Review - Roto Grip Riot

[John Brodersen]

Ball specs – 15 lbs 1 oz, 2.93 top weight, and 3.00-inch pin.

The Riot was drilled with a 4.5-inch pin, 60-degree drill angle and a 40-degree VAL angle. This put the pin just above the ring finger with the CG bumped to the right about two inches. This layout did not require an extra hole with the ending positive side weight being 15/16ths. The cover stock was left OOB.

I threw the Riot and Dark Star on a fresh, softer oil pattern. The Riot, with its dull cover, started up about two to three feet sooner than the Dark Star. The Riot proved to be a stronger ball than I expected and provided a sneaky strong, smooth and predictable motion on this medium pattern. Hit and carry were very good for an entry-level piece. Track flare was in the four inch range and the rings were fairly close but not over lapping, similar to the Dark Star.

Using an existing cover stock with the new Photon core (.040 differential) allows the Dark Star (and Riot) to fill the gap nicely between the stronger Nomads and the weaker Planet series balls. The Riot will make a nice addition to anyone’s arsenal providing a similar but overall stronger ball motion than the Pluto.

John Brodersen