In this video I break down the brand-new DV8 Mantra Solid, the second ball in the Mantra line, and I put it through my usual “real world” test: our modified house shot first, then a 37ft BAT sport pattern (my absolute nemesis). I go over why I was excited for this one—Insider Extreme Solid cover (same as the Brutal Collision) with a medium-diff asymmetric core (2.50 RG, .047 diff, .011 int)—and what those numbers made me expect: a smoother, more front-to-back look that could handle lower volume without being a full-on big, lopey asym. What I actually saw surprised me a bit. The Mantra Solid was cleaner and more continuous downlane than I expected, especially with my layout (40 x 5 3/4 x 60). On the house shot, once I quit “whapping on it” and softened my hand, I could keep it more up the lane and control the pocket better. On BAT, it was still pretty quick off the spot and I found myself wanting it to slow down earlier—honestly, I kept thinking a 1000 pad would help it read sooner and calm the shape down. Arsenal-wise, it’s not as strong or early as stuff like Paragon/Mesmerize/Hypnotize, but it’s a solid option when you want to open the lane a bit while still keeping the pocket in play on a little less volume.