaped, with the bottom half being a smaller diameter cylinder. To maintain Rg differential numbers and flare potential, the Titanium Ceramic Core is lowered in the 15-pound model. This medium Rg ball (in between the Tour boss Pearl and Pit Boss) has the highest Rg differential in the Boss line, but the ball is designed to deliver more length and a strong, controllable hook to the pocket. More next time on price, weights, pin and performance.

B.T.V.: Jade Quantum Tour
We covered some tech skinny on this late arrival last issue, so look for its performance review next month.

Brunswick: Zone Pro
We knew it would come and it is here - a Zone with the new Axiom Proactive Urethane cover. This medium blue Zone (with white and neon yellow logos and pin) uses the same Axiom Proactive cover material as found on the Jade Quantum. The cover looks lightly polished, but actually has the same polishing process applied as the Red Alert Zone; this is a tougher/more durable material, and polishing doesn't come easily. The cover can be scuffed/sanded, but keep in mind that polishing will require some effort.

The Zone Pro uses a modified Speed Zone core system. The 16-pound version is two-piece construction with a "stretched" (taller) outer core and a nugget inner core. The 12- to 15-pound models will use a stretched Speed Zone inner core with a lower density outer core to achieve dynamic integrity in lighter weights. The 10- and 11-pounders will use Brunswick's spherical core and should be drilled as three-piece. Brunswick's seven popular layouts can be applied to the 12- to 16-pound Zone Pro balls, or use your favorite two-piece drill for roll and reaction. The core design (higher Rg and Rg differential) in the Zone Pro will allow this ball to travel farther than the Jade Quantum and hook sharper. This ball is more along the lines of skid/snap as compared to the Jade Q-ball's rev, roll and heavy arc. Look for a retail in the $230 range, and we will report next issue on the performance.

Our travel schedule this summer has allowed us to renew old friendships and meet a lot of new friends. The hot question has been, "What balls and weights can I use to combat changing lane conditions?" Most inquiries come from folks who want to stay in their "comfort" zone. While manufacturers and pro shops will gladly sell you all the new balls you want, keep in mind two thoughts from Jerry "The Dean" Francomano. There are no magic bowling balls, only magic bowlers, and there is no substitute for a good shot. We'd like to point out that there was a rule change several years ago Ð ABC does allow the bowler to move his feet and his target. Don't be a recipient of the "Golden hammer" award - get out, practice and learn to move to the shot. Don't nail your feet to the approach and die while waiting for the shot to come to you - learn to move with the shot!