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900 Global Altered Reality

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/12/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

For the bowler looking for tons of overall hook and angle the Altered Reality will not disappoint. For comparison purposes it is much more overall than the X2 and even UFO Alert. I drilled mine pin down to keep the ball more in front of me although I was very surprised how much I am able to open my angles with as I migrate left. The Altered Reality continues very well and strong as it makes it moves to the pocket. Thus far, I have had a tendency to start with this ball on the fresh and use it all the way through 3 games of league which is a rarity for me as I typically like to start with controllable solids. This ball is very versatile and will fit the repotoire of many different styles of bowlers.
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900 Global Burner Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The solid counterpart of the original famous Zen is here in the Zen Master. The solid version will provide plenty of overall hook to be used right out the gate. Meant for oil the Zen Master reads the body of the lane extremely well. The most surprising thing I found with this ball was it's ability to continue to hook down lane as the lanes transitioned and broke down. This ball is a little more overall than a Phaze 2 yet cleaner than a Axiom.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Burners; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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900 Global Burner Solid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The solid counterpart of the original famous Zen is here in the Zen Master. The solid version will provide plenty of overall hook to be used right out the gate. Meant for oil the Zen Master reads the body of the lane extremely well. The most surprising thing I found with this ball was it's ability to continue to hook down lane as the lanes transitioned and broke down. This ball is a little more overall than a Phaze 2 yet cleaner than a Axiom.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Burners; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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900 Global Eternity

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/9/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Eternity is the perfect transition ball for my arsenal. It provides a clean angular motion and compliments the stronger smoother balls when the lanes begin to open up. The Eternity clears the fronts very well and sees great mid lane read with tons of continuation. The Eternity against the Altered Reality is cleaner with more angle. When the Altered starts to burn up/lock up transitioning to a ball like the Eternity will be an excellent option to go to.
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900 Global Eternity PI

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This is one of those asymmetric's you will want in your bag. Strong core combined with a cleaner cover, the PI will provide plenty of read and continuation for those medium to higher volume patterns. The PI sits on the cleaner side versus the Gem and DNA which is a great option if you're looking for the stronger ball without having such an early read on the lane. I drilled mine pin down for the video and was able to keep may angles both closed and open which showed the versatility of the ball. I already drilled another one of with a pin up layout which I plan to throw to get deeper on the lane for the ball to pick up sooner and play more left to right.
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900 Global Harsh Reality

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/2/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Designed for those heavier oil conditions, the Harsh Reality will be a go to on the fresh for when there is a ton of volume, length and/or lane tightness. I found this ball close to the X3, from Roto Grip, although with a bit more overall shape. I intend on utilizing this ball more on sport patterns when I need a big ball to get it to slow down sooner and control the lane. For the league bowler who is lower on the rev side this would be a good option to go if you like those big asymmetrical bowling balls.
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900 Global Harsh Reality Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/31/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Harsh Reality Pearl is a strong asym pearl from the Roto Grip lineup. This ball will be the strongest pearl out the bag where there is typically more oil volume. This ball is stronger than an exotic gem although is similar in nature of it being a slower transitioning ball. This ball can be used on the fresh house conditions and or transitioned off of the stronger solids as a transition ball.
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900 Global Honey Badger Intensity

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/27/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The new Badger from the 900 Global line is one of a kind. This type of benchmark ball is typically my favorite to throw. What I liked about the Badger is it is a step down off the Reality which is a stronger ball. A lot of the surfaces we typically bowl on have been generally hooking very early. The way to counter that is going with cleaner covers. What I like about the Badger is it has a clean cover yet its smooth shape won't blow past the break point making this a great ball for the fresh. What I, also, liked about this ball was its ability to migrate in and yet retain enough energy to give me angle down lane. This ball provides plenty of versatility if you want to have your angles in front of you then slowly migrate in and open up the lane without losing carry.
This ball will be a must have and will work with a variety of styles, against many different oil patterns and be favorable to different layout and surface changes.
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900 Global Origin

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Origin:
New core, new cover and tons of power. The Origin is great for those medium to heavier oil conditions. At first, I found the ball a little too clean so I adjusted the surface to 2000 to get it to pick up sooner. The surface adjustment made all the difference in seeing the ball motion I was looking for. I found success on THS when the lanes play tight and I want to play more up the track area. Origin reserved tons of energy as it exited the pattern and continued well through the pins. Also, saw success on sport when my angles needed to slowly open up this ball was strong enough to dig into the deeper part of the lane where oil was still present yet provided strong continuation down lane that didn't sacrifice carry. The Origin will be a good option on on fresh or transition.
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900 Global Origin EX

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/12/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The solid counterpart to the hybrid Origin, the Origin EX can be used on fresh to medium type conditions. Cleaner than the stronger asym solids, such as X-Cell or Ion Max, the Origin EX will get past the front part of the lane much easier, preventing burnup and providing better continuation down lane. I have found success with the EX on fresh house conditions and on tougher conditions where this ball is more of a transition piece as the lane begins to develop and I begin to migrate left and open my angles up. This ball is still on the smoother and controllable side and can hit different gaps in one’s arsenal pending what their needs are.

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900 Global Reality

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/23/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Reality is the first asymmetrical produced directly out of Utah under the Storm umbrella. Featuring the S84 Response Solid cover, finished at 2000 grit, and the Disturbance core we get the strongest solid asymmetrical to date from the 900 line.
For those familiar with the Storm and Roto lineups this ball will fit under the Proton Physix as this is a whole lot of core with a tad cleaner cover. The Reality will compliment those medium to higher volume and length patterns.

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900 Global Reality Check

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/16/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The new reality is a hybrid version to compliment the original Reality. To date, this is the most angular ball from 900 Global. The Reality check will provide tons of overall hook and be suitable for those medium to heavier oil conditions. In comparison to the Infinite Physix the Reality Check is a cleaner more angular option. The Reality Check will be either a good starting ball pending the lane conditions or an excellent step down off the stronger more controllable pieces of equipment.
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900 Global Sublime

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/26/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The latest release from 900 Global is a hybrid designed for medium to heavier oil conditions. I found the Sublime to be more user friendly when there was higher volumes of oil in the front part of the lane. If the lanes were a little too dry the Sublime was too responsive and it was difficult for the ball to slow down in the right part of the lane. When there was oil the ball had plenty of margin and continuation through the pins. The sublime could be used on the fresh on those higher oil conditions or a step down off the bigger asym or symmetrical balls.
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900 Global Sublime Focus

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

1

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/20/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:

Ion Max:
Asymmetric, strong and designed for heavy oil conditions. The Ion Max with its strong engine will combat the heaviest of oil. Built for the fresh to play on top of it early and slowly migrating in as the transition begins, the Ion Max will be the strongest ball out the bag. This ball can be used with a lot of volume, tighter oil conditions and/or longer oil patterns.

Sublime Focus:

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900 Global Wolverine

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/12/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Wolverine features 2 of 900 Global's most popular cores; the badger and the honey badger with the addition of a dense flip block. This ball is on the higher RG side which is combined with a very clean cover to give a tremendous amount of back end reaction. This ball is great for early hooking surfaces or when the fronts begin to go away. I hit this ball with a 2000 pad to slow it down and find more control in the back end. I am a big fan of this ball as lanes typically hook early for us in the NY region. This is a great step down ball off the stronger asymmetrical or symmetrical pieces such as the Altered Reality or Zen Master.
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900 Global Wolverine Dark Moss

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/16/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Wolverine Dark Moss similar to it's predecessor with it's core and cover features a different finish at 4k fast. I drilled the Dark Moss pin down to find more control down lane as the original Wolverine was drilled pin up and was a bit too clean for my style. The Dark Moss will be a great option for when the fronts begin to hook early and the lanes get tighter down lane. The higher RG nature of the ball will get it to clear the fronts with ease and the strength of the core and cover will give it plenty of shape off the spot.
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900 Global Xponent

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/17/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Review:
Xponent:
Reactive solid with the Ordinance core is a perfect blend to this benchmark symmetrical. A step up earlier reaction from the IQ Tour, the Xponent is an ideal selection as the first ball out of the bag. The Xpoenent will be good for those medium oil conditions when control is at a premium. This fits between a IQ Tour and Summit in terms of performance. If the Summit is too much and the Tour is not enough the Xponent will fit that slot. These type of balls should be in every players bag.

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900 Global Xponent Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/2/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This is a ball I have been waiting on for a long time. Ever since the Idol Pearl was removed from the lineup I been looking for its replacement on the lighter to medium oil conditions. A lot of the other benchmark pearls I had found to be too smooth and not angular enough. The Xponent pearl is that ball. When I look to bal down in league I nave exclusively been going to this as my first option. This is a ball you can drop to on the stronger asymmetrical solid and pearls as well as the symmetrical solids and/or pearls. This is a bowlers ball and should be in everyones bag.
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900 Global Zen 25

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/6/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is a must have as it is the perfect pearl symmetrical to blend out the lanes when they transition. I have found this to be my step down off the bigger asym or solid symmetrics when I begin to open my angles up. I have found this more overall than the original Zen and a step up from the Phaze AI. If something cleaner is needed I can go to the Phaze AI or if I am seeing more oil and need it to slow down faster and stay on line the Zen will be the ball I go to. This is usually the first ball out the bag when they transition and my angles begin to open. This ball is predictable and gives plenty of continuation. This ball works well on both house and sport conditions.

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900 Global Zen Gold Label

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/17/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Review:
Xponent:
Reactive solid with the Ordinance core is a perfect blend to this benchmark symmetrical. A step up earlier reaction from the IQ Tour, the Xponent is an ideal selection as the first ball out of the bag. The Xpoenent will be good for those medium oil conditions when control is at a premium. This fits between a IQ Tour and Summit in terms of performance. If the Summit is too much and the Tour is not enough the Xponent will fit that slot. These type of balls should be in every players bag.

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900 Global Zen Master

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The solid counterpart of the original famous Zen is here in the Zen Master. The solid version will provide plenty of overall hook to be used right out the gate. Meant for oil the Zen Master reads the body of the lane extremely well. The most surprising thing I found with this ball was it's ability to continue to hook down lane as the lanes transitioned and broke down. This ball is a little more overall than a Phaze 2 yet cleaner than a Axiom.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Burners; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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900 Global Zen Soul

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/27/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This might be one of the best trifecta set of bowling balls to be released as each one of them fills it's need perfectly. The Zen Soul is the in-between option between the original Zen and Zen Master. If the Zen Master is too strong and early and the Zen is too clean the Zen Soul will be the balance between the two. Two Part pearl one part solid you will see clean through the fronts and control in the mid's with some extra energy down lane due to the 2 part pearl cover component.
The Zen Soul will work well on a multitude of patterns. I can see myself using this not only on house but on medium to shorter oil patterns. The Zen Soul is finished 4000 out the box although reacts well to surface adjustments. I have changed mine to 2000 and it blends out the house patterns really well. This ball will be an excellent option for bowlers facing varying lane conditions.
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900 Global Zen/U

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/22/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Zen U features the famous meditate core found in the Zen pearl and Zen Master. This time it comes as urethane. My first impression of this ball was it is very impressive. It is not as early as typical urethane and provides plenty of shape and continuation down lane. When the Pitch Black is too early and you want to open your angles up the Zen U will be an excellent option to go to. Also, for those who like to throw urethane on house conditions this will be one of the best urethane balls to choose as it is provides plenty of entry angle to kick out those pesky corner pins.

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Roto Grip Attention Star

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/2/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Attention Star reminds me of the X2 from Roto Grip. We have a asymmetrical pearl with polish that is clean and provides plenty of shape down lane. This ball versatility fills a few spots for me. I can use this on the fresh where the fronts typically hook early and during transition when I look to open my angles up on the better lane surfaces and or higher volume patterns. If you enjoyed the X2 this would be a suitable replacement.
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Roto Grip Attention Star S2

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Attention Star S2:
The hybrid version of the Attention line is out with a much more controllable smooth motion compared to its predecessor the Attention Star. The S2 is great for those medium to heavier oil conditions when control is needed. I found this very usable on sport conditions when my angles needed to be closed and I wanted to keep everything in front of me and control to the pocket. This ball is slower responding than the original which allows you to use this on the fresh. When the lanes begin to hook up front and a cleaner reaction is needed you can piggy back onto to the original to continue to allow your ball to angle down lane without sacrificing energy and hitting power at the pins.

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Roto Grip Clone

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/5/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review (Dynamo X & Clone):

The Tour Dynam-X will be a staple in the bag for some time to come. In this review I bowled on a very light THS that had some recreational play on it prior to me bowling. I drilled 2 Dynam-X balls as I was a big fan of the Rubicon which features a modified core in the Dynam-X. With the high friction/early hook conditions I encountered the pin down provided the best look of the 2 as it blended out the pattern real well. As you will see in the video with the pin up I begin to loft the ball a bit to get the ball to clear the fronts and provide energy down lane. I believe the Tour Dynam-X will be a great benchmark ball to throw on medium to higher volume and will be good with surface adjustments. I saw real good continuation with the pin down as that ball matched up the best, provided plenty of margin and great hitting power through the pins.

With the Clone given the strength of this asym and the environment I was bowling on it was way too strong for those conditions. I winded up moving right from the Dynam-X and increased my ball speed to get it through the fronts and provide angle down lane. You will see on the first few shots when I play left to right it read too early and didn't provide enough shape down lane. Once I got right and increased speed the ball looked real good. This will be good for medium to heavier conditions and could be used either on the fresh or as a transition ball off the stronger solids.
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Roto Grip Dare Devil

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I have found this ball very useful on house patterns and end of sport conditions where I am able to move left and begin to open up my angles. This ball will get clean through the front and have a nice angular motion down lane at the break point. This ball is a must for house and sport bowlers!
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Roto Grip Dare Devil Trick

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/11/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I placed a pin down layout on this ball (4 1/2 x 4 1/2) as I wanted this to be my benchmark house shot ball. I was very impressed by this ball as It allowed me to use it the whole night through the various transitions each game. All I had to do was migrate left and open up my angles as the lanes broke down. I typically like to keep my angles tighter when the night starts (stand around 21/22) and slowly move in. The Dare Devil Trick allowed me to do this.

Another thing I love about this ball is the cover stock and core. The characteristics of both provide a smooth and controllable ball motion. I knew what the ball was going to d each time it left my hands. I got that nice arc motion that I like to see when I release the ball.

I am already planning on picking up another 1-2 of these and placing a stronger layout on one for sport shots that are of shorter and medium length and having another for my recreational league I bowl in.

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Roto Grip Duo Black/Green

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/15/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

We have a new ball plugging the gap in our arsenals with the new Duo from Roto Grip. This ball is a perfect benchmark pearl for those medium to heavier oil conditions. A step up from both the Zen and IQ Ruby yet a step down from our Exotic Gem.
Out of the box I found the cover to be clean through the fronts and smooth off the backend. When I hit it with 2000 the ball picked up much sooner conspicuously yet it angled a lot better than when I had it out of the box. When the higher end asyms or solid syms become too much the Duo will be a great ball to jump into. We have not seen a ball like this since the Idol pearl and Axiom pearl. The shape that the Duo provides is extremely user friendly and will provide tons of margin on today's conditions. The ball is very forgiving and should match up to many bowling styles.
I believe this ball will be very adaptable to different lane conditions from sport to house.
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Roto Grip Exotic Gem

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/9/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Gem, designed for heavy oil, see's its transition counterpart; the Exotic Gem. Similar to the original; the Exotic Gem is designed for those heavier oil conditions. When the stronger solids, such as the Gem, begin to fade, neglecting carry through the pins, the Exotic Gem will be a great option to go to.
The Exotic Gem picks up pretty quick in the mid lane and provides plenty of continuation through the pins. The ball features its strongest cover paired with the earliest hooking RG asymmetric ball in the Roto Grip lineup, which will provide plenty of ball when confronting those heavier conditions of oil.
The Exotic Gem will be a ball I will be taking with me to league and tournaments and will fill the gap either on the fresh or as a transition when I get out of the stronger solids that no longer angle.
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Roto Grip Gem

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/5/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Roto Grip Gem Review:
Roto Grip's newest asymmetrical will be the earliest and strongest asym to date. Designed for medium-heavy to heavy oil conditions the Gem will have no issues digging down to begin traction.
I have used the Gem on Bowlero's 44' house condition in different house environments and the Gem blends the lane really well. I have used it on shorter differences and the reaction was just as good. The ball seems to slow down in the perfect part of the lane as it creates maximum entry angle to the pocket.
For those looking for strong benchmark shapes the Gem will be a perfect compliment to your arsenal to tackle those house and sport conditions.
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Roto Grip Halo

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/31/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The newest addition to the HP4 line welcomes the Halo which is strong asymmetrical solid bowling ball finished at 2000 grit. If you were a fan of the No Rules and Hyper Cell lines you will be a fan of this ball. The new core (Centrum) inside the Halo was inspired from it's predecessors (No Rules & Hyper Cell). The coverstock features the same surface as was seen in the Idol (MicroTrax - S18).

The layout placed on this ball is 75x4x80 and is pin down. Since majority of my other asymmetrical solids are pin up I wanted to see a different shape on fresh oil conditions; in particular sport conditions. I did test this ball on a house shot and as you can see from the video I tested different parts of the lane with different speed and angles and the ball responded very well to these adjustments.

I was able to move left, slow my ball speed down and have it come back and kick the corners. I was, also, able to get right and throw it harder up the track area. I was very impressed with the different parts of the lanes I could play with this ball.

I could easily see how much earlier this ball rolled for me and that's in particular to the layout that was placed on it. The Halo read a lot sooner than all my other current and prior solid asymmetrical bowling balls which is something I was looking for.

If your looking for a ball to handle heavy oil the Halo will be a great selection to add to your arsenal.

Disclaimer: I did test this ball on a pretty burnt up house shot. They're were quite a few games prior to shooting this video. Personally, it wouldn't be the ideal time to throw this strong/heavy rolling piece of equipment during this lane environment/transition. I believe when you see the Winner video, which was filmed after the Halo, you'll see much better shapes on that given lane environment.

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Roto Grip Halo Pearl

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/25/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is a monster that will be suitable for house and sport conditions. When you're looking for clean ball motion through the front part of the lane yet need continuation look no further than the Halo Pearl.

If you were a fan of the No Rules Pearl this will be a great supplement to that ball. One of the most exciting things about the Halo pearl is the cover that was placed on this ball. The e-Trax 18 cover which is seen in the famous Idol Pearl is the cover on the Halo Pearl. The Idol Pearl is one of the most popular balls in the current Storm/Roto lineup and its due to its cleanliness through the front and control and shape downlane. With the e-Trax 18 cover on a stronger asymetrical core we will see a lot more continuation down lane and will be a perfect compliment to the Idol Pearl when you need something a bit stronger.

I have used the Halo Pearl on both house and sport shots and this will easily be one of my best go to balls going forward.

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Roto Grip Halo Vision

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/26/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ok #SquadRG we have some new releases coming out 8.9.19. Roto Grip and Drill It Up Studios proudly brings to you the Halo Vision, Idol Pro and MVP.

Make sure you visit Justin Kampf at Epic Edge Bowling Supplies - Levittown to pre-order your's today.

#OwnIt #HaloVision #IdolPro #MVP #TeamEpicEdge #DrillItUp

Ball Reviews:

Lately, I have been experimenting with different layouts to see different ball shapes; especially later in blocks. I have been going with weaker pin positions on the last couple releases with shorter val angles. I am looking to find some different options when the lanes begin to transition where I do not lose shape down lane. I did this with my Pro-Motions and with the new Halo Vision and MVP. I kept a layout I typically like on the Idol-Pro because I thought it would work real well with it. My thought was to jump from the Idol Pro on the fresh to the weaker drilled Halo Vision then ultimately to the MVP.

Idol Pro:

The Idol Pro is definitely in-between the original Idol and Idol Pearl. I got more length than the Idol but more control at the breakpoint then the Idol Pearl. This is in part to the sheen finish of the Idol Pro (sheen-3000 grit). The layout was on the stronger side for me so I saw a lot of overall hook with this ball where I could easily cross a lot of boards and the ball would still get back to the pocket. This will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns, house and sport. It, also, reacts well to surface changes if you need to see it pick up sooner or later.

Halo Vision:

We placed a longer pin and shorter val on this to have the ball get down lane with angle. I wanted to see it be clean yet controllable at the breakpoint but not lose any energy. The goal here was when the Ido Pro was too early I could get into the Halo Vision jump a little more inside and see the ball properly shape again. I believe we can see that from the video. I was able to get into my comfort zone with the slower ball speed by jumping in more than I was with the Idol Pro and still maintained good shape through the pocket.

MVP:

This ball is perfect for when the lanes are completely depleted up front. The MVP is high RG yet as a hybrid provides control at the breakpoint. This ball will allow you to ball down even more from your HP4 and HP3 line balls to something even cleaner without sacrificing energy out of the bowling ball. After the Idol Pro and Halo Vision I was able to move back right with the MVP and saw very good ball reaction. A ball like this should always be in your bag as in today's environments sometimes weaker is better.

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Roto Grip Hustle 3TP

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/8/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The Hustles will be a great option on those lower to medium volume oil patterns or transitioned lanes where the fronts have gone away.
The Hybrid will be a smoother more controllable reaction than the pearl whereas the latter will provide cleaner/more angular motion downlane.
I did a pin down layout on the hybrid as I would want that as my first go to ball to keep my angles in front of me. Plus the solid within the hybrid allows this additional control.
On the 2 pearls I placed a pin down and pin up on each to see the different shot shapes. With the pin down compared to the hybrid I saw a lot more length and responsiveness downlane than the hybrid. With the pin up pearl compared to the pin down pearl there was definitely a lot more length and angle to that ball.
Wtih each of the 3 new Hustles there will be a step down from each ball - Hybrid to pin down pearl to pin up pearl. Those who were a fan of the previously released Hustles or those looking for a weaker/cleaner piece in their arsenal the newly released Hustles will be a great option to choose from.
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Roto Grip Hustle Au

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/8/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The Hustles will be a great option on those lower to medium volume oil patterns or transitioned lanes where the fronts have gone away.
The Hybrid will be a smoother more controllable reaction than the pearl whereas the latter will provide cleaner/more angular motion downlane.
I did a pin down layout on the hybrid as I would want that as my first go to ball to keep my angles in front of me. Plus the solid within the hybrid allows this additional control.
On the 2 pearls I placed a pin down and pin up on each to see the different shot shapes. With the pin down compared to the hybrid I saw a lot more length and responsiveness downlane than the hybrid. With the pin up pearl compared to the pin down pearl there was definitely a lot more length and angle to that ball.
Wtih each of the 3 new Hustles there will be a step down from each ball - Hybrid to pin down pearl to pin up pearl. Those who were a fan of the previously released Hustles or those looking for a weaker/cleaner piece in their arsenal the newly released Hustles will be a great option to choose from.
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Roto Grip Hustle B/R/Y

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/5/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The biggest bang for your buck in performance is back with the new Hustles. The XRAY provides a smooth controllable shape with the BRY being cleaner and more angular.
I tested both these balls after the Road and was impressed with the performance of both of them. Typically, I do not throw or bring extremely weak equipment as my rev rate is on the lower side although I intend on bringing the XRAY to league this week where the surfaces hook extremely early. Both Hustles read the body of the lane well and provided plenty of continuation through the pins as seen in the video.
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Roto Grip Hustle Camo Solid

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

After the success of the RST X1 it was natural to compliment it with the pearl RST X2. The RST X2 is cleaner and more angular than the original RST. We see plenty of shape down lane with the pearl cover. Additionally, the X2 is more overall than the UC2. The X2 will play well on a variety of conditions from sport to house. If you were a fan of the Astro Physix this will be comprable although a tad stronger.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Hustles; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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Roto Grip Hustle Earth

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/11/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Hustle Earth (Solid)/Glow (Pearl):

For the lower performance/weaker bowling ball options, the Hustles are a great tandem to go to. The Earth, which is the solid version, will provide a smoother earlier reaction whereas the Glow (pearl) will provide more angle down lane. I drilled the Earth pin down to amplify the controllable nature of the ball and play more up the lane and closer to the track area. As the lanes develop, I would be able to transition to the Glow and open my angles up. I typically do not go this weak in league or tournaments, as I usually stop along the HP2 line of performance, as I still need more performance given my lower rev rate. If I know I will be bowling on very early beat up lane surfaces I would bring one of these balls. If your someone who prefers a lot of control and keeping angles closer to the track this ball would be good for you.
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Roto Grip Hustle Glow

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/11/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Hustle Earth (Solid)/Glow (Pearl):

For the lower performance/weaker bowling ball options, the Hustles are a great tandem to go to. The Earth, which is the solid version, will provide a smoother earlier reaction whereas the Glow (pearl) will provide more angle down lane. I drilled the Earth pin down to amplify the controllable nature of the ball and play more up the lane and closer to the track area. As the lanes develop, I would be able to transition to the Glow and open my angles up. I typically do not go this weak in league or tournaments, as I usually stop along the HP2 line of performance, as I still need more performance given my lower rev rate. If I know I will be bowling on very early beat up lane surfaces I would bring one of these balls. If your someone who prefers a lot of control and keeping angles closer to the track this ball would be good for you.
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Roto Grip Hustle HSB

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/8/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The Hustles will be a great option on those lower to medium volume oil patterns or transitioned lanes where the fronts have gone away.
The Hybrid will be a smoother more controllable reaction than the pearl whereas the latter will provide cleaner/more angular motion downlane.
I did a pin down layout on the hybrid as I would want that as my first go to ball to keep my angles in front of me. Plus the solid within the hybrid allows this additional control.
On the 2 pearls I placed a pin down and pin up on each to see the different shot shapes. With the pin down compared to the hybrid I saw a lot more length and responsiveness downlane than the hybrid. With the pin up pearl compared to the pin down pearl there was definitely a lot more length and angle to that ball.
Wtih each of the 3 new Hustles there will be a step down from each ball - Hybrid to pin down pearl to pin up pearl. Those who were a fan of the previously released Hustles or those looking for a weaker/cleaner piece in their arsenal the newly released Hustles will be a great option to choose from.
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Roto Grip Hustle HYB Hybrid

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/6/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is right up my "alley". Controllable solids and balls with surface are balls typically found in my bag at all times. I love how I was able to play right and a little right of the track area and consistently get to the pocket. Also, the hitting power of this ball was exceptional, especially for a ball in this price range (HP1).
I tested this ball after throwing the Hyper Cell Fused on a fresh THS (Typical House Shot). I was roughly 3 boards further right with my feet with the Hustle than the Fused. The reaction of the Hustle was smooth and controllable. It read the mid-lane well and didn't overreact if I happened to miss with my target.
I definitely see this ball being a step down ball when my higher end equipment starts becoming too much for the lane. This will be a great step down from either the No Rules Exists and/or Dare Devil Trick.

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Roto Grip Hustle INK Solid

1 of 5 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/27/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

After completely burning out the lanes with the No Rules Exist and Show Off it was time to drop to a low performance symmetrical bowling ball, the Hustle INK. I finished on board 36 with the Show Off and I was able to instantly move 10 board right with the new Hustle INK. The polish allowed it to get clean through the heads and it provided a smooth transition off the break point. This ball will provide bowlers of all skill levels versatility pending when they need this type of look. I could see myself using this on a house shot after game 2 or late in a squad on a sport pattern after game 6. For those who threw the original Hustle, the INK will read the lane sooner, due to it's dull coverstock, and provide a discernable smoother motion.
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Roto Grip Hustle M-M

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/27/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I found both these balls to be a great bang for your buck. Low price entry point although with plenty of performance the Hustles will be excellent for those lower to medium oil conditions.
The solid provided a pretty smooth reaction. Finished with a polish this ball is clean through the front part of the lane and provides plenty of predictability down lane without overreacting. I have a pin down layout on the solid which allows me to keep the shapes and angles in front of me and play more up the lane. As that begins to fade I can transition to the pinup M-M to get the ball to see the lane sooner and allow me to open my angles up.
I really enjoyed both these balls and can see myself using them as my weakest balls in competition.
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Roto Grip Hustle PBR

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Hustles have returned although this time with new covers. We have the Hustle PBR (Solid) and Hustle RAP (Pearl). The PBR is a ball I am particularly looking forward to throwing. We’ve seen on some of the recent PBA telecasts Simonson and Prather make this ball look really good.

The PBR is going to be an excellent choice for those lighter oil conditions or when the backends are super crisp and you need the ball to back off a bit with lower differential. The PBR will allow you to play closer to the friction without it over reacting.

The RAP Hustle will be a step down ball from the PBR Solid when the lanes transition and you need a cleaner cover to clear the fronts. Similar to the Solid, due to the lower differential, we will see plenty of control down lane. The RAP Hustle will, also, be an option for those longer blocks when you begin getting to games 6 and on.

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Roto Grip Hustle RAP

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Hustles have returned although this time with new covers. We have the Hustle PBR (Solid) and Hustle RAP (Pearl). The PBR is a ball I am particularly looking forward to throwing. We’ve seen on some of the recent PBA telecasts Simonson and Prather make this ball look really good.

The PBR is going to be an excellent choice for those lighter oil conditions or when the backends are super crisp and you need the ball to back off a bit with lower differential. The PBR will allow you to play closer to the friction without it over reacting.

The RAP Hustle will be a step down ball from the PBR Solid when the lanes transition and you need a cleaner cover to clear the fronts. Similar to the Solid, due to the lower differential, we will see plenty of control down lane. The RAP Hustle will, also, be an option for those longer blocks when you begin getting to games 6 and on.

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Roto Grip Hustle RIP

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/27/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I found both these balls to be a great bang for your buck. Low price entry point although with plenty of performance the Hustles will be excellent for those lower to medium oil conditions.
The solid provided a pretty smooth reaction. Finished with a polish this ball is clean through the front part of the lane and provides plenty of predictability down lane without overreacting. I have a pin down layout on the solid which allows me to keep the shapes and angles in front of me and play more up the lane. As that begins to fade I can transition to the pinup M-M to get the ball to see the lane sooner and allow me to open my angles up.
I really enjoyed both these balls and can see myself using them as my weakest balls in competition.

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Roto Grip Hustle USA

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/20/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Hustle USA is perfect for those lighter oil conditions. This entry level ball in the HP1 line is perfect for new bowlers looking for their first hooking ball which will provide plenty of control or those higher skilled players when the lanes don't have as much volume and/or seem to hook too much. The Hustle USA is a hybrid with the VTC Coverstock which is known for control. The Hustle USA is an excellent performing ball for its price point.
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Roto Grip Hustle Wine Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

After the success of the RST X1 it was natural to compliment it with the pearl RST X2. The RST X2 is cleaner and more angular than the original RST. We see plenty of shape down lane with the pearl cover. Additionally, the X2 is more overall than the UC2. The X2 will play well on a variety of conditions from sport to house. If you were a fan of the Astro Physix this will be comprable although a tad stronger.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Hustles; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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Roto Grip Hustle X-Ray

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/5/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The biggest bang for your buck in performance is back with the new Hustles. The XRAY provides a smooth controllable shape with the BRY being cleaner and more angular.
I tested both these balls after the Road and was impressed with the performance of both of them. Typically, I do not throw or bring extremely weak equipment as my rev rate is on the lower side although I intend on bringing the XRAY to league this week where the surfaces hook extremely early. Both Hustles read the body of the lane well and provided plenty of continuation through the pins as seen in the video.
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Roto Grip Hyped Hybrid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Absolutely love the Hyped Pearl. It's clean, angular and on the weaker side of the spectrum. When the lanes are deep into transition and you need a ball that will clear the fronts and reserve energy down lane the Hyped Pearl is a great option. Also, the Hyped line will work well on those higher friction surfaces. The hybrid version is smoother and more forward compared agains the pearl.
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Roto Grip Hyped Pearl

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Absolutely love the Hyped Pearl. It's clean, angular and on the weaker side of the spectrum. When the lanes are deep into transition and you need a ball that will clear the fronts and reserve energy down lane the Hyped Pearl is a great option. Also, the Hyped line will work well on those higher friction surfaces. The hybrid version is smoother and more forward compared agains the pearl.
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Roto Grip Hyped Solid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/20/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Designed for medium conditions the Hyped Solid is a good step up off the HP1 or step down off the HP3 balls. This ball is, also, good for those conditions where there is a lot of friction down lane and the bowler is looking for overall control. The Hyped solid boasts a higher RG so it will not rev as fast as some of the higher performing balls which is suitable when either the fronts seem to go or there is a lot of hook down lane.
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Roto Grip Hyper Cell Fused

22 of 24 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/6/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I tested the Hyper Cell Fused on a fresh THS (Typical House Shot) and was able to get comfortable with this ball very quickly. As you can see from the video the hitting power of this asymmetrical ball is outstanding. I got length although it noticeably read earlier in the mid lane than the last Cell ball, the Hyper Cell Skid. This is most likely due to the solid within the hybrid.
I played between 18-20 with my feet and targeted 9 down lane. This ball is very forgiving as if I missed right it would recover to the pocket and if I was a little inside it would hold. From what I can see early on it is similar to my No Rules Pearl that is sanded to 3000 Abralon.
I think bowlers, especially strokers and tweeters, will find this ball to be an asset within their arsenal. I'm definitely excited to use it the next night of league!
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Roto Grip Idol

16 of 17 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/2/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:

I absolutely love this ball. For those who miss their Haywire the IDOL will be the perfect replacement for those seeking the benchmark ball. Personally, with the original Haywire I could easily get to the pocket although I had issues with carry. With the IDOL's new surface and core there is a stronger continuation through the pins.

Out of the box in league I went 769 with it and used it all 3 games. The moves weren't substantial when the lanes transitioned which was a rarity at the house I bowl league in. I moved only 3 boards the whole night (3 one and one's). I bowled on wet/dry and playing the lanes inside out I was able to get through the oil to the dry and the ball bounced back incredibly with great carry.

I have a 55 x 4 x 70 pin down layout on this ball. You can see how early this balls begins to roll without over or under reacting.

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Roto Grip Idol Cosmos

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/9/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The latest Idol (Cosmos) is a pearlized version finished at 4000 grit. Much cleaner than the Helios yet smoother than the original Idol Pearl; in part due to the coverstock finish. The ball reads the mid's very well although not as strong as you would see with the Helios. The Cosmos will be a great step down from the Helios or an initial ball if your looking for a reaction that is cleaner yet still smooth. If you're looking for more angle and a more skid snap reaction add some shine to it to open up your angles and get deeper on the lane.
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Roto Grip Idol Helios

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Threw the Helios on a few conditions; 42' Scorpion and THS. On Scorpion I changed the surface to 500 to blend out the pattern more. I was very impressed with the shape I got out of it. It didn't sacrifice angle down lane and I was able to use it through some bouts of transition without the ball burning up. I can definitely see myself bringing this ball with me to more of those difficult oil patterns that are medium to long or on the higher volume side. This ball has plenty of strength. Compared to the original Idol it will be more overall; especially down lane.
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Roto Grip Idol Pearl

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/6/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is absolutely phenomenal. My initial gut feeling prior to testing was I was going to like this ball a lot and it far exceeded my expectations. I tested the Idol Pearl shortly after the Winner Solid so they're was substantial transition on the lane. The Idol Pearl was extremely clean, got down the lane, reserved energy and was strong off the spot. I found this ball very controllable and forgiving. I missed left, right and hit it perfectly and was able to get to the pocket consistently.

I plan on incorporating this ball into my arsenal immediately and have it replace my Soniq (which I, also, love). I did find the Idol Pearl to be a stronger lower RG pearl than the Soniq. I, also, found it gave me a lot more room for error.

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Roto Grip Idol Pro

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/26/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ok #SquadRG we have some new releases coming out 8.9.19. Roto Grip and Drill It Up Studios proudly brings to you the Halo Vision, Idol Pro and MVP.

Make sure you visit Justin Kampf at Epic Edge Bowling Supplies - Levittown to pre-order your's today.

#OwnIt #HaloVision #IdolPro #MVP #TeamEpicEdge #DrillItUp

Ball Reviews:

Lately, I have been experimenting with different layouts to see different ball shapes; especially later in blocks. I have been going with weaker pin positions on the last couple releases with shorter val angles. I am looking to find some different options when the lanes begin to transition where I do not lose shape down lane. I did this with my Pro-Motions and with the new Halo Vision and MVP. I kept a layout I typically like on the Idol-Pro because I thought it would work real well with it. My thought was to jump from the Idol Pro on the fresh to the weaker drilled Halo Vision then ultimately to the MVP.

Idol Pro:

The Idol Pro is definitely in-between the original Idol and Idol Pearl. I got more length than the Idol but more control at the breakpoint then the Idol Pearl. This is in part to the sheen finish of the Idol Pro (sheen-3000 grit). The layout was on the stronger side for me so I saw a lot of overall hook with this ball where I could easily cross a lot of boards and the ball would still get back to the pocket. This will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns, house and sport. It, also, reacts well to surface changes if you need to see it pick up sooner or later.

Halo Vision:

We placed a longer pin and shorter val on this to have the ball get down lane with angle. I wanted to see it be clean yet controllable at the breakpoint but not lose any energy. The goal here was when the Ido Pro was too early I could get into the Halo Vision jump a little more inside and see the ball properly shape again. I believe we can see that from the video. I was able to get into my comfort zone with the slower ball speed by jumping in more than I was with the Idol Pro and still maintained good shape through the pocket.

MVP:

This ball is perfect for when the lanes are completely depleted up front. The MVP is high RG yet as a hybrid provides control at the breakpoint. This ball will allow you to ball down even more from your HP4 and HP3 line balls to something even cleaner without sacrificing energy out of the bowling ball. After the Idol Pro and Halo Vision I was able to move back right with the MVP and saw very good ball reaction. A ball like this should always be in your bag as in today's environments sometimes weaker is better.

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Roto Grip Idol Synergy

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/22/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The hybrid version of the Idol series has arrived with the Idol Synergy. The Ikon core teamed up with the eTrax cover provides that in-between option within the Idol series.
I found this ball to be clean through the fronts yet controllable off the backend with plenty of continuation through the pins. This ball will be excellent for a multitude of patterns from house to sport as this hybrid provides plenty of versatility.
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Roto Grip Magic Gem

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/29/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Magic Gem:
The Magic Gem is the strongest ball I currently have in my bag. We see plenty of overall motion with this ball as it reads the kids very strong and continues very well. This ball is designed for those heavier oil conditions or when they're absolutely walled and you need the ball to get ramped up early to fight those tighter conditions.
I see myself using this ball more on sport conditions versus house as I typically need a cleaner reaction on house to blend out the pattern more which provides additional miss room. For those who liked the X3 from Roto Grip you will enjoy the Magic Gem.
TNT Infused:
The TNT Infused is an excellent benchmark symmetrical ball to throw when the fronts begin to hook early yet provides tons of mid lane read. The Infused will be more usable for most players against the original TNT as it provides much more back end reaction and doesn't see the fronts as early as the original.
I have found success using the TNT as a step down off my stronger balls like the Magic Gem, Eternity PI and Xponent. I am a big fan of this ball as it provides plenty of usability when I need to open my angles up on those medium to higher volume patterns. The Infused will be good on varying patterns from house to sport.
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Roto Grip MVP

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/26/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ok #SquadRG we have some new releases coming out 8.9.19. Roto Grip and Drill It Up Studios proudly brings to you the Halo Vision, Idol Pro and MVP.

Make sure you visit Justin Kampf at Epic Edge Bowling Supplies - Levittown to pre-order your's today.

#OwnIt #HaloVision #IdolPro #MVP #TeamEpicEdge #DrillItUp

Ball Reviews:

Lately, I have been experimenting with different layouts to see different ball shapes; especially later in blocks. I have been going with weaker pin positions on the last couple releases with shorter val angles. I am looking to find some different options when the lanes begin to transition where I do not lose shape down lane. I did this with my Pro-Motions and with the new Halo Vision and MVP. I kept a layout I typically like on the Idol-Pro because I thought it would work real well with it. My thought was to jump from the Idol Pro on the fresh to the weaker drilled Halo Vision then ultimately to the MVP.

Idol Pro:

The Idol Pro is definitely in-between the original Idol and Idol Pearl. I got more length than the Idol but more control at the breakpoint then the Idol Pearl. This is in part to the sheen finish of the Idol Pro (sheen-3000 grit). The layout was on the stronger side for me so I saw a lot of overall hook with this ball where I could easily cross a lot of boards and the ball would still get back to the pocket. This will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns, house and sport. It, also, reacts well to surface changes if you need to see it pick up sooner or later.

Halo Vision:

We placed a longer pin and shorter val on this to have the ball get down lane with angle. I wanted to see it be clean yet controllable at the breakpoint but not lose any energy. The goal here was when the Ido Pro was too early I could get into the Halo Vision jump a little more inside and see the ball properly shape again. I believe we can see that from the video. I was able to get into my comfort zone with the slower ball speed by jumping in more than I was with the Idol Pro and still maintained good shape through the pocket.

MVP:

This ball is perfect for when the lanes are completely depleted up front. The MVP is high RG yet as a hybrid provides control at the breakpoint. This ball will allow you to ball down even more from your HP4 and HP3 line balls to something even cleaner without sacrificing energy out of the bowling ball. After the Idol Pro and Halo Vision I was able to move back right with the MVP and saw very good ball reaction. A ball like this should always be in your bag as in today's environments sometimes weaker is better.

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Roto Grip MVP Attitude

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Neutron NXT core from the original MVP returns although this time it’s combined with a new cover, VTC-H20 Hybrid Reactive Coverstock. This ball will be ideal for those medium oil conditions where you’re looking for a clean reaction through the front yet a back off of angularity down lane. If the MVP pearl is too clean and not seeing the break point soon enough the Attitude should do the trick.

There is a lot of bang for your buck with this technology in this price point range.

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Roto Grip No Rules Exist

7 of 12 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/27/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The No Rules exist is very smooth and continuous and is going to be a staple in my tournament bag. This ball features the chaotic core famous in the No Rules line combined with the Dare Devil Trick surface (One of my favorite balls). I bowled on a fresh THS and I was instantly further left than normal (roughly board 30). You could see in the video the amount of swing I have with this ball. This ball compared to the original No Rules seems like it hooks more and is smoother overall. I am definitely a fan of this new release from Roto Grip. The worldwide release date is August 11th. Make sure you DRILL IT UP!
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Roto Grip No Rules Pearl

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Oh Baby!!! Another beast produced by Roto Grip! If you want a ball that is strong and continuous this is the ball to get your hands on. This asymmetrical peralized version of the original No Rules gets super clean through the front yet picks up in the back end and does not stop hooking. I have been using this on sport patterns around games 3 and on and this ball has been perfect. I did remove the polish to blend out the patterns a little bit better. Definitely one of my favorite balls in my arsenal right now.
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Roto Grip No Rules Pearl

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Oh Baby!!! Another beast produced by Roto Grip! If you want a ball that is strong and continuous this is the ball to get your hands on. This asymmetrical peralized version of the original No Rules gets super clean through the front yet picks up in the back end and does not stop hooking. I have been using this on sport patterns around games 3 and on and this ball has been perfect. I did remove the polish to blend out the patterns a little bit better. Definitely one of my favorite balls in my arsenal right now.
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Roto Grip Nuclear Cell

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Review:
The latest iteration of the Cell line, the Nuclear Cell, will not disappoint those looking for a strong asymmetrical pearl that will provide significant hook potential. The Nuclear Cell will be a perfect step down ball off either a solid asymmetrical or stronger symmetrical when the lanes initially transition and a strong core yet clean cover is needed.
For comparison purposes the Nuclear Cell is significantly stronger than the Astro Physix thus if you're not getting the correct shape with the latter feel free to switch to the former for more intrinsic ball power and angle.
I have personally found this ball to be a perfect gap filler in my arsenal on sport patterns for the reasons aforementioned. It will fit in nicely between the stronger solids and weaker pearls that will be used early on in squad blocks that will give the proper shape when those stronger solids are too early and the weaker pearls are not enough to turn the corner.
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Roto Grip Optimum Idol

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/31/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Idol is back! This time with new AI technology yet with the same benchmark ball reaction. What I loved about the original Idol and now with the Optimum Idol it's ability to hook and blend out almost every fresh pattern. The Idol is the first ball out the bag litmus test to see what the lanes are doing. The main difference I see between the new Idol versus the original is a cleaner and more overall reaction. The original would hook immediately upon lane impact where as the Optimum has more length and continuation down lane. I see myself using this ball a lot where the Phaze 2 may be to clean and I need something to pick up sooner yet still continue well through the pins.
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Roto Grip Optimum Idol Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/31/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

You will never go wrong with a ball that has the Idol logo on it and the Optimum is no different. A shape we been looking for in the SPI for a little bit of time, this is a throw back to the blue Idol Pearl we saw years ago. Although the current is stronger and earlier than the blue pearl; we still see that great pearl mid performance benchmark reaction with the Optimum. This ball will come out after the Ascent begins to read too soon and a cleaner and more angular ball reaction is needed. Additionally, for comparison purposes this ball will be stronger than the Xponent Pearl as it reads the body of the lane much sooner.
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Roto Grip Rockstar

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/21/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Rock Star:
Controllable and predictability are the main features of the Rock Star. Cleaner than an Optimum Idol yet smoother than a Phaze 2 this ball fits perfectly between these 2 popular releases. If you like to play your angles closed and closer to the right (for righties) this ball will be a great option to have.
I mainly will be using this for sport conditions of shorter to medium ranges; however, I found success (including 300) with this on house conditions that play tighter and have more oil. This ball will take well to surface adjustments as well, if you need it to pick up sooner or later. Its versatility will allow adaptability to what the lane conditions are providing you. These benchmark type of balls are a must have for the competitive bowler.

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Roto Grip RST Hyperdrive

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/26/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

One of the strongest asym solids to date, the Hyperdrive wants to read the lane early and provide plenty of continuation. In terms of comparisons, I find the Gem to be smoother and more forward than the Hyperdrive. The Gem is better for closed angles and playing up the lane whereas the Hyperdrive will allow more left to right (for righties) and more continuation through the pins. The Hyperdrive adapts well to surfaces adjustments as well as polish. This ball is designed for fresh and heavier volume conditions. If you're looking for your next big asym solid, the Hyperdrive will be a great option to have in your bag.
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Roto Grip RST X-1

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/22/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I knew this was a ball I would be excited to drill as I had been looking for a shape similar to the original Physix and I have found it with the RST X1. Although not entirely the same the RST X1 provides a tad cleaner and stronger shape down lane compared to the Physix.
The RST X1 will be good for medium to higher volume as well as those harder lane surfaces that are conducive to Asymmetrical's. The RST X1 provides plenty of punch in the the HP4 line.
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Roto Grip RST X-2

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/15/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

After the success of the RST X1 it was natural to compliment it with the pearl RST X2. The RST X2 is cleaner and more angular than the original RST. We see plenty of shape down lane with the pearl cover. Additionally, the X2 is more overall than the UC2. The X2 will play well on a variety of conditions from sport to house. If you were a fan of the Astro Physix this will be comprable although a tad stronger.
As the lanes transition and begin to hook early we have 2 new options with the Hustles; the solid and the pearl. If the back ends are crisp the solid will come into play to slow the ball down and control the back end. When a more skid/flip reaction is necessary the pearl could be utilized. The high rg low differential on these balls will provide plenty of control when there is a ton of overall hook on the lane front to back.
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Roto Grip RST X-3

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/20/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The latest iteration of the RST series is the X3 which provides more of a dig in the mid lane versus the X2. The X3 is 2 part pearl 1 part solid and is designed for medium to heavier oil conditions.

Those looking for higher performance to combat heavier volume should find success with the X3. The X3 is the strongest of all the RST X line balls thus far and has been a staple in my bag since I had a chance to throw it. The nice part about this ball is the 2:1 ratio of pearl to solid as you have the opportunity to throw a stronger ball when the fronts might hook a little early which is a characteristic I see in a lot of the houses where I bowl. Due to the 2:1 nature I can still be in the stronger ball and see plenty of control, see the ball slow down enough down lane and still corner pretty hard. The X3 is suitable for all players of varying skill levels.
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Roto Grip Rubicon

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/28/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Featuring the brand new Rondure Core, the Rubicon will pack a powerful punch in the HP3 line as the only asymmetrical ball in that lineup. There is tons of overall shape and contination with this ball. For those missing their weight holes and the continuation it provided downlane the Rondure core replicates that shape in it's internal core to provide that desired entry angle. The Rubicon is perfect for those medium to heavy oil conditions.
This ball will be a must have!

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Roto Grip Rubicon UC2

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/23/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The compliment to the original fan favorite Rubicon is here featuring a cleaner Coverstock (e-trax) attached to the staple Rondure core.
What I liked about the UC2 is it's response and continuation down lane when it sees friction. It's very quick when it responds and the continuation is unparalleled. This ball is a great option to have on the first set of transition after the solid or asymmetrical read a little too early. The Rubicon UC2 is the strongest symmetrical pearl that I currently have in my bag. The Rubicon UC2 will be a must have for the competitive bowler.

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Roto Grip Rubicon UC3

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I rarely throw Urethane although after testing the UC3 that will change. It acted as a weaker reactive ball yet provided plenty of control and angle down lane. I hit this with 500 and it looked fantastic on Scorpion. The UC3 is the most angular urethane to date from Storm. It could be a good step down off the Pitch Black when that begins to burn up too soon. The UC3 is a great compliment to the arsenal when trying to combat those shorter to medium sport conditions. It, also, may be suitable for bowlers on house conditions who love that urethane shape.
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Roto Grip Show Off

0 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/29/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
This ball will be a great benchmark ball to use on a variety of patterns. The grit is at 2000 and definitely wants to read the lane early. You can see how far left I am with this ball mid performance ball. Also, when I shot this video it followed after we burned out the lanes with the No Rules Exist. After a few games with the Exist I dropped down to the Show Off and stood roughly the same location, board 30. This ball gave me a nice arc motion that I like to see when playing the lanes. The ball definitely goes a tad longer than the Trick if you are looking for comparison information. For those who loved the Torrent from Storm you would love the Show Off from Roto Grip. Also, for anyone looking for a benchmark ball to start the night off with this would be a great choice!
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Roto Grip Show Off

0 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/27/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
This ball will be a great benchmark ball to use on a variety of patterns. The grit is at 2000 and definitely wants to read the lane early. You can see how far left I am with this ball mid performance ball. Also, when I shot this video it followed after we burned out the lanes with the No Rules Exist. After a few games with the Exist I dropped down to the Show Off and stood roughly the same location, board 30. This ball gave me a nice arc motion that I like to see when playing the lanes. The ball definitely goes a tad longer than the Trick if you are looking for comparison information. For those who loved the Torrent from Storm you would love the Show Off from Roto Grip. Also, for anyone looking for a benchmark ball to start the night off with this would be a great choice!
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Roto Grip TNT

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/9/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The TNT from Roto Grip is the latest benchmark ball to fill the bag. Smooth and controllable are the key words with this baseline bowling ball. The TNT is designed to be cleaner than the Idol although when comparing the 2 we saw the Idol get down the lane much easier and continue harder. This could be due to the lane shine and wear of the Idol. If comparing 2 fresh covers we may see the difference of the Idol picking up sooner.
The TNT reads very early and will be good for when controlling the pocket is key. Medium to heavy oil, cliffed conditions and taking on shorter patterns the TNT will be an excellent option to have in your bag.
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Roto Grip TNT Infused

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/29/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Magic Gem:
The Magic Gem is the strongest ball I currently have in my bag. We see plenty of overall motion with this ball as it reads the kids very strong and continues very well. This ball is designed for those heavier oil conditions or when they're absolutely walled and you need the ball to get ramped up early to fight those tighter conditions.
I see myself using this ball more on sport conditions versus house as I typically need a cleaner reaction on house to blend out the pattern more which provides additional miss room. For those who liked the X3 from Roto Grip you will enjoy the Magic Gem.
TNT Infused:
The TNT Infused is an excellent benchmark symmetrical ball to throw when the fronts begin to hook early yet provides tons of mid lane read. The Infused will be more usable for most players against the original TNT as it provides much more back end reaction and doesn't see the fronts as early as the original.
I have found success using the TNT as a step down off my stronger balls like the Magic Gem, Eternity PI and Xponent. I am a big fan of this ball as it provides plenty of usability when I need to open my angles up on those medium to higher volume patterns. The Infused will be good on varying patterns from house to sport.
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Roto Grip Tour Dynam-X

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/5/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review (Dynamo X & Clone):

The Tour Dynam-X will be a staple in the bag for some time to come. In this review I bowled on a very light THS that had some recreational play on it prior to me bowling. I drilled 2 Dynam-X balls as I was a big fan of the Rubicon which features a modified core in the Dynam-X. With the high friction/early hook conditions I encountered the pin down provided the best look of the 2 as it blended out the pattern real well. As you will see in the video with the pin up I begin to loft the ball a bit to get the ball to clear the fronts and provide energy down lane. I believe the Tour Dynam-X will be a great benchmark ball to throw on medium to higher volume and will be good with surface adjustments. I saw real good continuation with the pin down as that ball matched up the best, provided plenty of margin and great hitting power through the pins.

With the Clone given the strength of this asym and the environment I was bowling on it was way too strong for those conditions. I winded up moving right from the Dynam-X and increased my ball speed to get it through the fronts and provide angle down lane. You will see on the first few shots when I play left to right it read too early and didn't provide enough shape down lane. Once I got right and increased speed the ball looked real good. This will be good for medium to heavier conditions and could be used either on the fresh or as a transition ball off the stronger solids.
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Roto Grip UFO

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/4/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Looking for the next big asymmetrical in your bag? Look no further than the Roto Grip UFO. The UFO has replaced the original Halo (Solid - Asym) in the HP4 lineup. Discernible differences between the UFO and Halo saw more defined mid-lane motion and shape with the UFO. The UFO still provides that heavy roll as seen with the Halo although with the increased mid-lane potential there is more opening up of the lane with the UFO.

The UFO features the new E.T. Core with built in cavity to mimic the benefits of a weight hole. With an RG of 2.52, a differential of 0.054 and a PSA of 0.016 this ball will have no shortage of creating motion in the mid-lane and continuation down lane.

Also, the UFO features a new cover (MicroTrax-S20) which is an expansion of the famous MicroTrax technology. This cover will increase traction even in the heaviest of oils.

This ball will be a must have for those medium to heavier oil patterns whether there sport or house conditions.

Make sure you visit your local Storm VIP Pro Shop to Drill It Up!

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Roto Grip UFO Alert

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/12/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The original UFO was one of the strongest asymmetrical solids to date. The UFO Alert features the same ET core although this time matched with the E-Trax hybrid cover to prevent reading and grabbing the front part of the lane. With the pearl and polish elements the ball will get through the initial part of the lane without burning up and provide plenty of motion down lane. The hybrid nature of the ball allows it to be more controllable at the break point. This ball is a great step down off the original UFO or any stronger solids, asymmetrical or symmetrical. Also, if the lanes are hooking to early the UFO Alert would be a great ball to begin with.
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Roto Grip Ultimate Wrecker

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/6/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is an excellent weak transition ball. When the stronger to medium performance balls go away, as they become too strong and lazy, the Ultimate Wrecker is a great step-down ball. If you prefer tighter angles and migrating back to the right (for righties) this will be an option to go to. I will bring either this or the IQ AI as the weakest ball in my bag for league play on house. If bowling on patterns, pending the pattern, there is enough differential in the shapes and performance to justify bringing both the IQ AI and Wrecker. I see more length out of the Wrecker against the IQ AI given the higher RG nature of the Wrecker. This ball will clear the front part of the lane and provide good mid lane read with control off the back end. If you’re looking for that weaker piece, the Ultimate Wrecker fits that niche.
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Roto Grip Winner Solid

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/6/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

When I got the chance to test the Winner Solid it was after leagues had finished. The lanes were pretty burnt up which was desired since I had preconceptions of using the Winner Solid on transition.

The feedback I saw from the testing was that it was smooth rolling and controllable, however; it did get down the lane further than the other balls available in the Storm/Roto lineup. This is mainly due to the higher RG of the ball. I liked what I saw from the Winner Solid as I generally have a favorability to throw solid/surfaced benchmark bowling balls.

I plan on incorporating this ball into my arsenal immediately as it will give me a ball to jump to when my lower RG or Asymmetrical balls are no longer matching up and the need arises to jump to something less aggressive that will store energy and give me motion down lane.

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Roto Grip Wreck-Em

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

If you are looking for a ball that will be clean through the fronts yet hook in the back end this is the ball for you. I tried this ball on medium THS (Typical House Shot) and it worked very well on this type of pattern. Ball hits great as well. Throw it right (RH Bowlers) and watch it come back on the spot! Another gem in the Roto Grip Line!
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Roto Grip X-Cell

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/7/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Those looking for their next large asym solid, look no further than the X-Cell. Designed for heavy oil conditions the X-Cell will dig it's footprint deep into the lane to find hook on those higher volume conditions. Not as smooth as a Gem although provides plenty of mid lane read and continuation when battling freshly oiled conditions. This ball will be great for either sport or house conditions when there is ton of head oil and or tighter lane conditions.
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Storm Absolute

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/6/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is a monster. The Absolute features the new R2S deep cover which is a new cover to the storm lineup. This cover is cleaner than the original R2S which is seen on the Hy-Road Pearl. Once I knocked the cover with 2000 to get it to pick up sooner this ball was everything I needed. It provided plenty of shape in the mid lane and tons of continuation through the pins. First night out the box, I went 752 and the look I had was unbelievable. The amount of force this goes through the pins is unbelievable. Even with my 300 rev rate I was able to throw a couple messengers. I see this ball being a versatile option either on fresh or transition on house and on transition on sport. When the stronger solids start to burn up and I still need that strong asym I will jump into the Absolute. This ball is going to be very popular!
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Storm Absolute Power

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Storm never gets the Asymmetrical solids wrong. The latest big ball from Storm features A.I. technology with the R2S Solid Deep cover at 4000 grit. The 4000 grit allows the ball to pass the fronts without reading too soon yet we see plenty of mid lane read with continuation. You can think of the Absolute Power as a cleaner version of the DNA. This ball is designed for medium to heavier oil conditions; with more focus on the latter.
If you enjoyed the original Absolute, the Power will compliment your bag as it will be an option for those heavier oil conditions to utilize on the fresh to then transition to the original Absolute when a cleaner motion is needed.
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Storm All-Road

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/9/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I was definitely excited about the All Road given my recent success with the NRG Hybrid Reactive coverstocks seen on the Physix and Super SonIQ as both balls rolled extremely well for me. Additionally, the Hy-Road Nano had been one of my favorite benchmark balls to date. Combining one of my favorite covers with one of the most popular cores of all time was something I was definitely excited about.

With the NRG coverstocks I had seen a lot of boards crossed with both the Physix and Super SonIQ. Where the All Road comes into play is the higher RG versus the aforementioned balls which will allow the All Road to be cleaner through the front part of the lane, storing energy and creating maximum backend reaction versus the other 2 balls.

The All Road is a perfect compliment to the Physix and Super SonIQ. When you need something longer without burning up this will be a great ball to jump into. Similar to the Gravity Evolve it seemed like the further I moved left the ball just didn't quit which is essential when the lanes begin to transition. This will be a must have for all levels of bowlers.

The layout we placed on this ball is 45 x 3 3/4 x 35.

Make sure you visit your local Storm VIP Pro shop to Drill It Up!
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Storm All-Road

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/9/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I was definitely excited about the All Road given my recent success with the NRG Hybrid Reactive coverstocks seen on the Physix and Super SonIQ as both balls rolled extremely well for me. Additionally, the Hy-Road Nano had been one of my favorite benchmark balls to date. Combining one of my favorite covers with one of the most popular cores of all time was something I was definitely excited about.

With the NRG coverstocks I had seen a lot of boards crossed with both the Physix and Super SonIQ. Where the All Road comes into play is the higher RG versus the aforementioned balls which will allow the All Road to be cleaner through the front part of the lane, storing energy and creating maximum backend reaction versus the other 2 balls.

The All Road is a perfect compliment to the Physix and Super SonIQ. When you need something longer without burning up this will be a great ball to jump into. Similar to the Gravity Evolve it seemed like the further I moved left the ball just didn't quit which is essential when the lanes begin to transition. This will be a must have for all levels of bowlers.

The layout we placed on this ball is 45 x 3 3/4 x 35.

Make sure you visit your local Storm VIP Pro shop to Drill It Up!
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Storm AstroPhysix

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/7/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
I was really excited about this release as I am a huge fan of the original Physix. The Physix is a piece I use regularly especially on lane surface that do not hook early. It seems the strong early core matched with the hybrid cover really helps blend out the lane on the fresh. I saw great responsiveness early yet didn't lose continuation when it makes it move off the spot.
There comes a point typically for all bowlers when they begin to creep to the inside part of the lane that ball that was being used on the fresh begins to burn up and not check through the pins the right way. This is where the AstroPhysix will come into play.
I was fortunate enough to trial the AstroPhysix on lanes that had some league play on it which was good because, to me, this ball is for transition when I need clean saved energy through the front and continuation down lane.
I played a couple different lines in the video where I played near the track and then ultimately at the end of the video I played more inside and even slightly lofting a couple shots. What I saw from this ball was really good. For a strong asymmetrical piece of equipment it did not lose energy up front especially after the fronts had been beaten up from league. The ball wasn't too angular down lane as it picked up early enough to help create control at the breakpoint. This was, also, in part due to the pin down layout.
For those bowlers looking for a step down from their original Physix or just a strong asymetrical pearl; you don't want to miss out on the AstroPhysix.
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Storm Axiom

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/9/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Axiom will easily be the earliest rolling Storm ball to date. When compared against another personal favorite benchmark ball, the Phaze 2, I was approximately 2 boards further left and 1 ball further right with my eyes with the Axiom.
The Axiom will allow you to open up your angles early and will get the ball started early in the mid's. The Axiom is essentially Storm's version of the Idol although a tad heavier rolling and more continuous down lane.
The Axiom will be an excellent choice whether bowling on house or sport conditions. If faced with heavy oil or tight lanes grab the Axiom and watch it shape in the correct part of the lane!
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Storm Axiom Pearl

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Axiom Pearl features the orbital core found in the original Axiom although this time the pearl features a new cover; NeX which is Storm's earliest reading cover to date.
I found with the Axiom Pearl it provided tons of overall shape in the mid-lane with plenty of continuation off the spot. For those looking for something earlier and smoother than the Idol Pearl this will be the ball to go to.
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Storm Code Black

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is a beast! I drilled this one pin down, removed the polish and it has become a staple for me on the wet/dry house shot I bowl on. This ball consistently gets me to the pocket and has significant hitting power. I removed the polish because I wanted a little more control and predictability down lane without blowing past my break point.
Was this comment helpful? yes no

Storm Code Black

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is a beast! I drilled this one pin down, removed the polish and it has become a staple for me on the wet/dry house shot I bowl on. This ball consistently gets me to the pocket and has significant hitting power. I removed the polish because I wanted a little more control and predictability down lane without blowing past my break point.
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Storm Code Red

6 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/6/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is an excellent compliment to the Code Black. The Code Red picks up sooner than the Code Black and worked pretty well on the fresh for me. This will be a ball I can go to early on in a squad or league then as the lanes begin to breakdown I can transition to the Code Black which gets longer down the lane. I placed a 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 4 layout (Pin Down) on my Code Red. The ball definitely reads early and has great continuation on the back end.
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Storm Code X

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/2/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

For fans of the Code series the Code X will be a great compliment to the previous releases in that line. With the Code Black and Code Red getting a little length we now have the Code X which will be the ball of choice on the fresh heavy oil conditions.

I was very impressed with how this ball rolled. I could see it pick up extremely well in the midlane and the continuation through the pins was something to be marveled at. The Code X had pins flying all over the deck if I got the ball anywhere near the pocket. I like how smooth and controllable this ball is, as well. The Code X features the highest differential value in the current Storm lineup, which could be seen in the video as the ball transitioned off the spot downlane and made it's move through the pins.

With the previous releases in this line (Black and Red) we saw angularity with both balls. The Red conspicuously picked up sooner than the Black due to its hybrid nature. Both those balls, in my arsenal, usually saw action somewhere around game 2 or after when the lanes began to transition. With the Code X, we now have a ball that we can use right away The Code X will bring predictability when getting lined in.

The Code X will definitely find a spot in my arsenal when I am looking to bowl on sport or modified conditions.

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Storm Crux Prime

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/21/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:

I had the opportunity to test out 2 different layouts with the new Crux Prime; one pin down and one pin up. The layout for the pin down is 50 x 3 3/4 x 75 and the pin up is 45 x 4 x 30.

I really liked both layouts on these balls as it will provide added versatility to my arsenal. I tried the pin down first as that will be my benchmark layout on the fresh oil patterns. This provided a very early controllable read of the lane to help blend out the pattern. Thereafter, I went to the pin up when I needed the ball to save energy and kind of float a little bit through the fronts and provide energy and angle down lane. You can see the comparison of how energy is spent by watching the video and comparisons between the shots.

Another component that I really liked about this ball is how long I was able to stay in it without making a ball change. Typically, I use asymmetrical balls for the first game or 2 then ball down to something weaker and more angular. With the Crux Prime I will be able to stay in it a lot longer than 2 games. This is attributed to the new coverstock, SPEC, which is designed to maintain energy down lane without burning up too early.

For those who loved the original Crux's or is looking for their next strong asymmetrical solid the Crux Prime will be an excellent choice to add to your bag.

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Storm Dark Code

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/12/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

We have a new iteration of the Code series with the Dark Code. Similar to the other Code balls the RAD4 core is utilized featuring a RG of 2.49 and a high differential of 0.056. The cover is a new formulation called ReX. What I like about the Dark Code is it is earlier compared to the Code Black. For those who found their Code Black to be a bit too long the Dark Code will be the perfect solution to counter that. This ball will be a great step down off the stronger asymmetrical and solid balls or even some of the solid hybrids. The Dark Code will allow you to open up the lane and create plenty of entry angle.
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Storm DNA

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/11/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The next big hook monster is the DNA. Featuring a new cover/core combination we see a strong low RG asym that doesn't quit. I am beyond impressed with this ball and think it will be the next big thing and go down in Storm's history as one of the most popular asym solids of all time. Think of your Alpha Crux, Sure Lock and Code X level of popularity and this is where I believe the DNA will be in line with.
I have thrown this ball a few times and am impressed with how much it continues even as the lanes transition forcing myself deeper and deeper into the lane. Historically, these bigger solids tend to quit as we see a lot of transition although I have yet to see that with the DNA. In league, I have been able to throw it all the way until the end of the night and it continues as well as it did in game 1. This ball will be very versatile and adjust well to different surface changes. This will be great for a variety of lane conditions as well.
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Storm DNA Coil

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/31/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This has become a favorite of mine during leagues in centers where they tend to hook early. I have been using this on the fresh on those earlier hooking surfaces and the ball has been phenomenal. We see cleanliness yet tons of mid lane read and continuation. For comparison purposes, I see this as a cleaner option versus an Exotic Gem and a great step down off the stronger asymmetrical and or symmetrical solids. This ball is designed for medium to heavier oil conditions and can be used either directly on the fresh and/or early lane transition
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Storm Drive

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/3/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:

The Drive will be a great ball to use on the fresh medium to heavy oil patterns. The Drive features a new coverstock (R2S Nano) and is finished at 3000 grit. It features the Dual Drive Core which was seen in the Timeless.

I tested the Drive on a fresh house pattern. I used different breakpoints to see what the shapes, motion and forgiveness was of the ball. I originally started with 8 as my breakpoint and got a pretty consistant look to the pocket. When i moved my breakpoint further to the right and used the outside more of a bumper the Drive would "drive" back into the pocket with significant hitting power.

The Drive definitely goes longer than other solids in the Storm line and this is due to the hybrid cover and higher RG nature of the core itself. It is, also, finished at a higher grit (3000) which would prevent it from reading the lane sooner.

I do like the Drive as it gives a completely different look from all the other balls in the Storm lineup. The Drive is a perfect 1-2 punch with the Timeless as you can begin a set with the Drive then transition with the Timeless when the lanes begin to open up.

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Storm Electrify Black/Silver/Yellow

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/15/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball is absolutely fantastic and a steal for the price point. In the lower end spectrum of performance the Electrify performs like a weaker medium end type of ball.
I was able to play on top of the friction and had plenty of margin. The ball had significant hitting power from those angles where I had my angles in front of me.
When you're looking to stay further right for righties or left for lefties this will be a great option to go to.
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Storm Electrify Hybrid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

For those lighter oil conditions we have 2 options in the Electrify series, Hybrid and Pearl. We see the Reactor cover matched with the new Circuit core which will provide bowlers a go-to option for when the lanes are hooking significantly and cleanliness and control is what’s required.

If you’re looking for something a little bit early go with the Hybrid and the reverse if you’re looking for more angle go with the pearl. This is going to be a great piece in 2 different environments for me. I can see myself using this after a long block of games and a weaker core cover combination is needed and potentially early in blocks in those houses where the fronts hook super early and you need a ball to clear the fronts and still maintain control off the back end.

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Storm Electrify Pearl

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

For those lighter oil conditions we have 2 options in the Electrify series, Hybrid and Pearl. We see the Reactor cover matched with the new Circuit core which will provide bowlers a go-to option for when the lanes are hooking significantly and cleanliness and control is what’s required.

If you’re looking for something a little bit early go with the Hybrid and the reverse if you’re looking for more angle go with the pearl. This is going to be a great piece in 2 different environments for me. I can see myself using this after a long block of games and a weaker core cover combination is needed and potentially early in blocks in those houses where the fronts hook super early and you need a ball to clear the fronts and still maintain control off the back end.
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Storm Electrify Solid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Electrify Solid features a higher RG, lower differential and a solid cover to provide plenty of control on those lighter oil conditions or higher friction surfaces. This ball could be used on a variety of conditions from house to shorter sport patterns. I was able to keep my angles in front of me and the Electrify Solid blended out the pattern very well without overreacting in the backend.
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Storm Equinox

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/21/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Equinox:
This is close to a VEBO replacement although a tad smoother. If you like clean and angular motions the Equinox will be a great ball to have. Marketed as designed for most house conditions this ball will be able to be utilized on fresh and transition. I scuffed mine to 3000 to smooth out the backend and make it more usable on the fresh without being too angular. I have found for those conditions where the lanes hook early and play tighter on the backend this ball is a great option to go to as it will clear the front yet be strong enough in the mid's to allow it to give you continuation through the pins.
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Storm Fast Pitch

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Fast Pitch:
The Fast Pitch is a throw back to old urethane providing plenty of control from front to back. The Fast Pitch features the Tour Block Core combined with the Control XL coverstock.
The Fast Pitch fits perfectly between the Pitch Black and Pitch Purple as it is not as early as the black yet not as long as the purple.
This will be a great option to go to when bowling on those short to medium patterns and control is of the essence.
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Storm Fate

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/22/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

In contrast to previous Storm Bowling/Jason Belmonte collaborations we see the Fate being on the smoother side of the spectrum. The Fate is clean and will has no issues clearing the fronts yet will provide plenty of control when it makes it's move off the spot without seeing that fast response off the friction. The Fate is going to be a great transition ball as you begin to open your angles up when you are getting out of the stronger symmetrical solids or the asymmetrical solids or pearls.

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Storm Fever Pitch

1 of 7 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/25/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

If you were a fan of the No Rules Pearl this will be a great supplement to that ball. One of the most exciting things about the Halo pearl is the cover that was placed on this ball. The e-Trax 18 cover which is seen in the famous Idol Pearl is the cover on the Halo Pearl. The Idol Pearl is one of the most popular balls in the current Storm/Roto lineup and its due to its cleanliness through the front and control and shape downlane. With the e-Trax 18 cover on a stronger asymetrical core we will see a lot more continuation down lane and will be a perfect compliment to the Idol Pearl when you need something a bit stronger.

I have used the Halo Pearl on both house and sport shots and this will easily be one of my best go to balls going foward.

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Storm Fever Pitch

1 of 4 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/1/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Fever Pitch was one of the most surprising balls I have thrown to date. I usually have preconceived ideas of if I am going to like or dislike a ball prior to having the opportunity to throw it.

The Fever Pitch being urethane instantly raised a red flag and subjected me to the notion I wasn't going to like it. I, also, wasn't going to even bother drilling it. My history with urethane was I could get to the pocket but couldn't carry. The Pitch Black would get there and I would go flat 10 and the Pitch Blue wasn't early enough.

With that said, my preconceived notion was dead wrong. I absolutely loved the Fever Pitch and what I saw from this ball. The ball read early like urethane but this time it turned the corners better than both original Pitch balls and I could kick out the corner pins. I had some great hitting/carrying power with this ball with messengers scathering all over the place. It's almost like a ball that is in between urethane and reactive. That's the best way I could explain it. It's early yet continuous.

I know most urethane lovers are going to love this ball and I believe the reactive bowlers who are reluctant with urethane may be decently surprised by the abilities and potential of the Fever Pitch.

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Storm Gravity Evolve

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/9/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Video Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7aABDDpRgM&feature=youtu.be

Ball Review:
Bringing back one of the most famous cores of all time in the Storm lineup, the Shape-Lock HD core, matched with the new performance coverstock, SPEC, the Gravity Evolve will be a game changer for those heavier oil conditions.
The layout we decided to go with is 50 x 3 7/8 x 75. The stronger layout was intended to combat the higher volume oil conditions. What I saw from the Gravity Evolve was a powerful, controllable, heavy yet early rolling asymmetrical bowling ball with significant continuation.
I have used this a few times in different environments already and this ball will be a must have for the competitive bowler. What I really liked about the Gravity Evolve was the ability to chase it left for more than 2 games and the ball continuing and not being succumbed to the dreadful plaque. There are many times where the asymmetrical solids are real good to start; however, they begin to burn up towards the beginning to middle of a 2nd game and it's time to transition into something weaker to get the ball to go through the pins the right way. This core matched with the SPEC cover is legitimate and will have you staying with the stranger asym longer in league or tournament play.
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Storm Hy-Road Max

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/5/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Hy-Road Max:

The famous inverted FE2 technology is back with this iteration of the Hy-Road series. This time we're matched up with the NEX cover; Storm's earliest cover to date.
What I liked about this ball is we get the length we been accustomed to from the Hy-Road series with the teeth of the NEX cover. This will allow the ball to clear the fronts yet grab enough in the mid's to give you a smooth controllable shape.
This ball will be perfect for a multitude of patterns; from house to sport and be receptive to a variety of surface changes to match the pattern and lane surfaces for a higher level of scoring.

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Storm Hy-Road X

23 of 24 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I tested the Hy-Road X shortly after throwing the PHYSIX so there was some good transition I got to bowl on.
I was impressed with how controllable this ball is and how clean it is through the front part of the lane. I was one of the rare bowlers that wasn't in love with the original Hy-Road due to the over/under reaction I got from it so I was a little skeptical going into this demo. I, also, was skeptical going into the Hy-Road Nano, when that originally came out, and now almost 1 year later I have 4 of them and it is probably one of my favorite all time balls.
I was a big fan of what I saw from the Hy-Road X as it didn't do the negative things that the original Hy-Road did for me (over/under). This could be attributed to the solid reactive coverstock. The polish gets the ball clean through the initial part of the lane and saves energy down lane when I need angle and drive through the pins.
I already have plans for this ball and how it will be incorporated into my arsenal going forward. It will be a definite step down ball from the Nano when that begins to burn up to early and a transition ball on sport patterns when I need control and down lane angle.
For those who love the Hy-Road series this ball will be a must for you.
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Storm Incite

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/5/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

With the Incite we see the brand new Tensor core, which provides a touch of asymmetry in design, combined with the RS4 coverstock.
The Incite fits between the stronger asymmetrical and symmetrical bowling ball arsenal. We see a lot of core with the Tensor engine and a cleaner cover with the hybrid reactive material.
I have found this to be more of a niche ball when I would like to keep my angles in front of me. I could see this working very well on medium sport shot conditions. Also, on house shots when you want to have your angles shut down and play more in the oil line. I didn't find this ball to be one where I could open my angles up and throw it left to right. If I did that I would find significant over/under reaction. When I played more up the lane in the oil this ball provided plenty of predictability and punch. With the Incite keep in mind what you're looking for in terms of reaction. It's very different.

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Storm Infinite Physix

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/9/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The new Physix features the REX Coverstock which was seen in the Dark Code. In comparison of these 2 balls the Dark Code was cleaner and more angular than the Infinite. the Infinite read the body of the mid lane much stronger and provided a more controllable look off the spot. The Infinite will work well on a multitude of patterns; both sport and house.

For those who are a fan of the Physix line this ball will compliment your arsenal well and sit between the Proton and Astro.
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Storm Intense Fire

13 of 18 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/1/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
Unfortunately, I did not get to try this ball on a pattern that I would typically use it on although here are my thoughts on the upcoming release.
I tested this ball on pretty beat up conditions. There seemed to be a substantial amount of open play before I did this video. I was essentially on significantly dry conditions. It was pretty difficult to find the hold in the middle part of the lane no matter how far left I went on the approach.

I ranged between 25-32 on the approach and threw it to about 7 down lane as my break point. The ball had to be at 7 for my breakpoint otherwise I would see an over/under reaction. This was not the balls fault. It was just not the right environment to be throwing it in.

This is a very strong ball and you can see how continuous it was off the spot. I believe this will be a good ball to blend out those medium to heavier fresh oil conditions when the night begins and the original Intense is too angular and not early enough.
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Storm Ion Max

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/20/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:

Ion Max:
Asymmetric, strong and designed for heavy oil conditions. The Ion Max with its strong engine will combat the heaviest of oil. Built for the fresh to play on top of it early and slowly migrating in as the transition begins, the Ion Max will be the strongest ball out the bag. This ball can be used with a lot of volume, tighter oil conditions and/or longer oil patterns.
Sublime Focus:
Symmetric and strong. What I like about this ball is the ability to keep my angles tight and up the lane when there is more oil or they are tighter and the stronger asymmetric's are too much ball. For comparison purposes against the other symmetric solids, this will be earlier than a Phaze 2 and provide a heavier roll smoother roll.
Phaze AI:
The Phaze AI is a throwback to those cleaner angular Storm bowling balls. This ball reminds me of what the UC2 provided with discernible backend motion. This ball will be usable for when the lanes begin to transition, open up and left to right (for righties/reverse for lefties) is needed without losing angle and continuation down lane. This is a great option to have when the solids become too smooth.

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Storm Ion Pro

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/7/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The next benchmark ball is here with the Ion. Not as weak as a IQ Tour yet not as clean as a Phaze 2; the Ion fits between both those selections. When you need earlier than a Phaze 2 the Ion is a great option to go to. The Ion is versatile as you can close your angles and open them based off what the lane is giving you. This ball has become a staple in my bag and comes with me wherever I go, whether it's to league or tournament play.
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Storm IQ Tour 78/U

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/26/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The famous centripetal core is partnered with urethane this go around and we are not disappointed with this one. Benchmark core meets benchmark cover for excellent control for those who like to keep their angles in front of them. The IQ Tour 78/U will be excellent for those who bowl on patterns and need variation from the Pitch Black. I found the IQ Tour 78/U to be smoother than the Pitch Black and is great when control is needed and angles need to be in front of you. This ball will be excellent on short to medium sport patterns.
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Storm IQ Tour A.I.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/26/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Must have ball which will work on a variety of conditions from fresh to transition. This ball with some surface or out of box provides tons of performance. The IQ AI reads the mid lane earlier than the IQ Ruby and Emerald which allows the bowler to be in this ball sooner than the 2 aforementioned cleaner options. This ball will be great on majority of house conditions and a great step down ball off the stronger symmetrical options like the Zen 25. This ball will be the weakest in my bag for sport conditions and one of the first balls out the bag for transition on house conditions. Scuffed up it is an option on fresh house conditions. Benchmark balls like the IQ AI are imperative selections for a bowlers bag.
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Storm IQ Tour Emerald

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/7/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
This will be a must have for all levels of players as this is an extremely versatile piece of equipment that can favor many styles of bowlers.
What I noticed with the IQ Tour Emerald was that I was able to play straight up the track, the inside part of the lane by swinging it and the area in between. I manipulated my hand in each location and saw really good ball motion that shaped the lane the right way. Even though it was pin down when I made that move left I still had great continuation through the pins.
This ball has a very clean cover on it; the R2S overstock which is known for its unparalleled reserving of energy through the front part of the lane. I placed a pin down on my Emerald as I was hoping to have it blend out the lane and match the cover/core to the dynamics of the drilling layout. This layout allowed me to see the ball pick up sooner versus ample angularity down lane.
Whether your a house or a tournament player the IQ Tour Emerald will be a perfect compliment to your arsenal.
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Storm IQ Tour Nano Pearl

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The famous Centripetal Core is back! This time teamed up with the NRG Pearl Reactive Cover, finished at 3000 grit, we expect to see a much stronger reaction overall. The NRG is one of Storm’s strongest covers and from the latest reviews, from the tech team, this ball seems to pick up much sooner and provide more overall shape than the original IQ Tour Nano.

The IQ Nano Pearl will be an extremely versatile piece to have in your bag and will be favorable to many different styles, layouts and oil conditions. I have 2 ready to go that I plan on doing a pin up and pin down version of to complement each other, which will provide opportunities to throw on all different lane conditions and transitions. I see this ball working very well on house shots and sport patterns that are of medium to heavy volume and on short to medium pattern lengths.

This is a ball that will be a must have for all levels of players.

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Storm IQ Tour Ruby

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 3/11/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

One of the most popular lines is back with the IQ Ruby. Place this core with any cover and it's an instant hit. Similar in cover to the Emerald we see the newer polish on the Ruby. This ball will be a great transition ball and most likely will be the weakest ball I bring to league or tournament play.
It was about a 4 board difference to the right against the DNA. The ball is clean and continues very well. We had been missing this performance within the SPI line as the Emerald has been discontinued for nearly 4 years. This ball provides a great benchmark shape and will essentially be a step down off the Phasze 5, Zen or Fate. Those who love the IQ line; the Ruby will provide that same great anticipated benchmark controllable reaction.
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Storm Journey

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/12/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Journey is the latest collaboration with Storm Bowling and Jason Belmonte. We see the same core, F-8, found in the Fate although this time we see it with the brand new TX-16 cover. TX-16 was found on the Phaze 2 solid. This is the first time we have seen it as a pearl.
I have found the Journey to be a replacement for the slot I had found my Phaze 4 and 5 in although the Journey is cleaner and more angular than both those pieces. I believe with the Journey not as smooth as the Phaze 4/5 this provides a lot more usability for most bowlers in league and tournament play as they can still stay in the stronger ball with the stronger core although the cover will not read the fronts as early as the 4 and 5. This provides plenty of energy down lane to provide continuation through the pins.
I had taken the polish off the Journey with a lightly hit 2000 pad as I do with most my pearls to help blend the lanes. The surface adjustment took well to the Journey as it still provided plenty of angle and continuation down lane. The Journey will be a great step down off those bigger asym solids and/or stronger solid symmetrical's.
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Storm Level

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/6/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Level is a unique ball designed to be clean and controllable. It is high RG with low differential designed for the fresh and to keep your angles tight and up the lane. I find this ball to be ideal for fresh conditions and when I want to take the lane out of it on house. I will play in the dry portion of the lane to optimize carry. I have found that if I am a little firm or too much in the oil my carry percentage goes down. If I play more in the friction and the shape is there this ball is very good. I drilled mine pin down for additional cleanliness and to keep my lane play further to the right and up the lane. I have used this ball when I find the lanes cliffed and my stronger balls playing left to right are not carrying. This is a great option to have when opting for control and not looking to create big angles. Also, I can see this being very friendly on shorter sport conditions when control is paramount. This will give a cleaner shape than urethane with more angle through the pins yet still providing plenty of control.

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Storm Lightning Blackout

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/17/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Lightning Blackout will instantly become a fan favorite for most bowlers arsenals. The perfect transition ball for a multitude of situations from step down off the super strong and medium strength balls; the Blackout will easily clear the fronts and give plenty of continuation down lane. I see the Blackout as a weaker version of the UC2 and with the Hy-Road pearl discontinued this ball will perfectly fit that slot for clean and angular when the heads hook early. Also, for those who fear it may be too weak I saw plenty of grab when I did miss in and the Blackout still read the lane properly and hooked where I needed it to. I did not see over sensitivity to either friction or oil which blended out the lane real nicely for me.
Was this comment helpful? yes no

Storm Match Up Black Pearl

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/1/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
For those light to medium oiled conditions or lanes in transition the new Match Up Pearl will be a great option to have in your hands.
Don't let the Match Up Pearl confuse you with it's abralon finish (2000) as beneath that finish is a pearl coverstock that will get the ball clean through the fronts yet provide a smooth motion in the mid-lane.

I tested this ball on pretty beat up conditions as there was a lot of open play prior. I had to get pretty far left and throw it to the dry; roughly board 7 as my break point.
For a low end ball the Match Up Pearl hooks. This is in part to its sanded (matte) finish.

This ball will be good on the light to medium light fresher conditions or lanes transitioning when your symmetrical solid and sanded bowling balls are too aggressive for the lane conditions. The Match Up Pearl will help blend out the pattern with its 2000 grit finish and mitigate that over/under reaction.
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Storm Match Up Pearl

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/14/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Storm Bowling Match Up Video; Check It Out!
https://youtu.be/fj9FMkcMAZM
Review:
I was very surprised at how much I like both these balls. Typically low end equipment, I feel, does not suit me well given the type of style I am (in between stroker-tweeter). In the past I would have a lot of over/under with low-end equipment although both these balls provided very consistent ball motion. When I threw it I knew whether it was going to be good or bad and I had more margin of error than I did from low end equipment of past years.
The Match Up Solid (Layout - 55 x 4 x 80) was very smooth for me. I bowled on very dry lanes and the reaction I got from this ball was exceptional. It reminded me of an IQ tour on stronger conditions (Smooth arc with control).
The Match Up Pearl (Layout - 80 x4 1/2 x 45) was very angular. I waited for the lanes to break down further when I was using my Marvel and Match Up Solid earlier. About 9-10 games in I started using the Match Up Pearl and it reminded me of one of my all time favorite balls that recently got discontinued, the Hectic. This ball goes long and is angular in the back end. This is going to be in my bag for sport shots when the lanes really break down. It gets real clean through the fronts and has a discernible break in the back end.
Was this comment helpful? yes no

Storm Match Up Solid

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/14/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Storm Bowling Match Up Video; Check It Out!
https://youtu.be/fj9FMkcMAZM
Review:
I was very surprised at how much I like both these balls. Typically low end equipment, I feel, does not suit me well given the type of style I am (in between stroker-tweeter). In the past I would have a lot of over/under with low-end equipment although both these balls provided very consistent ball motion. When I threw it I knew whether it was going to be good or bad and I had more margin of error than I did from low end equipment of past years.
The Match Up Solid (Layout - 55 x 4 x 80) was very smooth for me. I bowled on very dry lanes and the reaction I got from this ball was exceptional. It reminded me of an IQ tour on stronger conditions (Smooth arc with control).
The Match Up Pearl (Layout - 80 x4 1/2 x 45) was very angular. I waited for the lanes to break down further when I was using my Marvel and Match Up Solid earlier. About 9-10 games in I started using the Match Up Pearl and it reminded me of one of my all time favorite balls that recently got discontinued, the Hectic. This ball goes long and is angular in the back end. This is going to be in my bag for sport shots when the lanes really break down. It gets real clean through the fronts and has a discernible break in the back end.
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Storm Night Road

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The 3 latest Storm releases will create instant versatility in your bag and cover a variety of bases for any lane condition. The Super Nova is the strongest of the 3 designed for heavy oil conditions. The Night Road and Phaze 5 are designed for those medium conditions.
For those that enjoyed the Proton Physix the shape seen from the Super Nova will be comparable. When battling heavy oil and/or tight conditions the Super Nova will be an excellent selection to manage that environment. The Super Nova has one of the strongest covers Storm manufacturers and compliments this core very well. There is plenty of control with this high end asym and would be a cleaner option against the Gem which is earlier with more arc.
The Night Road which boasts a higher RG will be good for those early hooking surfaces early on or as a step down off the bigger balls like the Super Nova. I see this ball fitting in my bag on the early hooking surfaces so I can keep everything in front of me early on without giving away the pocket. I have found the sanded finish provides plenty of blend off the backend as opposed to the stronger angular shapes we seen from the Hy-Road Pearl. Also, do not be afraid to polish this ball to create a longer more angular shape.
The Phaze 5 like the other Phaze balls does not disappoint. a direct replacement for the 4 the 5 provides plenty of continuation down lane when making its move off the spot. This ball will go with me everywhere I bowl and be that step down ball off the bigger asym or solid sym's. When you are looking to start creeping in and opening those angles up this ball will be one of your best assets.
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Storm Nova

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/18/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:

Nova/Phaze 4/Spectre

We have a good natural progression of the 3 new releases from Storm Bowling. From strongest to weakest would be the Nova, Phaze 4 then Spectre.

The Nova is a pretty strong bowling ball. For comparison purposes think of an Roto Grip X-1 on steroids as it is earlier and more continuous. The concept is similar in that it is a strong asymmetrical hybrid with surface. The difference would be about 2-3 boards more hook with the Nova. This would be great on the fresh and some transition on your typical house shots and on a variety of sport patterns when you want to begin opening up the lane and getting deeper into the oil.

The Phaze 4 is the newest compliment to the Phaze line; this time featuring a pearl coverstock. The Phaze 4 is pretty clean yet provides plenty of mid lane roll. The nice feature of this ball is the control element to it. It allows you to play into the oil and does not overreact when it sees friction. I drilled mine pin down to keep my angles closed. This ball will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns and/or house conditions when you begin opening up the lane. The pin down drilling allows me to use it on the fresh for THS. I, also, took the polish off and it blends the lane real well.

The Spectre is the cleanest of the 3 new releases. It will be a great step down off either of the 2 aforementioned balls. I drilled mine pin down and removed the surface to help blend the lane and keep my angles closer. When the fronts begin to really go and you need a ball that will get down lane and not labor the Spectre will be a great option to have.
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Storm Omega Crux

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/15/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
My initial thoughts on the Omega Crux was that the ball was pretty clean and strong, in particular, in the mid lane. I see this ball as being a step down transition ball when the stronger solid asymmetrical's and solid symmetrical's become too early. The Omega Crux innate characteristics of a pearl with sanded finish will allow the ball to get down lane and be smooth off the breakpoint. This ball will perform well on a multitude of patterns when the lanes and transition call for it. For the competitive bowler this ball will be a must have as it will help bridge the gap between the stronger solids and weaker solids/pearls.
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Storm Parallax

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

New Cover, New Core, New Excitement! The Parallax, featuring the Traction X7 Hybrid Coverstock matched with the Aeroflow core, will provide a strong asymmetrical ball for those heavy to medium heavy oil conditions.

The design intent was to combine features of 7 of Storms best coverstocks which resulted in the Traction X7. With the Aeroflow core we see the mimic of a weight hole in the core which will help offset the new USBC rule of no weight holes. We will see much more designs like this from Storm and Roto Grip which will help offset the new rules and provide comparable shapes to what bowlers used to see who had weight holes in their equipment.

There is a lot of chat about how different this shape is from the tech team at Storm and how the Parallax provides a unique reaction against the existing lineup. I see myself removing the polish off this ball and finishing it somewhere between 2-3000 grit to take away some of the angle from the ball to get it to slow down sooner and be more controllable. This ball will most likely be a step down ball from either a strong Asym or Symmetrical solid and when I need to initially begin opening my angles up when there is still a decent amount of oil in the front part of the lane.

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Storm Parallax Effect

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/27/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The 2nd iteration of the Parallax series sees this version as a straight up pearl. I decided to drill this one pin down to balance out the mid lane read without it going too long and blowing past the break point. I had found the original Parallax to be more of a niche ball for patterns and I feel this is similar to what I am seeing with the pearl version.

Out of the box I struggled blending out the house pattern. I winded up removing the polish to 2000 grit and played more in the oil line and had plenty of margin/miss room when I did this.

I believe this will be good when you need to move inside and the lanes get a little cliffed the new Parallax will work its way up the hill to get back into the pocket. Also, on medium to longer volume sport patterns this ball could work well and play off the Incite as a ball down.
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Storm Phaze 4

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/18/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:
Nova/Phaze 4/Spectre
We have a good natural progression of the 3 new releases from Storm Bowling. From strongest to weakest would be the Nova, Phaze 4 then Spectre.
The Nova is a pretty strong bowling ball. For comparison purposes think of an Roto Grip X-1 on steroids as it is earlier and more continuous. The concept is similar in that it is a strong asymmetrical hybrid with surface. The difference would be about 2-3 boards more hook with the Nova. This would be great on the fresh and some transition on your typical house shots and on a variety of sport patterns when you want to begin opening up the lane and getting deeper into the oil.
The Phaze 4 is the newest compliment to the Phaze line; this time featuring a pearl coverstock. The Phaze 4 is pretty clean yet provides plenty of mid lane roll. The nice feature of this ball is the control element to it. It allows you to play into the oil and does not overreact when it sees friction. I drilled mine pin down to keep my angles closed. This ball will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns and/or house conditions when you begin opening up the lane. The pin down drilling allows me to use it on the fresh for THS. I, also, took the polish off and it blends the lane real well.
The Spectre is the cleanest of the 3 new releases. It will be a great step down off either of the 2 aforementioned balls. I drilled mine pin down and removed the surface to help blend the lane and keep my angles closer. When the fronts begin to really go and you need a ball that will get down lane and not labor the Spectre will be a great option to have.
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Storm Phaze A.I.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

2

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/20/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:

Ion Max:
Asymmetric, strong and designed for heavy oil conditions. The Ion Max with its strong engine will combat the heaviest of oil. Built for the fresh to play on top of it early and slowly migrating in as the transition begins, the Ion Max will be the strongest ball out the bag. This ball can be used with a lot of volume, tighter oil conditions and/or longer oil patterns.

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Storm Phaze II

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This has to be one of my favorite balls on the market. This is the strongest symmetrical bowling ball in the Storm line. This ball can be used on House shots and/or short, medium and long sport patterns. The ball really blends out the lane patterns well and gives the bowler significant control. It is easy to see the adjustments needed when using this ball. This ball is smooth and predictable. To show how much I love this ball I already own 3 of them!!!
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Storm Phaze II

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This has to be one of my favorite balls on the market. This is the strongest symmetrical bowling ball in the Storm line. This ball can be used on House shots and/or short, medium and long sport patterns. The ball really blends out the lane patterns well and gives the bowler significant control. It is easy to see the adjustments needed when using this ball. This ball is smooth and predictable. To show how much I love this ball I already own 3 of them!!!
Was this comment helpful? yes no

Storm Phaze II

9 of 9 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This has to be one of my favorite balls on the market. This is the strongest symmetrical bowling ball in the Storm line. This ball can be used on House shots and/or short, medium and long sport patterns. The ball really blends out the lane patterns well and gives the bowler significant control. It is easy to see the adjustments needed when using this ball. This ball is smooth and predictable. To show how much I love this ball I already own 3 of them!!!
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Storm Phaze III

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/8/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
This has to be the cleanest cover to date with the newest release of the RS3 Hybrid cover. The RS3 cover combining with the low rg high differential of the Velocity core will be an excellent transition ball when the lanes begin to hook early and cleanliness through the front and angle down lane is required. I haven't seen anything this clean since the Hy Road Pearl. The Phaze 3 will have no problem getting down lane and creating pop off the backend.
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Storm Phaze V

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The 3 latest Storm releases will create instant versatility in your bag and cover a variety of bases for any lane condition. The Super Nova is the strongest of the 3 designed for heavy oil conditions. The Night Road and Phaze 5 are designed for those medium conditions.
For those that enjoyed the Proton Physix the shape seen from the Super Nova will be comparable. When battling heavy oil and/or tight conditions the Super Nova will be an excellent selection to manage that environment. The Super Nova has one of the strongest covers Storm manufacturers and compliments this core very well. There is plenty of control with this high end asym and would be a cleaner option against the Gem which is earlier with more arc.
The Night Road which boasts a higher RG will be good for those early hooking surfaces early on or as a step down off the bigger balls like the Super Nova. I see this ball fitting in my bag on the early hooking surfaces so I can keep everything in front of me early on without giving away the pocket. I have found the sanded finish provides plenty of blend off the backend as opposed to the stronger angular shapes we seen from the Hy-Road Pearl. Also, do not be afraid to polish this ball to create a longer more angular shape.
The Phaze 5 like the other Phaze balls does not disappoint. a direct replacement for the 4 the 5 provides plenty of continuation down lane when making its move off the spot. This ball will go with me everywhere I bowl and be that step down ball off the bigger asym or solid sym's. When you are looking to start creeping in and opening those angles up this ball will be one of your best assets.
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Storm Physix

19 of 23 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/6/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

When I threw my first couple shots with this ball I could not believe how much overall hook I saw. I used it on a fresh house shot and the ball read early and was significantly continuous down lane.

We placed a pin down layout at 70x4x80 which is intended for fresh house and sport patterns. I got very far left, for myself, standing around 32/33 on the approach targeting 9 down lane. To give a reference on how I normally play the lanes on fresh THS (Typical House Shots) my feet are normally 19/20 on the approach so you could see the significant move this ball had me make.

Once I matched up in the right part of the lane all I did was chased the line left, threw the ball right and the PHYSIX continued to drive through the pins. The ball was very controllable in the mid-lane and produced a very smooth reaction.

I did not alter the surface as I kept it out of box finish at 3000 grit. This will be a great ball to have in your arsenal for fresh patterns and/or when you need something strong with continuation down lane.
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Storm PhysiX Blackout

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Physix Blackout:
The Physix Blackout has become one of my favorite balls. It is usable on a variety of conditions and has become the first out the bag on THS in different centers which play entirely different which shows some of the versatility of this ball. The pearl cover with the 2000 finish allows the ball to be clean through the front of the lane yet smooth off the breakpoint and allows plenty of continuation down lane when it is needed most. I have been able to play with my angles closed and opened as well as get a little deeper into game 2 than other asym options that would typically burn up by this point. This ball, also, was good on sport. Bowling on 45' where my angle was closed towards the pocket this ball provided plenty of motion through the pins given the longer distance and higher volume of what I was bowling on. This ball is a must have for the competitive bowler and is another great rendition in the Physix line.

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Storm Pitch Purple

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/15/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The Pitch Purple is absolutely phenomenal. As a lower rev player it is rare that I get myself into urethane although from what I saw with the Pitch Purple I will definitely have it in my bag for those shorter length sport patterns.
The main difference between the Purple and the Black is the additional length and angle the bowler will see with the Purple. The Purple almost acted like a lower end reactive ball. It has a tendency to get down lane and continue off the spot whereas the Black picked up super quick and backed off down lane. The Purple is still highly controllable and will perform well on those shorter to medium length patterns either on the fresh or during transition. This ball will, also, perform well on THS when the bowler elects for control.
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Storm Pro-Motion

10 of 12 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 7/22/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
I had the opportunity to drill 2 Pro-Motions and experiment with some new layouts as I been looking to expand upon my arsenal. Both layouts have lower flaring pin distances then I am used to. I wanted to see cleaner more angular motions especially when it comes to confronting transition.

The first layout I used was 45 x 4 1/4 x 35. The first and last angle is something I liked on my Hy-Road Nano as it is one of my favorite benchmark balls. The pin distance on the Nano was a more aggressive 3 1/2 pin. Lately I have felt handcuffed in the wrong ball later in blocks as it would flare too early thus burning up and not having the right shape down lane. This layout, and in particular the next layout which we will discuss shortly, will allow me to stay in the ball longer on the fresh and possibly jump into it as a first transition ball. I noticed I was able to start in my comfort zone then slowly start to chase it in. I had to make sure I threw it to the dry as if I missed inside the ball wouldn't recover in time to make it back to the pocket. I would have probably seen that recovery in one of my other stronger layouts. As long as my angles were open to the dry the ball matched up real well.

The second Pro-Motion has a layout of 60 x 4 3/4 x 30. This will get the ball even cleaner through the front and provide even more angle down lane. What I found interesting with this particular layout I was able to play 2 different lines and shapes at different houses. In the video I was able to jump inside and swing the lane a bit creating good shape down lane. I bowled in a different center the following day and was able to pike it up the track area and found a whole bunch of room. The latter is something I am looking more for; keeping me right for a longer period of time as that will help create maximum carry. It is nice knowing that if the lane develops where I have to jump left this ball may still be an option as well.

All Storm Bowling enthusiasts will love this ball. The Pro-Motion is a great benchmark ball that provides a lot of options in terms of layouts and in creating different shapes which is what is needed when bowling in different environments.

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Storm Proton Physix

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/22/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I was pretty excited about this release as I had previous success with the original Physix. This iteration of the Physix line combines the Atomic core with the brand new NeX coverstock.
We see tons of overall shape and boards crossed with the Proton PhysiX. If you're looking for an asymmetrical hook monster this will be the ball to get your hands on. Comparable to the original Physix this ball will be much sooner and overall and is designed for those upper medium to higher volume patterns.
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Storm Revenant

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/6/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

For those who loved the Spectre we have the Revenant. Same cover/core as the Spectre although the Revenant has the new Reacta Gloss finish. When the lanes really begin to hook early the Revenant will be a great option to go to that will clear the fronts and provide plenty of continuation down lane. I see the Revenant being a step down off of the Fate.
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Storm Road Warrior

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 12/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Road Warrior:
A new iteration the the popular Road line is back with the Road Warrior. This version is a pearl with the R2S deep cover. It is much slower than the original HyRoad pearl, which makes it more controllable. When you need a cleaner reaction than the stronger asym or symmetrical's the Road Warrior will be a good option to go to.

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Storm Soniq

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/3/2018

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Review:
The SON!Q features a new HD Core which is a derivative and evolution of the prior cores in the IQ series. They lowered the RG thus creating a higher carry percentage at the pins when entering the pocket.
I loved how I was able to get left with this ball as the lanes transitioned and began to open up the lane. The SON!Q allowed me to get in my comfort zone of playing the inside part of the lane and throwing it left to right with a soft hand. The ball was very clean through the front part of the lane and maintained a lot of energy and hitting power as it made its move towards the pocket. You will definitely see an earlier rolling pearl with the SON!Q and you will also see a lot of continuaition off the spot.
Any bowler who was a fan of the IQ balls will love this ball. The SON!Q gives control, continuation and hitting power.

Make sure you DRILL IT UP!

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Storm Spectre

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/18/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Ball Reviews:
Nova/Phaze 4/Spectre
We have a good natural progression of the 3 new releases from Storm Bowling. From strongest to weakest would be the Nova, Phaze 4 then Spectre.
The Nova is a pretty strong bowling ball. For comparison purposes think of an Roto Grip X-1 on steroids as it is earlier and more continuous. The concept is similar in that it is a strong asymmetrical hybrid with surface. The difference would be about 2-3 boards more hook with the Nova. This would be great on the fresh and some transition on your typical house shots and on a variety of sport patterns when you want to begin opening up the lane and getting deeper into the oil.
The Phaze 4 is the newest compliment to the Phaze line; this time featuring a pearl coverstock. The Phaze 4 is pretty clean yet provides plenty of mid lane roll. The nice feature of this ball is the control element to it. It allows you to play into the oil and does not overreact when it sees friction. I drilled mine pin down to keep my angles closed. This ball will be a great ball on a multitude of patterns and/or house conditions when you begin opening up the lane. The pin down drilling allows me to use it on the fresh for THS. I, also, took the polish off and it blends the lane real well.
The Spectre is the cleanest of the 3 new releases. It will be a great step down off either of the 2 aforementioned balls. I drilled mine pin down and removed the surface to help blend the lane and keep my angles closer. When the fronts begin to really go and you need a ball that will get down lane and not labor the Spectre will be a great option to have.
Was this comment helpful? yes no

Storm Street Fight

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/31/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I have found this ball to be very useful towards the end of a tournament. Typically beginning around game 4 and on. I have mostly used this ball on sport conditions and it gives me great length and control at the breakpoint. This ball is very predictable and has great hitting power similar to the original Fight.
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Storm Summit

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 6/7/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Summit is Storm's strongest symmetrical ball to date. With a new coverstock featuring a variation of the cover we saw on the Phaze 2 it was a no brainer to compare these balls against each other.
The Summit distinctly picked up sooner than the Phaze 2 where the latter was on the cleaner more continuous side. I played about 2-3 boards further left with the Summit over the Phaze. The Summit will be able to handle more oil and allow you to play more left to right versus the Phaze.
I can see both these balls playing well off eachother based off what the lanes are giving you. I can see being in a Summit and needing to go to something weaker like the Phaze 2 or being in the Phaze 2 and needing to migrate let and ball up to a Summit.
There is room for both these balls in your bag. The Summit, like the Phaze, will suit all styles of players from strokers to higher rev players and be able to be utilized on a wide array of playing conditions from recreational to sport.
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Storm Summit Ascent

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/31/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

We have the newest benchmark release from the SPI line with the Summit Ascent. Featuring the famous centripetal HD core we see this matched with R2S overstock at 4k finish to provide a cleaner entry through the front part of the lane yet a discernible read in the mid's where it will dig and shape down lane. I did change the surface to 2000 to get it to read sooner on the lane although at 4000 it is quite usable as well. I brought it to 2000 to read sooner than my Phase 2 and have that as a transition off of the new Summit. The Summit Ascent provides plenty of predictability and versatility for a multitude of conditions. You can keep it at 4000 to provide cleaner shape or scuff it to get it to read sooner on heavier and or longer oil conditions. This ball will not overreact and will provide plenty of information for what the current playing environment is. This ball will be my first out the bag in most conditions on the fresh from tournament to league play. Those that are looking for predictability, the Summit Ascent is a great option to have in your arsenal.
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Storm Summit Peak

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 1/28/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

I'm glad Storm elected to go with the pearl version of the Summit as the original was too strong to utilize on most conditions. I have thrown the peak a bunch already and am a fan of what I seen, as I been looking for more versatility for a medium benchmark pearl to utilize when my other balls become too smooth and slow.
The peak is the strongest symmetrical pearl in my bag and I will look at this as a step up from the Xponent pearl when I need a stronger mid lane read than the cleaner/angular pearls. I believe this will be a great option for most bowlers to capture that step down off the bigger asymmetrical and symmetrical solids.
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Storm Super Nova

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2022

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The 3 latest Storm releases will create instant versatility in your bag and cover a variety of bases for any lane condition. The Super Nova is the strongest of the 3 designed for heavy oil conditions. The Night Road and Phaze 5 are designed for those medium conditions.
For those that enjoyed the Proton Physix the shape seen from the Super Nova will be comparable. When battling heavy oil and/or tight conditions the Super Nova will be an excellent selection to manage that environment. The Super Nova has one of the strongest covers Storm manufacturers and compliments this core very well. There is plenty of control with this high end asym and would be a cleaner option against the Gem which is earlier with more arc.
The Night Road which boasts a higher RG will be good for those early hooking surfaces early on or as a step down off the bigger balls like the Super Nova. I see this ball fitting in my bag on the early hooking surfaces so I can keep everything in front of me early on without giving away the pocket. I have found the sanded finish provides plenty of blend off the backend as opposed to the stronger angular shapes we seen from the Hy-Road Pearl. Also, do not be afraid to polish this ball to create a longer more angular shape.
The Phaze 5 like the other Phaze balls does not disappoint. a direct replacement for the 4 the 5 provides plenty of continuation down lane when making its move off the spot. This ball will go with me everywhere I bowl and be that step down ball off the bigger asym or solid sym's. When you are looking to start creeping in and opening those angles up this ball will be one of your best assets.
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Storm Super Soniq

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/25/2019

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Super SonIQ will be the perfect transition ball for when the lanes begin to dry up in the fronts and you're looking for a litle bit of float through the front yet control downlane.

I did bowl on the fresh with it when I did the video and it wasnt the best enviornment at that given time for me to throw this ball on. I had a bit of over/under although when a few games went by I jumped back into the Super SonIQ and I found a lot more margin of error with the ball. I can see this ball being a great game 2 ball to go to when I need a little bit of extra skid to get through the initial part of the lane without the ball burning up. You'll be able to play tighter lines with this ball at that point, which is something I typically like to do.

For those a fan of the IQ series balls this will be another great addition to the bag.

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Storm The Road

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 5/5/2024

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Hy-Road series continues with The Road and all new AI technology. The Road is designed for benchmark predictability and is high RG and medium diff.
I tested the Road on a fresh THS and the results were very promising. I was able to play up the lane and keep my angles tight. The Road didn't overreact to the friction and saw the oil enough to read it correctly without losing energy. As I began migrating left, The Road continued to drive through the pins without laboring.
I intend on using The Road on a variety of conditions and situations from fresh to transition. For those who see earlier hooking lane surfaces The Road will be an excellent option to start with. The Road will, also, be a great step down off the bigger and lower RG balls.
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Storm Timeless

16 of 22 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/17/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

This ball will get very clean through the heads and have a nice continuous motion off the backend. I used a 4x4x3 layout which is good for strokers or tweeners. The hitting power of this ball is phenominal as if you are anywhere near the pocket the carry percentage is high. This ball will be a good option for those in league on a THS (Typical House Shot) or after a few games of burn on a sport pattern. I see this ball being a great fit for me on sport patterns during games 3/4 and on as I will need a ball that gets through the heads cleanly yet finish strong in the backend. This is a great option to have in your arsenal.

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Storm Torrent

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/11/2017

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The Torrent is a very smooth and controllable bowling ball. I used a 4x4x2 layout for this ball as that is generally a good layout for multiple patterns. I tested the Torrent on a fresh THS (typical House Shot). This ball fits in between the IQ Tour Edition and the Fight. I like the control factor of this ball. I was able to keep my angles tight; not to open which I generally prefer. For me, this ball will serve me 2 purposes; as a bench mark ball for league play and a option for shorter oil patterns to begin a squad with. If you like smooth and controllable this is a great ball to add to your bag.
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Storm Trend 16 Only

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 8/1/2020

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Looking for angle? The Trend will be the option for you. The Piston core, seen in the Pro-Motion, combined with one of the most popular covers of all time, R2S, will be, in my early opinion, the Hy-Road Pearl on steroids.

The Trend will easily float through the fronts and provide a sharp angle down lane. This ball is going to be great for when the fronts are hooking early yet you need strong shape down lane. The Trend will not be at a loss for energy and when the lanes call for it this will be a must have to get you through those tricky conditions.

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Storm Trend 2

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 11/14/2021

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

The piston core was altered in the latest version of the Trend featuring a higher RG and lower differential. Also, we see a hybrid cover on the Trend 2. I was a fan of the original Trend when I wanted to keep my angles in front of me. I do find the Trend 2 to be usable for more bowlers as it gives a rounder shape compared to the original which was more angular. You're able to wheel the Trend 2 more and this will be good on fresh or some transition on those medium to higher oil conditions.
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Storm Typhoon

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

2

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 2/13/2025

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Designed for light to medium conditions, Typhoon will be one of the weaker balls in your arsenal. I have found this to be a step down off the IQ AI and will be utilized if I am seeing tons of hook and need to tame the reaction or if I am looking to move back right as this ball will easily clear the front part of the lane without hooking early and provide a controllable shape down lane without overreacting.
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Storm Virtual Energy Blackout

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

5

Reviewed by Andrew Mienkiewicz on 10/7/2023

About the Bowler

League Average:

225

PAP:

Not set

Ball Speed:

Medium

Style:

Tweener

Bowling Hand:

Right Handed

Sport Shot Average:

200

Experience:

Advanced (I have bowled in a league)

Get one! This ball will remind you of those pre 4k fast finish releases that we loved from Storm that provided endless continuation threw the pins. This ball picks up from anywhere and provides plenty of angle. Think of a UC2 on steroids. This ball is fantastic and I see myself drilling a bunch of these.
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