BallReviews
Reviews => Storm => Topic started by: Ballreviews on January 09, 2015, 01:57:40 PM
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Storm Crux Pearl Ball Specs:
- Color: Black/White/Copper All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Core: Catalyst (Asymmetrical)
- Coverstock: ERG Pearl Reactive
- Factory Finish: 1500-grit Polished
- Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.50
- Differential (Diff): 0.052
- ** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
- Recommended Lane Condition: Heavy Oil
- Fragrance: Root Beer
- A few tiny pit holes in the cover stock of the ball are normal
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Storm Crux Pearl Ball Review by Walter McKnight
Lane Conditions: Medium-Heavy Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: Combination
What part of the lane did you play? Third Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 1500
Likes: Super Clean with just enough midlane read.
Dislikes: I only have one so far!
Every year Storm keeps raising the bar. Continuing with the success of the original Crux they have paired the Catalyst Core. A core over 8 years in the making with their super clean yet aggressive ERG pearl reactive coverstock. The combination of the two make for effortless motion through the front of the lane while producing an unrivaled backend reaction.
I drilled my Crux Pearl 40º x 5 1/2†x 35. Pin over the bridge Cg in the center of my palm. I find this ball to be super clean, The ball has a touch of mid lane motion and a very controlled breakpoint. This allows me to read the front and the back of the lane with ease. After the lanes start breaking down the Crux starts to read very early, The Crux Pearl is a perfect compliment when this occurs. Some pearls have a problem making the turn down lane thru the oil but not for the Crux Pearl it still cuts through tough oil down lane giving you the best shape out there.
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Conditions: THS 38', THS 40'
Layout: 65x5.25x40, P3 hole
Box surface
The Crux Pearl is quite an amazing ball for a few different reasons. For a ball that hooks this much and rolls this smoothly, it gets down the lane extremely easily and cleanly, and makes a nice hard turn on the backend. It's a very versatile ball that will react consistently and strongly from any angle on the lane. Despite the easy length, it revs well in the midlane. When carrydown will make other weaker balls slide or skid at the breakpoint, the Crux Pearl cuts through it well and finishes strong. The Crux Pearl is an excellent ball on medium to heavy house patterns or longer sport patterns where you need a ball that will both allow you to play the oil and give you a sharp move on the back. This is a ball that you can use for a very long time as the lanes transition, it still gets good length and hit from deep angles. Where other balls will burn up on the turn from deep, the Crux Pearl retains energy very well and still rolls through the pocket. If you liked the original, this one definitely compliments it well.
Luke Rosdahl
In The Zone Pro Shop
Storm Advisory Staff
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The Crux Pearl is one excellent ball. If you like the Crux and its strong mid-lane read and reaction then you will love this pearl version. As expected, it is longer than the Crux but unlike many pearl balls, it still is able to read the mid-lane and make a move, even if kept in the oil because of the Catalyst core. When my Crux starts charging too hard, I can switch to the Crux Pearl and keep the same line. Plus it has the same awesome carry as the original Crux.
As an added bonus, the root beer fragrance is nice and is a good change from the mainly fruit fragrances of past balls.
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Crux Pearl review by Storm staffer Tony Marino
I have had great success with the original Crux when there is enough oil to throw it. So drilling up the Crux pearl which should clear the front part of the lane easier was a no brainer. The Crux Pearl combines the same Catalyst core from the original, with the pearlized ERG coverstock. I drilled mine with my favorite pin down layout; 5†x 4†with a 4.5†pin buffer and a P3 weight hole.
Like the original, the Crux Pearl needs some oil. The ERG pearl is much cleaner through the front part of the lane than the Hybrid ERG of the Crux, and makes a very strong midlane move. I can see this ball being a house shot killer! I typically like to keep my angles fairly square and play the oil line on house patterns, but I was able get in and really open up the lane with the Crux Pearl. I tried playing up the edge of the oil line, but the ERG cover was too strong and forced me inside to the heavier oil. The overall strength was comparable to the Crux. I also compared it to the IQ Nano, and I have my Crux Pearl about six boards stronger. The Crux pearl reads the lane later than the Nano, and makes a much stronger move off the breakpoint.
I believe the Crux Pearl will be a great ball for house patterns! I can’t wait to use it on some flatter tournament oil patterns I’ve got coming up. The Crux Pearl is the perfect complement to the original Crux. The pearl is great for people who like opening up the lane, or speed dominant players who need a strong ball that won’t pick up at the arrows.
Want to see what I am talking about? Click this link to see my video which compares the Storm ball mentioned in this review.
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Crux Pearl Review by Derek Eoff
When I heard they were coming out with a Crux Pearl, I was really excited. I love the Crux and was looking forward to a strong asymmetrical pearl. I put my standard layout on the Crux Pearl, pin above my middle finger with the CG kicked out at 45 degrees and a small hole on my axis.
I have had the opportunity to use the Crux on a variety or patterns such as WTBA Mexico City, Kegel Turnpike, 2014 USBC Open Team pattern and a typical house shot.
The Crux pearl has exceeded my expectations. On the Turnpike pattern, I bowled 740 in league on a very high friction lane surface. I could move in and it never lost hitting power. I just bowled a tournament on the 2014 Open Champ. team pattern and it was the tightest version of that pattern I have seen. In game 1, I could use the Crux pearl and bowled 300. I had no problem with it picking up when my Optimus and Marvel Pearl labored.
Comparing it to the Optimus, the Crux pearl is cleaner and more angular. The Crux pearl is about five boards stronger than the Optimus. Comparing it to the Marvel Pearl (one of my all time favorites), it is a similar motion, but the Crux pearl is about five boards stronger.
In my opinion this is the best pearl asymmetrical Storm has made.
If you love the Crux you will love the Crux pearl. If you didn't like the Crux because it was too early or too strong, the Crux pearl may be a better option.
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Orientation: Right Handed
Rev Rate: 375 RPM
Speed: 16-17 MPH
PAP: 4 5/8 straight across
Location: Enterprise Park Lanes, Springfield MO
Pattern: High Volume THS
Layout: 40, 5 ¾, 40
The Storm Crux Pearl is the perfect complement to the Crux. If you ever had a problem with the Crux rolling too early or not generating enough backend, then look no further. The Crux Pearl gets through the heads easily and backends a ton but still maintains controllability.
I drilled mine with a negative high pin and I love it. It gets through the fronts easy but is smooth and strong on the back. I’m going to like it a lot for when there’s a bunch of friction on the lane. I can control the break point and still have a lot of hitting power.
My first night of league with the Crux Pearl I shot 248-267-300 for 815!
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This new ball from Storm does not disappoint. With It's revolutionary asymmetrical Catalyst Core and advanced ERG is has Excellent length and is so smooth down lane. Personally I was really looking forward to this one being that with my high Rev rate I wasn't really to hung up on the Original Crux for my game. ( Hooked To much )
I drilled this ball Pin up with the C.G kicked to the left about 1" ( Opposite Side ) and drilled through the Mass Bias due to location. Del Ballard recommended this layout for my game. Dual angle Layout is 60x5x20
This ball started to get into a roll about 3' further down lane compared to the Original crux which was awesome and had excellent flip. On average I was about an arrow further right with this ball compared to the crux. This ball is a great compliment to the Original especially if you want more skid and more flip.
Check out my ball comparison video on My YouTube Channel @
Joe Pompilio Bowling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiFhdYXHvnI
Joe Pompilio
Storm Amateur Staff Player
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Storm Crux Pearl
Layout: 45 X 4 5/8 X 65
Box Finish
Bowler Info:
325 Rev Rate
Speed: 16 - 17 MPH
Pap - 4 7/16 over, 3/8 up
The Crux Pearl is a versatile asymmetric ball that works well on any medium range condition. On a regular house shot, it has enough strength and mid lane roll to be able to start with it at the beginning of the night, but it also has enough flip to be able to move left and circle the lane once the oil breaks down. I would not consider the ball reaction of the Crux Pearl to be a “flipâ€; I would categorize it to be a strong downlane arc.
The Crux Pearl is 2-3 boards stronger than the Storm Rocket, with the Rocket being slightly easier through the front part of the lane versus the Crux Pearl. They are a great 1-2 punch, especially for any house shot.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuc_wagOzNI&feature=youtu.be
Mike LeViner
Bowlers Mart
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Ball: Storm Crux Pearl
Layout: 50 x 4-1/2 X 50
Test pattern: 41ft THS and 40ft Kegel Flex Pattern
Results: Well, it was too strong for me to play my typical THS place on the lane. I actually moved LEFT to about 20-22 and look at the bottom of the 4 pin to make the ball stay in the pocket. The ball works well on a THS that I bowl on that is the same length, but on Pro Lane by playing 30 to 18 with a good amount of tilt.So,in TWO WORDS: Hercules Strong!!! For the love of the sport, I proceeded to continue with the ball review. I used this ball more of the 40ft Kegel flex pattern and found the ball roll better inside of the track area and where the oil was heavier and longer. This ball will suit those players that bowl on the harder lane surfaces like SPL, Pro-lane and Anvilane on the longer house patterns and sport patterns.
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 32 and 40
Volume: Various
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS and Sport
The Crux Pearl is the latest introduction to the Premier Line. The catalyst core surrounded by the ERG Pearl reactive shell provides length with an aggressive backend reaction that Storm is known for. The Crux Pearl is a perfect complement to the Crux. If the Crux is too aggressive early… the Crux Pearl will get down the lane and make the turn to the pocket with authority. With all of this being said, I drill my Crux Pearl with a pin over the fingers with the mass bias kicked out (Dual angle coordinates 45X5 1/2X45) with no xhole. My coordinates are: PAP 5 5/8 by ¾, Rev Rate around 300, more up the back release and my balls speed is around 15mph. I like to go straighter if possible.
I compared the Crux Pearl against the Crux to see how different they really were. I used them on a regular fresh house shot, after league house shot and a version of a 40 foot sport pattern. As advertised the Crux Pearl provided more length than Crux but with this added length and energy retention the backend was sometimes too much! That is why I said that the Crux Pearl was a perfect complement to the Crux. The fresh house pattern and the fresh 40 foot sport pattern the Crux Pearl was too sensitive to the dry and gave me over under. However, the Crux blended the patterns and allowed me to keep my angles normal. As soon as the heads started to go or when the oil moved down the lane the Crux Pearl was fantastic and opened up the lane. The after league house shot and in the later games of the sport pattern the Crux Pearl made the pocket look huge!
The Crux Pearl will have a place in my bag because if you need to get around the corner and Strike at will…. The only choice is the Crux Pearl!
Likes: Length and the Backend Motion
Dislikes: Skid Flip
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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The Crux pearl is the second ball released by Storm with the Catalyst core, only this time it has the ERG pearl cover. The black, white, and copper color has great shelf appeal. The root beer fragrance takes me back to my childhood, remembering root beer barrel candies that were a staple at my great grandmothers home. The Catalyst core has an Rg of 2.50, a differential of 0.052, and an intermediate differential of 0.017, in 15lbs.
I drilled my Crux pearl 5 x 5 ¾ x 2 ⅝ . That layout puts the pin above my ring finger, and the mass bias just a slight bit right of my grip line. I did not have to use an extra hole on this ball. I will be comparing this with an original Crux that I polished with Storm step #1 and drilled with a layout of 4 x 5 x 2 ¾, and a Hyper Cell Skid drilled 5 x 5 ½ x 2 ½. The Crux pearl gives me more length than the polished Crux, and has a smoother, more continuous change of direction. The ball motion of the Crux pearl isn’t as defined at the breakpoint as the Crux. The pearl Crux needs cleaner backends to make it’s move, than does the original Crux. Most of this can be attributed to the change in layout, but the difference in cover also has the Crux pearl not slowing down as fast. The Crux pearl is about a 2 and 4 board move closer to the drier part of the lane than the original Crux.
When comparing the pearl Crux to the Hyper Cell Skid, the biggest difference on our house condition, is the shape through the backend of the lane. The Crux pearl revs up, and has a more hook set shape than does the Hyper Cell Skid. I find this better for fresher backends. The Hyper Cell Skid continues more, and has more hook through the backend than the Crux pearl. I can stand at the same place with both balls on our house condition, but the different shape they make in the backend means that if I make a mistake, it has to be different with each ball. With the Crux pearl, it is better to miss in, as it will hold pocket, and not over react. With the Hyper Cell Skid, it is better to miss out, as the stronger more continuous move the ball makes down lane will recover better.
In conclusion, when comparing the three balls listed above, I would use the original Crux for higher volumes, and a more pronounced shape at the breakpoint. I can then go to the pearl Crux when the pattern breaks down. If I am using the pearl Crux, and the pattern starts to break down, and I have to start chasing the pattern in, I can then go to the Hyper Cell Skid and open up the pattern with the stronger backend hook. Basically, the pearl Crux fits in the middle of the two balls, and would be the ball I would start with out of the three if I didn’t have any idea of what I was bowling on. The Crux pearl will fit best for medium to medium heavy patterns that I need some length through the front of the lane. The Crux pearl will benefit me on flatter patterns as well, when I want a defined shape, with some good change of direction, that only an asymmetrical ball can provide. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the new pearl Crux. And always remember to bowl up a Storm!
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The drill that I have on my Crux Pearl is 3 1/2"x5"x3" (pin through the middle finger). As for me, I tend to struggle on longer oil patterns. This particular layout helps me out alot with ball motion down the lane. For surface, I left it at factory (1500 grit), which i believe is plenty of surface to start off with. Its in a continuous roll down the lane, smooth archy motion as it exits the oil pattern. I strongly recommend that this is the ball to start off with either it be in your local house shot league or some of the fresh longer patterns! This ball needs to be in your bag!
Josh Johnson
Storm Amatuer Staff Player
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Storm Crux Pearl
Upon such success as the Crux, Storm created a ball to perfectly compliment the original Crux, Crux Pearl. This ball utilizes the same core as the original Crux, Catalyst Core, but it has an all pearl coverstock, ERG Pearl Reactive. This ball comes out of box at a 1500 grit polished finish. The Crux Pearl comes with a Root Beer fragrance that is spot on; it makes me crave a root beer every time that I use it.
The Crux Pearl will fit right under the Crux based on the hook potential. When you see your Crux hooking to early or dying out, you can easily switch to the Crux Pearl to give you a similar motion while getting through the heads and retaining energy.
I drilled my Crux Pearl with a 60° x 5" x 70° which places the pin below my ring finger with a p3 hole. With this layout, I saw great length through the heads with the ball picking up at the end of the pattern while having a controlled motion in the backend.
On a house shot, I can heavily see this ball working very well. It gave me miss room in when I missed left and gave me great recovery when getting the ball to the right of my breakpoint. I also threw this ball on multiple sport shots. I have found this ball come into play on later blocks or later on during the day during league play or in a tournament. On fresh this ball went to far down lane, but when the lanes started to transition, this ball was perfect. I also took the shine off the original box finish because I felt like the ball was pushing to far down the lane. As soon as I did this surface adjustment, I saw that motion I was looking for out of this ball. Don't be afraid to do a surface adjustment to match your style or lane play.
Thanks for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,
Joshua Tajiri
BowlersDeals.com Technician
Storm/Roto Amateur Staff
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The new Storm ball in the Premier Line is the Crux Pearl. By using the same Catalystâ„¢ Core in the Crux and wrapping it with ERGâ„¢ Pearl Reactive coverstock.
The Crux Pearl is great compliment to the Crux. As when the Crux starts to labor a little downlane, you can go right to the Pearl. In the Storm Matchmakers that I've been part of , the Pearl was the most Popular ball. As all styles liked the Pearl, from
seniors to the Youth kids. It provided a lot of room at the breakpoint to strike.
As the motion is similar to the Hybird Crux, but cleaner through fronts and more energy at the backend. But it not a sideways ball motion, more of hard arcing motion. Another great addition to the Storm Premier Line!
Right Hander
PAP - 4 up 1 1/4
Tilt - 15
Rev - 400
Speed - 17
Brian Watson
Pro Shop Staff
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Crux Pearl
Layout: 45 x 4 x 35 P3 Hole
The Crux pearl definitely lives up to the hype of the original. The pearl ERG coverstock allows the pearl Crux to get through the front and down the lane with no problems. What makes this ball special is the way it comes off the spot down lane. Unlike normal stronger pearls, the Crux maintains that hard arcing motion to the pocket. The Crux Pearl surprisingly retains the hard smother motion off the spot you would normally see in a solid.
This ball manages to give you the advantage of getting down lane with ease that you would see in a pearl, but also giving you the hard predictable move off the spot you would generally see in a solid reactive.
If you are looking for a stronger ball that will get down the lane and make a strong move without creating that hockey stick shape, this may be the answer. Do not be mistaken, this ball does make a very strong move off the spot but the shape the ball creates off the spot is a pleasant surprise.
Louis Narvaez
Storm Roto Grip Staff Member
www.strikingresultsproshop.com
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Right Handed
Ball weight: 15
Rev Rate: 378
Ball Speed: 18.2
Axis Tilt: in flux
Axis Rotation: in flux
PAP: 3 9/16 horizontal, 1 3/8 up
Layout: 30 x 2.5 x 70
When trying to come up with a layout for the Crux Pearl, I decided that I had to get the void in the block as far from my thumb as possible. I believe that the key to utilizing this core is finding a way to get the fingers & thumb holes to change the shape of the core. This is why my initial angle was so small. It pushed the void as far from the thumb as I could get it and put the pin just under my fingers (actually drilled out part of the pin with the ring finger).
While the Crux was so strong, I really found no conditions where I could get it to work well; the Crux Pearl has become my THS go-to ball. The first game of league, this ball has rolled exceptionally well every time. It’s the first ball out of the bag in both of my leagues and any tournaments using a THS. I can only use it for two games max. After that, I have to ball down. The issue I encounter when the lanes transition is that when I migrate left, I start leaving flat 10s. Once I get that far left and can’t get it to kick out the 10, I have to either ball down or make a ball lateral move to something sharper. This may be due to the layout, or possibly the cover, but when it’s in play, this ball is great. The key for me is knowing when to put it back in the bag.
I did have the opportunity to use it on the Earl Anthony pattern this weekend and was able to strike from multiple angles; however, playing the heavier oil towards the outside didn’t leave me the room I needed. If I didn’t execute the shot almost perfectly, I wasn’t going to strike, maybe not even hit the pocket. When I made a move left to play about 12 with a bump out, my look got much better and I was able to get away with ‘less than perfect’ shots. I ended that set wishing I had jumped left much sooner.
I really like the Crux Pearl and have been using it quite a bit. I would just advise that a layout that allows you to change the core with the drilling holes will make this ball significantly better.
For a smooth rolling pearl, this ball is really good.
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Lay Out: 4.5" from PAP at 50* PAP angle and 45* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 50/4.5/45. 7/8" weight hole 5" straight across the axis as I only wanted to make it legal as I was pleased with the motion.
Surface: Box which is 1500 Reacta-Shine.
Purpose: I wanted a strong pearl ball to throw either on longer patterns or to be able to move into the puddle for leagues.
Observations: The Crux Pearl is what most tweeners hoped the original Crux would be out of the gate. I threw it some side by side with the Optimus, original Crux, and newer Rocket. The Optimus was longer with some of the same shape. On longer patterns is where the Crux Pearl had a significant advantage as it had no problem moving off the end of the pattern strongly. I used both in a PBA50 regional that had the Shark pattern out and the Optimus was at home due to the surface being wood. The Cruz Pearl was just too violent off the spot and would have forced me to open my angles up too much for the way the pattern was playing. I instead used the IQ Tour Nano when I needed the ball to bleed off more energy while the lanes settled down. Once they settled, the Optimus was much smoother and the better choice. Now on league patterns with dry out and puddle in, the Crux Pearl is very good for me. I can throw with my normal 325 rev rate or flatten my hand/pick my speed up and move closer to the oil line and have a great look from there also. Using it with the Rocket is interesting. The Rocket is just too long and late compared to the Crux Pearl. The Rocket has its place, just not as a ball down choice from the Crux Pearl unless I hit the Rocket with 3000 to get the skid more under control.
Conclusions: The Crux Pearl is definitely a great piece and compliment if you drilled the original Crux. For some of the tweeners, the Pearl is a lot better option for league conditions. On tournament patterns where the back end is less defined, you may need to touch the cover to get this one to slow down and be more predictable. Try one out, you won't be disappointed.
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LANE CONDITION
Length:41ft
Volume:medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Likes: The Crux Pearl for me is a great compliment to my regular Crux. It clears the front part of the lane and the mids very well. it isn't very angular off the spot which is great for me. It is very aggressive down lane. I went with a 50*5.5*50 layout with no extra hole. I'm loving this ball so far.
Dislikes: no dislikes at all!!
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Storm Crux Pearl Ball Review by PJ Haggerty
As expected, the Crux Pearl is a home run from Storm. It’s a pearl, asymmetrical ball with a strong cover. This is a ball for ALL types of players. I was bowling league last week and noticed by looking at the ball returns across the house how many Crux Pearls people were throwing. They were everywhere. This tells me a couple things: 1) Storm has produced another good looking, ball that strikes a ton and 2) It’s a ball that many different styles are able to use.
I’ve drilled two so far. The first one I drilled is as follows: 6 x 5 x 65. This puts the pin above my middle, the cg is actually left of my center line, and the mass bias just to the right of my thumb. My goal was to create a shape that was more forward down lane and slow down the response time. This layout has certainly provided that shape. I’ve used it on many house patterns as well as regional patterns, but I’ve had to add surface to it. Most of the time I will use a light 2000 pad to make sure my response time isn’t too quick.
The second Crux Pearl I drilled is as follows: 4 ½ x 4 x 40. This puts the pin in-between my ring finger and bridge with a small shift and a small hole underneath my positive axis point. This shape is quite a bit quicker down lane and also reads the body of the lane sooner. I’ve been able to use this as a starting point on most patterns. I think it’s a great benchmark ball to start with. If I need to use something stronger, I can use the Original Crux or Hyper Cell. If I need something weaker, I can use an IQ Tour or an IQ Nano.
If you are looking for a very versatile ball that compliments all styles of players, the Storm Crux Pearl is a must have!
#StormNation
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Hand: Left
Ball Speed: 16-17mph
Ball Weight: 15lbs
PAP: 5 left 7/16 up
Degrees of Tilt: 17
Layout: 3 ½ x 6 ½ x 2 ½
The Storm Crux Pearl has the pin left of ring finger with the cg slighty out and the the PSA (Preferred Spin Axis) under the thumb. When I first started rolling the Crux pearl I noticed it was going a little too long for me with my speed so I slightly scuffed it with 3000 just to give it some teeth and read sooner but still keep the motion on the back end. Once I put the surface on it the ball came to life and was able to roll it on more patterns than it was polished. For it being a pearl and a Storm ball it is fairly even which I like since I have others that give me the more flip look.
On a house shot I have not had too much luck but on a similar length of a house shot around 40-41 and higher volume of oil that’s where the magic happens. I am able to use the Crux pearl more down and in standing around 17 and hitting 8-9 at the arrows and not making such a defined turn but a mellow turn but still continues through the pins. On those types of patterns with my speed I can’t swing it a lot which is fine but it complements the original Crux well when you need a ball to get through the fronts and get to the pocket with more energy.
If you have any questions about the Crux pearl email me at garrett.richardson@pinolebowlerssupply.com. I have a video on youtube!
Garrett Richardson
Storm/Roto Grip Pro Shop Staff
Vise Inserts Amateur Staff
Pinole Bowler’s Supply
www.facebook.com/grstorm
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www.stormbowling.com
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