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Reviews by Joshua Tajiri

900 Global Burner Pearl

900 Global Burner Solid

Roto Grip Critical

Roto Grip Eternal Cell

Roto Grip Hustle INK Solid

Roto Grip Hyper Cell Skid

Roto Grip Hysteria

Roto Grip Hy-Wire

Roto Grip No Rules

Roto Grip Sinister

Roto Grip Tour Dynam-X

Storm Crux

Storm Hy-Road Solid

Storm IQ Tour 30

Storm Lock

Storm Optimus

Storm Optimus Solid

Storm Phaze

Storm Phaze II

Storm Pitch Black

Storm Punch Out

Storm Ride

Storm Snap Lock

Storm Wipe Out

Show all reviews

900 Global Burner Pearl
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
900 Global Burner Pearl is a great entry level pearl ball. It has a lot of hook at such a cheap price point. The cover stock allows the ball to be very clean through the fronts and minds while responding to the friction down lane. It fits in my bag underneath the Ordinance series of balls and below the IQ tour Line. The ball it rolls the closest to would be an IQ Tour Emerald that goes longer and has more pop down lane.
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900 Global Burner Solid
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Great entry level ball for starters. For the more experienced bowlers, this will be a great ball for drier lane conditions and conditions with less overall volume. The ball motion is very round and smooth. The cover is on the weaker side and the ball comes polished which allows it to be at the lower end of my arsenal.
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Roto Grip Critical
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Roto Grip Critical Review by Roto Grip Staffer Joshua Tajiri

Roto Grip brings back the Triliptic core from the Critical Theory in the New Critical! The Critical features 67 MH Hybrid cover at a 3000 grit abralon finish. This ball works well on medium-heavy oil lane conditions.

I drilled my Critical with a 65°x5"x55° Dual Angle Layout. This layout gives me a very continuous ball motion. The won't hook early nor go too long.

This ball reminds of the original Critical Theory. It is a good step down from the higher end balls like the Menace or Lock. This ball works very well to surface adjustments. If you want it to hook a little earlier just add more surface, or if you want to see a little more length polish it up to 1500 polished. Out of the box, I was very impressed on this ball. I threw it a lot and scored very well with it.

Based on performance, I give this ball an "A+." Based on the cosmetics of the ball I'll give it a, "B+."
Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,

Joshua Tajiri

Storm/ Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Roto Grip Eternal Cell
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Roto Grip Eternal Cell Review by Roto Grip Staffer Joshua Tajiri
Roto Grip brings back the Nucleus core with the Eternal Cell. The Eternal Cell has a 72M solid coverstock with comes at a 1500-polished finish. The coverstock is weaker to give you a different reaction than the normal high performance Roto Grip balls. The reaction of the Eternal Cell is a perfect step down compliment to the Menace.
I drilled my Eternal Cell with a 65° x 5″ x 55° dual angle layout. This layout for me gives me control of the breakpoint and having a continuous ball motion in the hook phase. It makes the ball very even rolling for me.
This ball works very well on Medium oil lane conditions. It works well if you need a ball to hook in the midlane but still skid through the fronts while hitting like a high performance ball. The Eternal Cell is a very good ball to have when creating an arsenal.
Based on performance, I give this ball an “A-.” Based on shelf appeal, I give this ball an “A+.” This ball looks really good when it rolls down the lane getting those strikes.
Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/ Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Roto Grip Hustle INK Solid
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Introducing the NEW Hustle Ink from Roto Grip.. The Hustle Ink adds a solid addition to the HP-1 Line. It has the same Hustle core as the other Hustles but with a new solid reactive coverstock, Thrilled. It has a medium RG with a Medium-Low differential. This ball with the core and cover combination clears right though the heads and starts to roll up in the Mid-Lanes while maintaining a smooth and continuous backend motion.
I drilled mines with a 45° x 5″ x 35° “placing the pin up with cg kicked out.” I love the motion on the Hustle Ink. It is currently one of my favorites pieces in my arsenal. Its very versatile and can combat multiple lane conditions. It comes out of box at 1500 polished, but you can surface it down to help combat heavier volume patterns. The Hustle Ink is like a step down from an IQ Tour. The difference being the Hustle Ink will go a little longer than the IQ Tour and will have a more flippy backend. Compared to the other Hustles currently in line, this will be the smoothest, earliest, and most controlling of them.
This ball has a hook rating of a 6.5/10 in my opinion.
You don’t want to miss this ball. It is AMAZING!!!
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Roto Grip Hyper Cell Skid
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Roto Grip Hyper Cell Skid
Introducing the latest ball into the HP-4 line, Hyper Cell Skid. This ball is a great compliment to the Hyper Cell and the Sinister. When either of those balls start to over hook or hook early, you can pull out the Hyper Cell Skid, and it will give you great length with a strong continuous motion in the backend with still reading the mid part of the lanes.

The Hyper Cell Skid uses the ever popular Nucleus core derived from the original "Cell" wrapped around by the 73MH Pearl Reactive Coverstock. With this core/ coverstock combination, I was able to see a strong motion but with a more longer transition and sharper breakpoint. I used this ball on a variety of conditions. At Team USA Trials, I was able to use this ball on the later games on almost every pattern. I was looking for a ball that got down the lane but still didn't push past the breakpoint and would hook off the spot. This was definitely the ball of choice. This ball reminds of a stronger Totally Defiant which was the ball of the year in 2013. I think Roto Grip has hit a grand slam in the HP-4 Line.

Out of box, the Hyper Cell Skid comes at a 1500 grit factory polished finish. This finish helps when the lanes start to get into a transition and your stronger balls start to hook off the spot. I have also adjusted the surface on this ball to a lightly hand sanded 3k finish to get my ball to not flip so hard off the spot and read the lanes a little sooner. This really helped me out on tougher lane conditions.
If you are looking for a ball to be a step down from your most aggressive ball in your bag, this is the ball for you. This ball will compliment everyones bag and suite all styles of bowling.
Based off performance, I will give the Skid an "A." Based on the cosmetics of the ball, with the Purple, Gold, and Black color combination, I absolutely love the looks on this ball. Everyone knows its a Hyper Cell Skid rolling down the lane. "A+" on the looks of the ball.
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Roto Grip Hysteria
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
From the HP-3 line that produced the ever popular Disturbed, Deranged, and Asylum, now comes a whole new look with the HYSTERIA! This is Roto Grips latest upper mid performance ball with a reaction I haven’t seen in a long time. You all remember the Nomad Solid? Well, this ball is just like it. The Hysteria uses the 67MH coverstock finished at a 1500-polished. Although this is a solid, the factory finish comes shined for a strong and continuous backend motion without hooking in the heads. This ball uses the Late Roll 69 core which helps the ball get through the fronts and demolishing the pins with all its energy.
I drilled my Hysteria with a 5 1/4″ x 5 1/4″. This is one of my standard layouts to get the ball into a roll while having a strong, continuous backend motion.

For me, this ball has a very strong backend. On a hook scale of 1-10 in the backends, this ball is a 10. I have never seen a ball hook so much downlane without quitting when it hits the pins. This ball is a good compliment when you need a ball to pop off the spot.
For performance, I give this ball a “A-.” Based off looks, I give this a “A.” I love the color scheme and how the orange logos makes the ball stand out.

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Roto Grip Hy-Wire
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
The Hy-wire is the perfect compliment to the Haywire. They both use the same core with the exception that the Hy-wire is a hybrid. The Hy-wire has a very good ball motion. It gets through the heads very well without hooking too early which people see when the lanes get to dry and the Haywire starts to burn up or hook to soon. Its a perfect ball down from the Haywire. Its a good compliment to that benchmark ball in your arsenal; it helps give that 1-2 punch.
I drilled my Hy-wire 5.5″ x 5″ placing the pin above my ring finger. This is one of my favorite layouts on symmetrical cores. It helps get the ball downlane while making a continuous but controllable backend motion.
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Roto Grip No Rules
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Want hook? This is the ball for you! Roto Grips latest addition to the HP-4 Line, NO RULES, features a brand new weight block. The Chaotic core has a 2.51 RG with .053 Diff and .018 INT Diff combined with the Micro DNA coverstock the ball motion this creates equals HOOK! At the 2000 abralon out of box finish, I found this ball to be the most hooking ball in my arsenal.
I drilled my No Rules with a 50° x 5" x 40° putting the pin above my ring finger. The ball motion that I get out of the No rules is that i can get the ball right and have no worries about it hooking back. The best part about this ball is that it never quits. Normally high end asymmetrical balls quit or roll out. This one seems to read the mid lane while still maintaining its energy and not quitting on the backend.
-Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Staff
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Roto Grip Sinister
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Introducing the latest top of the line ball from Roto Grip, the Sinister. This ball uses the 76H coverstock wrapped around the new Cage Core. This ball out of box comes at a 4000-grit abralon finish. With this finish, it still gives the ball push through the fronts without sacrificing a strong mid-lane recovery. I was shocked that this ball was able to retain so much energy being a asymmetrical ball.

I drilled this ball with a 45° x 4 1/2″ x 30°. I went with this layout to get the ball into the roll and still have an angular backend motion.

The motion on this ball is the perfect complement to be between the Hyper Cell and Totally Defiant. At its out of box finish, you will see good push through the heads while still reading the mid part of the lane and still retaining energy as it hits the pins. I like this ball because normally for asymmetrical equipment they tend to die out when it hits the breakpoint, but this ball does the opposite packing a punch as it hits the breakpoint.

For me, I could see this ball coming into play on medium to heavy oily lane conditions. It will be good on the fresh on your typical house shot. For sport shots, this ball works really well on short patterns and long patterns. If you don’t see enough movement and is passing the breakpoint, don’t be afraid to surface the Sinister to 2000, 1000, or even 500.

Based off performance, I give this ball an “A-.” Based off looks, I give this ball an “A.” I like the colors on this ball. It looks like a wrecker with green added to it.
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Roto Grip Tour Dynam-X
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Tour Dynam-x
It says it all in the name... Tour. This ball exceeds on tougher conditions like the pros see on tour, but don't get me wrong this bad boy also works wonders on a house shot. With is smooth, predictable, and very controlled motion you get an asymmetric shape with the continuation through the pins like a symmetrical core would.
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Storm Crux
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm is going big with its latest asymmetrical ball, CRUX. Using the same coverstock as the Lucid, Zero Gravity, and Byte, the Crux has the ERG Hybrid Coverstock with a Catalyst Core on the inside. This in my opinion is one of storms best core designs. The core was intended to get this ball to have the same motion even when you have that one shot of an inconsistent release. The Catalyst Core design has a built in cavity for the thumb hole. In doing so, this helps create consistent numbers after drilling and still keeping most of the mass of the core in tact without drilling into the core and still allowing multiple drill patterns. This ball comes at a 3000 grit abralon finish. I drilled this ball with a Dual Angle 55° x 5″ x 45° placing the pin above my ring finger.
I threw this ball on your typical house shot. After the first couple of shots, I was in love. I rarely see this type of motion from an asymmetrical ball. The Crux gave me a tremendous amount of energy retention throughout the entire skid/roll phases. It never say any loss of energy and plowed the pins like a big rig truck. This ball never hooked up early, but it still read the mid part of the lanes very well. I will be able to use this ball from Heavy to Medium oil patterns. If you are bowling on something with a little more oil this ball works just fine with a hand sand 2k finish to get it the ball to pick up if it’s shooting past the breakpoint. For your little drier or lighter volume conditions, you can take this to a 4k or a 1500 polished to give it more length and skid through the heads and more energy retention downlane with backend.

All types of styles and players will be able to use this ball. From cranker to strokers and from slow ball speeds to high ball speeds, this is the ball for everyone. It can be used from multiple angles on the lane and gives a motion that everyone desires.
Based off performance, I’ll give this ball a perfect “A+.” I hardly ever actually it is ever see an asymmetrical ball roll this good. Be sure to get one of these in your bag. IT IS A MUST FOR ALL BOWLERS! Based off the cosmetics of the ball, I will give it an “A.” I really like the black, purple, & white color combination on the Crux with the amazing scented Pomegranate smell. This is a must have in every bowlers bag from a tournament bowler to a typical league bowler.
The Crux is the ball you’ve all been waiting for!! You don’t just bowl with it; YOU WIN WITH IT!

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Storm Hy-Road Solid
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

Storm is bringing you the next best solid release to this century, Hy-Road Solid! This ball is a very good compliment to the original Hy-Road. Utilizing the same core as the original Hy-Road but wrapped around the ever popular R2S Solid cover stock. If any of you remember the t-road solid, this ball has a very similar reaction to it. This ball will give you smooth, predictable motion. This ball has a good amount of hook to handle lane conditions from heavy to medium-heavy oil lane conditions.
The Hy-Road Solid comes out of box at 2000 grit abralon finish. I drilled this ball with a 4 3/8? x 5 1/2? placing the pin up above my ring finger. I tested this ball on the 2014 USBC Open Championship Team Event Pattern. The Hy-Road Solid gave me a tremendous mid-lane read with a smooth but strong motion off the breakpoint.
On House conditions, this ball worked well on medium-heavy patterns with a lot of volume and a long length of pattern. This ball needs oil at the box finish. Taking it down to a 4000 or even a 1500 polish finish, you will be able to use this ball on more medium house patterns where the ball won’t read to early since it won’t be to dull.
This ball works very well on fresh sport shots that are 40+ feet and over 23ml of oil. It really blends the pattern out well and you can get a consistent read off the breakpoint with this ball at the out of box finish.
Based off performance, I give this ball a “B+.” Based off cosmetics, I give this ball a “B-.” I would have liked to see a better color blend with the black. A darker color with the black like purple or navy blue would have been perfect in my opinion.
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Storm IQ Tour 30
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm IQ Tour 30 Review by Storm Staffer Joshua Tajiri
Back and better than ever, Storm introduces the IQ Tour 30 duplicated from the IQ Tour Pearl. Utilizing the same coverstock and core combination as the IQ Tour Pearl, they changed the color to a bronze/black pearl color which actually changes the reaction for you. The IQ Tour 30 because of the change in the color pigment reads the mid-lane and has a strong reaction in the backend. Much more angular than the IQ Tour Pearl for me.
I drilled mines pin under the ring making the pin 4.5″ from my PAP and 5.5″ from PSA to
 PAP with a 4 1/2″ pin buffer. The reaction I see with the layout and ball combination is a smooth continuous read off the breakpoint. Very controllable and still able to clear the heads from the pearl coverstock and 1500 grit polished finish.
This ball works particularly well on your normal typical house shots. For sport patterns, I found good use of this ball on medium patterns when knocking off the shine a little to allow the ball to not push past the breakpoint or leave it at the boxed finish for later blocks.
Based on performance, I will give this ball an “A.” Based on shelf appeal, I give it a “A+.” I love the bronze pearl color on the ball with the sparkling gold fillings.
Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/ Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Storm Lock
9 of 11 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm Lock Review by Storm Staffer Joshua Tajiri
Introducing the newest addition to the premier line from Storm, the LOCK! The Lock features a brand new core design derived from a very successful core technology previously used, RAD-X Core featuring RAD (Radial Acceleration Disk) Design. The coverstock used in this ball is brand new designed to grip the lanes. The GI-15, Game Improvement 2015, hybrid reactive coverstock is capable of handling heavy oil very well.

I drilled my lock with a 45° x 5" x 40° Dual angle layout placing the pin above my ring fingers. This is my favorite layout on Asymmetrical balls. The layout will provide me great length with a strong and continuous backend motion.

The Lock rolls best on longer patterns and heavier volume lane conditions. The motion of this ball reminds of my all time favorite Virtual Gravity. I'm able to get the ball to tip even from the oiliest lane conditions.

Based on performance, I give this ball an A+. Based on shelf appeal, the Lock deserves an A+. Great colors and smell and the swirls look good when rolling down lane. The colors remind of me a critical theory.

LOCK yourself into competition!

Joshua Tajiri
Storm/ Roto Grip Amateur Staff

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Storm Optimus
9 of 11 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

I think Storm has finally found a replacement to the Marvel Pearl. I’m proud to introduce the latest pearl ball in the Master Line, “Optimus.” Using the same coverstock as the Marvel Pearl, the Optimus has a R2x Pearl Coverstock with a Tri-Sphere Core on the inside. This ball comes at a 1500 grit polished factory finish. I drilled this ball with a 5? x 5? pin down layout with a p2 weight hole.

I first tested this ball on the 2014 USBC Open Championships Team Event Pattern. This lane pattern has a good amount of oil with a long length. The Optimus gave me a great read through the fronts but still responding to the friction in the midlane with a strong backend motion. This ball never pushed past the breakpoint. I had lightly hand sanded this to a 2000 grit abralon finish to see a better smoother read at the breakpoint. This ball is very comparable to the every popular Marvel Pearl. The difference between the two is the Optimus is overall much stronger than the Marvel Pearl. I would have to say about 3-4 boards stronger.

On house conditions, this ball gave me great length through the fronts with a strong backend motion. I found it very easy to just stand left and throw it right while watching the ball scream back to the pocket. There is no doubt about this ball storing energy.

Based off performance, I’ll give this ball a solid “A-.” Everyone is going to love this ball and will probably be a very big seller for Storm. Based off the cosmetics of the ball, I will give it an “A.” I love the colors with the red, white, and blue with the very appealing logo but not to large in size, and the awesome smelling berries n’ cream fragrance. This is a must have in every bowlers bag from a tournament bowler to a typical league bowler. The Optimus a ball for everyone!!
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Storm Optimus Solid
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm’s latest ball in the Master Line, “Optimus Solid,” is a proven winner. It combines the tri-sphere core found in the original Optimus and the solid version of the R2X coverstock. With this core and coverstock combination, the first characteristics you will see is a early mid-lane read with a smooth controllable motion off the breakpoint. This ball fits right in between the IQ Nano and IQ Tour Solid based on hook rating.
I drilled my Optimus Solid with a Pin Up layout with the pin 4.5″ and cg 5″ from my axis. I really liked how this ball encountered heavy oil. It didn’t skate right in the heads, but it still allowed the ball to have recovery off the spot.
I found this ball best used on medium-oily lane conditions at a 2k hand sanded abralon finish. This ball also worked well when there was lots of head oil.
This a really good benchmark ball for everyone to have in their bag. For drier lane conditions or higher friction lane surface, you can change the surface to 1500 polish.

Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Storm Phaze
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm has created a ball with a diverse motion from previous balls released, the PHAZE. Although Storm is known for its long and strong backend, they have created a brand new TACKY coverstock called the AX-16 Pearl Reactive. They also introduced their new highly innovative Velocity Core. With this core and coverstock combination, Storm really brings a new ball motion. While may some expect this ball to be a strong ball with an aggressive back end motion, this ball is the quite opposite. The Phaze is a very controllable ball motion that doesn’t hook at your foot and has incredible hitting power going through the
I drilled my Phaze with a 5.25″ pin to pap and 4.5″ cg to pap placing the pin under my ring finger. With this ball and drilling, I saw a great consistent ball motion. I was able to control the backends and not have the ball hook off my hand. I’ve had great success with this ball on medium-drier house conditions where the backend of the lanes are very clean and hook. On tournament patterns, I was able to use this ball in later blocks or patterns where I wanted to control the pocket and play more direct. This ball adjusts to surface changes very well which is one of the best features of this ball.
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Staff
Vise Staff

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

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm is back with one of the strongest symmetrical balls released till this day, Phaze II. The Phaze II has a new TX-16 coverstock which is a brand new coverstock that is designed to conquer the heaviest of oils. It comes sanded at a 3000 abralon finish out of box. This ball will respond harder to the dry in the friction when you miss right and hook in the oil when you miss left giving you the ultimate miss room. The Phaze II uses the same core as the original Phaze, Velocity Core. This core is a fast revving core with a smooth motion off the breakpoint.
The Phaze II is definitely one of my favorite balls to date. It takes place of my favorite strong symmetrical ball, Marvel-S. The motions are very similar, but what I see is that the Phaze II has incredible hitting power and ultimate control. I also compared it to the Optimus Solid. The Optimus Solid had less overall hook and went a tad bit longer before hooking than the Phaze II. Comparing to the original Phaze, The Phaze II will hook quite a bit more and have a more predictable breakpoint to the pocket. With that new coverstock in the Phaze II, I’ve seen a much harder impact through the pins than the original Phaze.
I drilled my Phaze II with a dual-angle layout of 40° x 4 1/4″ x 30° placing the pin above my ring finger. This layout is similar to one of my favorite layouts on higher performance balls. After throwing this ball a lot, I’ve seen some really good ball motions out of the Phaze II. I’m able to play deeper in the oil without sacrificing hitting power playing the tighter angles. This ball is very versatile. You can adjust the surface to your needs whether it being sanded or polished depending on your style. It reacts to surface adjustments very well without hindering the overall ball motion.
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Staff
Vise Staff

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Storm Pitch Black
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
4

About the Bowler

I’m proud to review the new best urethane ball to the bowling ball market by Storm, “Pitch Black.” This ball is the real thing. It is not like the newer hooking urethanes. It’s much much similar to the old school urethanes which i loved and like. It’s in the same comparable category as the original Roto Grip Grenade.
The Pitch Black utilizes their new urethane formulated coverstock, Controll Solid Urethane. The inner core which powers this ball is Capacitor Core. Out of box this ball comes at 1000 grit abralon finish. Unlike most of the newer urethanes, this ball retains that same finishing surface for a very long time much like older urethanes.
We threw this ball on the Kegel 35ft pattern, Boardwalk. I was able to play farther right which is exactly where I wanted to be. I compared it the Super Natural and the Pitch Black allowed me to stay further right and up the boards instead of swinging to the gutter which I had to do with the Super Natural. This ball is $$$$$ on shorter sport shots and low volume house shots. I could also see this ball coming into play on very very burnt lane conditions or houses with very high friction.
Based on performance in the category of urethane balls, I’m gonna grade this a Solid “A.” It does everything it was designed to do and has very good pin action at the pocket. Based off the cosmetics of this ball with the all solid black color and the dull finish with bright neon green logos, I will give it a “B.” Some people won’t be to thrilled with the really dull finish, but I personally love it. This ball will give you a great amount of control with a smooth motion towards the pocket with still packing a punch as it crushes the pins!
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Storm Punch Out
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

After throwing the Punch out on multiple conditions, I saw a great length with a strong wicked backend motion. On house conditions, I was able to stand left and get it far right into the friction and saw a tremendous amount of backend motion as it packed the pocket. On sport conditions such as USBC Open Singles/Doubles and Team event patterns, I saw this ball come into play after the oil started to transition and the oil carried down. I was able to move inside and this ball allowed me great push through the fronts and didn’t over hook in the backend. It allowed me to get in and wheel on it and showed some room for tug. Compared to the Lights Out, this ball goes longer and has a stronger snap at the breakpoint.

Based off performance, I give this ball an “B+.” Great backend and hook for the price point. Based off cosmetics, I rate this ball an “B.” The orange logo lettering doesn’t stand out on the white as much as I thought it would. The colors of this ball looks very similar to the wrecker, so it is a little hard to differentiate watching it go down lane if it is a wrecker or a punch out.

Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Amateur Staff
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Storm Ride
13 of 16 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Introducing Storm's latest addition to the Hot Line, the RIDE! The Ride is designed for drier lane conditions. It was created with a weaker coverstock and a slower revving core to give you a smooth and predictable motion. This ball is excellent for when the fronts start to burn up or when your other balls are just hooking too much.

I drilled my ride with a 3 3/8" pin to pap and a 5" cg to pap which places the pin to the right of my ring finger. I mapped out my Ride with this layout to create a ball that will give me a continuous read throughout the entire lane. It doesn't overhook while still not going as straight as a urethane would. This ball clears the front part of the lane like none other.

I have been able to use this ball on a variety of lane conditions. This ball has worked really well on drier house shots and in later blocks in tournaments. I have also seen great results with this ball on the US Open pattern. It allows me to play inside and keep my angles tight giving that it doesn't read the heads when I missed inside by a board or two; it pushed through the spot and would still hit pocket.

In summary, the Ride is very predictable and consistent. Grading this ball based on drier lane conditions, I will give this an "A" because it allows me to stay straighter for a longer period of time while still providing a furious punch into the pocket. Based on the cosmetics of this ball, I will give it an "B+." I like the red and silver swirl throughout the ball with the yellow Ride Logo. From tournament to dry lane conditions, enjoy "The" Ride!

Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,

Joshua Tajiri

Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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Storm Snap Lock
1 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm is back with one of the strongest symmetrical balls released till this day, Phaze II. The Phaze II has a new TX-16 coverstock which is a brand new coverstock that is designed to conquer the heaviest of oils. It comes sanded at a 3000 abralon finish out of box. This ball will respond harder to the dry in the friction when you miss right and hook in the oil when you miss left giving you the ultimate miss room. The Phaze II uses the same core as the original Phaze, Velocity Core. This core is a fast revving core with a smooth motion off the breakpoint.
The Phaze II is definitely one of my favorite balls to date. It takes place of my favorite strong symmetrical ball, Marvel-S. The motions are very similar, but what I see is that the Phaze II has incredible hitting power and ultimate control. I also compared it to the Optimus Solid. The Optimus Solid had less overall hook and went a tad bit longer before hooking than the Phaze II. Comparing to the original Phaze, The Phaze II will hook quite a bit more and have a more predictable breakpoint to the pocket. With that new coverstock in the Phaze II, I’ve seen a much harder impact through the pins than the original Phaze.
I drilled my Phaze II with a dual-angle layout of 40° x 4 1/4″ x 30° placing the pin above my ring finger. This layout is similar to one of my favorite layouts on higher performance balls. After throwing this ball a lot, I’ve seen some really good ball motions out of the Phaze II. I’m able to play deeper in the oil without sacrificing hitting power playing the tighter angles. This ball is very versatile. You can adjust the surface to your needs whether it being sanded or polished depending on your style. It reacts to surface adjustments very well without hindering the overall ball motion.
Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Staff
Vise Staff

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Storm Snap Lock
1 of 6 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

League Average:
220
PAP:
6" x 1/2"
Ball Speed:
Medium
Style:
Tweener
Bowling Hand:
Right Handed
Sport Shot Average:
210
Experience:
Advanced (I have bowled in a league)
Storm Snap Lock
The Lock now has a perfect ball to compliment it.. the Snap Lock. Featuring the same weight block with a R3S Coverstock. This cover/weightblock combination allows this ball to slide though the oil and spark left at the breakpoint. It is on the angular side of ball motion but still allows the bowler to maintain control. When the Lock or Alpha Crux starts to hook to early or roll out, thats when the Snap Lock comes into play. Its one of the best pearl asymmetrical balls I have ever thrown. I normally don't like pearl asymmetrical balls, but this is an exception. It rolls great on house shots and works very well during that transition game or early burn on tournament conditions.
I drilled my snap lock with a Dual Angle Layout 55° x 5" x 40". It gave me good length with a strong but controllable backend motion. Best thing about this ball is that it never quits.

Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Grip Staff
Vise Staff

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Storm Wipe Out
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
5

About the Bowler

Introducing the latest solid release in the Hot Line, the Wipe Out. This ball utilizes the turbine core wrapped around the ever popular R2S solid reactive coverstock and comes at 3000 grit abralon out-of-box finish. The Wipe Out at 15lbs comes with a RG of 2.55 and a Diff of 0.038.

After rolling the Wipe Out on a couple of different patterns including USBC Nationals Singles/Doubles & Team event oil patterns, I've seen a very good reaction with it off the fresh. With a 5.25" Pin to Pap and a 5.5" CG to Pap placing the pin above my ring finger, I see excellent length through the front part of the lanes and a continuous smooth motion off the back part of the lanes. This ball is very good when you need a ball to not overbook at the end of a pattern and smoothen out the backends. The Wipe Out is a good compliment and ball down from the IQ Tour.

Based off the performance of the Wipe Out, I will give it an "A." This ball has a good amount of hook for that price point. Based off overall cosmetics of the ball, I give this a "A-." I love the Navy Blue/Green color combo with the spearmint scent. The yellow engraved "Wipe Out" logo stands out very nicely. Watching this ball go down lane, you will definitely know its a Wipe Out!

Joshua Tajiri
Storm/Roto Amateur Staff
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