Ball NPS Score: 100.00
LANE CONDITION

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   IQ review by Storm staffer Jeff Richgels

   The IQ ball details are here:
   http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/iq

   The IQ is Storm's latest strong ball for heavy oil. It features a new PFT (Progressive Friction Technology) coverstock (3,000 Abralon box finish) and symmetrical Centripetal core that can produce 6 inches or more of flare.
   My favorite ball for heavy oil remains the VIRTUAL GRAVITY NANO and I continue to use the one I used when our Turbo 2-N-1 Grips team won the 2011 USBC Open Championships team event. It's well into triple digits in games but I clean it after every use and am constantly hitting it with Abralon or using the great Turbo sandbagger system on it to tweak the cover and keep it fresh and strong.   But the NANO is asymmetrical and sometimes is simply too much ball for my moderate speed and tweener rev rate, so when I read up on the IQ I immediately saw it as a NANO replacement when the NANO was a tad too much.
   So I drilled my IQ just like that favorite NANO – pin over my ring finger and CG kicked right at about 60 to 75 degrees and a 7/8 hole between P2 and P3, which should kick the flare up a touch.
   The PIN to PAP is 4 3/4, PAP to "MB" is 4 3/4, and pin buffer is 3 1/4.
   I have used the IQ on a wet-dry house shot on Brunswick ProLane synthetics and the PBA Chameleon pattern in a PBA Regional on older Brunswick synthetics.
   After this small sample size, I feel confident in saying that IQ turned out as expected: a smoother version of my NANO that is easier to control by not being as dynamic. There definitely was no point at which the IQ went "nuts" and it should be a great ball for me for fresh, heavy oil where I want to stay fairly straight to the pattern.
   The IQ definitely hit weak when I threw it out into the dry boards on the house shot but rolled nicely in the oil. And it was excellent the first couple games on Chameleon at the Regional.
   If you're looking for an oil ball that is easier to control than a strong asymmetrical like the NANO, the IQ should be for you ... unless you have a very high rev rate and slower speed. 
   But leave it in the bag when there isn't plenty of oil on the lanes ... unless you have few revs and need the hooking power. (Or you might be able to smooth/shine it, which is something I have not had a chance to try.)
      

The New IQ from Storm has taken cover stock technology to a new level. The new PFT (Progressive Friction Technology) cover is the next step in creating the correct ball motion for the intended lane condition. Using the symmetric Centripetal core found in the Marvel series of bowling balls, the IQ revs up fast and is designed to handle medium heavy lane conditions. The cover comes from factory with a 3000 abralon finish. The cover adjusts easily to either create more friction early, or delay the ball motion for the backend of the lane.

I have found that the IQ is a little easier through the front of the lane than the R2X covered Marvel and Modern Marvel. The IQ has a slight more change of direction than the Marvel as well. I drilled the IQ pin under ring, with the cg kicked left and large hole 2” down my VAL from PAP (5x3.5). Using a Marvel with the same pin placement and weight hole, the IQ gets through the front easier and travels about 2 feet further before it makes a more defined change of direction. Please don’t misunderstand, the IQ is still an even rolling ball when coming out of the oil, but just has a slight more “flip” than the marvel does. This change in motion creates a different angle through the pins.

I find using my IQ works best when still keeping my angles more in front of me on higher volumes of oil. I can chase it in some, but there are better balls designed for that. Keeping the IQ left of third arrow on higher volumes of oil seems to work the best, unless I really twirl my release. Then, the IQ has enough motion down lane to recover. With that said, I still prefer to roll the ball, and use it the way the IQ was designed to be used, for more oil and more control.

The IQ replaces the Marvel in the Master line of Storm bowling balls. This new addition is sure to give any bowler a controlled reaction when encountering fresh backends on medium-heavy volume oiled lanes. Make the smart choice, and drill an IQ today!

PAP : 4 ½ & ½ up
Rev Rate: 400-425 rpm
Ball Weight: 15lbs 
Right Handed

   Wow what a ball! If you need a ball that’s early and smooth, the Storm IQ is the ball for you.  This ball can be used on all types of conditions.  I have used it on heavy oil/long patterns, medium oil/medium length patterns, and light oil/short patterns.  This is not a ball that changes directions super hard, but is perfect for when the lanes are fresh and you are able to use a strong core! 

   This ball is drilled 5 x 3 with a small hole on my axis.  This creates some length through the front but with a mid-lane reaction.  I can definitely see low or high rev players loving this ball.  If you are looking to keep that “early roll” reaction, make sure you keep this ball dull by using one of Storm’s Abralon pads.

   My guess is you will see this ball go down on lots of different lane conditions because of how well this ball endures surface changes.  You can keep it dull for heavy oil or low rev players, shine it up to create length, or keep it around 3000 for a nice smooth reaction!

Go drill one! You won’t be disappointed!

Check out Stormbowling.com for more information!

Lane Conditions: Many
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots: House, Sport Shots
Type of Lane: All Synthetic
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 3000
Likes: Starts up early and still hits pins hard
Dislikes: None so far


My layout: 65 x 4 1/4" x 35
My PAP: 4 3/4" over 1 5/8 up



Are you are looking for a bowling ball that needs to start up early? Then pull the new IQ from Storm out of your bowling bag. This ball is armed with Storm’s new Progressive Friction Technology that starts cutting through heavy oil as soon as it hits the lane. Even though the ball rolls early it still has plenty of energy left in the back part of the lane to slam the pins into the pit.

Much like its sister ball the IQ Tour, the ball is very predictable going down the lane. The difference is the IQ starts its move earlier then the IQ Tour which glides through the fronts a bit easier. Since the IQ goes into an early roll it is a great ball for bowlers who like to start in the heavy oil.  The IQ lives up to its name. You will be very smart to have one of these in your bag!

I apologize for the initial post, it did not take my paste properly.


Storm IQ Review
Layout:
4” x 4” with 3” pin buffer from VAL, Pin distance from CG 4-1/4”
PAP:
4-1/2” -> ½” ^
Conditions:
A. Center A- 38’ house pattern*, All 5 PBA Animal patterns (Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion, Shark and Viper) , Kegel Kustodian Walker, AMF HPL lane surface

Surfaces preps:
1. Factory finish
2. 1000 Abralon
3. 2000 Abralon
4. 4000 Abralon

For reference I throw high track, 15.75 mph, 350+ rpms, using Turbo Lifts and a Switch Grip thumb insert and I am right handed.
Center ‘A’ results:

1. With factory finish;
Ball had too much length on all test patterns, including PBA animals.  Trying to change hand positions from side rotation dominace to more up the back created better early read, but I still saw a lot of over/under at the break point.  Not a good look for me. 

2. Adjusting to 1000 Abralon;
This surface gave me the best read on all (5) of the PBA Patterns, best look on Chameleon.  I saw better carry and a more even transition down lane.  My tug area was reduced, but I found a little more forgiveness missing right.
On the house pattern it would read too early and lack energy at the pocket, fluffing it and varing speed helped some here, but not a good match for my roll and speed.

3. Adjusting to 2000 Abralon;
I enjoyed this reaction a lot, but I needed to put it away by mid second game on the house shot or I was in jail chasing something that wasn’t there.  We all have had that great ball shape and look before, but it just didn’t quite match up.  Waiting too long before a ball change cancost you here.  The PBA patterns played much better than with the factory finish, seeing Viper as this surface’s favorite.

4. Adjusting to 4000;
Just as the factory 3000 finish was too over/under for my roll, the 4000 was as well.  It did have a decent look on Cheetah early on, but for my ball roll, this is not a good choice.
Overview;
The IQ is a great ball out of the gates in 2000 Abralon finish.  I have started many a league sessions with 240-270 opening games with it.  It looks very good on a THS, and with different surface preps may work well on other patterns as well.  You need to know when to put this ball away, as it can fool you into thinking it still has a look that is not there.  I am a big fan of the Centripetal Core, and the Modern Marvel is by far my favorite ball.  The IQ compliments the Modern Marvel quite well, and for many it will become a great addition to their arsenal.

Lay Out: 5" from PAP at 65* PAP angle and 30* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 65/5/35. The pin ended up about 1/2" above my ring finger with the CG swung out from the ring finger. The 65* angle put the eye of the Storm about a quarter inch right of my thumb. I also have a weight hole 5" straight across the center line.

Surface: I am box finish which is 2000 factory abralon. Eventually I put React Shine on top of this.

Purpose: I wanted to drill up this up to see what it rolled like and also to get it on the lane beside other pieces in my bag. I had a Marvel that I really liked when I needed to get an earlier read on longer/higher volume patterns.

Lane Condition Observations: I have thrown this on a couple of different patterns: On our sport shot leagues last night pattern (40 feet), and second shift of our normal league pattern. The second shift was following a mixed league full of plastic throwers and head pin hunters. Strong arcing but predictable would be the best way to describe it. Our house condition is 38 feet on Brunswick Pro Anvil Lane. One thing I couldn't do was go too far away from the pocket and get it back with any authority. On the 40 foot sport pattern, the ball got up to the pocket pretty easily but seemed to lose some energy in the process. I almost needed to shine it to use on this pattern. Yes the cover is that strong.

Response to Friction:I would rate this a medium to slower response in box condition. The motion is archy but not whippy off the spot. The response time might go up some with a smoother surface but I can't see it becoming more than a little stronger arc. When I shined it, the length was much better but the back end was still very slow off the spot.
 
Other Ball Comparisons: I did get to throw it some side by side with my Defiant, Vivid, and Modern Marvel. The Defiant was much earlier and stronger on the back end. The Vivid surprisingly was a little sharper off the breakpoint than the IQ. My Modern Marvel was more on the backend than the IQ.
 
Final Thoughts: The IQ has the looks of a control ball for when the fronts are really tight and you need something to roll up a little earlier. Honestly the cover reminds of the R3X that was on the Invasion in that you got to find a good amount of oil upfront or this ball will just sputter trying to get started.

LANE CONDITION

Length:41

Volume:heavy

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS


COMMENTSDrilled my IQ 4x4x2 and fell in love with this ball the first time I threw it. Shot 300 and 845 with this ball just a couple of weeks after drilling it. The ball is very controllable. good mid lane roll with a very controllable move off the break point. Imeadiatly became my benchmark ball. The Cherry scent is a real nice addition too

Likes: Great control

Dislikes: None


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