The Antidote To Your House Shot Woes…

First Impressions
I don’t even have to say anything. It was onlookers who were completely wowed by the Pyramid Antidote ball reaction! Got down lane clean, hook, set and barrelled through the pins.

Our Testers:
Tamer Elbaga (Lefty)
Style: Speed/Rev Matched Tweener
RPM: 375 rpm
PAP: 5 1/2 & 1/8 down
Average Speed: 18.0 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium/high
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds

Kevin Forman (Right)
Style: Speed/Rev Matched Tweener
RPM: 375 rpm
PAP: 5 1/8 & 9/16 up
Average Speed: 18.0 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 15 Pounds

Thanks to our partner Greg Bickta and Perfect Aim Pro Shop.
Thanks to Limerick Bowl in Limerick, PA for providing the test lanes.

“Keep in mind that coverstock accounts for 70% of ball reaction, but the core creates the dynamic shape of the reaction. Your driller will alter the shape to suit your game.”

Test Pattern:
40ft THS, 22ml

Value
9/10
The Antidote is yet another ball from Pyramid that offers excellent bang for the buck. What can I say…it is inexpensive but works like any brands middle of the road ball.

Specs
The Curse uses the New Era 149 Symmetric weight block wrapped with the GPS Navigational solid coverstock. Cover is finished with a 2000 Grit Abralon/Factory Finish Polish. For a 15lb ball, it has an RG of 2.55, diff of .054.

Overall
9/10
Right off the bat, I was ecstatically surprised by how well the Pyramid Antidote rolled. It had a clean look and got down lane with ease. It then reads the midlane and then has a bit of a hook set motion. It seems to get into a very heavy end over end roll. The transition from hook to roll is very quick and heavy. On the one hand, you think it’s going to go high. On the other, you aren’t sure how it will go through the pins. All that was allayed when shot after shot the ball just goes through the pins so well. I went with a bit of a more specific early and smooth rolling layout with 80 x 2 x 50. I found this type of layout work well for me as I can get control with the earlier rolling motion.
So I was confounded when I saw the reaction I got when thinking about the layout I chose. However, it seemed to work extremely well. The factory coverstock finish is an absolute gem of a matchup for THS. See my Pyramid Curse review for a bit more detail on the finish.
Typically I don’t go for cores with this type of elongated shape as they lope quite a ways and then make sharp defined moves and I’m always looking for smoother motions. Despite the layout, this ball definitely transitions into a heavy roll with a very defined move. I have to assume it’s the combination of cover and core shape. Bottom line is it stands up and barrels through the pocket. This worked just as well on a 2:1 sport shot, believe it or not. Same reaction and consistent movement which provided some forgiveness. The move was very strong but predictable.
To prove it is the ball and not the layout, Kevin saw the identical type reaction from the right side. His layout is 45 x 4.5 x 70. Didn’t matter. He saw that same strong motion downlane, almost as if it was a pearl but the predictability of a solid.

In terms of forgiveness, firstly both Kevin and I saw that missing outside into this much friction means the ball will not make up the hill as it simply rolls out. Misses in for me hit the pocket fluffy. For Kevin, they went through the nose. It occassionally hit the pocket flat if you grabbed it or didnt quite hit it right due to that very quick transition.

Final Thoughts
The Pyramid Antidote is a really impressive middle range bowling ball and offers a quite distinct shape. It proved to us that despite layout, the cover and core combination dictates this symmetric ball reaction. The cover has what I call a “matched” finish where it looks like a solid with lane shine. With easy length and strong and distinct hook set motion, it’s a very predictable ball that carries quite well and looks to be versatile enough for both house and sport shots.