Motiv Hydra Bowling Ball

Well Hello MOTIV Nation! It has been some time since I last emerged with the good word for you all. In my time away, I must say that I have found the true secret to supremacy. The true answer to best solidify a legacy within bowling. It comes from a weapon that is as clean as it is angular down lane. Some may consider this to be just another entry level piece for MOTIV, but they would be greatly mistaken. I have two words for you.... HAIL HYDRA! (Sorry Avenger fans.... MOTIV has given me no choice...) MOTIV has chosen to bring back the classic Halogen core and give it a bit of an upgrade with use of the angular Hexion cover stock. This piece is so clean down the lane, it may force Mr. Clean into retirement (sorry... horrible... horrible joke...). The Hydra is a perfect piece when the front become thing of nightmares thanks to the Hexion cover, which will provide you with the length you need. We cannot forget about the Halogen core in this scenario as it provides an incredibly controllable reaction but still maintain reliable continuation down lane. But wait... there's more! The Hydra is just for the beat-up fronts scenario; One thing I like to do with this ball is to square up on a pattern. It situations where I can't quite get comfortable opening up my angles, I can take out the Hydra and simply close down my angles and keep the lane in front of me. This may be considered a lighter oil pattern piece, but man is this a wolf in sheep's clothing. Ryan Wyandt MOTIV Staff Member West Lawn, PA rwyandt869@gmail.com Follow me on Twitter: @rwyandt869

Hydra Lay out 60 x 4.5 x 60 pin under bridge, no extra hole The hope with this nugget is to be able to blend the over under when chasing the pattern left on the burn/ late day. The core/cover match is a wonderful mix of easy length, high RG, lower diff, cover that sees the lane easy without the over read off the dry. This nugget and lay out does allow me to blend the lane with easy. Lighter volume patterns, worn out surface, beat up heads and lots of linage are no match for the Hydra. The Hydra reminds me of one of my favorite balls of yesteryear, the Tribal. What I loved about the Tribal was the ability to see the core tumble in the middle of the lane. The classic light bulb core for me have always been more of a lope/tumble than a hard reving skid snap core. This type of core roll suits my eyes for playing left as I like to see mid lane shape. The lope of the core does not over read the front part of the lane like some of the bigger more aggressive cores, nor does it just scoot to the spot like some of the smaller cores. The new cover laid on top of the seems to be a wonderful choice as the cover matches core. Some of past releases have seemed to want to scoot to much and then read the back end dry very hard. This would lead to a lot of over under, the Hydra seems to leave the over under behind and makes a great blended ball. The Hydra looks to be an excellent addition to the line up for both tournament play and leagues play alike. The Hydra is a great step down for situations where the Venom Shock is to much, the VSP is to strong and the Rampage is not going through the pins. Look for the Hydra to be a mainstay in my bag for a long time to come. Clayton Mohr Motiv Staff

The Motiv Hydra bowling ball is designed for high friction house shots and rev heavy bowlers as well as tournament players who need a performance ball for drier lane conditions. The beast of a bowling ball can strike from deep in the lane as well as generate more entry angles. This is all accomplished through the combination of clean and angular Hexion LFP Reactive coverstock and the high RG/low differential Halogen core. This pairing produces easy length with head turning backend motion. The 5000 Grit LSP finish on the Hydra helps it read the lane more effectively and produces better predictability on the backend. Color: Black Pearl with an Orange Pearl/Silver Pearl NeoMark Core: Halogen Coverstock: Hexion LFP Reactive Finish: 5000 Grit LSP RG: 2.55 (for 15# ball) Differential: .037 (for 15# ball) Recommended Lane Condition: Light Oil The hydra is alot stronger then advertised. I used it on a typical house shot and it over hooked for me. So I took it to 3000 and put some shine on it. And wow the ball retained energy and got further down the lane, and then it just exploded to the pocket. A must ball in the bag. Motiv staffer.

Weight Block: Halogen Cover Stock: Hexion LFP Cover Stock Finish: 5000 Grit LSP Length:17 Backend:18.5 Hook:49 Flare Potential:4"+ Hail Halogen. Hail Hexion. Hall Hydra. Summary I used the Hydra out of box on a variety of patterns and it does indeed do as advertised on light to medium patterns, to an extent on heavier patterns however I did alter the surface using a small square green scotch brite and a 1000 abralon pad simultaneously. At 5000 the Hydra is lengthy and when encountering friction it makes a strong move down lane, out of box the strong move is sharp but continuous so it doesn't hook through the pin deck. Applying surface to the Hydra makes the shape rounder down lane which I found ideal for my rev rate and ball speed, instead of a sharp continuous motion it was evenly continuous. I did not lose any length by altering the cover which shows the versatility of the Hexion cover and the strength of the Halogen core. Hydra is a great go to ball when your Venom Shock Pearl is too strong and your Freestyle is not enough for your liking, testing Hydra on flatter patterns it matched up nicely for me at both box and scotchbralon 1000 which speaks to its versatility. Continuation is something Motiv has never lacked on and there is no shortage in Hydra, it isn't something that hooks through the pin deck instead it continuous. There is nothing like a ball that does as advertised and Hydra is everything that it is made out to be and more, I consider Hydra to be a success for all types of styles. As a fan of the Apex, Apex Ascent, Freestyle, and Freestyle Rush I have an admiration for small ball weaponry and the ball motion they provide, Hydra doesn't disappoint and will offer you a lot for an affordable price. Should you have a spot to fill in your bag or you're a collector of small weaponry I encourage you take a look at Hydra. Your game will thank you for it. K.C. White II Motiv Staffer

Review: The Hydra is the latest release from MOTIV Bowling products a favorite core and cover stock all MOTIV fans have loved. The Halogen core gives the Hydra nice length and lots of backend and then we pair that with the Hexion cover technology that gives the Hydra a nice clean and angular motion. If you want to have more bang for your buck then go get the new Hydra at your local pro shops. Weight Block Halogen Cover Stock Hexion LFP Finish 5000 Grit LSP Review: Before I get into this, I was a huge, huge fan of the original Tag. That ball won me so much money and I was so sad when we discontinued it. However, the first time I threw the Hydra for a split moment I never knew the Tag ever existed. Now I'll never forget the OG Tag, but the Hydra is the real deal. I never thought a bowling ball in this price point will be the versatile. I can play straighter angles if I want or open up the lane without losing power in the pocket. The first time I threw this I threw 20 shot and struck 19 times playing multiple angles. All I can say is that is the new Hydra is needed in everyone's bag. All rev rate bowlers will love the Hydra because its versatility is so impressive both on house and sport shots. You can play straighter or move in and you won't lose the pocket. I recommend this bowling ball for all types of bowlers. MOTIV Staff Player, John Robertson www.motivbowling.com

Happy release day for the Motiv Hydra! The Hydra is marked as a light oil ball and I feel Motiv made a great addition to their lineup. I drilled mine pin above the bridge with the cg kicked out. I used my Hydra on three different occasions to get a good idea of what this ball can really do. Review: Session 1 was on a fresh heavier oil pair. Although this wasn't the ideal scenario to use a "light oil" ball, the Hydra made a violent move once it saw friction and I was surprised of how well it drove through the pins. I was tempted to hit it with a 2000 pad, but I wanted to keep it at box to test on other conditions first. The second session was during an 8-gamer doubles tournament. I started the block with my Primal Rage LE and Villain. When both started to read the lanes early, I switched to the Hydra and was able to stay in the track. While everyone was playing the deep inside line, the Hydra got through the fronts and stored its energy for the backend. The Hydra definitely saved me here and kept us in play to cash. I moved maybe 2-3 boards over the final 3 games. My third session was practice on a pair left over from the night before. There was a good amount of carry down, but it didn't seem to bother one bit. Misses left would hold, misses right would come back and still hit pocket. It's a perfect fit when the Primal Rage LE is too much ball. Summary: I feel there is a time and place for every ball, but the ones that stay in my bag are the ones I can use in multiple scenarios. The Hydra is one of those balls. I don't have a lot of tilt, but this ball still makes a nice turn in the backend and allows me to play different angles when my other equipment is just a touch too strong. With a little surface adjustment, I see this ball reading sooner, but still getting down the lane with ease. It's a perfect 1-2 punch with the Primal Rage LE or Villain. Adam Yoshii MOTIV Bowling Staffer Just Bowling Pro Shop

This ball is the newest introduction into the MOTIV line of bowling balls. The MOTIV Hydra features the combination of the incredibly clean and angular Hexion cover system combined with the high RG/low differential Halogen core which results in easy length with impressive backend motion. It's very clean through the front of the lane, yet doesn't hydroplane on oil and has a ridiculously fast backend response. Most importantly, it features the continuation through the pins that MOTIV balls are becoming known for. It will be a great fit in your bag on medium to light oil. The Hydra will become that ball you can count on when you need to go away from the pocket and have no fear that it will recovery giving you the angularity and continuation you need to go through the pins. My Hydra is laid out pin up (to the right of my ring finger), the cg in the palm and no extra hole. This ball has already found a place in my bag and drives through the pins with easy from an insane angle. If you are looking for a ball with crazy backend reaction, continuation and awesome hitting power. Look no further, you've found it. Craig Auerbach MOTIV Staff Member Florida

Ball Specs: Motiv Hydra Hexion LFP 5000 LSP Symmetric Halogen Core Layout Bowler Specs: Right Hand. PAP 5 Over 1/2 up Rev Rate 275. Tilt 20. Rotation 50. Speed 18 Review: The New Motiv Hydra is a lot of ball for a value price. The Hydra comes with 5000LSP box finish and is what I have tested it most with. The Hydra hooks more than advertised at box finish and is real close to my Rage LE in total boards but has more length and back end motion. The Hydra clears the front part of the lane easily and has a good move on the back. The cover was adjusted to keep the ball from squirting through the break point. With todays very slick oils it is important a ball can read soon enough and still meet the design intent. Motiv has nailed the reaction on the Hydra and the Halogen core is a great match for this ball. I think the factory Finish is a nice choice for this ball. You can add polish for dryer lanes or higher rev rates and you will increase the length and backend of the Hydra. I love the way the Hydra reads the friction and has a strong angular move to the pocket. The carry is outstanding. This is a great ball to go to when a Shock is too strong or Freestyle is not enough. For me at box I put this ball above my Shock Pearl, which disagrees with the Motiv ball chart. With polish my Hydra is still a bit stronger than my Shock Pearl and I feel the Hydra is more predictable. I have tested this ball on a lot of medium house patterns, but our flatter modified house shot matched up nicely with the Hydra at box finish. When I want to tighten up my lines or when bowling on dry and I have a bumper on the outside this ball will be an easy choice. I was able to even move left with my lower rev rate, come around the side of the ball more and the Hydra came back to the pocket nicely. I truly believe Motiv has another winner here due to the performance and price point of this ball. Surface adjustments also make this ball versatile. Summary: The Hydra is a very good Med.-Dry Ball. The New Hexion cover provides good read and angle. A great ball when the VSP just won't get there. The Hydra is a super ball at a great price. https://youtu.be/eWLNtzwRLFc Glenn Wendel PBA Member Motiv Staff Turbo Staff gwendel@comcast.net www.motivbowling.com

Layout: 65 x 4 ½ x 40 Turn Up the Heat? Don't mind if I do! The Hydra is an amalgam of proven core dependability and brand new, exciting coverstock development. The tried and tested Halogen core (2.55RG, .037Diff) is wrapped in the freshest iteration of Hexion technology, Hexion LFP (5000grit LSP). This coverstock is the strongest to date of any Hexion ball, but by finishing it at 5000 grit and then giving it a higher RG core, a good combination of push with punch comes to play. While the layout I have on this particular ball is fairly 'neutral' in terms of overall core manipulation, I can definitively say that this may be the most versatile ball in my bag. At box finish this has been super clean in the heads and mids, storing up a tremendous amount of energy for a backend motion that only quits once it reaches the pit. I have been able to be square with it on fresher house shots (though that is not its preferred environment) along with being able to step left, throw right, and watch it scream back to the headpin. Even when I tug it a bit into the oil it still finds a way to gain traction thereby allowing me a greater room for error rather than just knowing it's going to wash out because I made it skid in the puddle. When I changed the surface to a fresh 2000, I saw a similar-yet-different beast. The Hydra still made it through the fronts with easy but started to read the mids quite a bit sooner while still allowing plenty of energy to make a pronounced move into the pocket at the backend. If I were building a collegiate-standard five ball arsenal, at box I would have a '4-ball' and at 2000 I would have a solid '3-ball,' or benchmark. While the overall motion of the Hydra impresses me greatly, I am utterly blown away by its versatility. If you need a ball that can attack medium and lighter conditions, this is a choice that can cover it all. Trent Overbey In the Zone Pro Shop MOTIV Staff http://www.motivbowling.com/products/balls/light-oil/hydra.html

HYDRA Being a huge fan of the Tag series I was understandably excited about the upcoming release of the Motiv Hydra. PBA Cheeta and patterns on old wood lanes have always been a challenge for me due to ball speed. Fortunately, my ball tilt allows me to project the ball down the lane allowing for me to remain competitive independent of the challenges I faced. The Hydra – helped to change all that by providing the length and recovery I need on both these types of patterns and surfaces. Initially I tested a pin up version which provided exceptional length while still reacting angularly of the end of the pattern. The ability for the hydra to react down lane is a true game changer for this level product. The balls halogen core coupled with the new Hexion cover provide the perfect mix for higher friction surfaces. When compared to my OG tag I saw added length with a stronger more angular backend reaction. As compared to the Tag Cannon – again it was longer with similar angular motion overall. If your rev dominant or speed challenged and are looking for a ball to get down the lane but still provide a strong angular motion then the Hydra is the ball for you!!! Rick Zakrajsek Motiv Staff- Ohio http://www.motivbowling.com/products/balls/light-oil/hydra.html