Roto Grip Hustle Ink Ball Review

Layout: 70 degrees x 5 1/2" pin x 40 degrees

Weight hole: Not required

Surface: 1500 grit Polished

What I wanted from this ball: I drilled this ball specifically for my league at Park Lanes on the Kansas side. After two weeks of bowling there, I found that everything I was taking was simply too aggressive. Even the Hyroad Pearl that I had in the same layout was way too much hook. I was hoping the Hustle Ink would back off a little bit from my more aggressive balls.

What I ended up with in this ball: I got close, but not exactly what I needed. Mostly because this ball hooks a little more than I expected it to with the low differential core system. The solid cover at 1500 grit polished has more teeth than you would expect from a ball this shiny. Also, this ball seems to read the lane a touch earlier than most would expect a $104 ball to. In the end, that means just a pinch stronger than expected everywhere on the lane. Unfortunately I don't rotate the ball enough to just get inside and bang on it toward the right gutter, so I haven't found a lot of use for this ball in my bag yet. A bit too much hook when I play right, and not enough core power when I get in so far.

Hustle Ink is going to be a fantastic starter product for those looking for their first reactive ball. I think it's also got some real play for a bowler with lower revolutions who's struggling to stay far enough right with their more aggressive stuff. If lower rev players are looking for a quality piece to play straighter on the lane, this will match up perfect. Power players will find the Hustle Ink to be a natural step down from their polished medium oil balls. We'll likely recommend slightly weaker layouts than normal for those players. All in all a good piece from Roto Grip!