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Reviews by bowlingball.com Customer

900 Global Altered Reality

900 Global Burner Pearl

900 Global Burner Solid

900 Global Eternity

900 Global Eternity PI

900 Global Harsh Reality

900 Global Harsh Reality Pearl

900 Global Honey Badger Intensity

900 Global Origin

900 Global Origin EX

900 Global Reality

900 Global Reality Check

900 Global Sublime

900 Global Sublime Focus

900 Global Wolverine

900 Global Wolverine Dark Moss

900 Global Xponent

900 Global Xponent Pearl

900 Global Zen 25

900 Global Zen Gold Label

900 Global Zen Soul

900 Global Zen/U

Pyramid Power Moon "International Release" NEW ITEM Ltd Ed of 250

Roto Grip Attention Star

Roto Grip Attention Star S2

Roto Grip Clone

Roto Grip Duo Black/Green

Roto Grip Exotic Gem

Roto Grip Gem

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Roto Grip Hustle M-M

Roto Grip Hustle PBR

Roto Grip Hustle RAP

Roto Grip Hustle RIP

Roto Grip Hustle USA

Roto Grip Hustle X-Ray

Roto Grip Hyped Solid

Roto Grip Idol Cosmos

Roto Grip Idol Helios

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Roto Grip Magic Gem

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Roto Grip MVP Pearl

Roto Grip Nuclear Cell

Roto Grip Optimum Idol

Roto Grip Optimum Idol Pearl

Roto Grip Rockstar

Roto Grip RST Hyperdrive

Roto Grip RST X-1

Roto Grip RST X-3

Roto Grip Rubicon

Roto Grip Rubicon UC2

Roto Grip Rubicon UC3

Roto Grip TNT

Roto Grip TNT Infused

Roto Grip Tour Dynam-X

Roto Grip UFO

Roto Grip UFO Alert

Roto Grip Wild Streak

Roto Grip X-Cell

Storm Absolute

Storm Absolute Power

Storm Axiom

Storm Axiom Pearl

Storm Dark Code

Storm DNA

Storm DNA Coil

Storm Electrify Black/Silver/Yellow

Storm Electrify G/O

Storm Electrify Hybrid

Storm Electrify Pearl

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Storm Hy-Road Max

Storm Incite

Storm Infinite Physix

Storm Ion Max

Storm Ion Pro

Storm IQ Tour 78/U

Storm IQ Tour A.I.

Storm IQ Tour Nano Pearl

Storm IQ Tour Ruby

Storm Journey

Storm Level

Storm Lightning Blackout

Storm Night Road

Storm Nova

Storm Omega Crux

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Storm Parallax Effect

Storm Phaze 4

Storm Phaze A.I.

Storm Phaze III

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Storm PhysiX Blackout

Storm Pitch Purple

Storm Proton Physix

Storm Revenant

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Show all reviews

900 Global Altered Reality
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: S84R Pearl
Core: Disturbance
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.49
Diff: 0.052
Int. Diff: 0.008

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 5 X 4.5 X 1.5 VLS
60 X 5 X 30 Dual Angle

The 900 Global Altered Reality continues the powerful Reality line, adding a Pearl option. The Asymmetric Disturbance core is wrapped in the pearl version of the s84 Response cover. This ball harnesses the power of the disturbance and moves it to the backend to give you the most down-lane shape of any high performance ball currently on the market.

I tested the Altered Reality on our high volume house pattern. Unlike most Pearl cover balls I had no issue throwing the altered on a fresh lane. I did have to trick it a little with my hand to keep the ball from over-finishing while playing straighter angles on the fresh. Rather than skidding too far or jumping off the friction early, the ball got back even on the fresh lane and left me a couple of 9 pins. However as the lanes transitioned the ball just got better.

This ball should be every pro shop guys "go to" for bowlers who want a strong ball with a lot of down-lane motion. Particularly guys who are a bit more speed dominant as it is strong enough for the fresh but keep coming around as you move in.

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900 Global Burner Pearl
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:43
Volume: High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTS

Cover: S62 Pearl Reactive
Core: Centroid Symmetric
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.037

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 inch pin to pap 1 1/2 inch pin buffer

The new Burner series ball add a great performing pair of balls to the entry level price point for 900 global. The Pearl verison of the S62 coverstock is definitely the more responsive of the two balls. The centroid core provides predictable motion where you see more friction and the S62 pearl cover makes it kick when you get it there.

I tested the Burner Pearl this summer on the higher friction house pattern at my home center. I was a bit surprised at where I had to stand on the fresh. This ball really gets off the spot so I couldn't cheat as close to the friction as I did with the solid Burner. This made it ideal for when the lanes broke down a bit more and I needed a ball that could get through the front and create angle through the pins. THe Burner pearl didn't disappoint, it was nice not to have to really hit up on the ball to make it shape enough to carry. I've also found since our pattern has been lengthened and the volume raised that balls that can create more shape on a shorter back-end have been helpful. The burner pearl gives me a great option once the track burns up a bit.
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900 Global Burner Solid
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:43
Volume: Heavy
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTS

Cover: S62 Solid Reactive
Core: Centroid Symmetric
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.037

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin below bridge 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 4 inch pin buffer

900 global has added a great value piece in the entry level line. The Burner Solid is a great first ball for bowlers looking to start hooking the ball and a GREAT piece for speed challenged/rev dominant players. The S62 solid is an incredibly even rolling cover that gives you great motion on dry to medium conditions.

While I haven't found alot of opportunity to throw the Burner solid on our high volume house pattern, I was fortunate enough to have it at the Open Championships this year and it was incredibly useful for controlling my ball motion on the Team Pattern. It provided for a seamless transition from my pitch purple and allowed me to stay in the same area of the lane after I had created some carry-down with the urethane ball.

The Burner Solid is very friendly to multiple layouts, surface changes and hand position changes. You can quite literally make this ball do anything you want it to. It's an incredibly useful piece and definitely outperforms it's price point.
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900 Global Eternity
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Epoch Asymmetric
Covers: S84 Response Pearl
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.51 (14lb)
Differential: 0.044 (14 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 VLS

900 Global's 900 series releases have been gaining in popularity in recent years, particularly among the best bowlers. The Reality series gives you powerful options in multiple shapes to tackle the toughest lane conditions. The newest 900 series release brings back the super popular S84 Response Pearl that was featured on the Altered Reality. The Altered built an amazing reputation for clean, sharp motion and bringing that shape back to the line was a must. Global added an new core called Epoch to the cover to create the Eternity. The Epoch core makes an improvement on the design by refiguring the idea behind the original break cores to help the ball store energy even better. The resulting team-up gives you an abundance of clean, sharp readable motion.

I tested the Eternity in league. I threw it a couple times in practice just to get an idea of how it looked on the fresh pattern. I was plenty strong, but is so clean and reactive that our high volume, long house pattern made it look a bit over/under trying to play the track. I put it away to try it game 3 which is where I had hoped to find a use for it. The fronts break down alot because of friction in the surface up front but the high volume they use to combat that early causes the lanes to stay pretty tight down-lane. This can give you the nightmare scenario late where you have to fight the ball through the front and when you do, it doesn't want to recover down-lane. It takes away a lot of area that should be there on a pattern this high ratio, and really favors guys with the higher ball speed and lower revs who can stay right all night. The Eternity became the great equalizer for me as the cover is clean enough to clear the fronts but the core gives you so much sharp down-lane motion that it has no problem reading the spot and recovering from getting right down-lane. Another characteristic that it shares with the Altered is the ability to create a great amount of angle in a small window down-lane which gives you a lot of area to not just get to the pocket but also carry.

I would recommend the Eternity for anyone who wants/needs to see a lot of motion down-lane. If you bowl anything with a remotely longer format this ball is going to be a great addition to your bag. Being able to overpower the backends without fearing the friction up front is essential.
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900 Global Eternity PI
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION
Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Core: Epoch Asymmetric
Covers: Reserve Blend 901 Solid Reactive
Finish: 2000-grit Abralon
RG: 2.49 (15lb)
Differential: 0.050 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 1/4 X 6 1/4 X 4 VLS

The new 900 series release from 900 Global is called the Eternity Pi. It teams up the powerhouse Epoch core with a gritty 2k solid cover called Reserve Blend 901. The resulting combination is a high performance ball with a muscular motion for high volume lanes.

I first tested the Eternity Pi on the long high volume house pattern at my home center. The lanes had been playing particularly tight in recent weeks and this ball came along at the perfect time. It's strong cover really catches the mid-lane. In keeping with the great reaction of the original eternity it also gives you great hitting power.

The Eternity Pi is a perfect first ball out of the bag and will over-power the wettest conditions. It was a little earlier for me compared to my Reality, but that may be due more to my jump from 14lb equipment to 15's. I has also seemed to continue a little better than the eternity. When you get both of those things it's going to translate into more overall hook. The Eternity Pi has settled nicely into my bag as the strongest ball I own.

I see this ball being very popular anywhere you have to battle heavy oil conditions and will be particularly popular with speed dominant players and anyone who needs a little more help from the ball to make up for a lack of revs.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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900 Global Harsh Reality
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Disturbance A.I. Asymmetric
Cover: Reserve Blend 902 Solid
Finish: 2000 Abralon
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.054 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS

The new 900 series release from 900 Global is an upgraded replacement for the very successful Reality. The new Harsh Reality uses the Disturbance Assymetric core newly wrapped in AI technology. The Reserve Blend 902 solid cover helps create more motion in oil, making this ball a powerful upgrade to what was already one of the best heavy oil balls on the market.

I tested the Harsh Reality in my league. I didn't have alot of hope that I would get more than a game out of the Harsh Reality due to the lane condtions in my center. While they use a longer pattern with a high volume of oil, the lane panels are pretty beat up in the front and the pattern tends to play much shorter depending on how long the oil has to sit. In my experience the balls that are very strong in the front of the lane tend to burn up with the early friction, taking them out of play as soon as the lanes begin to transition. My immediate impressions were a bit of surprise as to just how much the ball hooked over-all. To place that in context I was a full arrow left with my feet compared to where I would start with my Eternity Pi. I was surprised at how well the ball hooked and hit from that deep so early. My biggest surprise came in games 2 and 3. Our lanes transition quickly and the I kept waiting for the ball to start losing it angle through the pins. 2nd game went as well as the first and it wasn't until game 3 that I started to notice any let down. I made the small adjustment of getting the ball a little further out on the front panel and it kept me right in play. I may have sacrificed a minimal amount of carry the 2nd half of the game, but it was miles more playable than any other big solid i've tried to throw in there.

I lucked into catching a FRESHLY oiled lane when I went to shoot video with it. This lane played tighter than any time I've probably ever bowled in this house and it was really a perfect condition for what I wanted to test the ball on. I don't think I've ever gotten every shot I needed for a video so quickly. This ball is going to be the go to on the highest volume patterns and I think its incredibly versatile, taking well to hand position changes.

As a pro shop guy I can see this ball being a staple at the top of the line that will rival the original Reality. It matches up well to even guys with more hand and less speed and it's the money ball for anyone who needs help getting the ball to hook on oil.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

Was this comment helpful? yes no
900 Global Harsh Reality Pearl
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS:

Core: Disturbance A.I. Asymmetric
Cover: Reserve Blend 902 Pearl
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.054 (15)
PSA: 0.019 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 5 1/2 X 5 X 2 3/4 VLS

The Harsh Reality from 900 Global has been a great high performance piece for higher volumes of oil. The continuous motion has made it a favorite for a variety of bowlers. It was just a matter of time before a pearl version was released and the Harsh Reality Pearl doesn't disappoint. The great news for fans of the Altered Reality is that in my opinion this ball is the best replacement released to date. The Disturbance AI symmetric core maintains the great continuation and the 902 reserve pearl coverstock gives you great length and a quicker change of direction down-lane.

I tested the Harsh Reality Pearl in league. I was really curious about how continuous the ball would be with the powerful core when I had to get in and cover boards. Our house tends to have alot of early friction in the surface, but our longer heavier pattern makes it so you need a strong down-lane reaction to get the ball back. I've struggled a bit with some of the high performance pearls wanting to get forward too quickly when I get left. I lucked into the perfect opportunity to test it as we were on lanes 1 and 2 (Highest friction in the house). This ball definitely HOOKS. I had to start around 20 at the arrows on this pair and I was throwing it over the left gutter by the end of the night.

The Harsh Reality Pearl retains energy really well. I love a ball that can create angle in a smaller window, but not roll out when you cover boards with it. That combination really opens the lane up once you're a few games in. For a strong reaction even when the fronts get fried this is the ball.

I'd recommend this ball for anyone who runs into a condition where they struggle to clear the heads and when they do their ball struggles to continue. High Rev, Low rev, high speed low speed this ball matches up for everyone at some point.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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900 Global Honey Badger Intensity
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: S70 Solid

Core: Grapnel 2.0 Asymmetric

Finish: 4000

RG: 2.54

Diff: 0.045

The newest addition to the 900 Global Honey Badger line of balls is the HB Intensity. It features the s70 solid coverstock. The s70 cover provides more traction than the original Honey Badger. The 4000 finish helps the ball not over-read the front of the lane. The Grapnel 2.0 Asymmetric core delivers dynamic motion without making the ball too strong to stay in as the lanes break down.

The Honey Badger series have stood out in the market because of their dynamic asymmetric motion in their price point. This 700 series ball creates great motion and power without having to be at the absolute top of the hook scale. The s70 creates an excellent motion as its cover gives you enough grip to tackle more volume with straighter angles while it's asymmetric medium diff core allows you to stay in the ball longer and continue to carry as you transition in on the lane.

I tested the Honey Badger Intensity on a fresh house pattern. Its easy to spot the value of this ball as its strong enough without being too strong. It's versatility will make it useful on many patterns. I think for any but the absolute top end of speed dominant bowlers this is a fantastic first ball out on a house pattern. It allows you to get a good read on the shape of the oil pattern and responds very well to hand position changes allowing you to attack the lanes from multiple angles. This ball should be a staple for most pro shops as it will work for the vast majority of your customers, no matter what the lane conditions. It also has great shelf appeal.
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900 Global Origin
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Testing environment:

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Comments:
Core: Ellipse Asymmetrical A.I. (14-16#)
Coverstock: RB93 Hybrid Reactive
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.48 (#15)
Differential: 0.050 (#15)
PSA: .020 (#15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 X 2 VLS

The newest 900 Series release from 900 Global is called the Origin. It features a new Core/Cover combo that creates amazing length, down-lane miotion and continuation. The Ellipse A.I. core features an Intermediate Differential number higher than you've ever seen in a 900 Global ball. Teamed up with the Reserve Blend 93 cover you get power in the right place. The Origin checks every box, great control, motion and continuation.

I tested the Origin for the first time in league. I took it out game 2 so I could figure out if it was going to look better in the transition or on the burn. My only regret was not starting the night with it because it turns out it was better on EVERYTHING. I noticed right away that I had more forgiveness on my misses than I'd had lately. If I pulled the ball into the puddle it still peeled off and went through the pins. If I over-threw it, it came screaming back. I really took away the over/under of the pattern too. As I bumped left I kept waiting for the ball to stop wanting to come around because with the amount of over-all hook I got out of the ball, I assumed I couldn't see it keep continuing when I got really deep. No issues the rest of the night.



Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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900 Global Origin EX
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

Core: Ellipse Asymmetrical A.I. (14-16#)
Coverstock: RB 89 SOLID
Finish: 2000 Grit Abralon
RG: 2.48 (#15)
Differential: 0.050 (#15)
PSA: .020 (#15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS

900 Global has released a great companion piece for the Origin. The new 900 series ball is called the Origin EX. The Origin EX features the same Ellipse A.I. Core that made the origin so good. This time they've wrapped the core in an all-new, ultra-clean performance solid cover called RB 89 solid. The powerful core combined with the cleaner cover gives you a great control ball that is useful on many different conditions.

I tested the Origin EX is league on our longer house pattern. While this pattern is heavy, the warmer weather tends to cause the oil to transition very quickly and the early friction on our lane panels comes through. I was a bit worried about getting use out of a strong solid with all of the friction, but the EX really shines on this condition. The solid cover has no problem clearing the fronts. It's even better down-lane. The core gives you a great continous roll off the back of the pattern, helping to control the shape. This ball should be exceptional on sport conditions.

I would recommend this ball for a multitude of bowlers. It's a little stronger than what I would normally call a benchmark, but that really makes it even more useful. I think it will function well as a benchmark ball for players who are more speed dominant or have less revs. I think it functions incredibly well as a first ball out for bowlers who are speed challenged or rev-dominant. While it works fine on less oil, I think it looks best for playing straighter angles on fresher conditions. It's gotten alot of love in the last couple of PBA events of 2025 and I think it will be great at Nationals this year.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop


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900 Global Reality
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: S84 Response Solid
Core: Disturbance Asymmetric
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.49
Diff: 0.052

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over ring 60 X 5 1/4 X 30

900 Global's new 900 series release is called the REALITY. It features a powerful asymmetric core with the new S84 Response cover. Response is a great name for this type of cover. This ball digs in immediately and keeps coming.

I made two attempts at using the REALITY in my normal league, but I didn't want to play 5th arrow on the fresh so I put it away and waited. There's a pattern league that bowls in the middle of the week and I used their open pair so I could throw the Reality on the 45 ft PBA Dragon Pattern. I spent a little time watching the league bowlers get the ball right and take 3 off the right. I threw my first couple shots from in trying to trap it from getting right of 12 down-lane. Then a funny thing happened, the ball went high. I got the next one out to 9/10 and struck. I was surprised to say the least. I decided to see if I could play straighter close to the Out of bounds area. I had to up my speed a little but It was fantastic. I had miss room on both sides thanks to the strength of the ball when I got it right and the length of the pattern when I missed in.

Once I had a chance to see the strength of this core on a higher volume pattern I decided to adjust the cover so I could try using the Reality again in league. I took the cover up to 5000 and took it back out game 1 of league that week. The ball would clear the front but that core strength still kept the ball hooking. I was able to use the ball the first two games and actually shot my high series of the year. The ball keeps its rounder, controlled motion off the back but still continues and hits like it did with the duller cover. The 5k cover just allows the ball to clear the fronts where there isn't as much oil.
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900 Global Reality Check
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: S84 Beta Hybrid
Core: Disturbance Asymmetric
Finish: 4k Fast
RG: 2.50 (14lb)
Diff: 0.052 (14lb)
Int. Diff: 0.018 (14lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 5 X 4.5 X 1.5 VLS
60 X 5 X 30 Dual Angle

To add a quicker response compliment to it's 900 series line of balls, a hybrid version of the Reality has hit the market to fill the void. While I don't believe the Reality Check was designed to be a direct replacement of the Altered Reality, it has worked out to be one for me. The S84 Beta Hybrid cover is clean and responsive down-lane, creating a powerful shape and explosive hit through the pins.

I first tested the Reality check on our high volume 43 foot house pattern. This ball is very unique in that I feel like I can basically take it out of my bag at any time and find it useful. It has the power of the rest of the Reality series and I don't have problems with it being over-under on the fresh. It's also fantastic as the heads go away and force you left. It's clean cover will push down-lane better than any ball on the market that has a similarly powerful core and it creates angle from virtually anywhere you want to play the pattern.

I also took the reality check with me to nationals this year. While the back-ends were so quick for all events that I didn't think I would need it, I did end up throwing it to
finish out my team event because I wanted to get left of a team-mate who was using more surface in the middle of the lane. I was able to get steeper through the front and avoid the early friction while still getting the ball to come back and get through the pins. That is where the reality check really excels for me.

I think this is the best strong quick ball on the market right now and anyone who ever feels the need to get in and cover boards will benefit from having one in their bag.
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900 Global Sublime
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball:
Cover: Reserve Blend 802 Hybrid
Core: Immersed Symmetric A.I.
Finish: Reacta Gloss Polish
RG: 2.47
Differential: 0.056

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS

The New Sublime from 900 Global is a powerhouse! The Immersed Symmetric core is the first Global ball to utilize Storm's A.I. Core technology. This powerful fast revving core is paired with a Polished Hybrid cover called Reserve Blend 802. The resulting combo creates alot of hook.

I tested the Sublime on my local house pattern and the first thing that I noticed was how much this ball saw the mid-lane. I was very surprised to see a polished ball see the fronts so much. I had thrown Urethane to start the night and the backends had tightened up, so I thought I'd try the Sublime to get it off the back-end a little harder. I immediately had to take a big step left. The sublime will overpower a tight lane like no other polished ball on the market.

In subsequent weeks I've had a bit more trouble getting to use it in league play. Our center has a lot of early friction and I haven't encountered the lanes being as tight as that first week. The fronts tend to burn pretty fast so the early motion of the Sublime on this condition as taken it a bit out of play for me with my lower ball speed. However for players with more ball speed and less hand I think this ball is going to be very useful. I don't feel they will have to wait to get into this ball despite it's polished finish and that they will be able to stay with it long through the night.



Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop


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900 Global Sublime Focus
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT
Length:43
Volume:Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Rat

COMMENTS

Coverstock: Reserve Blend 804 Solid Reactive
Core: Immersed Symmetric A.I.
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.47
Differential: 0.056

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Bridge 5 1/8 Pin to Pap 2 3/4 Pin Buffer

The newest release in 900 Global's 800 series is called Sublime Focus. The Focus features the same Immersed Core with A.I. technology in the original Sublime, this time wrapped in the 804 Reserve Blend solid cover. This is one of the most powerful Symmetric cores ever. For me the original Sublime was remarkably early for a polished ball.

I tested the Sublime Focus for the first time in league. I was concerned about having as much oil as possible for this ball and it seemed like waiting for a fresh lane condition was smartest. I was shocked to find that if anything I had an easier time getting the Sublime Focus down-lane compared to the original Sublime. The Focus still gave me the strong consistent mid-lane read but it didn't stand up as sharply when it saw friction. The more drawn out transition in the back of the lane makes this ball more continous. It was plenty of ball to handle the fresh oil, but I was blown away with how well it continued to carry as the lane forced me left.

I think this ball will match up to a wide variety of bowling styles. It's getting to be almost cliche to compare a ball to the Phaze II, but this ball really makes me think of the Phaze II's versatility. It is no doubt a stronger hooking ball overall, but this ball responds so well to hand position changes, and surface changes that it's standing out to me as a must for your tournament bag and an easy staple for league play.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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900 Global Wolverine
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Lacerate 2.0
Cover: S70 Pearl
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.54
Diff: 0.053 (15# ball)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 1/4 Pin to Pap 1” Pin Buffer

The new 900 Global Wolverine is a scrapper for sure. The Strong Symmetric Lacerate core features a very high diff for the price point and the pearl version of the s70 cover definitely makes this ball long and strong.

Compared to other balls at its price point I would say the Wolverine is as strong as it gets. Its not going to necessarily be snappy as the big core gives you some earlier motion but it is very continuous. Its particularly effective navigating transition on heavier volumes. Sometimes you can get trapped when your big solids push you left and want to slow down and it's 10 pin city. Since you're very often taking a big step down in over all hook to get into a quicker ball to create more angle you sometimes get pushed into the over-under where your quick ball can't be a little in and your big ball can't get a little right. This is the ideal environment for the wolverine.

I would definitely recommend this ball for bowlers who struggle a bit more low ball speed. It makes a great option as a big ball for guys who have trouble getting the big solids down-lane.
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900 Global Wolverine Dark Moss
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Lacerate 2.0
Cover: S70 Pearl
Finish: 4k fast
RG: 2.54 (14# ball)
Diff: 0.052 (14# ball)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 Pin to Pap 2” Pin Buffer

As a direct replacement for the original Wolverine, 900 global has released the Wolverine Dark Moss to it's 700 series line of balls. The Dark Moss also features the Lacerate 2.0 core wrapped in the S70 Pearl cover, but this time finished at it's 4k fast surface.

Compared to other balls at its price point I would say the Wolverine Dark Moss is as strong as it gets. Its not going to necessarily be snappy as the big core gives you some earlier motion but it is very continuous. Its particularly effective navigating transition on heavier volumes. Sometimes you can get trapped when your big solids push you left and want to slow down and it's 10 pin city. Since you're very often taking a big step down in over all hook to get into a quicker ball to create more angle you sometimes get pushed into the over-under where your quick ball can't be a little in and your big ball can't get a little right. This is the ideal environment for the wolverine.

The usefulness of the Dark Moss reminds me of the Black Ops. It was a clean cover ball that you could throw on conditions where you would normally expect to need surface. It's very useful to me on our high volume 43 foot house pattern because it's strong enough to handle all the volume of oil, but the heads can sometimes go away pretty quickly. The Wolverine Dark Moss not only slows the fronts burning up but it's still clean enough to get it through once they start.

I would definitely recommend this ball for bowlers who struggle a bit more low ball speed. It makes a great option as a big ball for guys who have trouble getting the big solids down-lane.
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900 Global Xponent
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Shrapnel 2.0 Symmetric Core
Cover: Reserve Blend 701 Solid
Finish: 4000-Grit Abralon®
RG: 2.48 (15 lbs)
Diff: 0.042 (15 lbs)

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4 1/4 Pin to Pap 3 1/4 inch pin buffer

The new addition to the 700 series of 900 Global balls is call the Xponent. The Xponent features
a new solid coverstock called Reserve Blend 701 Solid. I'm already a big fan of this cover as most of
the newer solid coverstocks have made it difficult for me to get the ball through the front of the lane
where I bowl. This ball clears the front well and gives good consistant mid-lane motion. They paired
this cover with the Shrapnel 2.0 Symmetric core that was featured in the Ordinance C4. This pairing
has created the best benchmark ball I've thrown to date.

I tested the Xponent on the house shot at my home center. Our house pattern is longer (43 ft) and
higher volume (almost 30ml). The Xponent was great first ball out as it allowed me to play nearer
to the friction, but not over-react on my small misses right. This ball gave me more area than any
other I have thrown here, and really helped my first game average. It's also clean and continuous
enough to stay in play though the transition. Navigating the ball change from game one can be one of
trickiest parts of bowling in this particular center because they start out very cliffed and tend to carry-
down alot as you bowl. The Xponent handles the fronts drying up and the back-ends getting tighter
extremely well.

I see this ball being useful for so many different styles of player because it is useful on so many
different lane conditions. It's a great ball for starting a bit straighter than balls like the Phaze II might
let you, but you don't run into the same problems with carrying while covering boards that the balls
with really early covers give you. As a pro shop guy, this ball also makes a fantastic choice as a first
purchase and a ball you can really build an arsenal around.
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900 Global Xponent Pearl
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Ball:
Cover: Reserve Blend 702 Pearl
Core: Shrapnel 2.0 Symmetric
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.042 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4 1/2 Pin to Pap 3 3/4 Pin Buffer


The new 700 series release from 900 Global adds a responsive cover to a great benchmark motion. The Xponent Pearl features the same great core that made the original Xponent a staple in so many bags, but now wrapped in a pearlized cover.

The first thing that jumped out at me about the Xponent Pearl was how much quicker it shaped off the friction. Many times a pearl cover will help create length but it doesn't always translate into faster response. The other thing that blew me away was just how much more the Xponent Pearl hooked than its predecessor. With the same layout I was a couple boards left and really having to watch my angles down-lane. the house pattern in my home center is very cliffed and the front panels have a lot of built in friction so it makes it hard to throw a ball that will smooth out the down-lane reaction without hooking too much in the front. On a fresh lane I felt I had to be perfect for the ball to not over or under read. My 2nd outing went much better when I figured out I could play a little closer to the friction if I got my hand around it more to spin it through the front.

I feel the Xponent Pearl will match up very well for speed dominant bowlers who sometimes have trouble getting the ball to shape down-lane when they have to open up their angles. I could also see it being very useful on some sport patterns where a ball that creates so much shape in such a small window is needed.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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900 Global Zen 25
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT
Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Core: Meditate Symmetric A.I.
Cover: Reserve Blend 83 Pearl
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.053 (15)
ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 4 3/4 X 4 3/4 X 1 3/4 VLS
The most popular release in the Global line was without question the Zen. So what would a Zen look like with A.I. technology? We had to know, so along comes the Zen 25. Featuring the Mediate core with Amplified Intertia technology and a new cover called RB 83 Pearl the Zen 25 is what we've been missing. A replacement for one of the greatest balls ever made.
I spent some time prior to drilling mine researching what other thought about it. I really wanted to get it as close to my original zen as I could. I was a little surprised that some people felt it gave them the same look they had with the original and others felt it was a little cleaner and a little more off the spot. My original worry was that the AI addition would cause it to get forward too soon. I decided to use the exact same numbers I had used on my original Zen and I'm glad I did.
I tested the Zen 25 for the first time in league. I decided to save it for the transition in game 2 and my only regret for the night ended up being that I didn't get into it right away. The ball has the trademark Zen shape for me. It's a little earlier than you would expect with an incredibly consistant mid-lane motion and the smooth continuous down-lane finish that was the trademark of the original Zen. I didn't personally see any noticeable difference it terms of length and shape down-lane compared to my original. The one big difference is the color and I think that's an improvement. This ball really has has great shelf appeal.
For anyone who didn't have the pleasure of throwing the original zen, it's popularity was due in large part to it's versatility. It was a ball that matched up with many different lane conditons and styles of play. You'll get the same from the zen 25. For pro shop guys it should be the staple that you love. It's a go to for any style player and you can be confident that your customers will be happy with what they are buying.
Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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900 Global Zen Gold Label
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Meditate Symmetric Core
Cover: RESERVE BLEND 801™ COVERSTOCK
Finish: Reacta-Gloss
RG: 2.49 (15 lbs)
Diff: 0.051 (15 lbs

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin high over bridge 5 3/8 Pin to Pap 1 1/4 inch pin buffer

The New Zen Gold Label is the cleanest offering yet to feature the Meditate symmetric core. The new 801 Reserve cover is clean and responsive down-lane
giving you a great companion piece to the original Zen.

I tested the Zen Gold Label in league. Our house pattern being longer and higher volume, the stronger balls have been the better performers. While the Zen Gold Label is definitely strong enough to throw on a fresh lane, it really shines as the lanes transition. I threw a few shots on the fresh, by increasing speed and playing closer to the friction. It was a little too easy for the ball to overreact in this part of the lane so I put it away until game two when the fronts started to go. The Gold Label really surprised me with it's easy length through the early friction. As I moved left I simply increased my angle and the Gold Label kept coming around. I ended up having to give it a little bit of air time over the corner of the left gutter by the end of game 3 but if anything it might have looked even more impressive in that part of the lane.

I think the Gold Label will be really popular for people who love their Zen and look for a ball to transition to when it gets to be a bit too early and round down'lane. It's great for transition and for guys who don't need or want to really ball down when they have to move way in.



Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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900 Global Zen Soul
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Meditate Symmetric
Cover: S77 Response Hybrid
Finish: 4000 Grit
RG: 2.50 (14 lbs)
Diff: 0.051 (14 lbs)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 inch pin to Pap 2 1/4 Pin Buffer

The Zen series has been one of the most successful ever. Starting with the clean controllable motion of the original zen and then continuing with the stronger earlier reading Zen Master. It was a no brainer to produce a hybrid cover to wrap the very successful Mediate Symmetric core. Enter the Zen Soul.

This ball surprised me a bit with how aggressively it sees the mid-lane. For me it definitely runs closer to the aggressive earlier roll of the Zen Master. It is noticeably cleaner but felt much further for me from the original Zen.

My best look with the Zen Soul is on fresh lane conditions. I do very much like it's continuation and I feel like I have a bit more miss room right with it compared to the Zen Master. My Zen Master was cleaner than alot of other i watched go down the lane, due in large part to my layout. I opted for a layout closer to how I had drilled my original Zen for the Soul and it definitely has a much earlier response by comparison.

The upside is I feel like the Zen soul matches up very well with people who are a bit more speed dominant or have lower rev rates. It is a good first ball out of the bag and will let you stay with it until the fronts dry up, which is when you'll like the original zen better.
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900 Global Zen/U
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Meditate LD Core
Cover: s35 Urethane+
Finish: 1000 Grit
RG: 2.58 (14 lbs)
Diff: 0.027 (14 lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 4 5/8 inch pin to Pap 2 inch pin buffer

Most ball companies have been pushing the boundaries of technology when it comes to Urethane bowling balls in recent years. Many times it has been difficult for them to find useful blends of urethane and reactive covers or to match more powerful cores with their urethane covers. 900 Globals new Zen U takes a proven core strength and makes a great adjustment to fit it with their new Urethane + blended cover.

The characteristic of this ball's motion is definitely much closer to reactive than urethane for me. No other urethane ball has allowed me to play as far left as I do with the Zen U. That being said this ball is such a great balanced piece that I think everyone should have it in their bag. That's a statement I reserve for balls like the Phaze II and the original Zen. There are definitely bowlers who you watch and instantly know that there is no need for urethane in their bag. Not this time.

I tested the Zen U on our high volume house pattern. I lined up where I would normally play with a pitch black. Then I had to make a big mother may I step left. I quickly had to get the "I'm throwing Urethane" thought out of my head. I kept waiting for the Zen U to stop coming around as I moved left. I kept waiting for the Zen U to stop going through the pins as I moved left. The night ended before that happened.

The really astounding thing is that the motion of the ball never seemed wrong. From when I was playing the track to when I was in and really wheeling, it read the right part of the lane and still went through the pins. With my ball speed I couldn't get really straight with the Zen U but I've seen it work for other bowlers in that part of the lane as well. This ball is special.
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Pyramid Power Moon "International Release" NEW ITEM Ltd Ed of 250
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
The Pyramid Power Moon is a fantastic new addition to the lineup, offering a strong, reliable reaction on the lanes. If you were a fan of previous Pyramid releases, this one is sure to impress. The Power Moon provides a smooth mid-lane read with a strong, continuous backend motion, making it a solid option for a variety of styles and lane conditions.

Before drilling mine, I checked out what others thought. Some felt it reacted just like their previous favorite, while others noticed a bit more control with a strong finish. My main concern was whether it would read the lane too soon, but I went with the same layout as my previous go-to ball, and I’m glad I did.

I tested the Power Moon during league play and decided to pull it out in game two when the lanes started breaking down. I should have used it earlier! It had a great mid-lane reaction and a smooth, continuous motion down-lane. It reminded me of my old favorite but with a better color scheme and improved shelf appeal.

If you never got to try previous Pyramid releases, this ball is a great introduction. Its versatility makes it a great choice for bowlers of different styles and skill levels. Pro shop owners will love having this in stock—it’s an easy recommendation for any bowler looking for a reliable, well-balanced option that works across multiple conditions.


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Roto Grip Attention Star
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Ball:
Cover: eTrax PLUS Pearl Reactive
Core: Momentous AV + A.I. Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.049 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Tall Over Ring 5 X 5 1/2 X 1 1/4 VLS

The New Roto Grip HP4 release brings a core previously featured in overseas releases stateside, wrapped in AI technology. The Momentus AV + AI core is wrapped up with Etrax Plus Pearl to give you one of the most responsive pearls ever seen in the line. All together these add up to the new Attention Star.

I tested the Attention Star for the first time in league. Our house shot while Longer and higher volume is very cliffed. On the fresh the cover tended to over-read the friction and under-read the oil as you would expect from a quick response ball on a 12 to 1 pattern. The attention star is much better for me game two when the fronts start to break down. Especially in my home center where the length and volume of the pattern tends to make the back-end tighten up a bit as well. Where this can give some balls fits, you can open up the angle with the Attention Star, let it see the friction to the right a little earlier and watch it tear through the carry-down.

I do feel that this ball is a little pattern specific, at least with the layout I chose, but it's definitely a combination of clean and strong that you can tailor to different styles of bowler with the right layout.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Roto Grip Attention Star S2
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Ball:
Cover: eTrax™ PLUS Hybrid Reactive
Core: Momentous™ AV + Energized by A.I.
Finish: 2000 Abralon
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.049 (15)
PSA: .017 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS


Roto Grips newest HP4 release is a hybrid version of the super popular Attention Star. The new Attention Star S2 (Sequence 2) again features the powerful Momentous™ AV + core surrounded by Amplified Inertia technology. They wrapped it in a sanded Etrax Plus Hybrid cover. This cover creates greater footprint earlier than the original while still providing great down-lane movement.

I tested the S2 the first time in league. Anticipating the need for more oil I wanted to give it the first try out when I was sure I'd have a fresh condition. It only took a couple balls to realize that this had a very unique motion from the Attention Star. The S2 has a very noticeable mid-lane read and great continuation. It reminded me a lot of the Eternity Pi in the midlane but with more motion in the back-end of the lane. This allowed me to stay in the ball longer. In terms of overall hook it is a small step down from the X-Cell but in my opinion it stays in play much longer.

I did also bowl a practice session on a lane which had some open play and was pleasantly surprised to observe that the S2 had no problem finishing on a lane with more carry-down. The ability to trust this ball to start hooking in the middle of the lane takes a lot of the guesswork out of what it will do in the backend. This ball makes a great alternative to some of the more aggressive Assyms that want to get a bit forward as soon and the fronts start to hook. It's also better suited as a first ball out in oil for people who have slower ball speeds.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Roto Grip Clone
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Cloned E.T.™ Core (Equalizer Technology Core)
Cover: OPTITRAX™ COVERSTOCK
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.51 (15 lbs)
Diff: 0.056 (15 lbs)
PSA: 0.016

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 X 4 X 3 VLS

The "new" HP4 release from Roto Grip may seem familiar. The Clone is intended to give back the motion that fans of the UFO Alert loved. The Clone ET core and optitrax combo makes for a strong ball with some great down-lane motion.

I tested the Clone on the high volume, long house pattern at my home center. The Clone is definitely strong enough to throw on the fresh here. It has turned out to be a great ball for bouncing off the friction even with as heavy as this pattern is. The high diff makes sure you get the flare you need for dynamic motion. The higher RG and clean cover keep it in play as you have to move left in the transition. I definitely feel like this ball likes high volume patterns, but it's no one trick pony. I was honestly a little surprised at how easily I could get this ball through the front of the lane as the night wore on. When I finished shooting my reaction video I decided to experiment with adding friction. I gotta say from a personal standpoint I think I like this ball even better at 2k than I do polished. It's still pretty clean, but smoothing it out a little down-lane was great for me and helped with over/under.

I would recommend the clone for just about anyone. It's strong enough for people who need help from the ball to see motion and it's clean enough that rev dominant bowlers can use it on a variety of conditions.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Duo Black/Green
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: Micro Trax Pearl Reactive
Core: Mentor™ symmetric core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.53 (14lb)
Differential: 0.047 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/8 Pin to Pap 2 1/2 Pin Buffer

Roto Grip's New HP3 offering is called the DUO. They've used the Micro Trax Pearl ball that was featured so successfully on the Exotic Gem with a new core called Mentor. This bulby core shape is a throwback to balls like the Dare Devil. It gives the HP3 line a ball that I feel gives you a more noticeable difference from the HP4 line than the Idol series did.

The Duo is also a collaboration with the "Shafanie" duo of Shannon Okeefe and Stephanie Johnson and with an organization that they are very close to: Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The result of this collaboration is Storm Bowling has pledged a portion of every sale of a duo to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. So getting a great performing ball and also helping a great cause should be good selling point for the Duo.

I tested the Duo on the house pattern at my home center. While our pattern is on the longer side, the added heat of summer makes the lanes hook ALOT more than they do in the winter. I was worried about the Duo's strength after my experiences with the Idol series balls when the oil seems to sit so thin in the heat. The Duo however has proven to be much more useful. The microtrax pearl cover will get through the front of the lane and the higher RG mentor core doesn't cause the ball to burn up. What you get is a good strong backend reaction that isn't so violent that you can't control it. The advantage to this is that small misses don't leave you with unmakeable spares the way the really angular balls do. So while the Duo will clear all the early friction, it retains energy and gives you a strong, controllable roll down lane. I really like this reaction when I'm forced left and have to cover boards.

The Duo is strong enough for me to use first ball out of the bag on the current conditions. In the winter I would see it being more useful when some friction develops down-lane.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Exotic Gem
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: MICROTRAX™ Pearl
Core: DEFIANT™ LRG
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.50
Diff: 0.052
Int. Diff: .015

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/4 X 4 1/4 X 1 7/8 VLS
50 X 4 1/4 X 30 Dual Angle

The new HP4 release from Roto Grip adds a strong Pearl to the line. The Exotic Gem features the same Defiant LRG core that made the Gem the strongest ball on the market. To move that power into the back part of the lanes they wrapped it with the Pearl Microtrax cover. The combination of Pearl Additive and Nano technology gives this ball a pretty big footprint in the back of the lane.

I tested the Exotic Gem on a fresh house pattern. The league pattern in my home center has high volume and is 43 feet long. This makes it one of the heaviest patterns i've bowled on when fresh. The reason for the copious amount of oil applied here is a lane surface with a lot of early friction. As a result the lane break down most nights is for the front of the lane to open up pretty quickly while the back ends can remain tight much longer, particularly if you're sharing the lane with anyone who throws equipment which pushes the oil down-lane.

My first few shots with the Exotic gem in practice were a bit surprising as I expected it to be jumpy on the fresh pattern. Most shiny balls are really over/under as our pattern is not only long and high volume but also very cliffed. The Exotic gem was suprisingly controlled down-lane. I was able to stick with it the entire first game. It is still not the ball I would normally choose in that spot simply because of the length of the pattern, I prefer balls which are earlier on the fresh. The exotic Gem is definitely strong enough to use there though, and in a house with less oil out to start i could see it being a great first ball out of the bag.

I really liked what I saw when I moved left with the transition. The exotic gem looked great for me when opening the angle up. It has been much rounder down-lane than I anticipated which smooths the over/under out when throwing it left to right. It still has the teeth to read the spot but using the excessive friction outside the controlled down-lane shape prevents leaving those ugly pin combinations on small misses that I sometimes see with the balls with are very quick off the friction.

This ball works pretty well for rev challenged bowlers to play closer to the friction. It makes an exceptional transition piece off of the original Gem for the same reason. In short there's something of value to every style of bowler in having this ball in their bag.
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Roto Grip Gem
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: MICROTRAX™Solid
Core: DEFIANT™ LRG
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.47
Diff: 0.053
Int. Diff: .016

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin in Ring 4 1/2 X 4 1/4 X 3 VLS

The Roto Grip Gem is going to live up to a pretty incredible amount of hype. I am always skeptical when I see "hookingest ball ever" type posts. I will say right now, I have never thrown a ball that hooks more than the gem. I was a big fan of the Defiant series balls so I was happy to see the Defiant core come back. Wrapping it in Micro trax has created an absolute hook monster.

I am beyond grateful that my home center is using a high volume house pattern this year. First night out with the gem, it took me most of practice to figure out that I needed to stop trying to make my gem hook and just let it hook. Once I did that I felt like it could throw it anywhere to the right and get it back. My only 2 non strikes were both shots that I threw bad enough that the ball had no chance of getting right. On a pattern that has made me hyper aware of how the ball is coming off my hand it was unbelievably fun to just relax and let the ball go.

The Gem is going to be the go to "hook in a box" in every shop. Tame the wettest conditions, get the max hook for your customers that struggle to get the ball to turn over. This ball has a huge footprint and you can't oil them too much for it.
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Roto Grip Hustle B/R/Y
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

BALL:
Coverstock: : VTC Hybrid Reactive
Core: : Hustle Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.53 (15lb)
Differential: .030 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 4 7/8 X 4 1/4 X 2 1/2 VLS

Roto Grip has added a Hybrid option to their hustle line. The Hustle B/R/Y combines the proven Hustle core with VTC Hybrid. The Hustles have always been great bang for your buck balls and this one definitely fits that mold.

I tested the Hustle B/R/Y on our high volume/high ratio house pattern. I noticed right away that it was pretty responsive when trying to throw it closer to the friction. It was a little stronger than I expected which I attribute to the hybrid cover making it a little more continuous down-lane. The pearl versions of the Hustle had a tendency to get forward a little quick for me but while the B/R/Y is certainly quicker off the spot than its solid counterparts, its definitely rounder than the Wine. I liked this ball best as the lane began to transition as it would clear our high friction front lane panels but still had plenty of pop to get off the back-ends that hadn't completely opened up yet.

This ball is a great piece for a first time bowler who is looking to get more hook for their money.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Roto Grip Hustle M-M
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: VTC™ Pearl Reactive
Core: : Hustle™ Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.55 (14lb)
Differential: .030 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 Pin to Pap 4 1/2 Pin Buffer

The new HP1 releases from Roto Grip expand the Hustle line to include a new Pearl and Solid option. The Hustle M & M uses the successful Hustle core with a pearl version of the VTC coverstock to give you the cleanest offering in the line.

I tested the Hustle M & M on our long heavy house pattern. I had to be right up against the friction on a fresh lane. It didn't provide much miss room as our high ratio house shot would cause my misses to the right to jump. The M & M is very clean and very controllable down-lane and my best use for it has been on the super burn. It's handy because it's condition I see pretty often in our area and I wish I'd been able to add it to the arsenal before our city and state tournaments where I always fight the excessive friction.

This ball is a great piece for any one who faces alot of friction, particularly in the front of the lane. It's also great for speed challenged bowlers, and I can see it being a great seller in the shop for my senior customers.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Hustle PBR
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Roto Grip is adding a new factor into their HP1 Hustle Line, SURFACE.The new Hustle P/B/R wraps the very successful Hustle Core in a Solid VTC-S20™ cover. The Hustle Ink also featured a solid cover but it's polished finish made it the cleanest of the line for me. The 3000 grit finish on the Hustle PBR gives the ball more teeth to deal with mid-lane oil.

I tested the Hustle PBR on a fresh house condition expecting to be playing very close to the friction. This cover really blew me away. It started to read earlier than I expected so that I had to look for a little hold instead of firing straight into the friction. The biggest shock was watching the ball go through the pins. Even on a higher friction surface the PBR is fantastic at retaining energy. It was smooth and predictable off the spot but really went through the pins well.

I started out wanting to "try it out" and it has become hard for me to throw other balls because it is the ball I trust most right now, since week to week lane play has been pretty varied. This ball is very versatile and if you are looking for a single ball to fill a few spots in your bag I would suggest you give this one a try.
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Roto Grip Hustle RAP
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: VTC-P20 Pearl
Core: Hustle
Ball Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.030

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/2 Pin To Pap 2 Inch Pin Buffer

The Hustle R/A/P is the newest pearl cover release in the HP1 line. The Hustle core has proven to be the benchmark for great performance in the entry level ball market. Each variation has shown consistently that whatever the characteristics may be of the cover, the constant is great performance.

The R/A/P for me is certainly the strongest of the Pearl Hustle's to date. I was a bit surprised that I could see some mid-lane movement even on a freshly dressed lane. That's not to say it is early rolling, but it is slightly earlier than I expected. The Hustle Ink has always been the cleanest and quickest of the Hustle line for me in spite of its solid cover. The Hustle R/A/P is a few feet earlier than the Ink, and although it isn't as quick off the spot it still makes a strong move and continues well.

I tested the R/A/P on a somewhat broken down house pattern first. I assumed that it would be most useful going around the lane with a softer release to let it really belly but I found that it created a bit of over/under that I'm only used to seeing with Stronger balls when I get around them. After i noticed this i decided to try getting under the ball more as I moved in to get it to slow down a little more. To my delight I found the R/A/P gave me an excellent option to play this line. With my lower ball speed I often have trouble forcing stronger equipment through the front of the lane but the weaker pieces struggle to carry. With the R/A/P I can focus a bit on my release and let the ball get down lane rather than having to try to generate more ball speed and use a stronger ball.

I've also found that the R/A/P looks good when playing closer to the gutter and for people who have less hand and play tighter angles. I can back out the hand and fire it up the friction on a fresher lane and it looks great. Its a very versatile ball for a pearl and I think alot of different styles would benefit from having one in the bag.

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Roto Grip Hustle RIP
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: : VTC™ Solid Reactive
Core: : Hustle™ Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.55 (14lb)
Differential: .030 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 Pin to Pap 2 1/2 Pin Buffer

The HP1 line got back it's GOAT. The new Hustle RIP is what all Hustle Ink fans have been waiting for. The Hustle core and VTC solid combo is unbeatable and this ball will be very popular.

I first tested the Hustle RIP in league. Our house pattern is longer and higher volume than many, it is also a higher ratio (12:1). The Hustle RIP is a very clean ball, clearing the lane heads easily and providing a good continuous motion in the back-end. By numbers it's not a very strong ball, but I would say it out-performs most balls in it's price point.

I was able to use the RIP on the fresh condition playing closer to the friction. The ratio made it a little touchy as it could over-react when it saw friction too soon. I was very happy with the ease that it cleared the front of the lane, as the lane beds have a lot of early friction.

The Hustle RIP really shines as the lane begins to transition. It is one of the most dependable balls I've ever thrown in terms of clearing the front, reading the end of the pattern and giving predictable, continuous down-lane motion. It also responds really well to speed and hand position changes, allowing you to stay in the ball for a long time as the lanes change.

The Hustle RIP will be very popular for many bowlers. It is a useful ball for high rev and speed challenged players on almost any condition. For all bowlers the Hustle RIP will be very useful on drier lane conditions and higher friction lane surfaces.



Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Hustle USA
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: Versatile Traction Control (VTC) Hybrid
Core: Hustle
Ball Finish: 3000
RG: 2.55 (14lb)
Differential: 0.030 (14 lb)

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/8 Pin to Pap 2 3/4 Pin Buffer

The Hustle line has been the best performaning line of entry-level balls on the market for years now. Whatever formulation is chosen to wrap the hustle core in, one thing that can always be counted on is a ball that will out-perform it's price point. The new Hustle USA is probably the best example of hook at a great value that has ever been introduced to the market.

The Hustle USA in my opinion has the strongest cover that has been featured in the Hustle line. The Hybrid VTC at it 3000 grit finish creates a much stronger mid-lane motion than you would expect from an HP1 ball. The resulting motion is much rounder than any of the other Hustles. This line has been a staple for me on the drier house conditions I'm used to encountering, but the Hustle USA is in play even on the current high volume 43 ft pattern used in my home center.

I used the USA the second game of league the first week I had it. I figured it would be better when the lanes had opened up but decided to see how it looked in the transition. I immediately regretting not taking it out at the beginning of the night, I spent the first few frames moving left, as I kept expecting to hit the right location with my feet with each small move, but it was a substantial move left before I found the pocket. The USA definitely doesn't miss the breakpoint and I felt like I needed to be pretty steep with my angle through the front AND bring the speed up a bit to get it down-lane.

For Pro Shop operators I would suggest stocking this ball in multiple weights as it is definitely going to be the strongest ball available in it's price point. It's ideal for customers who don't want to spend High Performance money but need the help of a strong covered ball to see motion.
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Roto Grip Hustle X-Ray
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

BALL:
Coverstock: : VTC Solid Reactive
Core: : Hustle Core
Finish: 4000-grit Abralon
RG: 2.53 (15lb)
Differential: .030 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 VLS

I've been a huge fan of the Hustle line from the beginning. I've always felt that Roto Grips HP1 line is the best in the industry for outperforming their price point and the new Hustle X-Ray continues that trend. The X-Ray features the same VTC Reactive cover featured on the Hustle RIP and the Hustle Core that has made this line what it is. The X-Ray features a different surface prep and a very cool new color scheme.


The Hustle RIP has been my go to when I'm looking for a ball that will give me predictable continuous motion on lighter oil or broken down house patterns. If there has been a hole in the Hustle line it's been a ball that I feel like I can get into right away and stay with through the transition. The Hustle USA hooked plenty to handle oil but as you had to cover more boards it tended to flatten out down-lane and have trouble getting the corners out. The RIP was a little too clean for a fresh pattern. The X-Ray seems to fit perfectly in that gap. You obviously have to keep straighter angles and play closer to the friction to start but works great for that and retains energy down-lane a little better than the USA did.

I tested the X-Ray on our high volume high ratio house pattern. The first week I took it out it looked great in practice but the other bowlers on the pair used some shinier stuff and they carried down so I transitioned into a stronger ball pretty quickly. The next week we caught a pair closer to the wall and it worked beautifully. It really gave me an advantage to be able to stay in the ball so long as everyone else fought the fast transition. I also added a bit of surface the next time I was closer to the middle of the house. At 2000 it was every bit as good on a little tighter pair. The core/cover combo is very versatile and takes well to both surface adjustments and release adjustments.

I would recommend the X-Ray for rev-dominant and speed challenged bowlers and for anyone who is dealing with more hook in the upcoming summer months as I know many of us do. I think it will also be a very handy ball on sport conditions as it will allow you to stay closer to friction longer on flatter patterns.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Hyped Solid
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: VTC™ (Versatile Traction Control) Solid
Core: Hyped
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.52
Diff: 0.036

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4 1/2 inch Pin to Pap 3 inch Pin Buffer

The new HP2 release from Roto Grip adds a solid to the line. Again utilizing the Hyped core, the new Hyped Solid features the VTC solid cover. VTC Solid per the company, "was formulated with durability and consistent performance in mind specifically for the HP1 and HP2 lines. This formula delivers outstanding performance while providing control and versatility without being overly aggressive." To put it simply this ball was designed as a gap filler between the outstanding HP1 line of Hustles and the Powerful HP3 balls.

I tested the Hyped Solid on our high volume 43 ft house pattern. While the design intent was to avoid the cover being overly aggressive, I definitely saw a strong midlane move with my Hyped Solid. I did opt for a very strong layout, but compared to the Dare Devil balls which made up the HP2 line in previous years, the Hyped Solid is a noticeable upgrade in cover strength.

I see the Hyped being very useful to control tricky patterns. Those very flat patterns that seem to be ever more popular for bigger tournaments can catch a big swath of bowlers in between the more forgiving way to play the patterns. I would very much have liked to have this ball for nationals this year my medium rev rate made me feel like i had too much hand to get the ball up the lane, but not enough to get steep through the front to try and create hold. I think the hyped solid will work well as an upgrade from urethane. Similar ball reaction but more power to make up for lack of rev-rate.

This ball is also a great option for a first ball for someone wanting to learn to hook the ball. It won't over-react downlane but gives plenty of hook to help someone develop their release.
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Roto Grip Idol Cosmos
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Ikon
Coverstock: XtremeTrax Pearl
Finish: 4000
RG: 2.49
Differential: 0.052

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 3/4 Pin to Pap 1 inch pin buffer


With all the honor scores that the Idol Helios racked up, and my own success with the ball I couldn't wait to get my hands on a pearl version. I wasn't disappointed when Roto Grip releases the Idol Cosmos with the same Ikon-ic core shape and the XTREMETRAX™ Pearl Cover.

What was already an incredibly continuous ball motion is further enhanced with the additional length provided by the pearl additive. The cosmos provides an ideal transition piece from the Helios and makes it easier to get the same reaction when the heads go.

I tested the Cosmos on the high volume 43 foot house pattern at my home center. The cleaner cover did play a little more friendly closer to the friction. While there's lots of volume there is plenty of shape to this high ratio pattern. The helios is so dynamic I definitely preferred playing the hold to playing the friction. That being said I definitely prefer the Cosmos after a game or so, when the hook spot has had more time to develop. It is useful with straighter angles out of box, but where this ball really shines (pun intended) is when you polish it up and open your angles with it. It's makes a great, quick move that generates great angle through the pins when you have to get steeper through the front of the lane.
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Roto Grip Idol Helios
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Ikon Symmetrical
Cover: XtremeTrax Solid
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.49
Diff: 0.052

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 3/4 Pin to Pap 1 inch pin buffer

Roto Grip has added a new solid to the Idol line. When the original Idol became unavailable many people missed it in their bag. I think Roto has come back with an upgrade in the Idol Helios. I'm sure all the other bowlers who have been racking up honor scores with this ball would agree with me.

The Idol Helios features the same Ikon core that made the original Idol one of the most powerful balls on the market. They upgraded the Helios from the Microtrax cover to a new cover called XtremeTrax™ which features "chemically charged" nano particles. The result is a much quicker response when the ball sees friction. For people like me with lower ball speed the early roll of the original Idol could make it very forward off the back of the pattern. No such issue with the Helios.

I threw the Idol Helios on the long, heavy house pattern at my home center. Where many "strong balls" can bog down in the extra length and volume of this pattern, I felt like the Idol Helios opened up the whole right side for me. It responds so well to the friction that it felt a little like cheating. Second week out I bowled 300.

This ball fits so many games that I feel like it will match up with anyone. As a pro shop guy, it's an easy sell that creates a lot of happy customers. As a bowler the hardest part is giving the rest of my equipment a chance.
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Roto Grip Idol Synergy
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Ikon
Cover: eTrax Hybrid
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.49 )
Diff: 0.052

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over ring 5 inch pin to pap 1 1/4 Pin Buffer

The Roto Grip Idol line has been the dominant force of their HP3 line. These balls remain a favorite among touring players for a reason. The smooth mid-lane read and predictable backend motion makes them match up to many conditions. For me even the Idol Pearl was mid-laney and smooth. This matched them up better for sport conditions for me.

As much as I've loved the predictable motion, I personally wished for a cleaner/quicker version of these balls that I could rely on for covering boards on house shots where I see less oil up front and a more cliffed condition overall. The New Idol Synergy is just what I'd hoped for. The synergy keeps the great shape with a faster response to friction. When the lanes burn up it keeps coming around and more importantly for me, I can still get it down-lane.

It may seem surprising that this version of the idol seems to be the cleanest considering its hybrid cover. I've found a few ball in the past which were similar, most notable the Storm IQ Fusion. The fusion for me was miles cleaner and quicker than the IQ pearl and unsurprisingly ended up being my favorite release in that line. The synergy is the answer for rev dominant and speed challenged players who want the what idol pearl gives the guys who throw it harder.
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Roto Grip Magic Gem
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: MICROTRAX™ Hybrid Core: DEFIANT™ LRG Finish: 2000 grit RG: 2.47 Diff: 0.053 Int. Diff: .016 Right-Handed Tweener Speed: 12-13 mph Rev Rate: 315 PAP: 5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 12/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 VLS The New HP4 release from Roto Grip is the Magic Gem. The Gem line has been at the top of the strength charts since they hit the market and the Magic Gem certainly continues that trend. The Defiant LRG core is this time wrapped in a sanded Hybrid version of micro-trax. While the 2k finish gives it some mid-lane teeth the 2part pearl 1 part solid make-up makes this ball continuous. This has been the most usuable of the Gem releases for me personally. Where I felt the first two were pretty conditional for me because of my ball speed, the Magic Gem is very continous. It doesn't lock up and get forward the way the other two did for me so I don't have to have the giant puddle to push it down-lane or the mega hook backends to get it to tip up. I tested the Magic Gem first time out on our house pattern. While the length and Volume of our pattern can make the lanes very tight, the high friction surface in the front of the lane can make the strongest balls tough to use. Magic Gem's reaction seems to give you the best of both worlds, it sees the mid-lane without over-seeing the fronts and it continues through the back-end. I was very impressed with this ball on the fresh as it was great at blending out the lane. It reacted well through the transition and until the lane really burnt up the last game it gave me a predictable motion as I went left. The versatility of the Magic Gem makes it useful for more people. It's strong enough for the rev-challenged and speed dominant players but continuous enough for the people who struggle stay in a ball once the lanes start to transition. I would recommend this ball for pretty much any style of player as a first ball out of the bag.
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Roto Grip MVP Attitude
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: VTC-H20 Hybrid
Core: Neutron NXT
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.55
Differential: 0.040

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 1 1/2 Pin Buffer

Roto Grip has added a dull finished hybrid to their MVP line of HP2 balls. The Neutron NXT core has been a great success, showcasing great motion and continuation consistently outperforming its price point. The VTC-H20 Hybrid cover and it's 3000 grit finish adds more mid-lane motion to the line, making it more useful on higher volumes of oil.

I tested the MVP Attitude on a house-shot on a fairly high-friction surface. It did coincide with the house adding a bit of volume to the pattern. The timing worked out to my advantage as I got my hands on the ball that fit perfectly into the spot i needed it. The added volume tended to show up down-lane as opposed to in the front of the lane as was intended. The fronts still hooked but it was easy for the ball to push too far down-lane to the right and not recover. The trick was getting the ball to see the mid-lane without overreacting so that you could start creating angle back to the pocket before reaching the out-of-bounds.

The MVP gives you the ball roll of a solid cover with the continuation of a hybrid. It is clean enough to play the track but continuous enough to play the transition. You don't really run into trouble with it until you have to get in and cover a lot of boards. Even then you can trick it by limiting angle and letting your hand around it a little more.

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Roto Grip MVP Pearl
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: VTC-P19 Pearl
Core: Neutron NXT
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.55
Differential: 0.040

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 60 x 4 3/4 x 30

Roto Grip has decided to release a pearl version of the MVP. The Neutron NXT core is wrapped in the VTC-P19 Pearl Reactive. I don't often feel that introducing a Pearl or Solid version of an existing ball that utilizes the same core changes the amount of hook noticeably. In my experience this changes the shape of the ball but often you see a very similar amount of hook. The Pearl additive in the VTC-P19 cover however makes the MVP Pearl so much more dynamic off the spot that you can see a pretty descernible change in relation to where the ball sees the friction.

The first thing that I noticed about the MVP Pearl is that it is pretty strong for an HP2 ball. I took it out in practice for league just to see how it looked on fresh oil, anticipating having to put it away until the dry developed later in the night. I got on top of the track a watched the ball jump left. This was in a house with a VERY dominant track, but I was still surprised that it ignored the volume of oil on the lane. I couple small moves later and i had a good line to the pocket and great power into the pins.

My original intention was that the MVP Pearl would be a go to when the lanes were broken down. I next tested it on a lane that had quite a bit of traffic. Again I was surprised at how much the ball saw the mid-lane. It shaped smoother than I was expecting, but still maintained a continuous roll through the back-end and into the pins. While I definitely had to be further left than I thought I would, the ball was so much more dynamic off the spot compared to my original MVP that I was really happy with my angles playing in. Using a weaker ball deeper on the lane usually means i have to really focus on manipulating the roll to get the ball to go through the pins. I didn't feel I had to make a drastic change to my roll because the MVP Pearl was strong enough to get off the spot even as I continued moving left. I would describe the shape as quick, but even with a rolling shape off the friction it continues and creates great pin action.
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Roto Grip Nuclear Cell
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Nucleus
Cover: eTrax-P20 Pearl
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.056

Ball Layout: Pin Under Bridge 40 X 4 3/4 X 65

The new Nuclear Cell From Roto Grip features the powerful Nucleus core wrapped in eTrax-P20 Pearl Reactive cover. The result of this combination is one of the most responsive balls ever made.

I tested the Nuclear cell on a fresh house shot that had very clean back-ends. It was so strong off the friction that I had to throw the ball much more left to right compared to anything else I tried. It was probably not the best choice on the fresh because If I got slow or didn't create enough angle through the front it was too much in the back-end and I was sure to leave a nasty split. But as I moved left it just got better. This ball is so dynamic off the end of the pattern that once I was left of 3rd arrow it felt like it was impossible to miss right.

The next day I came in to see how it would react on the fill shot. The back-ends are always very tight, and I knew the Nuclear Cell would be perfect for the condition where other balls had trouble finishing. I had to get the ball a little farther out on the lane when I tried to play near the friction, but had no issues getting it to come off. I moved in to where I would normally play and was happy to see the ball still picking up down-lane. When I moved inside even further it really shined, a good release and the Nuclear cell would get back from almost anywhere and it's carry is exceptional when covering boards. This ball is just down-right strong off the spot. So much so that it takes away a ton of the over-under you see with pearl equipment, because there's never really 'Under'.
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Roto Grip Optimum Idol
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Testing Enviroment:
Pattern Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

COMMENTS

Ball:
Cover: MicroTrax™ Solid
Core: Ikon™ block with A.I. Core Technology
Finish: 2000-grit Abralon
RG: 2.47 (15)
Differential: 0.056 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle 5 3/4 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS


The legendary IDOL is back, this time sporting AI technology. The Optimum Idol features the same IKON block and Microtrax solid cover that made the original Idol the GOAT for strong mid-lane benchmark motion.

I tested the Optimum in league on our long heavy house pattern. I hadn't used the original alot because it was so strong up front and with my ball speed it was often too early. I've been working on getting the stronger balls out further on the front lane panels and I was excited to see how the Optimum Idol would look. The first couple shots I laid down a little cleaner and I saw the same strong early roll I remembered from the Idol, but the same problem with so much energy being used early. I tried a touch of loft and all of a sudden it felt impossible to miss the pocket. I did have to be aware of not getting down too clean or I could flat 10, but I really felt like the Optimum gave me a ton of room to get to the pocket. Misses in, misses out, mis-hits off my hand the ball just kept finding the pocket. The only minor difference I saw from the old Idol was that this one seemed just a touch quicker but I'd hate to have to live on the difference.

I think the Optimum Idol is going to be a popular one. It takes the place of the original and that is a spot I feel many people had been missing in their bags. This ball will be a tournament staple and particularly popular with bowlers on the firmer side of speed or with a bit less hand.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip Optimum Idol Pearl
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS



[size=14pt][font=arial][u][b]COMMENTS[/b][/u][/font][/size]

Core: Ikon + A.I. Core Technology (14-16#)
Coverstock: MicroTrax Pearl Reactive
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.47
Differential: 0.056

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/2 Pin to Pap 2 1/4 Pin Buffer

The success of the Optimum Idol at returning the Ikonic (pun intended) motion of the the original Idol, made it a certainty that a Pearl Version would be along. The Ikon core with A.I. featured in the Optimum Idol is back this time wrapped in a Microtrax Pearl Reactive cover. I had hoped to see the compliment that the original Idol Pearl added when it released to the HP3 line-up. Rather than using eTrax on the Optimum Pearl, Rotogrip opted for an upgrade to account for the new lane conditioner formulations.

I tested the Optimum Idol pearl for the first time in league on a fresh house pattern. While our pattern his higher volume and longer, the front panels have a considerable amount of friction. This has resulted in me needing to throw the earlier balls (like the Optimum solid)over the front of the lane to get them to clear the heads without over-reading and killing the down-lane reaction. I was looking forward to a pearl cover eliminating the need to me to loft the ball. Unfortunately for me the core is so dominant in the the Idol balls and the Nano Cover really don't give me a lot of separation between the two balls when I throw them in league. When I could get the ball over the front I did see a little more down-lane length. Surprisingly I didn't see a big difference in down-lane motion compared to the solid.

I did like the amazing predictability of the original optimum Idol and the Pearl version has that in spades. These two balls honestly make it feel like it's hard to miss the pocket. My personal struggles with both are if I get them down to cleanly, with my lower ball speed, it's hard to get them through the pins. That being said, in any house where the fronts aren't as beat up, or if i had even a couple more mph everything woudl line up perfectly with these two balls and there would be a more noticeable gap between the two.

I can certainly recommend the Optimum Idol Pearl to anyone who liked the solid. I think the best reaction match-up for this ball will definitely be to bowlers who struggle to get Pearl Equipment to read the mid-lane, speed dominant bowlers and anyone bowling on higher volume patterns, especially sport patterns.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Roto Grip Rockstar
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTS

Core Rocker + A.I. Core Technology
Coverstock NanoStar Solid
Finish 2000
RG 2.48 (15)
Differential 0.050 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Under Ring 4 1/8 Pin To Pap 3 3/4 Pin Buffer

There’s a new ball available in the HP3 line from Roto Grip. A new core and cover combo that gives this line what it’s been missing while keeping what it’s done right. The nano star cover continues the ultra reliable mid-lane read that was exemplified by the idol line but along with the new Rocker core adds down-lane motion and continuation. The result is a ball that will see the right part of the lane, the right way, on a variety of conditions.

I tested the Rock Star for the first time in league on our fresh house condition. I was relieved to see the familiar roll that I rely on the combat the length of our house pattern and was a little shocked at how much the ball hooked off the spot. Too often I’m sacrificing one for the other so my speed and angles have to be more precise. I made an adjustment right and picked the speed up to keep it right of the head pin. I was slower than I like to admit figuring out that I didn’t have to try to stay as far right as I was. I paid the penalty a couple times for relaxing the ball speed. When the transition forced me left anyway I realized this ball was going the continue much better than I expected and I could have made the move left sooner. By the end of game three I stopped looking for the time when I needed to get out of the ball and into something shinier. I really didn’t even have to trick it any more than I do the stronger pearls in that part of the lane, this ball just keeps coming down-lane.

I came back a couple days later to shoot a reaction video and picked up right where I had left off in league. I caught the lane after a league had bowled and put a couple more games on it while recording shots. Didn’t have to loft the front of the lane like I sometimes do, or try to muscle it right to get the speed up. It was one of the quickest vids I’ve ever shot. This ball is gonna be a hot seller for the pro shops, it’s got that easy to match up to motion that you get from Zens and phase IIs.


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Roto Grip RST Hyperdrive
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
3

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:44
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):T
COMMENTS
Core: RST™ + A.I. Core
Coverstock MICROTRAX™ SOLID
Finish 2000
RG 2.55 (15)
Differential 0.055 (15)
PSA: 0.017 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Under Bridge 4 7/8 X 4 7/8 X 4 3/8 VLS

Roto Grip's new HP4 release is a heavy-oil hooker called the RST Hyperdrive. The powerful Microtrax cover that was featured on the Gem is teamed up with Roto Star core that was featured on the previous RST releases, this time upgraded with the Amplified Inertia (A.I) technology. This combination should give you a stronger midlane read than the previous RST balls but more down-lane hook than the Gem.

I tested the RST Hyperdrive for the first time in league. Our house pattern is 44 feet long and high volume so this seemed like the perfect spot to throw it. The first few shots did want to pick up right away, which wasn't too surprising with how much our front panels hook. I bumped a little left to find the pocket, but the ball was pretty flat going through the pins. I had trouble getting the ball far enough right and when moved left enough to get it there, it didn't retain much energy.

The adjustment I've found that works best when I see this ball reaction is to throw the ball a little bit further out on the lane, to take the early friction out of play. This worked very well with the RST Hyperdrive as long as I got it into the friction to the right early enough. If I got the ball more in the track around 7-8 it had a chance to strike but it showed noticeably less energy going through the pins compared to if I got the ball out more in the 4-5 board range. If I made sure to catch the fingers well, I could strike pretty consistently in this range of boards down-lane.

I think this ball will be pretty popular for people who are a little more speed dominant or those bowling on heavier oil patterns. It does have a reasonable long transition when it starts to hook but that was also partly due to my choice of layout. In a house with quicker back-ends but the same oil up front I think it would look fantastic.It definitely falls in between a Gem and the RST in ter
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Roto Grip RST X-1
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: MicroTrax (Micro Nanoparticle Traction) Hybrid
Core: Roto Star Tour Core (RST™ Core)
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.053

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over bridge/ring 55 X 5 1/4 X 35

The New RST X-1 is a throw back motion ball updated for todays conditions. Compared to other HP4 releases it is cleaner than the solid versions you've seen released in recent years. Compared to the Pearl HP 4 line balls it is much smoother. Compared to the other hybrid releases, it is both. It's a ball that accentuates the best characteristics of strong balls with Hybrid covers. It's mid-lane read is great, down-lane motions super predictable, and is incredibly continuous without a drastic change of direction.

My favorite thing about the RST-X1 is how many different conditions it is useful on. Even the extreme ends of the spectrum are in play. The RST X-1 is smooth enough that with hand positions you can control downlane reaction on both short and long oil. In league it has been exceptional for me on conditions that are a little more blended. The adaptability of this ball to every condition makes it a good match up for most everyone.
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Roto Grip RST X-3
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: MicroTrax™ Hybrid
Core: Roto Star Tour Core (RST™ Core)
Finish: 4K FAST
RG: 2.55 (14lbs)
Differential: 0.053
PSA: .016

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin under bridge 4 5/8 X 5 1/4 X 5 VLS

The New RST X3 from Roto grip is the 3rd ball to feature the Roto Star Tour core. They matched up the RST core with a Hybrid MicroTrax cover finished at 4k fast which allows the ball to lane-shine very quickly, giving you a reaction similar to a polished ball.

I tested the RST X3 on our 43 foot higher volume house shot. My first time out with it I tried it the 3rd game of league night. The fronts tend to go away very quickly here and it didn't take me long to see that this was the wrong time to bring the X3 Out of the bag. The X3 is very dynamic when it sees friction and the early friction caused its strong move to happen too soon.

I next tested it on a much fresher version of the house pattern. I definitely see the X3 make a big move when you get it to the dry part of the lane. It was pretty handy dealing with carry-down because it would read and set so early it took the slow back-ends out of play much more. For a ball that gives you some mid-lane read it makes a pretty quick move in a small window. I feel like on a more medium pattern with cleaner backends the angles would probably need to be fairly steep and it does need some volume at the front of the pattern. Higher speed bowlers in particular will really be able to take advantage of it's dynamic motion.
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Roto Grip Rubicon
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: eTrax-S20 Solid
Core: Rondure Core
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.49
Differential: 0.052

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin way over bridge 55 X 5 3/4 X 15

The new Roto Grip Rubicon gives you an Asymmetric option in the HP3 Line. It features the Rondure Core. The design intent is to replicate a symmetric core that has had additional mass removed by a weight-hole. The idea worked very well on the HP4 UFO. I think I may even like this ball better.

The E-trax 20 cover is supposed to be all about versatility. It lands between the earlier and later versions of E-trax and is responsive to surface changes. With this being the first foray into an Asym in the HP3 line I was worried about the ball being too early so I opted for a long and strong layout. Turned out I didn't need to be worried, the R&D on this ball absolutely nailed what they were going for.

Overall the Rubicon lands between the UFO and Idol for me but it is cleaner than the Idol and more responsive down-lane. I took it with me to a tournament the first weekend I had it. Despite having thrown it zero times, I took it out in practice. The shot was very cliffed to the angle through the front had to be really steep. I didn't have a ball that was slow enough down-lane to cut any of the angle out and after trying 2 or 3 balls in practice I opted to stick with the Rubicon as it was cleaner than a few options and smoother than a couple other. The ball is really versatile in your hand as well, it responded beautifully to changes in speed and tilt as the lanes transitioned.

On oil patterns with a little less shape I definitely would have opted for an earlier layout. The idols were very early for me so I wanted to be sure I could get this ball down-lane. I like what i've seen from it so there's a 99% chance a second one of these is going to end up in my tournament bag with an earlier layout.
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Roto Grip Rubicon UC2
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Rondure
Cover: eTrax-S20 Pearl
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.49
Diff: 0.052

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over ring 55 X 4 1/2 X 30

The Roto Grip Rubicon UC2 is the latest release in Roto's' HP3 performance line. The Rondure core that was so popular in the original Rubicon has this time been wrapped in the very clean etrax pearl cover. A clean coverstock combined with a powerhouse asymmetric core has a predictable result. Power off the friction.

The UC2 is the quickest ball for me in the current SPI line-up. When it sees the friction, IT GOES. I first threw it on a broken down house shot. I had taken the time to watch a few of the staffers who got it before me and was excited to see it move. The first couple of shots were quick but not what I'd expected. I was confused until I threw my hy-road pearl in the same spot and watched it barely wiggle when it hit the back-end. There was so much carry-down on the pair I was amazed that the UC2 had been coming back. I didn't take it out again until the second game of league that week. I started to see my earlier ball slow down too much so I figured I'd give the UC2 a shot. I moved a few left and completely lost the ball off my hand. As I put my hands up to say oh no, the ball peeled back and ran over the 8 pin. Our house shot is pretty cliffed but I had no expectation of the ball hitting the head-pin. As a result my next shot I moved another 5 left and made a better shot. The angle this ball creates when going around the lane is fantastic. This ball is perfected designed to compliment the original rubicon. It's the skid/flip motion for newer lane patterns and e-trax was a great choice for cover. As a pro shop operator its always important to have these down-lane hook monsters available for the bowlers who judge ball strength by what the ball does in the back end.
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Roto Grip Rubicon UC3
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Rondure Core
Cover: Tour-ethane Pearl
Finish: 1000
RG: 2.49
Diff: 0.052

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin in Ring 4.5 X 3.5 X 3 VLS
35 X 4.5 X 50 Dual Angle

Roto Grip definitely did it right this time with powering up their urethane offering. The Rubicon UC3 features the same Rondure core featured in the original Rubicon and the UC2. This core has now proven to be a winner with whatever cover you decide to wrap it in. They teamed it up this time with their Tour-ethane™ Pearl cover and again, it just works.

This is the most continuous urethane ball I've ever thrown. Its strong enough for the fresh, smooth enough to blend out any condition and continuous enough to throw right and get back through the pins.

I tested the Rubicon UC3 on the high Volume house pattern at my home center. I've never thrown Urethane on this version of our house pattern. Mostly because there's so much volume than I can easily throw my most aggressive pieces and partly because I assumed throwing urethane would force me right which would push oil downlane to the right and making the lanes flatter as the night went on. I threw the UC3 where I would assume I needed to be with urethane (very close to the friction) and watched it go left and keep going. I decided to move to the line I had been playing with reactive balls in the same hook range as the original Rubicon, figuring I'd adjust right to get the ball through the pins. Then I watched the UC3 go through the head-pin. I ended up 3 left of there watching the ball split the 8-9. I also figured I'm have to transition away from it after half a game or so. Instead I threw all 3 games and never stopped seeing the ball go through the pins the right way.

The Rubicon UC3 is the most usable urethane I've personally thrown. I don't have the kind of rev rate that usually keeps a urethane useful on higher volume patterns but the UC3 doesn't have the same weaknesses in down-lane hitting power than most urethane's do when covering boards.

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Roto Grip TNT
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Ball:
Cover: eTrax™ PLUS solid
Core: Torpex Core
Finish: 2000 grit
RG: 2.54 (14lbs)
Diff: 0.051(14lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 5 X 3 VLS

The new HP3 release from Roto Grip features a brand new core called the Torpex. The torpex design makes this ball extremely driller friendly and forgiving. They wrapped it in the Etrax Plus cover. The 2000 grit finish on this cover-stock gives you so much early motion, this ball is the most aggressive HP3 ball in the front of the lane to date.

I first tested the TNT on the high volume/ longer house pattern at my home center. I had managed to see a few reviews before I got ahold of mine. My worry with balls that have aggressive covers is that with my ball speed I will either:

A) Not be able to get the ball through the front
B) Not get the ball to retain energy when I do

Because of this I opted for a bit weaker layout on my TNT. The 5 1/2 inch pin to pap and 3 inch pin buffer will usually help cut flare and draw out the transition so that the ball doesn't lock up for me in the mid-lane. First couple of shots I was pretty surprised at how despite the ball definitely still seeing the mid-lane, it was actually much more forgiving that most of the balls I've been trying to throw game one.


Our lane beds are pretty beat up so to combat all of the early friction, there is a very high volume of oil used. The down-side to this is that the lanes begin to carry-down noticeably right out of practice. This gets frustrating because the fronts can get chewed up pretty fast and the backends stay tight so the balls that are stronger in the front get too early and the down-lane oil makes it difficult for them to recover. It was actually a problem I had trouble combating until I threw the TNT. This ball's ability to always see the mid-lane really takes the backend out of play. It doesn't stop either, so it's very forgiving on errant shots. Our ratio is pretty high and this ball really lets you take advantage of it like no other ball will.

Now that I've had a chance to throw it and stay in it so long because of the down-lane forgiveness I'm pretty sure I want to try one with a stronger layout too for when I need the ball to slow down a bit more down-lane. So much for my initial worries. I would recommend this ball for those speed dominant bowlers who need the early motion and for any style bowler who ever runs into an issue with getting their ball to react consistently down-lane. The layouts you can choose to make this ball useful don't really shut anyone out of using he TNT.
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Roto Grip TNT Infused
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION
Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

Ball:
Cover: eTrax™ PLUS Hybrid
Core: Torpex Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.47 (15lbs)
Diff: 0.052 (15lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin under bridge 5 Inch Pin to Pap 4 1/2 Inch Pin Buffer

Roto Grip's new HP3 release is called the TNT Infused. The ball features the same Torpex core featured in the original TNT but this time is wrapped in the 2 part pearl 1 part solid E-trax hybrid cover. The pearl additive and polished finish make the motion of this ball a suprising polar opposite of its predecessor.

I tested this ball on our very high ratio house pattern. The longer 12:1 design of our house shot is very cliffed and as a result really locks you into balls which can stand up quickly to avoid the downlane OOB. The TNT infused has been great for this purpose as the fast revving core and quick response cover really get it make a quick change of direction.

This ball is a little condition specific as the quick response can make it lock up and get forward a little too quickly for some. The reaction for me has been great for getting the ball to roll off the spot very violently. On a more blended condition I think the TNT Infused will favor bowlers with more ball speed.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Roto Grip Tour Dynam-X
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Rondure Tour Core
Cover: TOURTRAX™
Finish: 2000-Grit Abralon®
RG: 2.47 (15 lbs)
Diff: 0.026 (15 lbs)
PSA: 0.010

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 3/4 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 VLS

Roto Grip has added a Tour piece to the HP3 Line. By modifying the Rondure core that was featured in the Rubicon series and pairing it with the new Tourtrax cover, they've created a ball unique to the brand, and to the market. The mild asymmetry of the Rondure Tour core creates a motion dynamic that is unique even from other Tour balls like the !Q Tour series.

I tested the Tour DynamX on the house pattern in my home center. We have a longer, heavier house pattern but very cliffed. I found the Tour DynamX most useful when I got very close to the friction, but still loaded up on the ball a bit. It was very Urethane-esque, where it wanted to read early and layoff down-lane. This pattern is not where I would choose to throw a ball like that normally because of how tight they are down-lane. However the higher ratio of this pattern made so that I could jam the ball into the friction early enough and create angle and actually took a little of the over-under away.

I also threw the Tour DynamX in another house I was visiting for a league sweeper. This house has very quick back-ends, and I tend to struggle there because of my lower ball speed This was where I really saw the unique advantage that the Tour DynamX can provide. Where I might use urethane on a similar condition, it often makes the lanes really tricky as they transition, with most modern urethanes flaring enough to pick up in the front of lane oil, but really causing it to push into the back-end. The result being a constant need to manipulate the shape as the lanes transition and even trickier; finding the correct ball to move into when the lanes transition. The Tour DynamX gives you all of the benefit of urethane type motion without the biggest drawback. The ball going down this part of the lane with a reactive cover actually makes the lanes better for the equipment you transition to.

I would recommend the Tour DynamX for everyone's tournament bag. It's also an incredibly useful piece in houses with quicker back-ends and for very rev-dominant bowlers. It takes well to hand position changes which also sets it apart from urethane as you can stay in it longer without losing carry.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Roto Grip UFO
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: E.T.™ Core = Equalizer Technology™ (Asymmetrical)
Coverstock: MicroTrax-S20™
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.053

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up/Right of Ring 55 X 4 3/8 X 35

The New UFO from Roto Grip is an absolute Gem in oil. The Micro-trax S-20 cover gives you superior traction and the powerful new E.T. Core powers this thing start to finish.

Design intent with this strong Asymmetric core has been pretty clear. For years guys have been using holes to alter core dynamics and boost mid-lane reaction. The shape of the ET core does that work for you by moving mass to all the right places. The combination of powerful cover and core creates more motion on the slickest patterns.

The true key to making a great STRONG ball is keeping the power from detracting from the carry. The UFO does this in spades, it will give you the mid-lane motion no matter what you're bowling on but it doesn't burn up an go through the pins flat. I'm notorious for causing that reaction with stronger balls because of my lower ball speed and no isssues with the UFO.

I was really fond of the look I had playing straighter with less hand. Every Pro Shop loves the balls that sell themselves by hook. The rev-challenged bowlers are the life blood of the high performance lines and the UFO is exceptionally well-suited for these bowlers. Strong even read and maximum help creating motion for lower rev styles. This ball will be a staple for anyone looking for "hook-in-a-box"”

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Roto Grip UFO Alert
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:41
Volume:Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTS

Core: E.T. = Equalizer Technology
Cover: e-Trax Hybrid
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.054

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: 50 X 4 3/8 X 55
VLS 4 3/8 X 4 1/4 X 3 1/2

The UFO Alert is the second release to feature the ET Core. The core was designed to mimic a symmetric core after a balance hole was placed in it. The hybrid Etrax cover creates a new option to take advantage of the smooth predictable motion provided by the ET Core.

The UFO Alert is sort of a benchmark ball in the high performance range. It definitely outhooks most balls that feature such a consistent rolling ball. In my opinion this ball is very unique at its performance level. The other balls with this kind of core/cover strength are either noticeably earlier or later rolling by comparison. This ball creates enough motion in fresh oil to be useable right away but is so continuous that you can stay with it through transition.

I threw the UFO Alert on my home centers house shot this summer. There was alot of friction at the time so throwing a ball as strong as the Alert required me to be left on the fresh. Suprisingly, despite the midlane motion of the ball, i didn't have any carry issues until the 3rd game. To begin the Fall league season the center changed to a slicker oil, added volume and lengthened the pattern. This is where the UFO Alert really shined. This is easily one of my favorite balls to throw on longer patterns. Straighter angles on the fresh transitioning to a more left to right ball path without ever feeling like I'm losing either my reaction or my carry is pretty unique.

I would recommend to anyone that they give this ball a try. It fits so many games and such a wide array of lane conditions that its a no brainer.
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Roto Grip Wild Streak
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Mutated Rotary
Cover: SureTrax-S19
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.60
Differential: 0.048

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 65 X 4 1/2 X 50

The newest HP3 Roto Release adds a ball that has been missing in this line. A higher RG Lower Diff core that adds some much needed length. The HP3 releases have always outperformed their price-point and the Wild Streak continues that tradition while adding a cleaner option.

I first threw the Wild Streak on a fresh house shot for league. I was amazed at how easily I got the Wild Streak to clear the fronts and how it hit the pins. I was worried about the solid cover but it ended up being a perfect combination. The core let me play closer to the friction and the cover eliminated any over/under on fresh oil.

The Idol line was a power-house but I personally felt a bit limited by the fast revving core. With my lower ball speed it took a-lot of effort to use them when there wasn't a lot of volume. The problem with looking for cleaner balls is they often are squirrely on fresh oil so you have to wait for them to come to you a little. This usually necessitated multiple ball changes over the course of a single league night. The Wild-Streak gives me a perfect option to start strong and not have to completely change the shape I'm scoring with by changing to a weaker ball. I usually have a great look for at least the first two games and then have an easier transition into a weaker ball with a cleaner cover when I need to cover a lot of boards and create more drastic angles to carry.

The Wild-Streak also strikes me as an excellent piece for playing straighter on higher volume sport patterns. It's ability to retain energy helps it pack punch in a small window so I'm excited to try using it as a solid piece I can play straight with and open up friction without doing it only in the front part of the lane.
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Roto Grip X-Cell
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

BALL:
Coverstock: : eTrax™ ULTRA Solid
Core: : NUCLEUS™ + A.I. CORE
Finish: 2000 Abralon
RG: 2.50 (15lb)
Differential: .056 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 VLS

The ball that put Roto Grip on the fore-front of high performance bowling balls is back. The legendary cell line with the powerful Assymetric Nucleus block was for many the best HP ball every released by Roto Grip. The GOAT is back with AI technology in the form of the new X-Cell. To compliment the legendary core it has been wrapped in a powerful and responsive eTrax Ultra cover. This cover gives you more length than Micro-Trax but a bit more mid-lane dig than ETrax Plus. The result is a consistant, versatile and trustworthy ball-motion to overpower the lanes.

I tested the X-Cell in my home center on a fresh lane that had sat for a bit before I got to it. I lined up around 20 with my feet Looking to push the ball from around 15 to 7 and watched the ball see the spot and go and go and go. I immediately made about a 7 board move left with my feet and opened the angle. I still needed to keep the speed up but my next shot easily covered the increased distance and pushed the rack back into the pit. My biggest astonishment was how easily I managed to get the ball past the front panel (lots of built in friction here) without it wanting to bleed all it's energy off right away. For a ball that gives such a great mid-lane read this ball really retains energy well, making it strong it pretty much every phase.

I tested it again in league a few days later, expecting to see a reduction in initial hook as I wasn't sure how much the oil had changed from sitting so long before I had gotten to it on the previous occasion. Surprisingly there was only a couple board difference and by the end of practice I was right back where I had been the last time. The lanes have been tight as of late particularly down-lane but my X-Cell never had the chance to bog down in the Out of Bounds outside down-lane because it had no problems reading the right part of the lane to already be hooking by it.

I would recommend this ball to literally anyone. It's more than powerful enough for rev-challenged bowlers and if I can get it down-lane it shouldn't be too much for anyone who is speed-challenged or rev dominant. This is a top of the bag option that everyone will be happy with.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Absolute
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION:
Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Ball:
Cover: R2S Deep Hybrid
Core: Sentinel
Finish: Reacta Gloss polish
RG: 2.54 (14lbs)
Diff: 0.045(14lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/2 X 5 X 2 1/4 VLS

The new Storm Absolute brings a very popular coverstock from some of the overseas releases stateside. The R2S Deep hybrid is a very clean cover. R & D developed a brand new core called sentinel to team up with this cover. Sentinel has a very unique shape designed to allow the thumb hole to miss the core for most drillings. The core design has an increased intermediate differential, increasing the balls response to friction.

The combination of the core and cover in this ball create a clean, powerful reaction. R2S Deep is phenomenal at ignoring early friction on the lane. This is definitely an innovation at the top end of hook potential as even the cleanest high performance balls would struggle to clear the fronts compared to this one. Another great characteristic of the Absolute is how adjustable it is. Adding surface to the R2S Deep can make it much stronger in the oil, but the coverstock formulation seems to keep it from losing that cleaner characteristic in comparison to other balls when you add surface. So you can upgrade the mid-lane motion without having to worry too much about the ball burning up.

I first tested the Absolute on our high volume house pattern. The first time I took it out was for a prebowl for league. There was a lot of down-lane hang on the freshly oiled pair we used. I wasn't having much luck in practice with getting anything back when I sent it right down-lane, but trying to square the ball up more felt very tricking because it would see the friction in the track and want to start up too soon.
I tried the Absolute and found that I could be in a bit more and straighten the angle up to keep the ball from getting too far right. The Absolute responded beautifully, ignoring the higher friction in the track in the front of the lane. It also created a strong motion in the shorter window down-lane as I wasn't getting the ball too far right of the pocket. The result gave me an initial impression that this ball wasn't too strong down-lane and would look better at straighter angles.

I decided to throw it again on my next league night a few days later, and I'm glad I did. I hadn't realized how much the specific condition the first time out had shaped my impressions of the ball. The backends were much cleaner this night and my Absolute was very strong in the back-end. I still had the clean, easy length but the ball could go much more left to right compared to the first time I'd used it and had no issue making it back to the pocket. The versatility of finding a look I really liked with this ball on both of the lane conditions makes me excited to throw this ball more on a variety of conditions. It's already pretty much a lock to make it into my bag for nationals this year.

This ball definitely belongs in the tournament bag. To my eyes its cleaner than all the other Premier line balls currently available. It's cleaner and still more controllable down-lane than the Dark Code. It seem to be effective from whatever angle you choose to use it at, which means it should match up with a wide range of styles.
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Storm Absolute Power
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
BALL:
Core: Sentinel
Cover: R2S Deep Solid
Finish: 4000 -grit
RG: 2.48 (15lbs)
Differential: 0.050 (15 lbs)
PSA: .021

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin under ring 4 X 5 3/4 X 3 3/4 VLS

New addition to the Premier Line is a solid version of the Absolute called the Absolute Power. Again featuring the Sentinal core but wrapped this time in a solid version of the R2S Deep cover that made it's way to the states for the first time on the absolute. The added texture of a solid cover does indeed add the POWER to this absolute.

I was very excited for this release as the R2S deep cover was very good to me. With my lower ball speed, and the early friction in my home center, the updated covers are often too strong and force me to get creative to get them through the front of the lane. I've been waiting for a solid benchmark motion ball that is a little cleaner and this is the one I've been waiting for.

I tested the Absolute Power in league and immediately was a little surprised with how much energy it retained down-lane. This cover seems to be just right for me on our lane surface as it clears the fronts but doesn't miss the mids and it really motors off the back of the pattern. As a result it is a touch stronger than I anticipated but because of it's exceptional continuity I can stay in it much longer than most balls in it's hook category.

With the drastic transition of in our center I'm usually overjoyed if I can stay in a ball past a single game. Despite being a bit further left than anticipated to start the night I had no issues getting through the first two games. While I certainly wouldn't call the Absolute power quick or snappy off the spot it has no issues covering boards and stayed useful until I ran out of left to move on the right lane. Motion wise it gives me Phaze II vibes just more of everything that makes the Phaze II great.

I feel that the Absolute power is a ball which will fit alot of games. It's certainly strong enough for people who are rev challenged and If I can get it down-lane most anyone should be able to, so lower ball speed bowlers should really like this ball as well.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Storm Axiom
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: NeX Solid Reactive
Core: Orbital
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.050

PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4.5 Pin to PAP 2.5 Inch Pin Buffer

The new Axiom from Storm adds a great early-rolling ball to the Master line. To accompany the low RG Orbital Core, Storm developed a new cover. Their previous nano covers have been fantastic for getting the ball to see the mid-lane. The new NeX (Nano Extreme) Solid Reactive cover takes this too the next level. As stated via the company's website: "NeX Solid was remarkably earlier hooking than NRG on any pattern, or any surface we tested it on. The Orbital Core has a distinctly low RG axis which further complements the midlane read for which NeX was developed."

The Phaze II is in my opinion perhaps the best ball released in the last 10 years. The clean reaction outperforms any solid ball I've thrown. If there is a single criticism, it's that you sometimes have to wait for the pattern to develop when there is more oil on the lane. I can't tell you how many time I wished I was able to go to my Phaze II sooner. The Axiom is the exact solution to this problem.

I first tested the Axiom on a fresh league pattern. The surface in this particular center is a bit higher friction, particularly in the front of the lane. I usually shy away from earlier equipment here. Somewhat fortunately they had just upped the oil in the front of the lane and I ended up having the best ball reaction in the league. Where everyone else was watching their ball skid through the spot they were used to seeing their ball hook, the Axiom was already headed for the pocket. The best surprise of the evening was the fact that I managed to stay in the ball all three games and my scores went up over the night because I didn't lose carry as I moved left.

I decided to throw some games with it after the senior league had bowled the next day to see how it would look on an even drier lane with some carry down. I really liked the ball on this condition when I amped the speed up a bit to stay nearer the friction. The ball would slow down just right coming off the friction and surprisingly enough it even carried a bit better than my Phaze II. It didn't start to get lazy until I moved left of 4th arrow. Even then I could keep it in play if i reduced the angle through the front to keep the ball closer to the pocket. This ball creates a perfect option for seeing the even reaction of the Phaze II went the lane is loaded with oil. It also gives you a seamless transition to get to it as the front of the lane opens. The axiom is an exceptional bench-mark when you are expected longer or slicker oil conditions.
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Storm Axiom Pearl
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: NeX Pearl
Core: Orbital Core
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.050

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4 1/2 Pin to Pap 3 inch pin buffer

The New Storm Axiom Pearl has already been very popular with the Tour players. The orbital core has been wrapped in the NEX Pearl cover. As stated by the company: "NeX (Nano Extreme) is Storm’s earliest reading cover to date. NeX was remarkably earlier hooking than NRG on any pattern, or any surface we tested it on. Our standardized durability and longevity tests showed NeX created 11% more entry angle and 9.6% more overall hook after 50 shots compared to a fresh NRG cover. Simply put, NeX gives more midlane read than ever WITHOUT sacrificing any backend!"

The description certainly bears out when tested. This ball gives you a lot of mid-lane read for a Pearl. The higher volume patterns used on tour would definitely work well for a ball this strong. This is the strongest symmetric pearl ball I have ever thrown. I see it being a favorite for people with higher ball speeds and lower rev-rates in a league atmosphere and for anyone bowls on sport patterns. I had to find another gear to get it down-lane on the higher friction surface where I bowl league, but once I resigned myself to playing left to right I immediately saw how once I provided the speed the ball would provide the hook and hit.
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Storm Dark Code
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: ReX (Reactor Extreme)

Core: RAD4 Core

Finish: 1500-grit Polished

RG: 2.50

Differential: 0.058

Intermediate Diff: .020

ME:

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph

Rev Rate: 315

PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring

65 X 5 X 25 DUAL ANGLE

5 X 5 X 1.5 VLS

Storm's new Dark Code features a brand new coverstock formulation. The blend of NEX and R2S covers puts this ball in a unique spot in the line. Wrapping it around the RAD 4 core teams up a monster core with an incredibly dynamic cover to create big hook and a very unique read of the lanes.

NEX being the absolute top of the line in midlane read has created some of the most powerful balls on the market lately. R2S is the legend that keeps coming back because it seems to be a guaranteed winner no matter what core you use with it. The blend of these two covers has created motion that almost feels like an optical illusion. The Dark Code isn't early, but it sees the midlane. It's not snappy but you can't really call it overly smooth either. What it seems to do is give you midlane motion that never really seems to stop. The powerful RAD4 core gives it a big engine so you end up with a polished ball that is useful when there's oil on the lane, but doesn't slow way down. This allows you to keep the great continuation through the pins as you move left, without ever really losing the ability of the ball to see the mid-lane.

My first experience with the Dark Code was in league. To combat the summer heat the house had juiced up the middle of the lane a bit. This made them super cliffed because of how much the outside hooked. No problem for the Dark Code, it blended them perfectly. I was honestly very surprised that I was able to throw it because I usually end up struggling to get stronger balls down-lane on the house shot. I also often struggle with the weaker balls being a bit unpredictable because there is so much dry to the right. Dark Code opened up more area than I think I've ever had on that shot. It allowed me to control the backend without sacrificing carry.

I also had the opportunity to throw the Dark Code on a 44 foot challenge pattern. It was fantastic in the middle games where I would normally struggle in the transition. I was amazed at how much "get back" this ball had on the longer pattern. I felt like I easily had the most miss room right on our pair.

This is a ball that is a must for tournament bowlers. When you need to overpower more oil and have confidence on how your ball is going through the pins, this is the ball for you.
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Storm DNA
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Supercoil Asymmetric
Cover: EXO Solid Reactive
Finish: 2000 Abralon
RG: 2.53 (14lb)
Differential: 0.048 (14 lb)
PSA: .020

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 X 3 VLS


The new Storm DNA brings back the strong early motion to the Premier line. It features a brand new coarse cover stock called EXO solid. At it's box 2k finish this ball GRABS at the front of the lane. To complete the intense hooking power of this ball the new core Supercoil gives it a big motor on the inside too. The result is a ball made to conquer heavy oil.

I first tested the DNA in league on the normal high volume house pattern. The front of the lane beds in my home center feature a lot of friction so the volume has been increased to counteract. The 43 ft of oil makes it a requirement to have a strong first ball out of the bag. The DNA's potent early hook is tailor made for this condition as it never seems to miss the front, so it can't get too far right down-lane the way so many other balls seem too.

I was very impressed with the pin action I saw from the DNA. Of the other balls that I would put at the top of the hook potential list I would put it between the Gem and the Reality although much closer to the Gem. In-brand the best comparison would probably be the Proton Physix so it should work well as a replacement for people who miss that ball. Obviously people who are speed dominant/rev challenged are going to love this ball, but take it from a guy who's on the lower end of ball speed, the DNA is fantastic when the lanes are oily.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm DNA Coil
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Testing Enviroment:
Pattern Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

COMMENTS

Ball:
Cover: EXO Pearl
Core: Supercoil Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.47 (15)
Differential: 0.053 (15)
PSA: 0.023 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle 5 1/2 X 5 1/2 X 3 VLS

The New Premier release from Storm Bowling is a Pearl version of the Powerful DNA. The DNA Coil still uses the fast revving Supercoil core but provides more length to create a dynamic motion further down-lane.

I tested the DNA Coil on the long heavy house pattern at my home center. I first tried it in league in the 3rd game to see if it was going to be better when the down-lane friction had developed. I noticed immediately that the early friction on our lane panels caused the ball to want to tip up too soon. The Coil is so responsive that it wanted to get forward a little too quickly with my lower ball speed.

I decided to see what the DNA Coil looked like on fresh oil a few days later and that's when I really got an idea of how strong the reaction could be.. I tested it by first throwing it up the oil line with less rotation. I was very surprised at how well it handled the length of the pattern. I opened the angles a bit as I bowled to see how far I could push it right. Without having to add much rotation the ball kept climbing off the spot down-lane, no easy feat on 30 mils of oil and a 43 ft pattern but it responded beautifully.

I think the ball will best suit people who are very rev challenged or speed dominant. With my ball speed I would reserve my personal use for longer patterns where I need the dynamic move in a small window.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Electrify Black/Silver/Yellow
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Lane Condition:

Length:43
Volume: High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Comments:

Coverstock: Reactor Pearl
Core: Circuit Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.53 (14lb)
Differential: 0.031 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin in Ring 4 1/2 Pin to Pap 3 1/2 Pin Buffer

Just in time for summer Storm releases a new Elecrify. The B-S-Y (Black/Silver/Yellow) again features the Reactor cover and Circuit core. Like many bowlers I feel the color can effect the characteristic of the balls and the B-S-Y to my eyes fit itself between the earlier Electrify releases and the G-O.

I tested the Electrify on the house pattern in my home center. The heat of summer always brings drier lane conditions in my area. The fronts always hook where I bowl but the back part of the lane is almost unrecognizable between summer and winter and getting the ball to not only get through the front but to then control the back-end is key to scoring consistently. The B-S-Y sees just a bit more of the mid-lane than the previous pearl releases in the Hot line, which allows the ball to shape without over-reacting down-lane. I feel this ball will also look good on higher friction surfaces with fresh oil as it does clear the fronts well but it's really good at smoothing out over/under.

The Electrify line is definitely a staple at outperforming their price point so the B-S-Y is a great choice for new bowlers who want to see some performance without having to drop the money to invest in a HP ball right off the bat and it stays useful as you build an arsenal up from it.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Electrify G/O
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: Reactor Pearl
Core: Circuit Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.53 (14lb)
Differential: 0.031 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/2 Pin to Pap 2 inch Pin Buffer

The Electrify G-O (Gold/Orange) is the newest Hot Line Release by Storm. The circuit core is back this time paired with the Reactor Pearl cover in a bright new color that really stands out on the wall.

The G-O is the cleanest and I would say weakest of the Electrify balls I have thrown so far. The selling point for this line to me has always been how much they out perform their price-point. The down-side is that if you need a ball that is actually weak enough to properly represent that price-point you can find yourself struggling to control the previous releases. For me the Electrify G-O is cleaner than even the previous pearl released in the Electrify line. It doesn't really have a corresponding change in hook the back-end so the G-0 Will get down-lane further, with less effort and give you a very similar look off the back of the pattern.

I first threw the Electrify G-O in league. I decided to throw a couple shots with it in practice just to see what it would do on fresh oil. I didn't like my Electrify Pearl in that spot because our house shot is pretty cliffed and it is pretty common that the shiny balls feel like they come off the dry to hard to play right but are too clean for the fresh oil. The G-O definitely was more predictable out there. It actually let me into a zone I hadn't been able to play due to my lower ball speed. I decided to put it away until the lanes broke down some so I could see if was too lazy to cover boards down lane. I was really impressed with how far left I could play with it too. It really responds well to hand position changes so I could wheel with it once I was really forced left by lane transition.

I see the Electrify G-O being a great piece for guys who are very Rev Dominant. As a Pro Shop Operator I could see it being a popular ball with many senior bowlers or anyone who bowls in a house where they struggle to deal with too much friction.
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Storm Electrify Hybrid
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: Reactor Hybrid
Weightblock: Circuit Core
Finish: 1500 polish
RG: 2.51 Differential: 0.030

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4.5 Pin to PAP 2 Inch Pin Buffer

The new Storm Electrify is the newest "Hot" line release and was designed to be a bit of a power upgrade from the Match and Match Up lines. The Hybrid version is a clean but smooth rolling ball that gives you plenty of hook for your money!

The Circuit core is a lower RG offering that helps the ball get into a roll and maintain a great controllable reaction. The Stinger 2.0 that was featured in the Match Ups had an RG of 2.57 in 15. The Circuit is a noticeable lower 2.51. You see the difference right away on the lane as the Electrify gets rolling earlier.

The polished finish on the reactor cover helps the ball easily clear the front and the combination of the two makes this ball a fantastic benchmark reaction at an entry level price point.

I had a chance to test the Electrify Hybrid where I most hoped to use it, on a broken down lane condition. I was pretty surprised at how quickly it picked its roll up in the friction. I definitely had to be further left with it than I was used to being with the Match Up. It still does a great job of retaining energy so that move left is fine with me. I makes it a pretty seamless move when I'm getting out of the more agressive balls as I can often not have to change much more than the ball.
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Storm Electrify Pearl
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: Reactor Pearl Reactive
Core: Circuit
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.51
Differential: 0.030

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Ball Layout: Pin Under Bridge 4 7/8 Pin to Pap 4 1/2 Pin Buffer

Storm has added a couple new Hot line releases called the Electrify. The Electrify Pearl has great shelf appeal. The Pink, Light Blue, Fuchsia swirl looks great on the wall and going down the lane. The Electrifys feature the new Circuit Core and Storm's benchmark entry level cover: Reactor.

The biggest change from the Match Up line is that the Circuit Core is a lower RG lower diff core. This makes the balls very controllable. The pearl cover really makes this ball something different in terms of getting the ball downlane and then taking advantage of the smooth motion. It reminds me of the Roto Grip Scream with just a bit more hook and hit.

I tested it first on a fresh house shot for league in a house with ample friction. I was amazed at how easy it felt to get the ball downlane and not have it over-react. I had trouble getting some balls to slow down so that my misses tended to be splits and washouts. With focusing on simply rolling the Electrify Pearl to the right it felt like i had incredible hold and just enough get back to really open up the area around the track right away. With small hand position changes I played through the transition well. I didn't really see a need to change balls until the transition (which is considerable on this surface) Forced me inside of 4th arrow.

I see this ball being really helpful on lower volume/medium length oil patterns and in houses with alot of surface friction.
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Storm Equinox
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTS

Core: Solarion A.I. Core
Coverstock: A1S Pearl
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: 0.054 (15)
PSA: .018

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 5 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 VLS

The newest premier line release from Storm is an all new core and cover combination called the Equinox. The Equinox features a clean pearl reactive cover called A1S. The A and S stand for Adhesion System. The design intent according to Storm is engineered for exceptional tackiness, designed to create effortless length and a sharp, controlled move at the breakpoint. The Core is called Solarion, a 3 cylinder design somewhat similar to the 900 Global Origin. It features the Amplified Inertia (A.I.) technology as well. The PSA is a little bit lower compared to the Origin, but still pretty high compared to most Assyms. They really targeted league conditions with this ball.

I first tested the Equinox in league. I decided to just get right into it, rather than waiting a game like I do with a lot of shiny balls. We happened to be on one of the first pairs of lanes, which always hook more so I figured it was a good time to try it game 1. The ball looked great right off the bat. It had no issues with our 43 foot higher volume house pattern. The ball made a very predictable move at the end of the pattern and continued very well. It almost felt closer to a bigger symmetric ball. The bigger assyms can get forward pretty quick for me, but despite a pretty sharp change of direction, I didn't have any problems the Equinox continuing it's motion. I also really like it's motion through the pins. It seems to rack through the pins really well so that you don't have the really bad leaves on small misses that you sometimes see with balls this angular at the break point. I stayed in the ball effortlessly through the 3 games.

I did experiment a bit with speeds and releases the first couple of games. It's very responsive to those changes and the last game I popped off a pretty effortless game over 250. Any time I can count on a ball on the fresh and the burn I'm happy. I also threw it a few days later on an afternoon after a league had bowled. I had the exact same reaction I'd had to finish the league session and I continued left of there another two games without losing reaction.

This ball will be very popular when you want to play the lanes left to right and still control the down-lane reaction. It is a definite house shot killer but I think it will be very useful on many patterns. It's a particularly good ball first game out for bowlers with a little less ball speed. The more speed dominant players will love it when the lanes start to transition and in houses with quick back-ends.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Fast Pitch
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: Controll XL Solid Urethane

Core: Tour Block

Finish: 1000

RG: 2.61

Differential: 0.030

ME:

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph

Rev Rate: 315

PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up and Right of Ring 4 1/4 Pin to Pap 1 1/2 Pin Buffer

The New Fast Pitch from Storm creates another unique option in the Thunder Line. The progression of performance urethane continues. Where the previous two blends added more hook and shape in the Fever Pitch and Pitch Purple the Fast Pitch gets back to a true urethane reaction.

The biggest challenge to using urethane is following your own transition. The Pitch Black is great and reading the front of the lane and slowing the back-end down. Once the oil begins to move down-lane it becomes difficult to get the ball through the early hook-spot and then to shape at the pocket in the carry-down. This is where the Fast Pitch comes in. The cover is a little cleaner and gives you a little more down-lane shape without sacrificing the urethane motion that you need on some patterns.

The Fast Pitch has been very useful for me in my league because the house I bowl in has alot of friction in the middle front of the lane. Once you get pushed left it becomes a struggle to get balls through the front and get them to retain energy enough to continue through the pins. The longer you can play right, the easier it is to create angle and the better your carry. The problem is a lot of nights the big move with reactive can happen right out of practice. It's easy to run out of room moving left if you have to start at 4th arrow straight out of practice. Even my Pitch Black can be a bit much early to where I am struggling to generate enough ball speed to get it through the front. The Fast Pitch moves that early hook zone a few feet further down-lane. So that if I start with the Pitch Black it gives me the option to stay in that part of the lane when the transition happens, and on nights when the fronts are too dry I can go to it right away. Having even one game before you are forced into the deeper zones of the lane is a lifesaver.
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Storm Fate
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: ReX Pearl
Core: F-8 Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss Factory Finish
RG: 2.54 (14lb)
Differential: 0.052 (14 lb)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/2 Pin to Pap 2 inch Pin Buffer


The newest collaboration between Storm and Jason Belmonte is called the FATE. The signature line of balls that have been designed with Belmo's help have been very popular and have become known for creating some smooth rolling powerhouse balls. The FATE will be a welcome addition to the arsenal of anyone who is a fan of the Belmo Balls.

The Fate features the new F-8 core. This strong symmetric core features a higher RG for length but a higher Differential for power. They teamed it up with a highly polished version of the REX cover which was so popular on the Dark Code. The new reacta gloss finish really gets the length and I think it works well with this core.

I tested the Fate on our high volume house pattern at my home center. While it certainly is strong enough to use on a fresh pattern, for me it's best use was in the transition. This ball is really good at clearing the fronts when they burn up which is a constant worry on our surface. Alot of balls can feel very over/under because the added volume tends to result in carrydown. When the fronts burn and the backs tighten up simultaneously it can make you feel like you're in jail here game 2. The fate shows its power in the perfect part of the lane for this starting its motion midlane but making a strong continuous move off the back of the pattern.

I think the motion of the Fate will also be very popular on sport patterns as they transition and in places where they over-oil to counter act a not so great surface. Tricky house shot/ sport pattern killer.
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Storm Hy-Road Max
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: NeX Solid Reactive
Core: Inverted Fe²
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.57
Differential: 0.046

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin under Ring 4 1/2 Pin to Pap 3 1/2 Pin Buffer

The newest addition to the Hy Road family of bowling balls is the aptly named Hy Road Max. The Inverted Fe² core that has powered what may be the most successful line of balls ever produced is again featured. The chosen coverstock for the Max is the NEX cover that was featured so successfully on the Axiom and Proton Physix. The nano formulation creates a max amount of friction and the continuity of the Inverted Fe² creates a unique shape for the cover so far.

I tested the Hy Road Max on a fresh house condition. I threw one practice shot, turned around to a buddy I was practicing with and told him, "this ball is smooth with 15 O's". The drilling I chose stretches the transition of the ball as it goes down-lane. With my lower ball speed my worry was that had I chosen a layout where that move happens faster that the high friction generated by the nano cover could cause the ball to roll out. I was very happy with the results as I could square the ball up on the oil line and really control the downlane reaction.

I can really see this ball being great for me on higher volume patterns. It is so consistent in the mid-lane that I feel like whatever angle the ball needs to take off the friction, I can be confident in my ability to get it there where I need to. I do think that for lower speed players longer pin buffer layouts are going to be preferable. This ball really looks great for the high speed/high rev players. Its very responsive to surface changes and hand position changes.
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Storm Incite
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R4S Hybrid Reactive
Core: Tensor Core
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.50
Diff: 0.053

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 65 X 5 X 15

The new Storm Incite is another strong addition in the master line. The tensor core powers the incite by creating very strong mid-lane roll. The sanded finish of the r4s hybrid gives the ball just enough teeth to start hooking in the oil but still allows the ball to retain energy.

I tested the incite on kegel's beaten path pattern to be sure I had enough oil up front. Even with the extra head oil, (compared to the normal houseshot) the incite was very aggressive in the mid-lane for me. I feel like this ball will be very popular for guys with more speed who want to be sure the ball doesn't miss the spot. I had to make an adjustment about a zone left of where I normally play on a fresh shot so it was definitely a strong motion and overall hook.

When I moved in and went around the lane I was happy to see that the ball still continued well. With such a predictable move in the mids I always worry about a ball slowing down too much when trying to cover boards. Even with my lower ball speed the incite kept coming around and I really liked it when I stayed in and closed the angle a bit. This is helpful when I'm battling wet/dry in our house as the move left sometimes doesn't help enough with how hard some balls come off the try. The Incite was perfect for playing this line which makes me think I'll like it on longer patterns.

I would recommend that bowlers with lower ball speed like mine, or for bowling on drier house shots, change the surface up a bit. The hybrid r4s responds well to those changes creating much more downlane shape when polished or the finish being brought up.
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Storm Infinite Physix
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Atomic
Cover: ReX Pearl
Finish: 4000
RG: 2.53 (14 lbs)
Diff: 0.052 (14lbs)
PSA: .015 (14 lbs)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 1/4 X 3 3/4 X 1 1/2 VLS
45 X 5 1/4 X 20 Dual Angle

The Atomic core has been at the center of many of my favorite high performance Storm releases. It has been fun to see how each different cover has meshed with the core but personally, I've missed the reaction I had with my original Physix. Many high performance pieces lately have been very cover-strong and I've been waiting for the cleaner continuous look I had with the OG Physix.

The REX cover is a perfect blend of NEX and R2S, and retains the best characteristics of both. For me the Infinite Physix has been a great replacement for my original Physix. It begins to shape in the mid-lane, but does not over-read that part of the lane. It continues, and creates a good amount of shape, even on freshly oiled lanes.

One of my biggest compliments on ball motion, is for balls which you can throw on the fresh but not have to get out of immediately when the front of the lane begins to break down. The Physix was the ball I used to compare others to when judging that motion. Now I have the Infinite. On our high volume, longer house shot it is plenty strong to throw on the fresh, but it is so continuous you can move left alot before it feels like it is out of play. As a PSO you're always on the lookout for the ball that looks good on multiple conditions and that continues to match up well through transition. The infinite physix is going to be the "go to" reaction for your bowlers who don't want to have to build an arsenal to stay competitive when the lanes transition.

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Storm Ion Max
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT


Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio


COMMENTS

Core: Element Max A.I. Core Asymmetrical (14-16#)
Coverstock: NRG Solid Reactive
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.47
Differential: 0.055

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 4 3/4 X 3 3/4 VLS

Storm's New Hook Monster is the Premier line release called Ion Max. The Ion Pro took benchmark to a new place in the industry and Ion Max is doing the same for High Performance. Adding a weighted disk to the element core featured in the Ion pro substantially raises the differential creating a crazy amount of flare. The paired this new core with the early rolling NRG Solid cover that had been featured on some previous releases like the Vivid. The result of more core and more cover adds up to more ball, and this thing will handle oil with the best of them.

I tested the Ion Max on our house pattern in league. I was impressed with the mid-lane dig in practice, and threw the Ion Max game 1. I noticed by about the middle of the first game that the fronts were already starting to go and as soon as I had to cover more boards, the Ion Max wanted to roll out going into the pins. I played with angles and releases trying to get it back before deciding that it was simply too much ball for the worn out front panels here. Before the next week I had resolved to try polishing the ball to see if it would retain energy a bit better. I had essentially the same look game one, with a bit better carry for almost the entire game. Again I noticed that moving left made it difficult to carry. I had noticed that the bigger scores in league seemed to be by the guys who could stay further right. On a whim I moved back a bit right and just tried to jam the ball into the friction with as much speed and as little hand as I could. I immediately saw an improvement in my ball reaction and I managed to stay in the ball all 3 games.

I would definitely say this ball will skew to high speed and lower rev bowlers. It is very like the Roto Grip Gem for me. That ball had so much for success for many people but I never felt like I ran into enough volume to warrant keeping it in my bag. That being said I've already seen the Ion Max working exceptionally well for some of the lower rev bowlers in our league and if I bowled on sport conditions more I'd definitely see it being of use more often. It could be useful and a stronger control ball in places where the back-ends are too quick as well.
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Storm Ion Pro
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

BALL:
Coverstock: : TX-16™ Hybrid Reactive
Core: : Element™ Tour A.I. Core
Finish: 4000 Abralon
RG: 2.47 (15lb)
DIFF: .035 (15lb)
PSA: 0.014 (15lb)
Storm has created some of the greatest benchmark pieces in industry history and now they are reinventing that benchmark. The Phaze II and !Q Tour have been staples for many years and have stood the test of time because of their amazing versatility. Storm is now introducing the new Ion Pro. The Ion Pro features a hybrid version of the Tx-16 cover featured on the Phaze II wrapped around a new Assym core called Element Tour A.I. The Element Tour A.I. has a diff number closer to the IQ range so you get the tour shape, with a great cover to give it a little more power.

I tested the Ion Pro on a freshly conditioned lane which had sat for a few hours. I lined up where I would expect to throw my Phaze II, expecting that I would move right to compensate for the weaker core. Instead I watch the Ion split the 8-9. Surprised I tried changing my angle through the front a few different ways to see how the ball responded. When I pushed the ball further right, the Ion Pro had no issues getting back. On the 12 to 1 house pattern most things will recover on shots missed right. The biggest surprise came next when I intentionally pulled the ball into the soup just inside the track and watching it recover and split the 8-9 again. After throwing a dozen or so more shots intentionally changing up my angles and speed to see how the ball reacted I began to wonder if I had misjudged the lane condition so I brought out my Phaze II, threw it on the same line I had started on and saw exactly what I expected. It was a bit smoother motion but an identical line to the Ion Pro. I then closed the angle to get the Phaze II into the heavier oil zone, watched it hit the same spot the Ion Pro had come off of, and leave the bucket.

I'm probably the biggest cheerleader for the Phaze II ever, (except maybe Verity Crawley) and I never thought I would see a ball compete for the benchmark spot in my bag. This Ion Pro isn't just hype it's the real deal.

I also decided to see how it would respond if I got in deep and tried to slow hook it. The deep inside line is usually where my Phaze II goes out of play. Ion Pro has so much continuation that even though the difference in shape was imperceptible, the ball had no issues going through the pins no matter how deep I got.

I would recommend this ball to literally everyone. A statement I've only ever made about the phaze II but can happily add here is everyone should have this ball in their bag.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm IQ Tour 78/U
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Lane Condition:

Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

BALL:
Core: C³™ Centripetal Control Core
Cover: Controll 78 Urethane
Finish: 500-grit
RG: 2.49 (15lbs)
Differential: 0.029 (15 lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over and right of ring 4 X 4 X 2 VLS

Storm's new PBA compliant Urethane ball is called the !Q Tour 78/U. It features the now legendary C3 core featured in the previous IQ Tour releases wrapped in a new 78 hardness Urethane Cover called Controll 78. With the smaller footprint of the harder cover, the core had to make up the difference and this core was a great choice.

I tested the 78/U on our house pattern. My first impression was that it was much stronger than I was expecting with the hardness change. In practice it wasn't the best match-up as I didn't have access to a fresh lane. The 78/U was too aggressive on the early friction to stand right and like most urethane it didn't save energy for the back of the lane, making it impractical to throw it left to right.

I got a better read on the ball my first opportunity to throw it in league. With fresh oil in the heads, it definitely let me right back into the area of the lane I wanted to play with it. My impressions of the difference between it and the pitch black were that the harder cover but stronger core makes it close under that conditons that you would want to throw urethane in anyway. When fighting early friction it felt earlier than my pitch black, which resulted in less down-lane motion. I also definitely felt that I could get away with shaping the pitch black more than the 78/U.

I don't really have a rev-rate that demands much use of urethane, but my lower ball speed does make it useful in the right conditions. My home center also has more friction in the front of the lane than many places so it's definitely not where I would normall choose to throw urethane. I look forward to using this ball on patterns and in tournaments where the lane conditions suit it better.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm IQ Tour A.I.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT
Length:39ft
Volume:Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Modified House (appx 6 to 1)
COMMENTS
Cover: R2S Hybrid
Core: C³ Centripetal Control + AI
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.48 (15)
Differential: .031 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 5/8 X 5 1/8 X 1 3/4 VLS

The new IQ Tour from Storm features the AI version of the legendary C3 core wrapped in my favorite cover to pair with this core, the R2S Hybrid. The IQ Tour Fusion was my favorite IQ and getting an updated version made my day! The Hybrid cover seems to give it the most length and snap, which puts it in play on more patterns in my opinion. The A.I. addition does skew the numbers slightly, but not much.

I tested the IQ Tour A.I. on Kegel's Middle Road Pattern. I was looking for a medium length pattern that was a small step down in volume from our house pattern. I underestimated how much friction is built into the lane surface and the pattern played much shorter, feeling more like a 36 foot pattern than a 39. However the IQ Tour A.I. still looked amazing. I could play near the friction with the speed up and my breakpoint to the right. I also felt like I could create a little miss room left by moving in and rolling it a bit more. It was still pretty speed sensitive but I never lost the look with it completely despite playing different parts of the lane.

I did also get a chance to throw the IQ Tour A.I. on our house pattern. It really showed it's versatility off here as I could really manipulate the ball to do what I wanted as I played through the transition. I could roll it more directly towards the pocket and use the hold. The ball had no problem creating the necessary angle in a smaller window down-lane. I could also play the ample friction to the right on the 44 foot 12:1 ratio pattern by getting my hand around it more and watching it scream back from the outside boards.

The IQ A.I. may be the best version of this storied ball, at least for me and people who throw it similarly. This ball doesn't feel like it demands rev-rate perform like many of the more medium pieces in the line, but it seems to roll just as good for people who have the revs. I think this ball is going to get more popular and more people see it being used in a variety of places and it's another great Storm release that seems to match up with a wide variety of styles.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Storm IQ Tour Nano Pearl
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: Nano Pearl Reactive
Core: C³ Centripetal Control Core
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.49
Differential: 0.029

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/2 Pin to Pap 2 inch pin buffer

The IQ Series was designed by Storm to combat the environment of a single bowling center. The high friction surface created match up issues for so many staffers that R &D developed the low RG low Diff C³ Centripetal Control Core. This unique core then enabled the Storm/Roto staff to dominate not only the many tournaments contested on this surface. But it spawned one of the most successful lines of bowling balls ever.

The newest cover formulation in the IQ line is the Nano Pearl Reactive. Storm's Nano particle covers have created the best footprint in oil on the market. No volume of oil is out of play with these balls and the combination on this ball is unique.

Many of the IQ line have been a bit much for me. With my lower ball speed, their low RG cores tend to make their move a bit fast for me. With this being a Nano cover, I opted for a longer pin to pap distance in hopes of stalling the move slightly as my current league house has ample surface friction as well. It took a bit but I finally figured out what makes the IQ line heads and tails above every other ball I've thrown on exactly this type of surface. The ball does the work for you.

While I don't throw the ball with the same speed as the pro's do, my medium rev-rate tends to even things out. I found that once my focus became getting the ball where I wanted it and generating what speed I can, the ball took care of the hooking on its own. It still responds well to small hand position changes, but the less you attempt to work the ball, the more it shines.

In particular I find this ball is great when playing in. The worry of throwing the ball through the spot goes away when the cover will see the spot for you. It just becomes a simple matter of moving left with the transition, opening the angle up to clear the front as needed and letting the ball do what the ball does.... STRIKE!

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Storm IQ Tour Ruby
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R2S Pearl
Core: C³ Centripetal Control
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.54 (14lb)
Differential: .034

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5 X 5 X 2 VLS

The Pearl IQ Tour is back! The new Storm IQ Tour Ruby brings back the legendary R2S Cover and C3 core. This combination gives you the legendary mid-lane roll and continuation of the C3 core with the QUICK change of direction and SHARP movement down-lane that makes R2S the most successful cover in the business.

I tested the IQ Tour Ruby on our house pattern. My home center uses a longer, higher volume pattern. It definitely has plenty of shape to it, but the volume of oil they need to counteract the friction in the heads is pretty substantial. This can often make transition very difficult to navigate. The fronts still open up pretty quickly but the lanes can stay pretty tight down-lane. Many weeks the balls that see the front of the lane are only in play for a game at most because they begin to read the front too much but won't recover down-lane. The bad part is going to cleaner equipment in the transition often makes the over/under down-lane hard to score on because getting it right a little too soon causes the ball to over-react and not getting it far enough right can cause the ball to skate past the breakpoint because the back-ends don't develop at the same rate. The IQ Ruby serves as a perfect transition ball because while the core will let you see some mid-lane read to avoid the Out-of-Bounds, the GLOSSY finish keeps it from hooking too early when the friction comes out. Of course the core never quits on the IQ Tour Balls so you get unrivaled continuation.

I've found the Ruby to be probably the most versatile ball in my bag and I have been throwing it on everything. It came at the perfect time to begin my tournament season and it is getting a lot of use. I recommend this ball to any and everyone and if it isn't in your tournament bag, you're leaving money on the table.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop


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Storm Journey
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:

Volume:

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):
Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

BALL:
Core: F-8
Cover: TX-16 Pearl Reactive
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.52 (15lbs)
Differential: 0.053 (15 lbs)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over ring 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 1 7/8 Pin Buffer

The newest signature release in collaboration with Jason Belmonte is called the Journey. It features a pearlized version of the TX-16 cover featured on the Phaze II wrapped around the F-8 core that was used in the Fate. This combination creates the most hook on a Belmo ball to date.

I tested the Journey on the house shot in my home center. The Journey surprised me a bit with how well it blended out the wet/dry. I didn't expect the pearl version of the TX-16 cover to retain so many of the characteristics that I loved about the Phaze II. The Journey sees the mid-lane without over-reading the dry but still has a very continuous roll off the back-end. It definitely creates more shape down-lane than the Phaze II but it's not a jerky motion where the ball wants to stand up all at once and get forward.

I was also very happy with how long I could stay in the Journey as the lanes transitioned. It responds very well to hand position changes, allowing you to manipulate motion of the ball down-lane. This lets you square the ball up and play closer to the friction on the fresh and when the lanes really start to hook, you can easily move in, get your hand around the ball and see it come off the friction down-lane and still get great pin action.

The Journey is one of the most versatile balls I've seen. As a Pro Shop Operator I love a ball that allows me to tailor reaction to the needs of my customer and this ball covers a wider variance of bowling styles than anything on the market.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Level
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS:

Coverstock: RPM (Regenerative Polymer Matrix) Solid
Core: Equalizer™ A.I. Core
Finish: 1000 Abralon
RG: 2.59 (#15)
Differential: 0.027 (#15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up and right of Ring 4 1/4 X 4 1/4 X 2 VLS

Storm has launched a new line. The first release in the SPI Lab line is called the LEVEL. This unique cover formulation called RPM helps to create urethane shape without utilizing urethane material. This means the ball will absorb oil, reducing the carry-down that you see with urethane balls.

I first tested the Level on a broken down house shot. It wasn't my first choice for environment but it was all that was available. The biggest immediate difference that I noticed between the Level and my urethane balls was its ability to shape more down-lane. The early friction was a bit of an obstacle for the urethane balls but the Level really continues much better. I feel like it does this without a dramatic change in down-lane shape which means it should give you the same great control as urethane when the backends are hooking or you need to control flatter lane patterns.

I did get a chance to test the level in league later in the week. I struggled a bit more with the fresh pattern because our lane panels want to hook early, but our pattern is longer and higher volume. This is pretty much the worst environment for balls which roll early and slow down in the backend but I did see more use throwing the level left to right than I did with Urethane in the same spot. The level gives me an even smoother but earlier alternative to the Tour DynamX which is a favorite of mine.

This ball should be a staple in the tournament bag and great for anyone who needs to control the back-ends. The reduced carry-down should make it particularly useful for lefties and speed dominant players who want to stand on top of the friction, but don't want to lose the backends as quickly.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Lightning Blackout
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio

BALL:
Coverstock: : ReX™ Pearl Reactive
Core: : Warp™ A.I. Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.53 (15lb)
Differential: .029 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 4 1/2 X 4 3/8 X 2 3/8 VLS

Storm has added a new ball to the signature line called the Lightning Blackout. This modernized version of the classic storm ball features the ReX Pearl cover that has been so successful of releases like Dark Code and Virtual Energy Blackout. To drive the reaction the new Warp Core with A.I. Technology puts a lower flaring core with the powerful cover to make a unique shape in the line, in the vein of balls like the Zero Gravity.

I tested the Lightning Blackout for the first time in league. Our house pattern is long and heavy, but the front panels have a lot of built in friction and they transition a ton over the course of 3 games. My idea was for the lightning blackout to be my game 3 ball when the fronts really go. I noticed right away that the cover, despite its polished finish just saw too much of the front of the lane. Even when I got way left the ball just wanted to tip a little too early. This isn't unique to this ball, game 3 has been the toughest for me as I'm always looking for a ball that will clear the fronts in this house.

I next took the Lightning Blackout with me for our annual State tournament. Most years the lanes tend to hook a alot so I thought a lower flaring option could be helpful. I was surprised to find a good amount of oil on the lanes to start our doubles and singles sets, unfortunately the players I crossed with didn't break them down well so when i had to move inside of the track, I really lost my reaction. I tried to move just left and my ball wanted to over-read. I tried to ball down and move left and when the ball cleared the front it didn't want to save enough energy to get back and go through the pins. After fighting the lanes a few games without figuring much out I started paying attention to the other players on the pair and realized they were now right of me, but able to play closer to the track because they had more ball speed. I decided to go back to the lightning blackout that I had put away after trying to play left of everyone with it, and just throw it as hard as I could up the friction. Immediately I had a look. This is far from my A game but the Lightning Blackout responded beautifully and I managed to put together a 240 game to close out the day.

I have since experimented with the lightning blackout in varying states of transition and have found it to be constant that it is the best ball I have thrown when I need to stay on the same line after my other equipment will not let me play there. I've also observed players with more ball speed and the ball seems to be much more versatile for them as the strength of the cover is a little more easily negated with their ball speed.

I would recommend this ball for speed dominant players and matched players who have more speed and revs especially. It work pretty well as a niche ball for players like myself when they want to stay closer to the friction and can add a little to their normal ball speed.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Storm Night Road
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: ReX Pearl
Core: Inverted Fe²
Finish: 4K - Fast
RG: 2.58 (14lb)
Diff: .037 (14lb)

Me:

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin over Ring Finger 4 7/8 Pin to Pap 1 7/8 inch pin buffer

Storm's new Thunder Line release is the Night Road. The Fe2 core seems to be a success in whatever cover it's wrapped in. The Night Road uses the ReX Pearl that was featured on the Dark Code, giving this new "Road" ball some mid-lane traction to go with the signature back-end motion that comes with the Fe2.

Sometimes a ball and cover will fight each other when one wants early motion and the other late. Sometimes on special balls, they create motion in the mid-lane that just seems to keep going. That's what happened with the Night Road. I'm a huge fan of this ball for games 2 and 3. It's strong enough to handle both ends of the transition and it's always great to be able to stay in a ball for longer.

I've found the Night Road to be useful on alot of patterns. Navigating a transitioning lane is so much easier when you can count on both mid-lane read and backend motion to be consistant across a huge swath of varying lane conditions. I first threw it in league on our long high volume house shot. I threw it a few shots in practice before league and it looked pretty good with my angles a little straighter but boy did it come off the spot downlane. I figured I'd like it more once I could open the angle up with it and I wasn't wrong. Keep going left it'll keep coming back!
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Storm Nova
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
3

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Ball Layout: Pin over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 3 VLS

The Storm Nova is the new powerhouse in the premier line. They wrapped R2X Hybrid around the ignition core. R2X is supposed to fit between R2S and NRG covers which should make it a bit cleaner than the nano covers. The Ignition core is as strong as you would expect from a core with a diff in the 50s and and psa diff of .019.

I tested the Nova in my home center on our high volume pattern. Anticipating a very strong reaction I opted for a bit weaker drilling over-all. I had hoped to stretch the transition of the ball a bit so it didn't use that massive amount of stored energy at once. I'm definitely glad I didn't drill it stronger because despite my attempts to tailor the reaction with this layout, the Nova for me definitely uses it all at once. Even with the considerable volume it never misses the Midlane. I had hoped for a little more continuation but I've definitely found myself having to go away from the Nova pretty quickly as the lanes transition.

It does work fantastically well when you need to play straighter angles in the oil however. I found a great niche for it there on a very "sharkish" pattern. This ball will be better for bowlers with less hand or on greater volumes of oil.

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Storm Omega Crux
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Catalyst
Cover: GI-20 Pearl
Finish: 3000
RG: 2.50
Differential: 0.052

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up/Right of Ring 50 X 4 5/8 X 30

Storm's new powerhouse is a sanded pearl with a core that has been a proven performer. The Omega Crux wraps the Catalyst core that has powered one of the most successful lines of bowling balls in the GI-20 Pearl Reactive coverstock. Don't expect pearl reaction with this ball however, the sanded finish makes this ball early and STRONG in the front of the lane.

I began hearing comparisons to the Alpha Crux almost immediately after staffers starting getting their hands on the Omega. Intrigued I decided to layout my Omega exactly as my Alpha had been. I was surprised to find that for me, the motion and strength was exactly what I had remembered my alpha being. The greatest complement that I can give to an early-rolling ball is that is still continuous like the Alpha was.

I tested the Omega Crux, somewhat fortunately, on a house pattern which had recently been changed to add a bit of length and some substantial volume to the front of the pattern. It was beyond enjoyable to watch 90% of the league watch their balls squirt throught the front and have no change to recover down-lane, while my omega would see the mid-lane with unreal consistency. Taking a quick look at the league sheet next week I saw the vast majority of the league bowl below average while I had my best set of the year.

I've since had the opportunity to throw it with less volume on the lane and even on a broken down house-shot. The sessions on the worn pattern in particular were surprising as I kept waiting to see the ball shut down in the back after forcing it through the early friction but it just kept coming. This has quickly become my go to ball on the fresh and I see alot of bowlers choosing the omega crux to tackle volume.

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Storm Parallax
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: TractionX7 Hybrid
Core: Aeroflo
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.054

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 40 X 4 7/8 X 30

The new Storm Parallax is an R&D gem. The Aeroflo core is the New set of the cores that Storm has engineered to fill the void(pun intended) left by the new balance hole rule. As stated on the website:
“The ellipsed hole filled with lighter core material constructs a higher RG than what is typically found in most asymmetric balls. The flip block coupled at the bottom ensures high total differential, but without the crucial cuts on the Y-axis, the intermediate differential would be just 0.007! The strategically positioned depressions on the Z-axis 6 3/4” from the pin mimic the effect of an extra hole in a similar space and keeps the intermediate differential at a more workable amount. Having a precise ratio of intermediate to total differential makes drilling less sensitive for drillers and provides a truer roll for bowlers.”

The cover is also a new innovation formed from characteristics of Storms most successful covers. The very aptly named TractionX7 gives you great midland motion that you would never expect on a polished ball. Teaming up,the Aeroflo core with the TractionX7 has created a powerful ball that is useful out of the gate and stays that way longer.

I tested the Parallax on a very cliffed house shot. I’m normally loathe to throw polished equipment when they feel so wet dry but I had a lot of advance interest in this release and I wanted to put its stated design intent to the test right away. The Parallax didn’t disappoint as I saw motion earlier than all of my other polished equipment with greater continuation than my matte equipment. This ball didn’t just open up area, it pride open the pattern so much it felt like cheating.

I also really like the parallax on long patterns. It packs so much power and it can unleash it freakishly well in a small window. The ball is really responsive to tilt changes so it easier to get it to match with conditions than most balls. All in all just an absolutely strong versatile ball.
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Storm Parallax Effect
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: TractionX7 Pearl
Core: Aeroflo Asymmetric
Finish: 1500-grit Polished
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.054

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring
50 X 4 3/4 X 35 DUAL ANGLE
4 3/4 X 4 X 2 VLS

The new Storm Parallax effect is the second ball to feature the Aeroflo core. I was excited for this release because though I liked the strong move the Parallax made, it was a bit early for me out of the box. I expected the shiny surface to give me more length but it was very mid-laney. The new traction x7 pearl cover gives you more length.

I tested the Parallax effect on a very cliffed house-shot which tends to transition very quickly. I went to it in the second game of league when I had trouble with the ball I was throwing over-reading the friction. I had expected the Effect to come off the dry too hard as well but figured if I could create enough angle through the front I'd be okay. I made a miss in on my first shot and the ball slid through the front and struck. I was surprised not only with the easy length but that the ball wasn't sideways off the friction. By accident I discovered exactly the line I needed to be playing.

The Effect reminds me a bit of the Intense Fire. While it's a clean ball that stores energy well, it still has a bit of a rounder shape off the friction. This is very helpful when fighting alot of friction. The ball is strong enough to cover alot of boards without creating catastrophic leaves when you make small misses. I've really enjoyed the ball the last couple of games in league. I have found it to be a bit stronger when trying to play closer to the friction on fresh lanes so it will work well for low to medium rev players in that spot.
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Storm Phaze 4
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R2S Pearl
Core: Velocity
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.48
Diff: 0.051

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/8 pin to pap 2 1/2 inch pin buffer

The next Phaze in the Storm Master line is the strongest one to date. The all new Phaze 4 continues the amazing success of the line by giving you the quickest reaction yet. Like alot of people I was waiting for the team up of this super successful core with perhaps the most successful cover ever... storms R2S Pearl.

If the Phaze III lacked anything it was shape. I loved the cleaner rounder shape that I felt was perfect compliment to the phaze II. The phaze 4 gives you something none of the others did, a quick response to friction. I think my favorite part about the motion of this ball is that it doesn't jump and then stop, its very continuous and this core and cover combo can stay useful through so many different patterns and states of transition.

I've used my phaze 4 pretty often since it joined my bag. I like to give precedence to the newer balls but anytime I have felt like I'm losing angle, I've gone back to the phaze 4. Our house pattern is very high volume but like most house patterns there is alot of shape (12-1) I can throw the phaze 4 on the fresh by simply getting it into the friction earlier. It uses the hold almost as well as it uses the hook so I only ever feel like i have to make angle changes with it as opposed to looking for another ball to create a different shape.

I've said this about the last two phaze releases and I'm going to say it again. This is a special piece. It's versatility makes it useful for so many different styles and conditions that I can't think of someone I wouldn't recommend this ball to.
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Storm Phaze A.I.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: TX-16 Pearl Reactive
Core: Velocity A.I.
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.47 (15)
Differential: 0.053 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin In Ring 4 1/2 Pin To Pap 3 Inch Pin Buffer


The newest addition to Storm's Master Line is their latest Phaze. This one Uses a pearl version of the TX-16 cover featured on the Phaze II and adds the Amplified Inertia (A.I.) technology to the Velocity core. The Phaze A.I also features a new finish called power edge.

Storm has chased a ball that really exemplifies what makes the Phaze II great while providing a bit easier length through the front. In previous versions I always felt that they sacrificed a little of the ball motion that makes the phaze II what it is. This time they might have cracked the code.

I tested the Phaze A.I. in league. As I've explained in many of my ball reviews our house has lots of friction worn into the front lane panels and they use a longer, higher volume pattern to attempt to combat the early friction. The problems arise when the front of the lane transitions so much faster than the back. This transition neccessitates a ball which can clear the front but still read in the mid-lane because if it sees the front it will hook in the front and if if doesn't read in the mid-lane it's gonna have difficulty getting back through the tighter back end. All of this can be a nightmare when you're trying to navigate the oil as it breaks down, while finding a way to get your ball to continue through the pins. The Phaze A.I is hands down the best ball I've used to date in this spot. Game 2 when the lanes start to change it provides a seamless move off of a ball like the Phaze II. It's also very continuous so you can stay in it through the 3rd game without much effort. It's exactly what it needed to be. A little cleaner than the Phaze II through the front, still gives the great consistant mid-lane read and a little more responsive to counteract the increased angle from moving in on the lane.

The Phaze AI should fit with all styles of bowlers very well. The speed dominant guys will love it as the lanes break down and the rev dominant guys will like it everywhere.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Phaze III
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R3S Hybrid
Core: Velocity
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.051

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up
Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 60 X 5 X 30

The long awaited Storm Phaze III is now available! The Phaze II has been the most successful ball released since the Hy-Road and there's a reason you keep seeing it pop-up in PBA competition. The Phaze III is the cleaner version of the Phaze II that every has been waiting for. The Phaze II was relatively clean and incredibly continuous for a solid cover ball, but the Phaze III is exactly what so many had hoped for; a ball that gives you the same motion on less oil.

I threw the Phaze III for the first time in a house where the backends tend to be very dry, most cleaner balls require so much angle through the front to create hold that I often have to trick the drilling to smooth them out for this house. The Phaze III was certainly strong enough to use more angle through the front, the difference was that it opened up so much area for me down-lane that I felt like as long as I got it right of the headpin I could throw it almost anywhere and it would still go through the pins. My second outing with it was in a house which has alot of friction in the front of the lane. This house slows down higher performance balls so much that I almost always opt for entry-level equipment to get my ball to retain energy. Because of these differences I've never had one ball that looked good in both houses. The Phaze III defies this difference and again I felt like it opened up an unpresidented amount of area for me down-lane. It's predictable move is usually counter to a ball that will still retain energy when the fronts hook, but this ball isn't like any other I've thrown.

I also had the opportunity to throw the Phaze III in a tournament that used much more volume in the front of the lane. I opted to start with my Phaze II the first few games of the block since there was so much oil in the front. Because of the varying transition that you see when moving lanes during tournaments like this one when the head oil goes its usually a guessing game with what ball is going to shape well enough without over-reading the heads. I was grateful to see that going to the Phaze III let me keep an identical ball motion on this condition to the Phaze II. It was literally the easiest move to combat early friction I've ever made.

The Phaze III is probably the most versatile ball I've ever thrown and everyone I've drilled for a customer has been critiqued the same way, regardless of style. This ball would easily be my choice for the best ball released this year and I only see more and more of them on the lanes since their release.
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Storm Phaze V
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Length:43

Volume:High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


[size=14pt][font=arial][u][b]COMMENTS[/b][/u][/font][/size]

Core: Velocity
Cover: R2S Pearl
Finish: 1500-grit Reacta Gloss polish
RG: 2.53 (14 lb)
Diff: .0.050 (14 lb)

Me:

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph

Rev Rate: 315

PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/8 Pin to Pap 2 1/2 Pin Buffer


The new Storm Phaze V is the latest release in the Master Line of bowling balls. Like the previous Phaze releases it features the Velocity Core, paired this time with the legendary R2S Pearl. I have yet to throw a ball with this core or this cover that I don't love so the combination has had me very excited since it was announced.

This is the first Pearl release in the Phaze like that rolls exactly like I would expect a Pearl Version of the Phaze II to roll. It is clean through the front of the lane and makes a strong even motion in the back-end. It's certainly not as responsive to the friction as the Phaze 4 was, which helps extend the window that it hooks in down-lane. The result is a perfect ball to transition too when your phaze 2 is seeing too much of the middle part of the lane but you still want to control the down-lane reaction without having to worry about the ball not saving energy.

I have thrown the Phaze 5 for a few weeks now on our longer heavier house pattern. It is certainly strong enough to close angles down a bit and throw it on the fresh but it's fantastic when the lanes start to transition. My favorite ball motions when you start to see the transition are the ones that let you know the lane is changing without making you pay with a 5 count for not seeing it coming ahead of time. This ball is perfect for that. It also responds well to hand position changes which will keep you in the ball for much longer than you would expect.

I see this ball being a staple in tournament bags to compliment the Phaze II. If I find a condition where I don't think it's useful, I'll let you know but it hasn't happened yet and at this point I would be greatly surprised.
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Storm PhysiX Blackout
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS:

Coverstock: NeX Pearl Reactive
Core: Atomic A.I. Core
Finish: 2000 Abralon
RG: 2.47 (#15)
Differential: 0.055 (#15)
PSA: .018

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Under Ring 4 1/8 X 5 3/4 X 4 VLS

The New Storm Physix Blackout is a new kind of strong, ideal for filling a gap at the top of your bag. The NEX cover with it's Nano Technology provides strong mid-lane motion even in high volume oil patterns. The engine in the ball is the Atomic Core featuring Amplified Intertia (A.I.) Technology. The Atomic core has been a stalwart for continuous down-lane power. The combination gives you the earlier motion you need without sacrificing the power through the pins.

I tested the Physix Blackout for the first time in league. First observation was a pretty obvious one. This ball hooks a lot. I had to move left from where I'd been throwing even the other strong balls and make sure I wasn't rolling it into the lane too early. Second observation was, man this thing keeps coming around. The lanes have been a bit tight lately and I've fallen into the habit of trying to help the ball more. The Physix Blackout neither needs or wants the help. My advice is point it right and let it eat.

I also threw the ball a few days later on a drier lane. When recording my video reviews I often have difficulty securing a freshly oiled lane. The advantage is that if I opted not to try the ball through the transition on league night, I get an idea of where I would have ended up with it. No surprises that it took even more effort to clear the front of the lane, but I was really happy with how the ball kept going through the pins. I experimented a bit with rotating the ball a bit more and it really responded well. This isnt terribly common among balls this strong, many of them don't want to respond to tilt and rotation changes but the Physix Blackout was very responsive. I threw it head to head with the Ion Max and Attention Star S2 and found it fills the gap between the two perfectly. It gives you the best of both balls in fact.

I think this ball is going to be a big hit. It's going to be that strong ball that you can match up with most any style. It will hook with the strongest balls, but doesn't get forward and start handing out flat tens the way many strong balls do when you've got to move left. Rev deficient bowlers who need the help with love this ball. The guys who already have power games and want that 'top of the bag' ball that keeps hooking through the transition will find this ball a staple for tournament play. A-1 First ball out.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Pitch Purple
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Capacitor
Coverstock: Rev-Controll Urethane
Finish: 1000
RG: 2.57
Differential: 0.022

Me:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 2.5 in Pin Buffer

The New Storm Pitch Purple is a definite departure from previous Urethane releases. There's never been a Urethane this CONTINUOUS!

The new Rev Controll cover is juiced up much like the Fever Pitch but where the other Urethane releases would hook stop when covering boards the Pitch Purple just keeps coming.

I tested the Pitch Purple of a house shot that had a league session bowled on it prior. There was surprisingly no part of the lane I couldn't play with the pitch purple. I started off very near the friction and had to be sure I kept my hand up the back but it performed spectacularly when i did. I could play very straight angles at the pocket and even saw the cover save some shots I got right. I then tried moving in a bit and rolling it more to the track. The amount of area I opened up amazed me as I was able to miss as much as 10 boards down-lane and still get the ball back and through the rack for a strike. Just out of curiosity I decided to see how far left I could get and even from 5th arrow I was seeing consistent hook and carry. As my rev-rate is only in the 300 range I'm very impressed with this ball!

Anyone who liked the increased power of the fever pitch but wished they could stay with it longer and cover more boards, this is your ball!

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Storm Proton Physix
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: NeX (Nano Extreme) Solid
Core: Atomic Core
Finish: 2000
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.053

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin in Middle Finger 60 X 5 1/2 X 50

The new Proton Physix takes two powerhouse performers; the Atomic core featured in the Physix and Astro Physix combined with the NEX solid cover featured on the original Axiom. The result is... you guessed it, HOOK! The NEX coverstock's Nano formulation will dominate high volume patterns while the Atomic core provides the hook and hit.

I tested the Proton Physix (or attempted to) on my normal house shot. My league house is notorious for friction in the front of the lane. It didn't take many shots to figure out that even on a freshly oiled lane, the cover of the Proton Physix would not ignore the front of the lane enough to be useful for me in league. Rather than trying to make it work, I opted to wait until I was on a condition where it would be right. I got my opportunity when the pattern league in our house put out the PBA Dragon pattern. I managed to get some practice in on a freshly dressed lane and boy oh boy did the Proton look great.

I usually try to get a feel for what a ball will do in multiple parts of the lane. On 45 feet of oil I often don't feel like I have the flexibility to play different parts of the lane. I first tried playing straighter with the Proton, using the friction in the track but not really trying to be under the ball. The Proton was exceptional here, probably due partly to the weaker layout I had opted for. This by far was the area where I felt like i had the most miss room. The cover corrected shots where I was a bit too clean out of the ball and the pattern length gave me plenty of hold. I then figured I'd move in and play where I would normally play when looking at the graph, a slight left to right fade but keeping the ball fairly tight to the headpin. This also gave me a good look, somewhat better than i was expecting as I usually opt for ball that are a little quicker to create the angle in a smaller window down-lane. The ball would save shots that leaked a bit into the track but I could still overthrow the ball and take three off the right if missed it with this angle. This again may have been due to the layout I chose. I didn't spend alot of time deeper and trying to roll it as I felt with the slower transition layout I had less miss room as I got left.

My takeaway from the testing was that I wouldn't recommend the Proton Physix in any house where you don't have oil in the front of the lane. It should look best on house shots for Rev Challenged/Speed Dominant players. However this is a ball that any bowler who bowls on tournament patterns should own. My single criticism is that this ball can easily be too strong for higher friction houses and lower speed/rev dominant bowlers.
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Storm Revenant
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION:
Length:43
Volume:High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Ball:
Cover: R3S Pearl
Core: Vector
Finish: Reacta Gloss polish
RG: 2.55
Diff: 0.051

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 1/2 Pin to Pap 2 inch pin buffer


The Storm Revenant is definitely a second coming. Once again the team up of the R3S pearl cover and the symmetric Vector core gives the bowler a new shape that fills and important gap. Design intent places it between a hyroad and a trend/fate type ball. The reacta gloss finish really gets this ball through the front so you can unleash the energy in the mids to backend.

I tested the Revenant first on the long high volume house pattern at my home center. While the ball clears the front pretty effortlessly, it definitely has enough hook to use on the fresh. In fact throwing the ball up against the friction was a really good look. I think a lot of rev challenged bowlers who like to play up the outside but don't want to throw a lot of surface will really love this ball.

Transitioning to throwing the ball more left to right was pretty seamless. The ball has great predictable motion and continues very well through the pins. Higher rev guys will love this ball in the transition. It gave me serious Marvel Pearl vibes in this part of the lane which is about as high a compliment as I can pay to a ball.

When transitioning even further in when the lanes started to really burn up I did have to make some pretty substantial release changes. My lower ball speed did cause the ball to slow down a bit too much when I was trying to cover alot of boards out into the friction. Keeping it in play here for me required me to either trap the ball closer to the pocket down-lane or really rotate my hand around the side of the ball to delay the reaction and make it more angular off the spot. Both worked really well. I suspect that this problem won't translate much to the guys who have higher ball speeds.

The only glaring difference that I noticed between the Revenant and what I remembered of my spectre is that the reacta gloss finish seems to make it a touch cleaner and it reads a little less reliably in heavy oil as a result. While the added length is a big plus for me, guys with more ball speed may want to take this ball back to the old 1500 polished finish. It's a simple fix but it seems to work wonders as this ball takes well to surface changes.
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Storm Road Warrior
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS



Coverstock: R2S DEEP Pearl
Core: Inverted Fe² A.I. Core
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.55 (#15)
Differential: 0.045 (#15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 5 X 5 X 2 1/2 VLS

Long awaited new addition to the Storm Thunder Line is finally here. The Road Warrior features a pearl version of the super clean R2S Deep cover that was featured on the Absolute and absolute power. This time the engine in the ball is the legendary Fe2 core enhanced with A.I. (Amplified Intertia) technology. The result is a clean angular and incredibly forgiving shape.

I tested the Road Warrior in League. I waited until game 3 when I really got pushed left. My hope was that the Road Warrior would work as a Hy-Road Pearl Replacement. Sure enough when I had to cover boards the Road Warrior gave me the the length and hook I needed. To the eye it is a slightly earlier and a little rounder than the Hy-Road pearl. I had expected this as it's the difference I normally see with the A.I. version of cores. The difference was much less pronounced than in other balls, I believe because of the cleaner R2S Deep cover on the Road Warrior.

Because my greatest need was for a ball to throw on the driest conditons that's where I was most interested in seeing the reaction of the Road Warrior. Too far left was not an issue I ever ran into throwing the Road Warrior. I did also throw the Road Warrior on a fresher condition later in the week. I obviously had to be much closer to the friction, but I was surprised at how useful it was on the fresh conditon. Responsive balls can be pretty over-under when the lanes are fresh here but the Road Warrior was a little smoother seeing the earlier friction so the over-reaction wasn't as pronounced as I was used to seeing with balls like the Hy-Road.

The Road Warrior definitely fills a gap that needed to be filled. This ball is incredible when you need to see the ball hook down-lane and its so clean that it really combats the early friction. I think this ball is going to be a must-have for any one who sees to much friction develop as they bowl and especially invaluable for anyone who bowls longer format tournaments.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Spectre
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R3S Pearl
Core: Vector
Finish: 1500 Polish
RG: 2.54
Diff: 0.050

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 2 inch pin buffer

The new Storm Spectre is a great addition to the Thunder Line. The Vector core is another great rolling shape akin to the Trend and Hy-Road core shapes. R3S Pearl is the perfect compliment to give you strong controllable movement in the back-end.

I tested the Storm Spectre first on our high volume house pattern. It was definitely most useful in the transition. It's strong enough to deal with the volume but clean enough to want friction down-lane. It's very controllable, and works well to deal with wet/dry as it happens in transition.

I really found a great place for it the second week I used it in league. A lane machine malfunction had us down to about 60% of the oil we were supposed to have and everything had been throwing game 1 wanted to grab the midlane in practice, but there was still enough length that balling down too much to get the ball through the front took away alot of area because the ball could easily over-skid and miss the breakpoint. I took the Spectre out right after practice and it was the perfect choice. It missed the friction in the front of the lane, and kept the back-ends more manageable, not missing the breakpoint or over -reacting to the friction.

The spectre can be a great first ball out on medium volume house patterns.

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Storm Summit
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:43
Volume: Low
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

COVERSTOCK: TX-23™ Hybrid Reactive
WEIGHT BLOCK: Centripetal™ HD - A.I.
FACTORY FINISH: 3000-grit Abralon®
BALL COLOR: Blue/Gold/Silver
FLARE POTENTIAL: High
FRAGRANCE: Snickerdoodle
RG: 2.46 (14lb)
Differential: 0.056 (14 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 4 X 3 VLS

The new powerhouse symmetric ball from Storm Bowling is the SUMMIT. The Summit uses a modified Centripetal core wrapped in the new AI outer core. This low RG core really gets the ball rolling in the mid-lane. They paired this core with a modified version of the cover featured on the Phaze II. This new formulation called TX-23 Hybrid gives you great mid-lane dig and a nice big foot-print down-lane. The result as you may expect is a Phaze-II for more oil, for earlier in blocks.

I tested the summit on the house pattern at my home center. I didn't have a lot of expectation because of the crazy amount of early friction in our home center during the summer months. I fully expected a ball as strong as the summit to lock-up and look really flat through the pins. I was pleasantly surprised that although I was forced much further left than I like to be game one, the ball did keep coming around. It certainly helped control the back-end of the lane and I had to keep my angle pretty sharp through the front to get it right but it did go through the pins pretty well. I guess with smooth continuation being such a hallmark of the phaze II motion it isn't as surprising as it could be.

This ball is going to be a great first ball out on heavier patterns. It should provide a seam-less transition into the Phaze II as those wet patterns begin to break down. It should look especially good for speed dominant bowlers who need the ball to see the mid-lane but don't necessarily need the all at once motion that you get from some of the bigger assym balls.
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Storm Summit Ascent
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio


COMMENTS

Coverstock: R2S Solid Reactive
Core: Centripetal HD w/AI
Finish: 4000 Abralon
RG: 2.46
Differential: 0.056


ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Up 4 3/4 Pin to Pap 2 1/2 Pin Buffer


The new addition to Storm's Master line of balls is a new configuration of the Summit called Summit Ascent. The strong fast revving cores in the Summit line have made them a favorite for many pros and bowlers of all levels on higher volume oil patterns. The High Diff core creates great flare to give more hook than customary for many symmetric balls. To create a unique shape with this core, Storm wrapped the core in the legendary R2S solid coverstock that dominated the lanes for so many years on so many great releases. This creates the cleanest version of the Summit to date.

The previous summit releases were of limited use to me. With my lower ball speed the early hook often proved to be more than I needed and I usually opted for cleaner balls. The Summit Peak didn't give me the length I had hoped for, but rather created a piece which seemed to stand up even faster when it saw friction, often earlier than was ideal to create good pin carry. This is all relative to the quirks of my home center where the front panels have much built in friction. The excessive amount of oil the house uses to try to combat this tends to create a condition where the front of the lane transitions very quickly and the back-end much more slowly. The wrong ball motion can make them feel way harder than they should when balls stand up to quickly in the early friction and won't recover down-lane.

Now when I took the Summit Ascent out to the lane for the first time, I saw a ball where I could really make use of the strong core. R2S solid being a much weaker formulation than nearly every cover available to date, I was able to get the ball through the front and see the core take over where the ball needed to read. I was very impressed with how the ball didn't stand up and get forward when it same the friction a little early, and it had no problems powering back when it got right down-lane. Probably the best sign for me personally was my ability to stay in the ball all 3 games. It took a bit of manipulation to still get it down-lane game three when i was up against the ball return, but considerable less than I expected and I didn't feel like I had to sacrifice carry to do so.

The Summit Ascent seems to be a ball that matches up with many styles. I've heard it called a "Cleaner" Phaze II. On fresher conditions I would agree. In the later games the two balls get closer together for me. It's definitely a ball that is the right shape for everyone at some stage of play.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Summit Peak
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
LANE CONDITION

Length:43
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

COMMENTS

COVERSTOCK: TX-23 Pearl Reactive
WEIGHT BLOCK: Centripetal™ HD - A.I.
FACTORY FINISH: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.46 (15 lb)
Differential: 0.056 (15 lb)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Middle Finger 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 3 VLS


The success and popularity of the AI core technology featured in the original Summit left little doubt that a pearl version would be coming down the line and Storm didn't disappoint. The new Master line release is called the Summit Peak. A pearl version of the TX - 23, and advancement of the TX-16 cover featured on the Phaze II, wraps this one up.

I tested the Summit Peak in league. The first week I opted to take it out game 3 when my solid balls were seeing to much of the front of the lane. I was pretty surprised with how smooth is ball was. While it is certainly cleaner than the original Summit was, I feel that this core so dominates the motion of this ball, that it tended to tip up pretty fast. Even with the longer pin buffer I opted for, the ball seemed to get forward pretty fast when trying to use it so late. I kept it in play by moving even deeper and really opening my angle up early, getting the ball to bounce off the friction earlier and sort of set at the pocket. It worked well enough for 220 or so but I felt like I was having to really manipulate the reaction to get the ball through the pins.

I decided to try throwing the Summit Peak on the fresh the next week. I much preferred it in this role, in spite of its Pearl Cover the ball read the mid-lane very well even on the fresh and controlled the back-end reaction really well. This may not be a typical reaction for bowlers with more ball speed than me, or who bowl in centers where the fronts don't hook so much.

I think the summit peak will work out well as a transition ball for bowlers who really liked the original summit. It also makes a good alternative for a first ball out for people like me who want a sort of "solid" reaction from a ball that doesn't necessarily give them the early solid-type read on the lane.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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Storm Super Nova
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Core: Ignition
Cover: NeX Solid
Finish: 2000-grit Abralon
RG: 2.53 (14 lb)
Diff: .049 (14 lb)
Int. Diff: .018

Me:

Right-Handed Tweener

Speed: 12-13 mph

Rev Rate: 315

PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 X 4 1/2 X 2 3/4 VLS

Storms new Premier Line release is the Super Nova. It ended up being a pretty super team up. The ignition core wrapped in the NEX solid cover. Strong Cover and Strong core is a great combo for those higher oil volumes and the Super Nova might just be the best ball when you need that kind of power.

The original Nova was a midlane beast for me but it did feel a bit conditional after a while. You need oil in the heads and it could get too forward off the back of the pattern pretty quickly if you didn't have the ball speed to play closer to the friction.
Because of this I was a bit worried that putting an even stronger cover on the same core would probably exacerbate the problem but happily I was mistaken.

I threw the Nova on the fresh 43 ft High volume house pattern at my home center. I think I see so much more continuation out of the Super Nova because I never really feel the need to over work the ball with my hand to get it to read the right part of the lane. I was amazed first night out in league because I felt like I could basically point the Super Nova at the ten pin, let it get there and it would come back from anywhere. Sometimes when I'm trying to generate speed I have a tendency to grab on the ball, but it's usually because I feel like I can't miss the ball at all when I'm trying to throw harder or it's not going to read where I need it to. The Super Nova does all the reading for you, you just gotta get it there!

This is going to be one of those great "hook in a box" releases like the Virtual Gravity was so get one of these in the hands of your speed dominant bowlers ASAP. Everyone else will figure out how good it is too before long.
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Storm The Road
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio


[size=14pt][font=arial][u][b]COMMENTS[/b][/u][/font][/size]

Ball:
Coverstock: ReX Hybrid Reactive
Core: Inverted Fe² A.I. Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
Differential: 0.045 (15)
RG: 2.55 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 4 5/8 X 5 X 1 1/2 VLS

Storms new A.I. Technology has been introduced in some great new balls and added to some of the most popular existing SPI technology. It's only natural that the Fe2 core featured in the Hy-Road and other balls of it's line would be next to get the AI upgrade. Enter The Road. To compliment the upgraded core, it was paired with a Hybrid version of the REX cover featured on the Night Road.

I tested The Road on a fresh house pattern at my home center. Our fresh pattern is long and higher volume so the cleaner balls aren't usually what I prefer to start with. The high ratio can exacerbate the over/under so the really responsive balls can leave you some interest patterns on small misses. I was a bit surprised how well The Road worked on the fresh. I had to keep the angle open but it wasn't as fickle front to back as I expected and saw the right part of the lane very consistently.

I next tested The Road game three in league. The lanes transition a lot and the worn front panels can make moving inside a bit tricky, especially with my ball speed. I was moving off of an Optimum Idol that I had taken the surface up to 3000 on. My hope was that I could transition into The Road on the same line that I had been striking on , once the smoother OI was having trouble getting the corners out. I was really surprised at the difference between how the ball looked down-lane on the broken down lane compared to the fresh one. The Road really saw the mid-lane harder than I expected. It got forward pretty quick so it did hit the pocket from the same alignment but I found my better carry came from getting a touch deeper, and letting my hand come around it. This is a move I have to make a lot lately with how much earlier the balls have gotten, but I had hoped the Road would be a bit closer to a Hy-Road motion. I would say that it's closer to the Night Road for me but a bit stronger.

I think the The Road will be a great ball in transition for lower ball speed players, and great on the burn for high speed players. It definitely is responsive enough to come off the dry for guys with firmer ball speed so anywhere you need the ball to make a move in a smaller window, this ball with do it for you.

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

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Storm Trend 16 Only
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Cover: R2S Pearl
Core: Piston
Finish: 1500 polish
RG: 2.52
Differential: 0.049

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 4 7/8 Right 3/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Ring 5" Pin to Pap 2 inch pin buffer

The Signature line of balls developed by Storm in collaboration with Jason Belmonte have provided some shapes that I would say have been unique to the brand. The piston core featured in each of the previous 3 releases has a distinct smooth, arcing motion. For the newest release in the line, the Trend, Storm decided to wrap the Piston core in the storied R2S Pearl featured on many of the greatest releases ever on the market. The Trend packs plenty of power. It is every bit as predictable as you would think. I have found each Signature release to be an improvement on the last one. They've continued that TREND and this ball is my favorite so far.

I have taken some time with the Trend so that could get look at it on a variety of conditions. I've thrown it in league, and was fortunate to get a few different looks as our house pattern has transitioned somewhat in the last few weeks. The first night I took the trend out the lanes were hooking alot. I had been opting for weaker pieces in previous weeks but I decided to move left and try throwing the Trend right away. I started around 4th arrow on the fresh (like I said they hooked). I normally try to avoid the center of the lane because I tend to run out of room pretty quickly. I managed to throw all 3 games with the Trend and surprisingly it didn't seem to lose steam as I moved left. The next week we got a whole new shot, which felt about 5 feet longer with much more added to the middle. I opted to start with a bit more surface to try to develop some friction on the right side. The high friction surface causes some odd ball reactions when they add volume. I felt like I needed the ball to see the friction a little earlier but when it did the ball was a little flat going through the pins. I decided to see what the Trend would do since I was having trouble getting the ball to go through the pins right. The Piston core got the ball moving right where i needed it to and the R2S kept it coming. I got right into the track and the pattern all of a sudden felt easy. They settled into a happy medium the next week and I again threw all 3 games with the Trend.

I have yet to find the condition where the Trend doesn't make itself useful. Even on the highest volume patterns it is amazing in transition. The lower volume patterns you can get way in and it comes back from anywhere. This ball gets a recommendation that I give to precious few balls. It seems to work well for any style or condition. Not surprising since the Marvel Pearl was the first ball I said that about.
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Storm Typhoon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Length:44
Volume: Med-High
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS

Cover: Reactor Pearl
Core: Atmos A.I. Core
Finish: Power Edge
RG: 2.53 (15)
Differential: .042 (15)

Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin under bridge 4 7/8 X 4 1/2 X 6 VLS

Storm finally added a new ball in their HOT line. The new Storm Typhoon features a new core called the Atmo AI that is inspired by the core in the Tropical Heat line. The Reactor cover has been a staple in Storm's cleaner releases and you can count on the Pearl Reactor cover to give you great length on even dry lane conditions.

I was excited for this release as the Tropical Heat solid was one of my all time favorite balls. The core/cover combo alway let me stay closer to the friction. The Typhoon gave me just what I hoped for. I tested it first on a fresh house pattern. I started playing right up the track, just letting the ball do the work. The ball is clean and what really sets it apart is it's motion down-lane. Where most cleaner balls now tend to over-react off the friction, causing you to open the angles sooner, the Typhoon gives you an even, continuous roll. With a small change to add some tilt however, it will

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Storm Virtual Energy Blackout
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
PAP:
5 1/8 Right 7/8 Up
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Coverstock: ReX (Reactor Extreme)
Core: Shape-Lock HD Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.052
Intermediate Diff: .020

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin over Bridge 5 1/4 X 5 X 1 3/4 VLS

The new Storm release in the Signature line teams up an old favorite core with a very successful cover that's been featured on some great balls. The Shape-lock HD core from the virtual series comes back and is teamed up the the REX Pearl cover featured on the Dark Code. The glossy finish and proven core provide a clean sharp down-lane reaction in a bigger ball, giving you angle even when the lane isn't necessarily giving it to you. The elegant black pearl cover makes this a great looking ball.

I tested the Virtual Energy Blackout in league on the long high volume house pattern at my home center. I was a little surprised at how much hook I saw on a fresh lane. It was a little to strong playing near the friction on the fresh. So I put it away until game 3. The Blackout is a great piece for dealing with transition once the lane starts pushing you left. As seems to be characteristic of the all black polished balls it really bends off the down-lane friction well and is great for creating angle when covering boards. It has been very useful for overpowering the lanes when the fronts go but the back-ends are still a little slow.
I think the Blackout will be very popular when you need to get in and wheel on it and it's strong enough to create that shape for bowlers who struggle a bit on the rev side of things.


Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop
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