My first reaction to the news of the release of the HAYWIRE couldn’t have been more positive.  It is built on the same Middle Roll 70^TM core as the DISTURBED which has been a favorite ball of mine ever since I first used it with a lot of success at the 2013 USBC Masters in New Jersey.  I’ve always liked that way that core rolls.  In the HAYWIRE, that core is wrapped with the 80H Microbite solid coverstock from the HYPER CELL

In terms of performance, the HAYWIRE provides exactly what the combination of its core and cover would lead one to expect.  The core still provides strong rolling motion through the midlane and the stronger cover provides more overall hook and stronger backend motion than the DISTURBED.   Roto Grip’s numerical rating system conveys the difference pretty clearly, ranking the DISTURBED’s cover at 66MH (medium heavy volume) and the HAYWIRE’s at 80H (heavy volume).

I’ve had opportunity to use the HAYWIRE effectively both during the PBA50 Baker Doubles Regional in Welch, MN  playing around 20 board on a transitioned 39 ft. PBA50 Viper pattern and in the first qualifying block of the USBC Senior Masters (burn squad) on the 40-foot 28.7 ml Senior Masters pattern.   In both instances the HAYWIRE allowed me to use my own ability to project the ball cleanly through the heads and then it picked up well in the midlane in the thicker DEFY and ICE oil used in those events and gave me enough angularity down lane to carry well even from deep inside.   I had trouble using it on the fresh, however, because it creates too much angle down lane and it wouldn’t let me even out the pattern with enough leeway for scoring, at least not with the layout I have on mine.  If I remember correctly, the numbers come to 60 x 4.5 x 55. 

I tried it for a few shots in Hammond, IN when the 47 ft. PBA50 Scorpion pattern had transitioned enough to put the HYPER CELL I started with away.  But the pattern had become very wet/dry around the 15 board and the HAYWIRE, with the layout I have on it, only accentuated that.  After a 2-pin, 2-pin, 3-10 split sequence on three good shots, I put it away in favor of a pin-down MENACE. 

The first outing with the MENACE was during the PBA50 Treasure Island Resort & Casino Open in Welch, MN.  I had it at box finish -- a pretty dull 3000 grit sanded -- which was too much surface for the part of the lane I was in.  Not having seen the PBA50 Viper pattern before, I didn’t think at the time to move even deeper into the middle of the lane because I just presumed the pattern was flatter there and that I wouldn’t find more push.  Where I was playing there wasn’t enough volume and I left a lot of flat 10 pins with it.   I polished it and then hit it lightly by hand with 1000 the second day of qualifying after I saw how other guys who had a good look had theirs.  For me, that was too much in the other direction and only gave me a lot of front to back over/under.  That does tell you, though, that the MENACE is easily amenable to surface tweaking.  I will say, too, that this coverstock is really absorbent and lane shines pretty quickly.

If you liked what the DISTUBED gave you – whether in league or tournament circumstances – I believe that you’ll like the HAYWIRE.  Just expect it to be an all around stronger version of what you liked about the DISTURBED and be ready for some increased angularity from it.    If you’re looking for a stronger but still smooth version of your DISTURBED you could try to tame this guy out with some surface and/or a smoother arcing layout.  I haven’t played around with it enough to guess how successful or not that might be.