BallReviews
Reviews => Storm => Topic started by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
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Storm has refined and modernized the El Nino Gold, setting a new standard (gold) in bowling. These unique features include: Improved Motion Control Core - Increased density for enhanced coefficient of restitution (hitting power) and unequaled pin action. ACCU-Tread Reactive Coverstock - The purest reactive material ever. No additives-No Preservatives-Just Pure Reaction. Ultra-Fleck - Smaller than Reacta-Fleck, Ultra-Fleck provides a discriminating amount of porosity for an even reaction on the lane. The specifications are: Coverstock: ACCU-Tread Reactive Coverstock w/Ultrafleck; Factory Finish: 1,000-grit Matte Finish; Color: Purple/Teal; Hardness: 76-78 Rex D-scale; Weight Block: Motion Control Core; Radius of Gyration: 2.490 (Low); Differential: .060 (High); Flare Potential: High (6"plus); Hook Potential: 19/15/Dull/Shiny on Storm's scale of 1-20; Length: 5.5 on a scale of 1-10; Back end: 9 on a scale of 1-10; Recommended Lane condition: Medium to Heavy Oil.
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I just recieved this ball today, once i got it i put a 5X5 drill on this balL. i threw this ball on synthetics oiled 36 ft. flat all the way across. this ball even with the length drilling still statred up very and just wanted to hit the pocket real hard. Even with my low revs this ball gave me tons of area and hit. Storm has definetly struck gold with this ball.
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Storm's latest release arrived in our shop about a week ago. The first thing you notice about this ball is the smell. It has this grape smell that is coming through the box before you open it. After it is out of the box it smells for a couple day and then it pretty much goes away.
We have drilled about 12 of these. Most people have left the balls out of the box and some have shined them, but everyone has loved the ball.
The El Nino Gold is a smooth arcing ball, when left in the box condition. When you shine the Gold, it gets down the lane easier and gives you more flip on the backend.
Look for this ball to be used on the WPBA and PBA TV shows over the next month or two. This is another solid addition to the Storm line.
On a Scale of 1-10, I would give this ball an 8. If is a great ball for a lot of different games. When you changed the surface of the ball you are able to fit this ball into most bolwers hands.
Thanks
Bill
BuddiesProShop.com
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This is absolutely one of the best STORM balls ever. This ball has remarkable characteristics. It is forgiving in on the oil line and will get back when you miss outside. It has the particle roll with the reactive backend. The surface of this ball is very tweakable and it shines easily. Another fantastic ball from the guys in Utah. Great job STORM.
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We have been drilling a lot of these as of late, and I am amazed at how much this ball hooks. This is possible the largest hooking Reactive Resin ball to hit the market. We have sold over 20 of these balls and everyone loves the reaction they get with this ball. The Gold is able to get through the head without a problem and give you strong mid-lane arc. A nice sweeping hook. You also won't be disappointed with the hitting power. The El Nino Gold keep the pins low and rips the rack.
You can also read my previous review for more information.
thanks
Bill
BuddiesProShop.com
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Thanks To Bill Supper from Storm for his support and allowing me to test this ball. A couples of things I really liked about this ball was the color. It is a beautiful ball. Purple and Green(Same colors as our Milwaukee Bucks) and has a "Grape" scent which is nice as now my bag has a pleasent grape scent instead of a gym locker smell. One pretty neat idea from Storm. I drilled this Ball with my favorite layout. I drilled the Pin 3 3/4" from my P.A.P. and the MC2 or mass bias at a 75 degree angle.
I was very impressed at how the ball rolled off my hand and how clean it got through the heads. I liked the way it reved and finished and hit. It hit's hard, sometimes to hard as I was rewarded with a cold 7 or cold 9 pin. What I was disappointed in was the mid lane reaction. It over reacted on the dry and under reacted in the oil. The best lane condition for this ball is more of a blend or when the lanes break down a little, then it's in it's environment. It is simply to strong on a fresh oil pattern with a Adult Bumper Bowl shot, meaning a "Block". If I was to drill this ball over again, I would drill a more arcy or looping layout with the MC2 in my track.
Still a wonderful STRONG ball for medium dry to medium oily lanes with more of a crown shot. Thank you to Storm and Bill Supper for his support. Thank you for reading this review.
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I drilled my Gold to arc since the ball was described to be a monster if the drilling is too aggressive. With the mass bias on the track side of the thumb and the pin and MC2 in line with the cg, the ball ended up with a little negative after drilling. With only a little opportunity to use this ball, I love the true, consistent and strong predictable reaction of the ball. It hits tremendously hard throwing messengers all over the pit. This is a must have ball for the Storm fans.
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I have my Gold drilled identically to my X-it so I can make a few comparisons here. FYI..that drilling would be a 3 3/8 pin to axis with the MC2 1.5" to the right of my thumbhole.
#1 the Gold has a harder backend move due to the reactive coverstock.
#2 the Gold is not as predictable as the X-it..much more erratic transition from oil to dry
#3 the Gold hits just as hard as the X-it which is about twice as hard as any other ball I have ever used.
#4 the Gold is much more sensitive to ball speed and lane conditions
Overall I really like the ball. I will be adding a 600 grit Squeeky Clean sheen polish to it to add a touch bit more length and control for the last game and a half of the block. Reaction is very similar to my Eraser (Storm front 4" pin to axis) but the reaction happens about 5-7' further down the lane.
So yet another fine ball by the boys in Utah. I'd give this ball a rock solid 9 out of 10. I will post again once I tweak the coverstock and test further.
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Have been shooting on top hat conditions 50/10 and recently they layed a flat pattern and lengthened the oil. 15-16mph 45 Axis Stroker. I throw the Angle Evolution(drilled for max reaction) Enforcer (drilled for length and reaction)Monster(drilled for early roll) and the Missle with mild drilling for down and in. With the new pattern had trouble getting the missle to the pocket and getting weak 7 pins (righty) Everything else was to speed sensitive. Had the Gold drilled for medium length and put a little polish on it. This reactive was just the ticket for this pattern. Playing down 7 board it looks like it will never get to the pocket but when it makes its move it has a nice controlled arc and low pin action. Not a good ball for dryer conditions as it goes dead with out the oil to start in. My proshop guru suggested this ball and drilling after watching me throw my arsenal. Just the ticket and good job Storm!!!
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bowler stats
speed-average
revolutions-above average
pap-over 5 1/4 up 3/8
drilled the ball
pin out 3 1/2"
pin to pap-5"
cg to pap-3 1/2"
weight hole 2" below pap
shot bowled on
synthetic very wet/dry
wood tapered(christmas tree) thats get carry down
this ball rolls very well. As a matter of fact in the area(detroit) i have not seem anyone have this ball roll poorly.
the ball gets thru the heads well with an arcing back end. Not a monster hooker(bigger ones out there), but not shy of the oil either.
definitely wook as a benchmark ball and for the bowler who only buys a ball every once in a while, this may be a good choice.
ball hit very hard also
rating 9 out of 10
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My El Nino Gold has a 3 inch pin and 3.5 ounces of top weight. I had this ball drilled for length with the pin above my ring finger and the cg kicked to the right 1 inch apr. I am a 15 to 17 mph tweener. This is a great all around ball and is my first ball out of the bag. It has good length and a controlable arc to the pocket, with great hitting power. I bowl on synthetic lanes with christmas tree patern and good backends. This ball works good on this condition, but not so good on the dry or choppy wood lanes i bowl on, so i bought a reactive flame for those lanes, haven't tried it yet. I will let you know later in a review how it does. THANKS FOR LISTENING GREAT BALL FROM STORM
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I drilled one up just recently (Thurs evening) and have thrown approx. 9 games w/ it at 2 different centers. The length is phenomenal w/ a backend that just explodes the pins.
Drilled w/ pin at 12 o'clock and mb right of thumb 1 1/2" (pin out 4", so cg is very close to mb). Worked to 1500 grit and polished w/ black magic, this ball through burnt heads w/ no problem gets down the lane w/ ease, and just rolls up on the backend.
Unfortunately, I hesitated to get this one at first, but the #'s just appealed to me and knew it'd fit my game.
I am very pleased to say this is a winner in my book as all the STORM balls I own are.
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I haven't thrown this ball personally, however, being a pro shop operator, I would hope that I have the knowledge and sense to review this ball even without throwing the ball myself.
Bowler Specs: 18-20 revs, 17-19 MPH, 5 degree axis tilt, 60 degree axis rotation.
Ball Specs: 4 3/4" pin to PAP, 3 5/8" CG to PAP, pin just above PAP/ring finger line, mass bias on VAL, balance hole 3/4" above PAP (25/32" diameter, 3" deep).
Lane Condition: Moderate taper with 10 units on board one, increasing to 15 units on board 11 and 18 units on board 12 increasing to 26 units on board 20. Oil is applied to 26 feet, buff runs until 26 feet. The backends are freshly stripped.
This ball for this bowler was REAL strong. He had to pitch the ball (with decent speed - 18 MPH)out to at least the 3 board to keep it in the pocket (he chucked it to the ditch, came off the one board and still came in a tad high on one ball thrown at around 17 MPH).
The ball had a real predictable backend (very flippy with little arcing), due to the placement of the cg and mass bias in relation to the VAL. On the shots with fresher backends (1st game), the ball made a sharp move coming off the buff. On the shots with more carrydown and a bit of midlane scorching (3rd game), the ball still moved strong and didn't lack any power.
He used the ball all night long without moving at all, just made speed adjustments. As the night wore on and the carrydown began to increase, the ball became even better as he didn't have to push the ball out so hard. It still had its flip and strong backend, but the could open up the lane more. As he put it to me, "I've got at least 6 boards to shoot at."
This bowler mainly uses a hooking ball and really bends the hell out of any ball, so for those of you who like a big hook with a strong backend, this ball may be of use to you.
I could see this ball drilled more leverage/stacked at this pin position and being used on carrydown situations with a good deal of oil in the heads and midlanes. However, the strength of the ball, from what I witnessed, would be too much for lighter patterns if drilled near leverage unless you are lacking in the hand department.
I really like this ball and was impressed at the predictability and strength of the reaction with this drilling. I wouldn't hesitate to either pick one up myself or sell this to another customer who desires a good hooking ball.
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Just Drilled one 4.5" Pin with 3.5" CG.
Shined to 2000 on top of the box finish.
This ball revs up well in the midlane but provides a strong ultra controllable move on the backend. IT clears the heads nicely and plays well from all angle on the lane especially inside of 5th arrow where stronger balls tend to burn up and not recover.
A definite keeper and a great ball to have for tournaments where the control of the breakpoint is a must. Have used it leaague shot where the track is wide open and regionals where the shot is more demanding. A great performer on both.
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I guess I'm probably one of the last people to review the El~nino Gold but only 3 games a week slows down trying so many balls.
The ball I started with was a 2" pin out with 3.5 top weight. The layout I put in the ball was a 12 o'clock leverage, A line 2 inches down from the pin, 2 inches left to the center of grip, 5-1/2 inches back to the right for the balance hole drilled 2 inches deep with a 15/16 drill bit.
We were testing some balls so the lane conditions we bowled on were a typical house shot and a sport condition on another pair.
The house shot that I threw the ball on realy let this ball do its thing, good recovery if you happened to spray the ball to the right, held well on the tugs too.
The sport shot was 45 feet of oil and had to remember how to square up the shoulders and get behind the ball.
This ball keeps the pins nice and low, rarly left a 10 pin with how it keeps the 6 pin down. On the sport shot the ball tended to squirt a little but understandable with this layout. I love the grape smell and alway's wanted to drill one just because of it! I give it a 8 on a scale of 1-10 Tony
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Updated review of another super ball from STORM..
Polish w/ 1500 grit.. and Black Magic polish
Pin 4" out.. above fingers at 12 o'clock
MB - 1 1/2" right of thumb
cg is slightly in thumb/pos quadrant
Length, backend.. 2 great aspects of this ball.. That's pretty
much all that needs to be said.
When the backends are screaming this ball just shows it raw power.
Oil patterns used w/ this ball are -
med oil/med backends.. med oil/dry backends..
You can't really throw this ball on dry heads..
Thank you
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Drilled this ball with a 105 degree drilling (pin at approximately 1:30 above ring finger) with the mass bias left of my thumbhole and pin about 5 1/2 inches from PAP. Was looking for a smooth, arcing reaction and pretty much got what I wanted. The cover is a little more aggressive than I anticipated and this ball has a lot of continued drive through the pins...I throw a 15 lb. ball with medium speed (17.7mph) and revs (270 rpm) and I'm amazed at how many 4-9's and solid 8's I've left with this ball..it just has a continous move through the pocket and is a bit too strong to bank the dry with.
I would say this ball would be best suited for wetter mediums, I'm going to try to scuff it up a little to see if this will tame the back-end...let me know if you've had any luck with this technique on this ball.
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Mike Carlson
pbamike@aol.com
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This ball is unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!1 I had this ball drilled the other day for max'd out......... The ball has the pin 4 inches out away from PAP, 4:30 off my ring finger (two inches out), the the cg offset 1/4 of an inch to the right, and the mass bias halfway between the PAP and my track. This ball turns the corner like nothing I have had.... granted this is my most aggressively drilled ball, but this ball gets good length and reacts on the backend like nothing I have ever seen...... Most of my equipment is drilled to mimic a hockey stick shape (Trauma and Eraser)or banana shape (X-it and purple pealized flame) with a decent sized belly or curviture arc. This El Nino Gold hits so hard it's unbelieveable..... My pocket expanded about an additional 2 inches on each side with this ball. Great medium to mildly heavy oil ball. Very very touchy on the dry though!! so now when to put it back in the bag!!!
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Hey Guys and Gals,
Glad most of you had good luck with this one but for me it was a real dog. I have it drilled with the pin above the ring finger and the cg is kocked out to the positive side about 1 to 11/2 inches with the "eye" on the midline and the "mc2" about 2 to 3 inches right of my thumbhole. This ball should just go nuts when it hits the breakpoint but it didn't so I added a weight hole in the rev-leverage position and still got nothing. So I shined it up and tried it that way, still nothing. Had the proshop sand it too 400 grit. It would hook a little then but in the wrong place. I don't know if I got a bad ball or if it is just totally wrong for me but it stinks when I throw it. Don't get me wrong, I really like Storm equipment, it is just that this particular one doesn't work for me.
P.S. I love my Power Bolt and my Firepower (and even my old worn-out firestorm tour) but didn't like this one
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WOW! I believe that is one of the best words to describe this ball. This ball is very versatile. I drilled this ball leverage for early roll. This ball gets farther down the lane before breakpoint, unlike the El Niño X-it. You can polish this ball also. With this, it gets down the lane even further with stronger backend than before. I found many patterns where I can use this ball. Even with this great review, I have to say that about 10 months to a year after using this ball, the El Niño Gold eventually dies out. Even though this is the case, it is definately a great ball to purchase.
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I love the storm el nino gold. I found it on a ball rack in an alley and picked it up. The storm is not like other storms, the three labels do not lined up. The pin is not too far to the right of the thumb holes. In my saturday morning yaba league, i shot my second 700 series.The alleys were dry, but not too dry. was standing on 31 and 27 on the other lane at Baldwin lanes. The ball holds great and when it looks like its going to hook away it holds. It was my first time using this ball in league play. I am a power tweener, right handed, captain of the Oceanside Varsity High School Team. My ideal shot is standing on the 25th board and throwing over the second arrow. And yesterday was a day for tis ball and this shot. I love to play outside lines, but doesnt mean i cant play devastating inside lines. Out of 10 i give this ball a 701.
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El Nino Gold
The El Nino Gold (E.N.G.) was my first Storm ball. I drilled my E.N.G. with a 3 & 3/8 leverage drilling. (Rev leverage) The mass bias is located directly below my thumbhole. Balance hole is on the VAL in the thumb quadrant. I keep the cover in box condition and I will only use the ball on a fresh shot. For me, anything else is just too much ball.
For me, the Accutread cover gets down the lane easily as long as there is a bit of head oil. The ball slides easily but starts to rev up in the mid lane and begins it’s move towards the pocket. Mid lane reaction is fairly even and gradual. Back end reaction for my E.N.G. is out of this world. When this thing hits the dry, LOOK OUT! BOOM! The snap on this ball is definitely not for the weak. The ball makes a wicked turn on the back end hits VERY hard. If you hit the pocket, you will strike with this ball.
The E.N.G. really likes medium to oily conditions. On a really heavy condition, I find that the ball will want to skid a little too long and try to recover a little late. Remedy – just move to a tighter line and look for the backend. On drier conditions just pull out another ball. On the dry, the E.N.G. will start hooking at your feet. There has to be some oil for it to work effectively.
After getting acquainted with my E.N.G., I rolled my first practice 300 with this ball and I will always keep it around. Good luck!
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My stats:
Right Handed Tweener
15.0 to 16.5 mph (typically, but dependant on shot)
Above avg. Hand
Punched up one of these about a year ago with pin over bridge and cg kicked out slightly. The El Nino Gold with this layout and matte finish has turned out to be one of my favorite balls I have ever thrown. This ball revs up early and has a nice continuous arcing motion throughout the lane. This keeps the ball very playable on most conditions, and the balls hitting power is tremendous. This is not a hook monster compaired to a lot of other stuff that has entered the market, but depending on surface prep can handle medium-heavy to medium-light conditions well.
Heavy Oil - This is not really a heavy oil ball, but you can get away with it as long as you can find dry somewhere on the lane.
Medium - This ball will play well on medium-light to medium heavy. Put it away later in your shift, as it will start to burn up in the heads.
Light - This ball has too much surface and is too strong on this condition.
Overall, this is and extremely versitile ball with outstanding hit.
Ratings (1-20)
Hook: 16
Control:18 (nice even arc)
Length - 14
Backend - 15
Versatility - 18
Overall - 19
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I got this ball used and it has almost the same drill as my recovery, gold has the mass bias and cg kicked right about 1" farther and weight hole, similar static weights.
My recovery is dulled to 600 and the gold is polished.
I took these two out on a 35' heavy oiled buffed to 45' flat 5 to 5 shot. Mild backents. The recovery tended to have a little over under, some times skidding and sometimes snapping on the light carrydown. So i figured i would have no luck with the polished gold...
Well, the gold started hooking about 10 feet earlier and the move on this ball is amazing. 10 boards or more stronger on the backend. This ball kicks some serious butt, up there with the predator on the heavy stuff.
Greatness
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This ball is AWESOME, one of the best of the El Nino line. I've found it to be very similar to the Shock Trauma, but that's a GREAT thing, I've wanted something like it since I can't seem to find one anymore. This ball might even be a little stronger than the Shock Trauma, but a little less versatile. I had the same problem with polishing it that I did with the Shock Trauma (it lost the reaction) but once again, it was my fault. Don't drill a ball strong unless you're a cranker or a high rev player, Storm balls are already too strong to begin with! Hitting power is through the roof, and the backend is hard and continuous. It's right up there with the performance of the Trauma line, and the coverstock is easily adjustable.
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One of my favorite balls of all time. The virsitilty of this ball is just plain awesome. Mine is drilled w/the pin to the left and under the ring finger, cg kicked out, and a weight hole. One thing i never have to worry about when throwing this ball is carry. I'll stone a 9 every 8 or 9 games, and thats it, other than that, if you hit pocket, it will strike, or get very close to it. Polished, this ball goes looooooooong, and makes a hard snap in the backend, sanded doesn't go quite as long, but still has the snap in the backend. But after the snap, it goes stright, because of the drilling. I really like this ball, and hope i will for a long time
The pleasure has been yours.
The great one
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This ball for me was just like the Trauma, but maybe a little better suited for carrydown.
Great BIG hit. It was pretty versatile. It had decent hook sanded down, but not what I expected out of it.
This ball was decent. It did track up real quick.
7 out of 10. The stuff they are making now is much better.
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Got this ball second hand with about 20 games on it. I love it. The most versatile ball in my bag. With the proper hand position I can play up the lanes when needed or hook it coast to coast. I mostly bowl on a medium to heavy oil pattern which get tougher as the night goes on. All I do is move with the oil and this ball keep hitting.
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What can i say about this ball first 600 with it good snap though it is getting old but this ball is always in my bag. MR. reliable
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GO ASTROS GO CARDINALS GO RED SOXS JUST NOT THAT OTHER TEAM
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I bought this ball used in 2003. It has been a great ball for me. Long Lasting reaction. Smooth arc to the pocket. Very nice carry. I threw my best ever game with this ball to the tune of 279 at La Habra 300 bowl. Pretty good for a 175 average bowler. I bought my first new ball back in March of 06, a Brunswick Scorchin Inferno. I never scored as well with that ball as I have with the El Nino Gold which is probably 5 years older than the Scorchin. Since bowling with the Scorchin, it has lost most of it's reaction. The El Nino Gold hooks way more than the Scorchin does now. I now am using this ball as my primary ball in league again and I am still scoring very well with it.