First Impressions
The Motiv Evoke Hysteria is the real deal. Feels like something special.
Tamer Elbaga (Lefty)
Style: Tweener
RPM: 330 rpm
PAP: 5 & 3/8 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium/high
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 5 x 45
Bryan Hoffman (Righty)
Style: Stroker
RPM: 280 rpm
PAP: 4 1/2 & 1 1/2 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: high
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 5 x 45
Tyler Church (Righty)
Style: Power Player
RPM: 425 rpm
PAP: 5 1/2 & 1/2 up
Average Speed: 19 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: med
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 5 x 45
“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.”
Pattern
THS: 44ft, 25.8ml 12:1 ratio
Sport: TBD
Specs
The Motiv Evoke Hysteria uses the Overload™ Asymmetrical core inside the Propulsion™ MXV Pearl Reactive coverstock.
15 pound = RG of 2.48, diff of .050, mb of .015
14 pound = RG of 2.51, diff of .045, mb of .015
Coverstock finish: 4000 LSS
Tweener’s Take
Let’s start with the fact that the Evoke Hysteria was a perfect matchup to this pattern which made this test quite fun and easy. Our pattern is now consistently a 44ft, 25.8ml, 12:1 house shot which is nice for testing. We’ve come to find that although there is a reasonable volume, cleaner covers tend to be a little more effective as the oil is is spread over a longer pattern and more concentrated in the center vs the track. But we also find that big cores tend to look good so it’s no surprise as has been in the past that Mid defined balls, basically shiny asyms work quite well. The Evoke Hysteria fits perfectly there. It’s both amenable to release changes while still being very versatily and forgiving. That’s a special combination. Sometimes I get locked in a specific zone on a house shot, not so with the Hysteria. I could float it direct while still being able to move in and generate angle with no issues. It’s rare again as most balls that generate angle are hard to play direct and vice versa. The cleaner cover finished with 4000 where you see some underlying grit I think is a perfect finish. The larger core that is basically low/medium RG and medium/high diff with a reasonable but not insane mass bias just seems to be and ideal combination. The ball feels ever so slightly forward so if you pay attention you can see it’s asymetric nature while still being continuous enough to not feel like it just stops. This ball made me feel very comfortable and struck a lot. I brought along the 2 balls to the left on Motiv’s chart to give you an idea. First, the Primal Shock and you immediately see how much longer and rounder it is compared to the Hysteria. And also a couple of boards in and you see what I mean about being trapped in a very specific track area on a house shot and also why the Hysteria is so special. The Primal is a solid making it smoother like Motiv suggests but it is also significantly less ball it appears. With the original solid Evoke beachball, you can clearly see the relationship. It’s like a lazy Hysteria. That doesn’t sound flattering but it just means it reads a little earlier and a little smoother downlane. The 2 balls have a deceptive shape in that the core is more reliable that it might appear when it starts to transition. Then the Onyx Jackal and immediately you can see it’s more of everything as you would expect. Stronger, earlier, defined shape. Special.
Power Player’s Persective
Tyler is up next and the Evoke Hysteria serves the Mid Defined purpose as expected. It’s a really nice shiny asym but again it’s at 4000 with some underlying grit instead of a shined or compounded finish. I really like what Motiv did with the OOB finish, I think it’s ideal where the Mid Defined has some underlying traction instead of being shiny and goes really long and then responds very hard to friction. Instead it feels like it has some traction on the lane, just enough to make it feel like it’s not going to skid for days but at the same time has angularity that is deceptive because it is blended just enough. Imagine hockey stick and then imagine banana. This ball finds the happy medium with the right balance of cover strength, cover finish, and core strength. As you watch the Tyler throw shots, you’ll note that the Evoke Hysteria doesn’t feel lazy. Of course you can break the ball reaction being too deep as it is mid defined and not mid late but generally speaking it doesn’t shy away from showing off it’s angular capabilities. To that end, Tyler had more forgiveness from out than in. Although this is a longer 44ft pattern where the volume is in the middle, it’s not quite as forgiving as some house patterns from in. But the ball has a bit stronger read so this is one where you cheat to outside misses vs in. A quick look at the Evoke solid and you see a similar shape overall but a lot smoother, earlier read, smoother response downlane. The original Evoke is quite a versatile piece and wrapping it in a pearl cover amps it up when you want a firmer move downlane. A couple of shots with the Primal Shock is enough to show how much less it is for Tyler. The Jackal Onyx is clearly earlier and still pretty firm downlane so it’s a lot more ball. The firmness downlane while still being early makes it a special Strong Defined shape but we’ve discussed that one already.
Stroker’s Stance
Last but not least we have Bryan testing the Motiv Evoke Hysteria. In general Bryan saw pretty much what we saw with some nuances. First the consistent features. The Evoke family shape is pretty similar for him in terms of relativity which I’ll show a little later. The Hysteria itself was reasonable with its length while providing a strong arc for Bryan. Probably a higher than average punch for him on the backend. He felt his position was a little steeper than usual to take advantage of the backend motion and give it some room. He felt that it gave him some room out with ball recovery but there were also a couple of tugs that surprisingly held pocket. His feedback was that he was somewhat limited to a specific place where he could play but within that, it felt fantastic. Not very surprising for a cleaner ball on a longish pattern and Bryan’s style of play. The video shows he was able to make some moves but he felt he had to manipulate a little bit more than necessary. That said, he thought it was really fun to test this ball while striking quite handily throughout. With the original Evoke, he saw much more of a pure arcing shape which actually was a little more tricky in that it reads earlier so he wouldn’t get the hold in but also the arc meant he couldn’t send it wide like he did with the Hysteria. The Hysteria is simply a better match up to this pattern. The Primal Shock just didn’t seem to read the body of the pattern at all for him, not much different than me except mine is usable, just more direct where for him, the Primal Shock is no use here. A quick look at a ball that is quickly becoming a favorite for Bryan (and me too I might add) the Jackal Onyx. You quickly see the difference and how balls relate in the arsenal. It’s clearly stronger with its midlane read and required a 4 and 2 move in. But it quintessentially fits in the Strong Defined in that it still has a strong move downlane.
Bottom Line
We don’t often test a ball where all 3 testers have an excellent look. Usually there is some variation. I’m happy to say that at least for the initial testing here, everyone was very happy with what they saw in the Motiv Evoke Hysteria. Seems like an excellent option so far in the Mid Defined slot in the bag.
Thanks for watching.