The Altitude is the first ball from Jet we have gotten to review. We always look forward to throwing a ball from a new company to see what they have to offer to the bowling ball market.

We guessed correctly, when looking at the coverstock, that we would want to throw this ball on our heavy oil test pattern. The thick oil did nothing to slow down the Altitude. All the testers were able to make small adjustments into the oil pattern as it began to break down. All three were sending the Altitude to the same breakpoint with Stroker playing the straightest, crossing just inside the second arrow and going more up the boards than the other two testers. Cranker was the deepest, crossing the fourth arrow and sending the Altitude out to the same breakpoint down lane. Tweener was closer to Stroker at the arrows, but was able to see recovery from further right. The back end continuation was still present even after several games. None of the testers needed to adjust the box surface for this pattern.

The medium pattern forced both Tweener and Stroker to move about an arrow farther left than they were playing on the slick pattern. Cranker had to cover too many boards with the Altitude at its box finish on this pattern. We added a coat of polish that allowed him to play in the same area of the lane he played on the oily pattern. We recommend bowlers who want to play straighter trajectories to the pocket, especially on medium conditions, to shine the Altitude if they see too much friction.

We had trouble controlling the Altitude on our short test pattern. The low RG core, big differential, and a really strong reactive cover, make the Altitude a ball for oil and lots of it. We took all three test balls to a 4000 Abralon finish and applied a coat of polish to try and get the Altitude to push far enough down lane on this short pattern. Oily sport patterns will offer a nice reaction for the Altitude.

Our sport pattern offered a good look on the fresh, but as the pattern broke down, we had to raise the finish to keep the ball in the pocket.

Strengths: The ability to handle heavy volumes of oil is the biggest attribute of the Altitude. The coverstock is a strong one that likes to hook.

Weaknesses: Dry heads and shorter oil patterns will make the Altitude tough to control. Weaker drillings and surface adjustments are the best options for trying to make this ball work on these conditions.

Overall Summary: This is the first Jet ball we have tested. The simplicity of the core shape, combined with the aggressive coverstock, gave the test staff a strong hooking motion through the entire lane.