The SHOW OFF is Roto Grip’s latest addition to its HP-2 line and becomes a companion there of the WRECK-EM and WRECK-IT.  However, do not let it’s HP-2 line status fool you!!!  This is one heck of a lot of bowling ball at its performance level and price point! 

It features a brand new core in the Roto Grip arsenal – the Hotshot symmetrical core.  At 2.55 RG it is the same as the other HP-2 line balls.  But in my estimation that’s where the comparability stops.   It’s Diff at 0.045 creates increased flare potential.  What most significant about the SHOW OFF, however, is that Roto Grip has taken the super strong Micro DNA solid cover from the original NO RULES and put it into play here at this supposedly lower performance level. 

All of this results for me in categorizing this ball much less like the WRECK-EM or WRECK-IT in my arsenal and a lot more like HP-3 weapons such as the DARE DEVIL TRICK or the HAYWIRE.  It’s 2.55 RG is notably higher than the 2.48 of the TRICK and is also higher than the 2.50 of the HAYWIRE.   That makes the SHOW OFF noticeably longer than the TRICK and significantly more angular than the HAYWIRE for me.  It’s 0.043 Diff is comparable to the 0.041 of the TRICK and the 0.043 of the HAYWIRE. 

I went with a pretty stock favorite layout for symmetrical balls on my SHOW OFF.  The pin is above the bridge center with a pretty moderate drilling angle.  The numbers are roughly 50 x 5.25 x 45.

 I had some opportunity to use the SHOW OFF this summer at the third of the PBA50 stops I bowled.  It probably would have been great on the 39’ PBA50 Viper in Hammond, IN but it hadn’t been cleared for use yet that week.  By the time we got to the DeHayes Insurance Group Open in Ft. Wayne, IN it was cleared for use and eventually proved useful on the 42’ PBA50 Standard pattern and the Connect oil in use that week.  It looked great during the practice session.  After practice session and pro-am and the first few re-oils by the time qualifying started, the pattern played very speed sensitive and a little tricky in the midlane and the SHOW OFF was a little too angular at the breakpoint to be the best option.  The Connect oil seemed not to provide a whole lot of viscosity in the front part of the lane to start with, but it seemed to migrate to midlane and down lane as it transitioned.  Smoother ball motion was key and I found that my lane shined NO RULES and later in the block my NO RULES PEARL gave me more controllable looks.  By day three and the cashers round, though --- as the pattern got tighter in the midlane to start with and the NO RULES wouldn’t corner enough to let me create room to the right but was too early and too strong to stay really direct with --- the SHOW OFF allowed me to create a little area with good recovery and its same super strong coverstock as the NO RULES still navigated that tight midlane just fine. 

As mentioned at the outset, this is a whole lot of ball for its price point and mid-performance categorization.  There is little not to like about it from what I can tell.  Any regular STL league bowler looking for a weapon able to navigate medium to heavy oil lane conditions without spending the cost of a top line, high performance ball ought to give the SHOW OFF some serious consideration.