The core in the SNAP LOCK revs up early just like it does in its predecessor.  One of the things I like about the original LOCK is that, kept at a somewhat shiny surface, I can get some clean motion through the front and nice cornering down lane while still benefitting from the asymmetrical behavior of the weight block which prevents me from missing the midlane on tight patterns.  The SNAP LOCK has proven to be a great compliment to that tool for me.

I have practiced with the SNAP LOCK on transitioned STL house patterns and, unlike some asymmetrical pearls, it has allowed me to get into the middle of the lane, open up my angles, overcome wet/dry mountains in the middle of the lane typical of the STL, still not quitting on the back end after seeing friction.   That’s not always true for me from an asymmetrical ball.

 Most recently I used the SNAP LOCK with some good success at the PBA50 DeHayes Insurance Open in Ft. Wayne, IN.  We were bowling on the 42ft PBA50 Standard pattern and they became severely wet/dry in the midlane eventually as deep as 18board, but developed wobble down lane on the right.  So any of my asymmetrical solids were either jerking left in the midlane or getting through the midlane and never cornering.  Any attempt to us symmetrical cores in that instance for my rev-challenged game consistently missed the midlane because they were too clean through the wet of the wet/dry fronts with the DEFY oil that the PBA uses and they never saw the break point – at least not at the surfaces I had them.  But the SNAP LOCK’s pearl cover was clean enough to let me get soft in the puddle and feed it into the track down lane, its asymmetry made sure it saw the midlane like it needed to, and its continuation was phenomenal as long as I got it off my hand correctly.

 The layout on my SNAP LOCK is pin above the fingers….the numbers come to 55 x 4.5 x 45.

 Several league bowlers in the STL have asked about the SNAP LOCK in comparison to other high performance pearls.  For me, the SNAP LOCK is a touch cleaner through the front and stronger off the back than the CRUX PEARL.  It is a little earlier rolling and doesn’t jerk off the spot as much for me as the HYPER CELL SKID.  And, though its not a pearl but is a shined cover, by comparison to the ETERNAL CELL for me the SNAP LOCK is a little stronger off the spot and more continuous.

 For league bowlers who like the LOCK and want a compliment to it that will provide a cleaner motion through the front and more angle off the back – like any pearl does compared to a solid – the SNAP LOCK is a good one-two punch option.  For league bowlers around the STL who have had success with high performance pearls attacking the typical STL wet/dry, I see no reason why you wouldn’t like what you would get from the SNAP LOCK.