The Idol Cosmos is the latest entry into the very popular Idol line for Roto Grip. This ball uses the same symmetrical Ikon core that has been found in every Idol release and wraps it with a new coverstock formulation. XtremeTrax has been used previously in its reactive solid version on the Idol Helios, and now the Idol Cosmos features the pearlized version. This new pearl cover comes out of the box at a 4000 grit Abralon finish, giving it more length than previous solid Idols and an earlier read than its polished counterparts. The result was a different motion compared to most other pearlized bowling balls, and one that our testers struggled with a bit before making surface adjustments. All three bowlers used a 1000 grit pad to give them more strikes on the fresh heavy oil, medium oil, and sport patterns when they wanted to create more total hook and start farther left with their feet. Using the new Storm surface guide, we also tried the Idol Cosmos at a 1500 grit polished finish by sanding it with 500 and 1000 Abralon pads before applying Storm’s Step Two compound on all four sides. With this glossier surface, the ball was much more angular at the breakpoint, which allowed our testers to start and stay straighter up the lane near the track area.

Stroker’s best reaction came on our medium oil condition. While the pattern was fresh, the pearl cover wanted to clear the front, but the sanded box finish kept it from being as clean through the front as he would have liked. He couldn’t play as straight as he wanted, nor ...