Roto Grip in my opinion makes some of the greatest particle balls on the market today. The Mystic is no exception. A light load (2%) pearl particle with enough traction to turn any corner. The Mystic features the Helios™ core previously featured in the Horizon and the Horizon Solid. The cover is the Ultimate Grip™ pearl particle. The Mystic comes out of the box at 2000 grit polished. The technical specs for the Mystic are a low RG of 2.47 and a high differential of .052. The Mystic I drilled started out at 15lbs. 3ozs with a top weight of 3.48ozs and a 4-4.5 inch pin.
When we drilled this ball, not many people knew about it. So to be on the conservative side I went with a 4 X 3.5 drilling with the pin above the ring finger. A small balance hole was required and we put that low. The Mystic is an esthetically pleasing smoke grey and indigo pearl color with red/orange logos. These logos are virtually non existent as the ball travels down the lanes.
The first condition bowled on was the famous THS. This anvilane center usually features a lighter blend as opposed to the heavily oiled walls of the midwest. The Mystic revs up very easily and makes a hard turn left. A very angular turn left. I very much liked the fact that the Mystic went long and hooked up strong. As I moved around the lnae playing different angles the Mystic seemed to adjust to where I wanted to play. I wasn’t able to play straight up 7-8 but I could swing the ball to that area or further. The Mystic gets through the fronts well but because it is an aggressive ball it started hooking too soon to play straight on this pattern. I really liked the fact that this ball has virtually no markings on it. It looks like a ball without a label rolling down the lane. Since I don’t use grips or thumb slugs this ball is very hard for someone else to read going down the lane.
The second condition I bowled on was a fresh med-heavy pattern with very clean backends. The Mystic definitely went left in the backend. I had to try and find that sweet spot at the break point where I wouldn’t get a 4 count if I missed in. The Mystic surprised me as it mellowed out in the midlane and became a little less angular as the oil carried down. This oil continued to carry down and I ended up having to move a few boards right. The Mystic provides ample carry from all lines to the pocket. Moving right on the carrydown seemed to store up more energy at the pins. Messengers are not a problem for this ball.
Roto Grip gets it right again with the Mystic. An easy revving ball that has more than enough backend to carry a multitude of strikes. The pearl particle coverstock is very good at getting through the front part of the lane even on heavy oil. A ball that flips angularly at the pocket is always fun, especially when you can control it. The Mystic falls in the mid performance line of Roto balls. Basically it’s a high performance ball at a middle price point. A value for sure. Thanks to Hank Boomershine from Roto Grip for this test ball. Thanks also to Bruce Heim, National Bowling Store and Bob Hodge of Parkway Lanes, St Catharines.