Melee Jab

 

Length: 38-40 feet

Volume: Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Just THS so far

Layout: Pin under ring, cg kicked slightly toward PAP

Coverstock prep: 2000 abralon plus hi-gloss polish


COMMENTS

Likes: This ball clears the heads with ease, but it doesn't completely ignore the midlane the way some "long-and-strong" balls do. As such, it allows you to get left without being completely skid-flip.

Dislikes: Again, I didn't care for the 500 Siar plus Royal Compound box finish. For me, the ball had a strange shape and lacked continuation with that preparation; however, as soon as I changed the surface, the ball was exactly what I wanted/needed.


I was fortunate enough to get this ball sent to me from Brunswick's Ron Bragg (Thank you!), and I really appreciate it! Out of the box, the Jab was a bit earlier than I expected, and it really didn't give me the continuation others had raved about. I'm beginning to think my game and my center don't match up well to Brunswick's 500 Siar + Royal Compound box finish. No worries; I changed the surface to 2000 abralon plus a light coating of High Gloss polish, and the ball became the beast I had heard about.

The Jab is great when you have a lot of friction to clear in the front and to bounce off of at the break point. This ball can be used early in the night if you want to go up the back of it more and play with the boards (or if you have a lot of hand and/or friction); however, for me, the Jab is best as I begin moving inside later in the night. As I do, the Jab clears the heads with ease, recognizes the midlane, and gives me a strong, sweeping arc on the backend. For reference, I switched to the Jab toward the middle of Game 3 during a charity event yesterday when my Mastermind Genius began to struggle to retain energy from inside, and I promptly flushed the last 7 in a row after switching to the Jab.

All in all, the Jab is a real looker both on the rack (great color!) and on the lanes. The guys and gals who really put the revs to it can probably make this one go sideways and really turn some heads. I'm more of a tweener to power-tweener, but I still get plenty of recovery and great hitting power from this ball. In fact, I'm so impressed with this one that I will likely try to pick up a Melee Cross as well. If you're looking for a smooth, strong, hard-hitting pearl, consider a Melee Jab; you won't be disappointed!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this review, feel free to contact me via private message. Good luck and good bowling to all!