The 900 Global REALITY CHECK is not at all what I expected it to be — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The REALITY CHECK features the Disturbance Asymmetric core over the S84 Beta Hybrid that comes 4K Fast as the box finish.

The ALTERED REALITY also had the Disturbance Asymmetric core, but over the S84 Response Pearl. And the result was a ball that excelled curving around a house shot, but that I couldn’t play direct with.

So I figured the REALITY CHECK would be a little stronger version of the ALTERED REALITY, still an out-and-back ball but not quite as much.

Instead, it’s a ball I haven’t been able to find consistent reaction with trying to curve it, but that works well playing direct up the oil line on a house shot.

I chose a pin-up strong drilling for my REALITY CHECK that was almost exactly the same as my ALTERED REALITY. With my PAP of 4 7/8 over and 5/8 up, the numbers are 5 3/8 pin-PAP, 4 1/4 MB-PAP, and 1 5/8 pin buffer. (The Disturbance core numbers are nearly identical for 14, 15 and 16 pounds, so my review should apply for all those weights.)

I used my REALITY CHECK on a house shot, and the Del Ballard 34 and Dick Weber 45 patterns in practice at Ten Pin Alley in Fitchburg.

On the house shot, I couldn’t control the break point trying to hook it: one time it would start up too early and the next time it would go too long and not turn the corner.

But when I squared up and tried going hard and straight up the oil line around 10-board I suddenly had hold for high flush and could get it right and have it recover without jumping high. And it rolled strong through the pins, digging out 10-pins more often than not.

Ballard and Weber are the two patterns I used in the PBA50 and PBA60 tournaments I bowled in in Jackson, Michigan last month.

I was only bringing 12 balls and the REALITY CHECK ended up being the last cut from my arsenal, as it wasn’t strong enough for Weber 45 and I had some good-looking options on that pattern and I couldn’t square up or swing it on Ballard 45.

In retrospect, I might have used it going fairly square on Ballard 34, as the pattern played tighter at JAX 60 then it did at Ten Pin Alley.

The REALITY CHECK showed good reaction with a direct line up around 10-board in the SSBA senior tournament in Clinton, Iowa, on Aug. 28, but after consecutive 10-pins and knowing it would be high scoring, I switched to a ZEN SOUL and then a REALITY and WOLVERINE DARK MOSS. Those last two balls carried me to the top seed by more than 100 pins, though I lost the title match 258-236 to Jim Howard.

I intend to keep bringing the REALITY CHECK to house shot tournaments, as well as medium Sport shots because I believe it has the potential to be a valuable piece for me on those.

It looks like it will be most valuable on wet-dry house shots using a direct angle — a look that can be hard to find with my moderate speed.

I have not changed the cover because I want to get a better handle on it at 4,000 Fast before taking it down or shining it.

My hunch is that taking it down to perhaps 1,000 would enable it to easily handle more oil (but I have the REALITY already) and shining it might open up curving angles (but I have the ALTERED REALITY already).

It’s hard to find a comparison for the REALITY CHECK, but it somewhat reminds me of the Storm INCITE, though weaker, or the Roto Grip WINNER SOLID.

I think any player seeking the reaction I’ve described would find good use for the REALITY CHECK. Bu if you’re the kind of person who loves to play a sweeping hook, it might not be for you.