The Roto Grip Show Off bowling ball is a much-anticipated addition to Roto Grip’s budget-conscious HP2 line of balls. Our Roto Grip Show Off review will look at this hook-heavy marvel from every possible angle, giving you a complete breakdown of Roto Grip’s newest offering before you make a potential purchase decision.
How much hook can a budget-friendly bowling ball like the Roto Grip Show Off really have? Does this ball have what it takes to be versatile enough for a variety of different oil densities and patterns? Dive into our extensive Roto Grip Show Off bowling ball review for the answer to these questions and more!
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Overview
The Roto Grip Show Off is simply a high-performance bowling ball with an affordable price point which belies its overall potential. Roto Grip made a gutsy business decision by bringing the high-end Micro DNA Reactive Solid cover stock (originally featured on the No Rules) down to a much lower price range.
Combined with an intriguing new symmetrical core design, the return of the Micro DNA portends fantastic hook potential on both heavy and medium oil patterns. In fact, the hook potential of the Roto Grip Show Off may be the most of any ball we’ve played with at such a reduced price point. It’s a groundbreaking release for bowlers unable to break the bank on a bowling ball investment.
Roto Grip’s stated mission with the Show Off was to create a “step down” bowling ball which could keep its reactivity and efficacy when heavy and medium oil patterns start to break down. While this by no means makes the Roto Grip Show Off a dry lane bowling ball, it does mean that you can keep the Show Off as your primary strike ball for longer.
In short, you’ll get a lot of aggression and firepower out of the Roto Grip Show Off for a relatively minimal overall investment. Lower-rev bowlers will love the back-end burst of the Roto Grip Show Off, while higher-rev bowlers will dig its ability to ease through the fronts and maintain its length. This ball is truly a crowd pleaser!
Features, Specs & Materials
FEATURES:
The return of the proven Micro DNA Reactive Solid cover stock brings eye-popping reactivity and breakpoint angularity to Roto Grip’s wallet-friendly HP2 line. It’s an energy-storing masterpiece which expends very little energy before hitting the breakpoint.
The cover stock’s energy-storing propensity is boosted to an impressive level in conjunction with the new Hotshot symmetrical core. This core gives the ball a slightly higher differential and more flare potential than Roto Grip best-sellers such as the Wreck-Em and Wreck-It.
The Roto Grip Show Off is topped off with a 2000 Grit Pad finish which is the same box finish of the Roto Grip No Rules. This finish offers some unique traction and length potential on medium and heavy oil patterns.d
SPECS:
Color: Blue, Purple, Neon Green
Core: Hotshot (Symmetrical)
Coverstock: Micro DNA Reactive Solid
Finish: 2000 Grit Pad
RG: 2.55
Differential: 0.045
Flare potential: Moderate to Substantial
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium to Heavy
MATERIALS
The Roto Grip Show Off’s Micro DNA Reactive Solid cover stock offers solid durability but is porous enough to require constant cleaning and maintenance to maintain reactivity. This ball is built for oil, but its oil-absorption propensity makes deep cleaning this ball a top priority every 50 to 75 games or so.
The fired ceramic hybrid Hotshot symmetrical core helps to perfectly calibrate the Roto Grip Show Off for added lane length and late-lane theatrics. It’s not a cumbersome core by any stretch. It’s perfectly balanced and perfectly placed inside the Roto Grip Show Off.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages:
If you want a ton of high-performance hook potential and dynamite pin carry for a lot less money than you’d normally spend, you’re going to absolutely adore the Roto Grip Show Off. Out of all of the high-performance bowling balls we’ve tested at this reduced price point, the Roto Grip Show Off is at or near the top for overall aggressiveness.
The Roto Grip Show Off provides a unique balance of heavier-oil traction and lane length. It clears the fronts on fresh patterns with ease, holding onto its reserve of energy for a sharp breakpoint reaction. Its symmetrical core design helps to forgive off throws while the cover stock works diligently to slot the ball back into the pocket.
While the Roto Grip Show Off is definitely aggressive, it offers a ton of control when it comes to tempering its overall reaction. Once you get the Roto Grip Show Off completely slotted in, you’re going to be wowed by its recovery potential and the way it sets the pins alight on the back end.
About that back-end reaction – you’re definitely not going to see this kind of pin carry and these kind of pin trajectories with the vast majority of bowling balls at or near this price point. The Roto Grip Show Off is technically a mid-performance ball, but you could have fooled us with the high-performance back-end dynamite it sets off!
Disadvantages:
While the Roto Grip Show Off does well when oil patterns start to break down, there still needs to be a very solid amount of oil on the lanes for this ball not to burn out. Dry lanes will eat the cover stock up and completely nullify the ball’s lane length and firepower at the back end.
Furthermore, the cover stock can get gummed up pretty quickly when oil patterns are at their heaviest. This ball does well in heavy oil for a bit, but it will start to lose its efficacy if it isn’t cleaned on the spot and quickly.
Also, this ball’s aggressiveness may feel muted for those looking to open up their angles at high speeds. This ball verges on being a high-performance bowling ball, but there are a couple of inherent limitations when things get a bit more violent and angular from a shot perspective.
Our Thoughts
Aforementioned limitations aside, the Roto Grip Show Off earns extremely high marks for doing so much for such an agreeable price point. You will get a ton more bang for your buck out of the Roto Grip Show Off than pretty much any other bowling ball in this price range.
This is a true gem and worth checking out for lower-rev bowlers and higher-rev bowlers alike!
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Overall Score: 9.25 out of 10
