First Impressions
The Attention Star is a pretty ball with a pretty ball reaction.
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: 45 x 4.75 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 4.5 x 45
Tyler Church (Righty)
Style: Power Player
RPM: 450 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: 42ft, 23ml
Sport: TBD
Specs
The Roto Grip Attention Star uses the Momentous™ asymmetric core inside the eTrax Plus Pearl Reactive coverstock.
15 pound = RG of 2.48, diff of .049, mb of .017
14 pound = RG of 2.53, diff of .046, mb of .014
Coverstock finish: Reactagloss
Overall
The Attention Star is the latest Roto Grip shiny asym. They had the Clone which was a solid but this is a proper pearl shiny cover which does yield a bit of a different ball reaction to that. That puts 5 balls in the HP4 line The Exotic is also a shiny asym but it uses the MicroTrax cover which is stronger than the eTrax Plus medium strength cover on the Attention Star. This is the first Reactagloss ball in a while we didn’t resurface up front but did wind up touching it at the lanes with a light 1500 grit pad to create a little swirl in the cover.
I’m starting with Tyler here as our power player. The Attention Star was pretty easy to find a shot with. This is a heavily walled shot but playing where if you get it outside early it goes hard and if you get it out late, it doesn’t hook at all so it is deceptively tricky if you go in and out of the friction. So you’d think something shiny might not work but in reality, shiny stuff actually is matching up better. You see very easy length. It never feels like it will hook early or jump. At the same time for the most part, Tyler felt like he could trust the ball reaction with a strong move back to the pocket. It’s forward yes but continuous. It doesn’t flip hard like the Eternity so easier to control. It’s nowhere near as early as the Exotic Gem. It’s in a nice little sweet spot. As the pattern has generally played longer, Tyler is more direct than we typically see but regardless, you can still get a clear sense for the ball reaction. It doesn’t feel skid flippy. Just a very understandable shape that is clean but really gets itself revved up.
Now on to my look from the left side. What I will preface with is that the pattern has played particularly muddy on the left side in the last couple of reviews. It’s a little tricky to get a driving shape for some reason, almost like there’s been plastic balls going down the lane. It is a fresh shot but just a little odd. The main characteristic is basically finding something pretty clean and a little more direct and the Attention Star is a nice look for me here. the shot in the left side track between the 2nd and 3rd arrow is a nice little feed out to between 5 and 9 at the breakpoint seems to work well. Under normal circumstances, I can show you more of what a ball can do. However, with new lane beds , no track and a bit of an odd house shot, I can show you what it does in the defined track available on this pattern. Ultimately I liked the shape a lot. I wish I had a little more midlane traction but not much more. It might improve with the refinishing process we’ve been using.
For Bryan as the stroker representative, the Roto Grip Attention Star looked pretty good on this walled up house shot for him. The shape of this shot boxed him in a bit as it did for me and even Tyler to some extent but in that window, the ball worked well. The clean look allows Bryan to play close to the edge of the wall line while the core got started and made just the right amount of move back to the pocket. While Bryan felt it was a little tight, you can actually see some room to belly it going 12 to 13 at the arrows out to 7. Of course with how clean it is, it’ll be a bit speed sensitive. There is a little over/under for that reason. It’s a bit of the nature of a walled shot with a shiny ball. However, there was probably a slightly above average slot I felt with the ability to manipulate the ball with speed adjustments.
Final Thoughts
We have another shiny asym from Storm products but the Attention Star offers a bit more of that control shape we see from Roto Grip. I think it’ll find the kind of use the UFO Alert found. Controlled but strong motion downlane. While I’d still say Storm is a bit cleaner and flippier in general from Motiv for example with the recent Crimson Jackal, the Attention Star feels like an attempt to offer something that doesn’t feel intensely flippy. Finally, that puts the ball in the Mid Defined Category in the bag.
That’s it, thanks for watching.