Roto Grip⭐︎ RST X-3 ⭐︎16 lb.⭐︎ Reactive Hybrid Bowling
Ball ⭐︎ No Thumb DrillingUSD $79.99
Condition : Used
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Condition: 3rd Drill. Thumbs Plugged. Ball is heavily used.
Bowler Ratings
PATTERN
ST
TW
CR
Oily:
7.5
8
9.5
Medium:
8.2
9.5
9.6
Dry:
NA
NA
NA
Sport:
8
6
7
Bowler ratings are from 1 to 10 in order of Stroker (ST), Tweener (TW), Cranker (CR)
General Info
Brand:
Roto Grip
Name:
RST X-3
Reviewed:
August 2022
Empty
COVERSTOCK SPECS
Name:
MicroTrax Hybrid
Type:
Reactive Hybrid
Box Finish:
4K - Fast
Color:
Yellow / Smoke / Grape
Empty
CORE SPECS
Name:
RST (Roto Star Tour)
Type:
Asymmetrical
RG:
2.53
Diff:
0.053
Int. Diff:
0.016
The Roto Grip RST X-3 uses the same asymmetrical Roto Star Tour core that was used in the RST X-1 and RST X-2. The X-3 uses the same MicroTrax Hybrid veneer that was used on the RST X-1, finished with the new 4K – Fast process that gives it a bit of a shinier look than the X-1’s 3000 grit box finish. This helps to give the RST X-3 more length than the X-1 and a smoother motion than the polished RST X-2. When all was said and done, the RST X-3 matched up best to our medium oil pattern for all three testers.
Cranker has matched up really well with the RST X-1 and RST X-2, so he had high hopes for the X-3. He saw the best motion out of the three bowlers on the medium oil pattern. With plenty of length through the front, he had a smoother reaction than both the X-1 and the X-2 on the fresh. With the box finish, he saw his ball tend go a bit more forward at the back end, allowing him to control the motion and still carry. As the cover started to glaze up with oil, his reaction got even better and he started to see a sharper move and more continuation downlane, which allowed him to open up his angles even more. Changing the surface to 500/1000 Abralon with Storm’s Step Two compound gave him this motion right away on the fresh, and an even better look to start. On the heavy oil pattern, Cranker once again had the best reaction out of the three bowlers, with a very similar success rate as the medium pattern. Even with his higher rev rate, he saw more length than he was expecting from this ball, a bit of area, and better pin carry than the other testers. As the pattern started to break down, his reaction got even better. The ball picked up more in the midlane and gave him more shape at the breakpoint once the track started to break down a bit. This ball was a great option in transition on the heavier oil, as he could use it as a step down from either the RST X-1 or the Gem. Cranker didn’t have a great reaction on the fresh sport pattern with the RST X-3 at its box finish. He needed the ball to pick up a few feet sooner to blend out the reaction, so he used a fresh 2000 grit pad to scuff up the surface by hand. The added surface kept the ball from jumping as much at the breakpoint and allowed him to get to the pocket much more easily. Later in the session, he was still able to make the big move left with his feet to find more oil in the front to push the ball to the breakpoint with the duller surface. The box finish fit right between the X-1 and X-2 on this pattern, making it best for middle-transition in Cranker’s hands. Overall, the RST X-3 lived up to its predecessors for Cranker, giving him very good looks on medium and heavier oil, especially in transition.
Tweener saw his best look on the fresh come on the medium oil pattern with the RST X-3. He had added length compared to the X-1 and a strong forward motion as it exited the pattern. Tweener made sure to get all of it at the release while not overthrowing it, and he had plenty of room and pin carry. Like Cranker saw, the ball stored a bit more energy and gave him a stronger motion downlane as the oil started to glaze up the shell. He also found that using a 3000 grit pad by hand cut down the length he saw on the fresh and got the ball rolling heavier in the middle of the lane. When the ball read this part of the lane, it kept it from missing the breakpoint and stopped the ball from trying to tumble too far downlane. Even after sanding the ball with the 3000 grit pad, he had more length from the X-3 than from the Hyped Solid at its box finish. While the box finish was a good option for him, he preferred his motion with the ball being either a bit duller or a bit glossier on the medium pattern. Tweener had a little too much length on the heavy oil pattern with the box finish. Rather than being stuck playing extremely straight and soft, he sanded the ball to 2000 Abralon on the spinner, which gave him much better midlane traction. At this surface, he could start with the X-3 until it got too dry and then switch into the X-2. His original Rubicon went a bit longer and hooked less than the X-3 at its box finish. Tweener really struggled on the fresh sport pattern. He didn’t have enough recovery to belly the ball, but he didn’t have enough hold to play straighter. His best solution was to use the same surface adjustment as the heavy oil pattern to increase traction. With the duller surface, Tweener suddenly had a lot more area at the breakpoint and a much better shape. The box finish was really only useful for Tweener later in the session once the pattern had been dried out by stronger equipment, but wasn’t yet dried out enough for the polished X-2. Tweener’s best look was definitely on the medium pattern with the X-3 at its box finish, but it responded well to surface changes to improve his look on the other patterns.
Stroker struggled to get the ball through the pins correctly on the fresh medium oil pattern with the box finish. His lower rev rate made the X-3 get too far down the lane before it made the move to the pocket. His issues were more pronounced than what Tweener saw, but the solutions were similar. After sanding his cover to 2000 grit, the ball read the oil much better, giving him an earlier reaction and stronger motion. Polishing the ball with Storm’s Step Two compound resulted in a more defined motion downlane and a reduction in hook that let him play in the drier part of the lane. Both were better options for him than the box finish, with the duller finish being a good complement to the Idol Cosmos or Hyped Hybrid and the polished finish being a good step down from the Gem or Idol Helios. Stroker liked the box finish on the fresh sport pattern. His soft hand gave him much more hold than the other two testers could create, using tight angles through the front and taking the out-of-bounds out of play. As the track started to open up, he could migrate left with his feet and still see the same continuation downlane that he saw on the fresh, which was a welcome sight compared to the other patterns. His reaction stayed pretty good on this pattern until very late when he was pushed much farther left. At that point, it was a much better option to shell-down into a weaker ball than it was to try to make the X-3 work with a surface change, especially given how good it was for him on the fresh. Stroker’s reaction on the heavy oil pattern was just a magnification of what he had on the medium. On this longer pattern, sanding the finish was clearly the best adjustment for him, so he took the ball to the spinner and hit it with a 2000 grit pad. This duller surface gave him the hook he was missing on the fresh, but the ball still retained enough energy to be effective in transition as well. He could simply increase his speed as the lanes dried out, trusting the ball’s increased traction to still get it through the pins. In the end, Stroker’s matchup to the X-3’s box finish wasn’t quite as good as the other testers, but his best look still came on the medium pattern like Cranker and Stroker.
Performance Ratings
NAME
VALUE
COMMENTS
Torque
8.1
The RST X-3 fits right between the RST X-1 and RST X-2 in terms of breakpoint shape, thanks to its new 4K - Fast surface preparation.
Length
16
The RST X-3 provides more length than the RST X-1, but not as much as polished balls like the RST X-2, Rubicon UC2, or the first two Hyped balls.
Back End
18.5
The back end reaction from the RST X-3 was pronounced and noticeable. We were very impressed with the motion and downlane recovery we had from the RST X-3.
Total Hook
58.9
The RST X-3 fits below the Gem and RST X-1 in terms of total hook.
Strengths
We liked the angle at the back end that we saw once the cover glazed up a little bit. It was especially good in transition and it was easily adaptable to bowler style with minor surface changes, when needed.
Weaknesses
The box finish might not be the best option for everyone, making it a ball that may require some surface tweaks for some bowlers. We sometimes saw the X-3 tumble a little too far down the lane on the fresh with the box finish.
Overall Summary
At first glance, the X-3 is essentially a remake of the X-1 with the new 4K - Fast finishing process. As a result, it skids a bit farther with a more pronounced movement downlane. It will be a good fit for bowlers who like the previous RST releases and it fits nicely in the Roto Grip lineup in terms of overall hook and shape.
Bowler Ratings
PATTERN
ST
TW
CR
Oily:
7.5
8
9.5
Medium:
8.2
9.5
9.6
Dry:
NA
NA
NA
Sport:
8
6
7
Bowler ratings are from 1 to 10 in order of Stroker (ST), Tweener (TW), Cranker (CR)
General Info
Brand:
Roto Grip
Name:
RST X-3
Reviewed:
August 2022
Empty
COVERSTOCK SPECS
Name:
MicroTrax Hybrid
Type:
Reactive Hybrid
Box Finish:
4K - Fast
Color:
Yellow / Smoke / Grape
Empty
CORE SPECS
Name:
RST (Roto Star Tour)
Type:
Asymmetrical
RG:
2.53
Diff:
0.053
Int. Diff:
0.016
The Roto Grip RST X-3 uses the same asymmetrical Roto Star Tour core that was used in the RST X-1 and RST X-2. The X-3 uses the same MicroTrax Hybrid veneer that was used on the RST X-1, finished with the new 4K – Fast process that gives it a bit of a shinier look than the X-1’s 3000 grit box finish. This helps to give the RST X-3 more length than the X-1 and a smoother motion than the polished RST X-2. When all was said and done, the RST X-3 matched up best to our medium oil pattern for all three testers.
Cranker has matched up really well with the RST X-1 and RST X-2, so he had high hopes for the X-3. He saw the best motion out of the three bowlers on the medium oil pattern. With plenty of length through the front, he had a smoother reaction than both the X-1 and the X-2 on the fresh. With the box finish, he saw his ball tend go a bit more forward at the back end, allowing him to control the motion and still carry. As the cover started to glaze up with oil, his reaction got even better and he started to see a sharper move and more continuation downlane, which allowed him to open up his angles even more. Changing the surface to 500/1000 Abralon with Storm’s Step Two compound gave him this motion right away on the fresh, and an even better look to start. On the heavy oil pattern, Cranker once again had the best reaction out of the three bowlers, with a very similar success rate as the medium pattern. Even with his higher rev rate, he saw more length than he was expecting from this ball, a bit of area, and better pin carry than the other testers. As the pattern started to break down, his reaction got even better. The ball picked up more in the midlane and gave him more shape at the breakpoint once the track started to break down a bit. This ball was a great option in transition on the heavier oil, as he could use it as a step down from either the RST X-1 or the Gem. Cranker didn’t have a great reaction on the fresh sport pattern with the RST X-3 at its box finish. He needed the ball to pick up a few feet sooner to blend out the reaction, so he used a fresh 2000 grit pad to scuff up the surface by hand. The added surface kept the ball from jumping as much at the breakpoint and allowed him to get to the pocket much more easily. Later in the session, he was still able to make the big move left with his feet to find more oil in the front to push the ball to the breakpoint with the duller surface. The box finish fit right between the X-1 and X-2 on this pattern, making it best for middle-transition in Cranker’s hands. Overall, the RST X-3 lived up to its predecessors for Cranker, giving him very good looks on medium and heavier oil, especially in transition.
Tweener saw his best look on the fresh come on the medium oil pattern with the RST X-3. He had added length compared to the X-1 and a strong forward motion as it exited the pattern. Tweener made sure to get all of it at the release while not overthrowing it, and he had plenty of room and pin carry. Like Cranker saw, the ball stored a bit more energy and gave him a stronger motion downlane as the oil started to glaze up the shell. He also found that using a 3000 grit pad by hand cut down the length he saw on the fresh and got the ball rolling heavier in the middle of the lane. When the ball read this part of the lane, it kept it from missing the breakpoint and stopped the ball from trying to tumble too far downlane. Even after sanding the ball with the 3000 grit pad, he had more length from the X-3 than from the Hyped Solid at its box finish. While the box finish was a good option for him, he preferred his motion with the ball being either a bit duller or a bit glossier on the medium pattern. Tweener had a little too much length on the heavy oil pattern with the box finish. Rather than being stuck playing extremely straight and soft, he sanded the ball to 2000 Abralon on the spinner, which gave him much better midlane traction. At this surface, he could start with the X-3 until it got too dry and then switch into the X-2. His original Rubicon went a bit longer and hooked less than the X-3 at its box finish. Tweener really struggled on the fresh sport pattern. He didn’t have enough recovery to belly the ball, but he didn’t have enough hold to play straighter. His best solution was to use the same surface adjustment as the heavy oil pattern to increase traction. With the duller surface, Tweener suddenly had a lot more area at the breakpoint and a much better shape. The box finish was really only useful for Tweener later in the session once the pattern had been dried out by stronger equipment, but wasn’t yet dried out enough for the polished X-2. Tweener’s best look was definitely on the medium pattern with the X-3 at its box finish, but it responded well to surface changes to improve his look on the other patterns.
Stroker struggled to get the ball through the pins correctly on the fresh medium oil pattern with the box finish. His lower rev rate made the X-3 get too far down the lane before it made the move to the pocket. His issues were more pronounced than what Tweener saw, but the solutions were similar. After sanding his cover to 2000 grit, the ball read the oil much better, giving him an earlier reaction and stronger motion. Polishing the ball with Storm’s Step Two compound resulted in a more defined motion downlane and a reduction in hook that let him play in the drier part of the lane. Both were better options for him than the box finish, with the duller finish being a good complement to the Idol Cosmos or Hyped Hybrid and the polished finish being a good step down from the Gem or Idol Helios. Stroker liked the box finish on the fresh sport pattern. His soft hand gave him much more hold than the other two testers could create, using tight angles through the front and taking the out-of-bounds out of play. As the track started to open up, he could migrate left with his feet and still see the same continuation downlane that he saw on the fresh, which was a welcome sight compared to the other patterns. His reaction stayed pretty good on this pattern until very late when he was pushed much farther left. At that point, it was a much better option to shell-down into a weaker ball than it was to try to make the X-3 work with a surface change, especially given how good it was for him on the fresh. Stroker’s reaction on the heavy oil pattern was just a magnification of what he had on the medium. On this longer pattern, sanding the finish was clearly the best adjustment for him, so he took the ball to the spinner and hit it with a 2000 grit pad. This duller surface gave him the hook he was missing on the fresh, but the ball still retained enough energy to be effective in transition as well. He could simply increase his speed as the lanes dried out, trusting the ball’s increased traction to still get it through the pins. In the end, Stroker’s matchup to the X-3’s box finish wasn’t quite as good as the other testers, but his best look still came on the medium pattern like Cranker and Stroker.
Performance Ratings
NAME
VALUE
COMMENTS
Torque
8.1
The RST X-3 fits right between the RST X-1 and RST X-2 in terms of breakpoint shape, thanks to its new 4K - Fast surface preparation.
Length
16
The RST X-3 provides more length than the RST X-1, but not as much as polished balls like the RST X-2, Rubicon UC2, or the first two Hyped balls.
Back End
18.5
The back end reaction from the RST X-3 was pronounced and noticeable. We were very impressed with the motion and downlane recovery we had from the RST X-3.
Total Hook
58.9
The RST X-3 fits below the Gem and RST X-1 in terms of total hook.
Strengths
We liked the angle at the back end that we saw once the cover glazed up a little bit. It was especially good in transition and it was easily adaptable to bowler style with minor surface changes, when needed.
Weaknesses
The box finish might not be the best option for everyone, making it a ball that may require some surface tweaks for some bowlers. We sometimes saw the X-3 tumble a little too far down the lane on the fresh with the box finish.
Overall Summary
At first glance, the X-3 is essentially a remake of the X-1 with the new 4K - Fast finishing process. As a result, it skids a bit farther with a more pronounced movement downlane. It will be a good fit for bowlers who like the previous RST releases and it fits nicely in the Roto Grip lineup in terms of overall hook and shape.
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