We have been big fans of Columbia 300’s Speed line so far. The original Speed created lots of hook through the oil with a strong and continuous motion downlane. The Top Speed offered one of the first glimpses at the HK22 coverstock system, providing increased motion at the breakpoint. The new High Speed falls between the previous two Speeds in length, with a strong back end motion. It uses the HK22-based Formula 1 Hybrid coverstock that comes out of the box finished with 500/1000/1500 SiaAir and Factory Compound, along with the same asymmetrical Shifter core shape as the previous two Speeds.

Cranker matched up very nicely with the previous two Speeds, and that trend continued with the High Speed. His rev rate allowed him to see plenty of total hook and traction on the heavy oil test pattern. He was able to use this ball at the box finish, as it didn’t go too far down the lane before hooking and had a nice recovery at the back end. He could either play more open angles with slower speed or move his feet a few boards right of where he was striking with the Speed using his normal velocity. As the pattern started to break down, his reaction got even better. The ball picked up earlier than his Top Speed, ensuring it had the traction to get back to the pocket as he moved his laydown farther left. When his Cuda PowerCOR Pearl wasn’t quite enough late in the session on this pattern, the High Speed was the answer. Cranker liked the High Speed just a little more than the other two bowlers on the ...