Our BowlingLife testers recently got their hands on the newly released Motiv Evoke bowling ball. This new release, affectionately nicknamed the "Beach Ball" due to its vibrant colors, features the innovative Overload Asymmetrical core, offering a customizable differential through drilling, meaning bowlers have more options to precisely shape the ball, catering to their individual preferences and adapting to specific lane conditions.
In this in-depth review of the Motiv Evoke bowling ball, we'll try to determine whether it stands out as a solid choice for heavy to medium oil patterns and the typical house patterns.
Key Specifications
Coverstock Type: Solid Reactive
Coverstock Name: Leverage™ MXC
Core Type: Asymmetrical
Core Name: The Overload™
Box Finnish: 2000 Grit LSS
Best For: Medium-Heavy oil
RG: 2.48
Max Total Diff: 0.050
Intermediate Diff: 0.015
Definitions
Asymmetrical core - Asymmetric bowling ball deliver sharper, more angular motion when meeting friction.
Symmetrical core - Symmetric bowling balls produce a soft, controllable motion.
Radius of gyration (RG) - The higher RG, the more back-end motion a bowling ball will produce, as high RG ball skids more and tends to conserve more power for the further part of the lane.
Total Diff - the difference between low RG (X axis) and high RG (Y axis).
Intermediate Diff - only found in asymmetrical balls, as it is the difference between the high RG (Y axis) and intermediate RG (Z axis).
First impression
Beneath the surface of the new Motiv Evoke bowling ball lies the innovative Overload Core, an asymmetrical powerhouse that defies convention. With the ability to adjust the differential through drilling, this core sets the Motive Evoke apart not only from other Motiv bowling balls but from every bowling ball on the market, providing bowlers with the next level of customization. The Leverage MXC Solid Reactive cover creates a smooth motion with great pin action, while the Duramax additive helps the cover resist lane shine - perfect combo, isn't it?
Lane Performance
We handed the new Motiv Evoke bowling ball to two of our testers—a speed-dominant one-hander, and a rev-dominant two-hander. Our objective was to highlight the ball's strengths across various potential lane conditions, putting it to the test on heavy and medium sport oil patterns and a typical house shot pattern (THS).
Our speed-dominant one-hander tester loved the Motiv Evoke on both the fresh heavy oil pattern and the THS with the box finish On the fresh heavy oil pattern, the Motiv Evoke performed exceptionally well in the midlane, digging into the oil strongly to create a powerful reaction and maintaining a strong drive through the pins. Initially, our speed-dominant tester managed to find the pocket by playing more straight angles at his usual speed. However, as the lanes broke up a bit, our tester had no problem moving left with the Motiv Evoke, and it continued to deliver without any complaints. This deliberate motion makes the Evoke an ideal choice for situations where a more significant reaction is needed, surpassing the capabilities of its ancestor, the benchmark Pride Dynasty.
On the typical house shot pattern, the new Motiv Evoke bowling ball performed best on fresh oil. Our speed-dominant one-hander tester allowed the ball to cover a bit into the oil before making any observations. Even after the Evoke acquired some lane shine, our tester had to play two boards more to the right than with his typical benchmark asymmetric bowling ball for typical house shot pattern, making it a slightly better option for those, seeking for a ball to play more straight lines on the fresh THS.
A rev-dominant two-hander found the Motiv Evoke bowling ball to be most effective on fresh heavy and medium oil patterns. On both patterns, our rev-dominant two-hander tester had the option to open his angles, and the bowling ball demonstrated a clean and strong motion. It didn't feel too early, but it wasn't skidding either, making it easy to control. Simultaneously, the Motiv Evoke exhibited a strong backend motion, consistently finding the pocket. As our rev-dominant tester had to play even more right compared with our other tester, keeping the ball in the oil prevented it from hooking early as the lanes broke down. This provided our tester with good continuation later in the session without needing to change the surface of the bowling ball. It suggests that the Motiv Evoke might assist you for more frames than your usual benchmark bowling ball.
Overall impression
With its revolutionary core design that allows customizable layouts, Motiv Evoke bowling ball is a real game-changer. Thi bowling ball is an ideal choice for a variety of oil patterns, starting with a typical house shot pattern (THS), ending with the medium or even heavy oil pattern. No wonder it found a place in a bag of our rev-dominant two hander player.
Motiv Evoke Evaluation
If you're looking for a bowling ball that can be shaped to fit your game seamlessly, then the Motiv Evoke bowling ball is undoubtedly your go-to choice! With the innovative Overload Asymmetrical core, offering a customizable differential through drilling, this ball proves to be a fantastic addition to your arsenal, especially when you're in need of a reliable asymmetrical benchmark bowling ball with a easy-to-read motion. Plus, the colors of the Motiv Evoke are simply amazing!
