BallReviews
Reviews => Storm => Topic started by: BallReviews-scodaddy21 on May 06, 2015, 10:44:18 AM
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Description: The Storm Sky Rocket is sure to help your game soar! The Booster core and the highly successful R2S Pearl coverstock combine with a 1500 grit polish finish to produce a ball that is a go to for a mid-performance ball or when the lanes begin to break down.
Features:
- Color: Sky Blue/Charcoal
- Coverstock: R2S Pearl Reactive
- Core: Booster for 14-16# & Modified Centripetal for 12-13#
- Finish: 1500-grit Polished
- Fragrance: Sangria
- Recommended Oil Conditions: Medium Oil
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LANE CONDITION
Length: Several Lengths
Volume: Various Volumes
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS and Short Sport Patterns
The newest release to the Thunder Line is the Sky Rocket. The Booster Core which is found in the Rocket (February Release) is also inside the Sky Rocket. The Shell of the Sky Rocket is the R2S Pearl Reactive which will provide nice length with an aggressive response off the dry. This combination of Booster Core and the R2S Pearl Reactive shell means one thing… more strikes!
I drilled my Sky Rocket with pin down under ring finger with the cg kicked out with a large weight hole in the thumb quadrant. The dual angle coordinates are 60 X 5 X 70 and the extra hole is at 6 inches from center of span through the cg. 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 threw the Sky Rocket and the Rocket on various patterns to see the differences if there was any. On a fresh house pattern, both bowling balls were pretty readable and controlled the wet dry pretty good. The difference was down lane the Sky Rocket was more aggressive off the spot (pearl shell) but the Rocket was more aggressive overall (Hybrid Shell). My feet were farther left with the Rocket than the Sky Rocket. However, as the lane transitioned and carry down happened and the front part of the lane got dryer the more the Sky Rocket was unbelievable. The Sky Rocket did not lose any energy and was aggressive through the carry down. On a shorter flat or sport pattern (35 feet), the Sky Rocket did not disappoint. The length and continuous nature of the Sky Rocket compared to the Rocket was really impressive. The Rocket wanted to start up sooner than the Sky Rocket. The Sky Rocket allowed me to stay right longer and be able to play the hold in the front part of the lane. The Sky Rocket and Rocket complement each other very well.
The major difference that I noticed between the Rocket and the Sky Rocket is the length. The Rocket wants to get up early and the Sky Rocket wants to sleep in until it hits the backend of the lane. Another perfect one two punch in the Thunder Line!!!!
Likes: Nice length and aggressive Backend motion!
Dislikes: Longer patterns use the Rocket!
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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LANE CONDITION
Drilled 5 x 4 x 3
Length: 39 ft
Volume: Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
COMMENTS
Likes: What a fun ball to throw. I have never been able to stand left and throw right on our house patter until I got this ball. With my slower speed and a lot of hand, most balls start turning up too soon and will roll out before it get to the pins. I had a lot of with this ball. I was able to stand as far left as I wanted to and the ball always recovered with great power at the pins. It truly felt like I was using bumpers and throwing the ball at the bumpers and watching it come back. Can't wait until I get to use it in league.
Dislikes: None
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Sky Rocketâ„¢
Lbs.
RG
Diff.
Weight Block
16
2.53
0.044
15
2.54
0.046
14
2.55
0.048
13
2.59
0.045
12
2.65
0.035
Coverstock: R2Sâ„¢ Pearl Reactive
Weight Block: Boosterâ„¢ Core
Factory Finish:1500-grit Polished
Ball Color: Sky Blue/Charcoal
Flare Potential:
4†- 5†(Medium-High)
Fragrance: Sangria
THS: 41ft with KEGEL FLEX with Fire and Ice oil on older HPL panels.
Thanks to Shorty at Bowlers Supply and the staff @ Colony Park Lanes.
I found the SKY Rocket to react very close to my Unhinged. Same late motion and same strong angle into the pocket and very “touchy†after the oil has been pushed around. It is longer and stronger then my Optimus, and I like the look of this ball down lane more than my Crux Pearl. The symmetrical core with a .046 diff works well in my ball arsenal. I hope this provided some insight and watch my video on this ball on my facebook page: Roto Grip Rick.
Happy Striking and hope to see a Sky Rocket in your bag soon!
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LANE CONDITION
The Sky Rocket is sure to help you open up the backends which backend hook leads to more entry angle, a critical factor to increasing your strike percentage - think Jason Belmonte.
And while proven technology is featured on the R2S™ pearl shell, the Sky Rocket’s Booster™ Core is both innovative and dynamic in design. It is true that Storm’s Thunder line rivals the performance of others’ premium options and this might be why Storm continues to dominate competitive bowling on a worldwide scale.
I have average to above average ball speed (~17MPH) which tends to balance out my rev rate. I drilled my Sky Rocket with the pin below the ring finger (4.5â€) with the CG stacked with no weight hole.
I have thrown the Sky Rocket on a couple of house patterns, as well as a 37-foot Kegel pattern. My first impression of the Sky Rocket as soon as I threw it was a cleaner and more angular Hyroad. I drilled a Hyroad pearl when they first came out, but I thought it was weaker overall than the original. This ball is much closer in overall strength to a Hyroad (which is a great thing!). So I would describe the new Sky Rocket as a Hyroad Pearl on steroids. Much cleaner than the original Rocket and has much more shape downlane. Because of the Booster core, the shape is controllable and won’t completely go sideways at the end of the pattern. That being said, it has the ability to boom on the back because of the pearl R2S cover. Once the fronts start to go for me on medium-heavy volume house patterns, the Sky Rocket gives me a fantastic look. I actually think it works extremely well off of the Optimus Solid. This is yet another great ball for one of the best lines (Thunder line) in the industry.
If you need a benchmark pearl ball or need a go-to when the front part of the lane starts to transition, I would highly recommend the Sky Rocket
Want to see what I am talking about? Click this link to see my videos on this ball as well as other Storm and Roto Grip ball releases.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmF_YLyuxJgnUTufguTB86w/videos
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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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, 4 3/4, 70 with p3 hole
The Sky Rocket is my new favorite ball. I did not expect the performance that I got from the Sky Rocket. Compared to the Rocket (hybrid), the Sky Rocket (pearl) is much stronger. I’d say about 3-4 boards. It’s super clean through the fronts but the Booster Core generates a strong forward roll which hits the back very predictably. The Sky Rocket generates a ton of backend, but it’s more of a rolly, continuous backend. I see it as a ball I can use on the fresh and on the burn. During an 8 game block I think it would match up the first game because of the predictable forward roll. At the end I think it would recover easily if sent away from the pocket.
I love the Sky Rocket and once you see it roll, you will too.
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Storm hit a home-run with the release of the Sky Rocket! My Sky Rocket is cleaner than my Rocket through the front part of the lane and turns harder down lane. The Sky Rocket has an RG of 2.54 and a Diff of .046 with the Booster Core and R2S Pearl Coverstock. In my experience with the Sky Rocket, it is obvious it is a very versatile ball. I have had success with it on shorter patterns like boardwalk and cheetah, then have used it recently on the 43' chameleon pattern. On some of these patterns, I've been able to get the ball farther right (downlane) than my opponents and the Sky Rocket would continue to hook back and not lose energy. This ball is very impressive and I can guarantee it will be in my bag for a long time. Go get yours today!!
#TheSkyRocketIsMoney
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Lay Out: 5" from PAP at 75* PAP angle and 25* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 75/5/25 & 7/8" wight hole 2" down my VAL.
Surface: Box which is 1500 Reacta-Shine.
Purpose: I wanted a compliment to a Rocket with the same layout.
Observations: The Sky Rocket is a strong backend motion. I threw this side by side with the original Rocket. The Sky Rocket gets thru the fronts cleaner but moves a lot sharper in the back than the Rocket does. My Rocket was a good go to when my stronger stuff like the Crux Pearl started to go sideways at the break point. The Sky Rocket is sharped off the spot and forces me to go more left when I switch to it.
Conclusions: The Sky Rocket is more finish than the Rocket. If you want a smoother motion than think Rocket. If you want skid/flip, think Sky Rocket.
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Sky Rocket Ball Review by PJ Haggerty
The newest addition to the Storm Thunder line is the Sky Rocket. The original Rocket’s big brother. I feel like the Sky Rocket filled a gap very nicely in my bag. I needed something clean but also controllable. This can be hard to attain because pearl typically reacts to friction very quickly. The Sky Rocket feels different. Because of it’s relatively low RG (2.54), I think this helps it read the mid-lane earlier than the Hyroad with a similar shape off the spot.
I’ve only needed to drill one Sky Rocket thus far. I have it as follows: 5 x 4 with a 15/16 hole on my axis. I’ve been able to use this ball on house patterns as well as sport patterns later in blocks after the lanes have blended out. On the fresh, the Sky Rocket might be tricky to control because of the pearl, but after the transition hits, the Sky Rocket provides a clean motion through the front with a controllable mid-lane and down-lane reaction.
From a surface standpoint, I lightly grazed the surface with a 2000 pad by hand. I’m a big fan of smooth motions and the 2000 pad certainly helped smooth out my response time with the Sky Rocket.
If you are looking for a league, tournament, or go anywhere ball for your bag that can and will be used on many different types of conditions, check out the Sky Rocket from Storm.
#StormNation
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LANE CONDITION
Length:41 ft
Volume: 21ml
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS
COMMENTS
Likes:Very Clean through the front part of the lane, strong hitting power through the pins, very readable move down lane
Dislikes:none
The new Sky Rocket is Storm’s newest Thunder Line Ball. The ball sports the Booster Core and is covered in my favorite R2S Pearl Reactive Coverstock. The factory finish 1500 grit polished and of course sports a nice Sangria scent. I drilled my Storm Sky Rocket with a 75x4x65. My intentions with the ball and layout choice was to create a great one two punch with the original rocket which is drilled with a 47x4.75x30 layout. I can honestly say I have succeeded. The layout on the Sky Rocket created a pin under middle finger layout for myself. Due to the balls characteristics of being a pearl, the Sky Rocket is very clean through the front part of the lane. The layout I chose makes the ball very smooth with a very predictable shape. This ball is a great compliment to my original Rocket because it is about 5 boards weaker in reaction. The Rocket which has a stronger Pin up layout which gives it a more angle and a stronger backend reaction is much different from my Sky Rocket. When the Rocket is uncontrollable, I can just ball down to the Sky Rocket and stay in the same part of the lane.
I recommend this ball to any league bowler because of its versatility on house shots. A more conventional pin up layout will give the ball a real clean and long look on a typical house shot. Or it can be drilled pin down like I did with mine and it creates a real smooth reacting ball that still hits the pocket hard and carries from deep inside angles on the lane.
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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The new addition to the Storm Thunder Line is the Sky Rocket. This is the Pearl version of the Rocket. The pearl cover is great compliment to the Rocket's Hybrid cover. Th Sky has a lot of backend reaction, but more of the hard rolly type. I drilled mine with favorite layout 5 x 4 x 3 pin up. I've used it on house shots and tournament patterns. On house for me the Sky was a little too much on the back, forced me too deep to early. But was much better when the pattern broke down a little. On tournament patterns, I applied a light 2000 pattern to help smooth out the reaction and give me more control. Another great release from Storm.
Right handed
PAP - 4 up 1 /14
Rev - 400
Speed 16-17
Tilt - 17
Brian Watson
Pro Shop Staff
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The Sky Rocket is a great compliment to the original Rocket, and is best for me either on fresh house shots with softer backends or when transition forces you into the deeper parts of the lane. Despite being a pearl, the Sky Rocket actually hooks a few boards more than the Rocket. They both have similar length due to the coverstock prep, but the Sky Rocket is sharper off the friction and covers more boards on the backend than the Rocket does. The Rocket and Sky Rocket are the first two balls in my bag anywhere I go, as they can cover a wide range of conditions due to the differences in their reaction shapes. The Sky Rocket loves to come flying back from deep angles and is a great option on any condition when dry heads force you inside but you still need recovery and punch on the backend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9LwBeQPeaM
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Storm’s newest addition in the Thunder Line, Sky Rocket. The Sky Rocket uses the ever popular R2S Pearl Reactive Coverstock used in a lot of Storm’s popular bowling balls ever made. The engine, core, driving this powerful bowling ball is the Booster Core. This is the same core used in the original Rocket which was a huge success. The difference between the Sky Rocket and the original Rocket is that the Sky is Pearl and the Original is Hybrid. The difference in ball motions between these two balls is that the Sky Rocket provides a stronger change in direction at the breakpoint storing all its energy and lashing it at the pins.
I drilled my Sky Rocket pin up with a 5″ pin to pap and 5.5″ cg to pap. For me, this ball clears the heads very easily while having a strong backend motion. It goes fairly long but still reads the breakpoint. The shape of the breakpoint is much sharper than the original Rocket. For those bowlers who love the skid/flip motion, this is definitely the ball for you.
The Sky Rocket worked really well for me on Medium Oily- Medium Dry lane conditions. This ball is a perfect ball for your Typical House Shots. I’ve found very good use for this ball after the transition starts during a tournament on sport conditions.
Based on performance, I will give this ball an “A+.†Based on looks, I will also give the Sky Rocket an “A+.†I love the color scheme and scent. It looks phenomenal rolling downlane.
Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,
Joshua Tajiri
BowlersDeals.com Technician
Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff
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LANE CONDITION
Length:42ft
Volume:medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Sport Pattern
COMMENTS
Likes: I drilled my Skyrocket 55*5.5*80. This ball is amazing!!! It is a few cleaner than my Rocket with more angle down lane. It is very good on drier conditions or when the lanes start to transition. I used it on the WBT Athens pattern after the lanes began to break down. It gave me great clearance off the friction inot the front part of the lane. Great compliment to the rocket.
Dislikes:
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
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Right Handed
Ball weight: 15
Rev Rate: 378
Ball Speed: 18.2
Axis Tilt: 7
Axis Rotation: 45*
PAP: 3 3/4 horizontal, 7/8 up
Layout: 50 x 5 x 30
I really liked the Rocket, so I was looking forward to the Sky Rocket.
I wanted this ball for mediums and sport burn and had planned on using it on normal house patterns and whenever playing the middle would be an option.
The Sky Rocket gets exceptional length and makes a nice move when it encounters friction. It rolls really well on THS. I’ve been able to roll a normal house shot from 10-15 out, and it has no problem recovering and doesn’t squirt on the oil like many pearls can.
I’ve also used this on a couple of medium-length sport patterns and it reads the lane really well once they start to break down. It gets through the heads with no issue and will still recover. As the lane continues to break down, the Sky Rocket is still really good when having to migrate left.
At box finish, this one can be quite sharp, but a little bit of surface (white or gray scotch brite) can smooth it out. I actually like it better with a light touch of a gray pad, after some lane shine.
The Sky Rocket is a great, versatile pearl release, which I would highly recommend.
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Storm Sky Rocket
Layout: 60 X 4 3/8 X 50
Box Finish
Bowler Info:
325 Rev Rate
Speed: 16 - 17 MPH
Pap - 4 7/16 over, 3/8 up
The Sky Rocket has fantastic backend reaction on anything from lighter to even some medium-heavy conditions. It completely ignores the front part of the lane, has some moderate midlane traction, but then really unleashes energy on the back part of the lane. It is not an uncontrollable jerking motion; the reaction is somewhere between a hard arc and a flip. It is 2-3 boards stronger down lane than the original Rocket, and goes through the pins even better. This ball is a house shot killer!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gllLNWpAqKY&feature=youtu.be
Mike LeViner
Bowlers Mart
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Sky Rocket
For me as a bowler I have this idea that only solid and hybrid cover bowling balls work for me being left handed. I think my favorite pearl ball from Storm/ Roto was the Deranged, I didn’t mind throwing the other balls, I just didn’t find myself throwing them every tournament. What I found with the new Sky Rocket was something completely different. I found that this ball picked up very well in the midland but was able to clear the fronts very well. Contradiction right? Well I think so too but I really do believe in the reaction I see out of the ball.
Compared to the Rocket, the new Sky Rocket gets down the lane in my opinion 4-5 foot farther than the original Rocket. I threw the ball at the PABCON Youth Championships back in July and had great success with the Sky Rocket later in the day as it allowed me to move right and open up the lane. The ball held line never being to responsive down the lane and always read the break point.
Overall I would give this ball a 10/10 for a pearl bowling ball with past thoughts about pearl bowling balls. I think for the general public I would rate the Sky Rocket a solid 9.5/10 because it seems as if it will fit in everyone’s bag when they need a burn ball when they move left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0snirUOLi9M
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Sky Rocket is the pearl release of the Rocket. The Sky Rocket uses the R2S pearl cover and has the same Booster core that was in Rocket. The Booster core has an Rg of 2.54 and a differential of 0.046 in 15lb undrilled bowling balls. This cover and core combination offers easy length and strong backend reaction that Thunder Line pearl releases are known for. The color combination of sky blue/charcoal is very pleasing to the eye.
I drilled my Sky Rocket with a 5 x 5.5 x 2.5 layout. This layout puts the pin above my ring finger, and doesn’t require an extra hole to meet USBC legal static weight requirements. I kept the Sky Rocket in out of the box, 1500 grit polished finish. The Sky rocket gives me easier length with less overall board coverage than the Rocket (drilled 4.5x5x2.5, and left at the box finish of 1500 grit polish) on medium conditions. When comparing Sky Rocket to Hy-Road pearl, I get an earlier read of the lane, with a touch smoother motion out of the dry, on medium conditions. Even though my Sky Rocket is a tad smoother on the backend of the lane than Hy-Road pearl, it still is a strong backend reaction, or skid-flip motion, if you will. I use my Sky Rocket to open up the backend of the lane, when I need to move deeper on the approach.
I have used Sky Rocket on different patterns with varying lengths. I prefer to use my Sky Rocket on medium conditions the most. Heavy volumes are too much for this ball in the box finish, for me, and the Sky Rocket hooks a bit too much for really dry lanes. Sky Rocket, for me, is a true skid flip, open up the backend of the lane ball.
Sky Rocket is just one of the balls that just flat out works for my style of bowling, and my prefered way to see the lane. The way it reads the lane is a great addition to my arsenal. If the conditions are on the slightly heavier side of medium, I can go a bit straighter with it with good success. If the conditions are on the lighter side of medium, I can get plenty of backend reaction to get the corner pins out, as I have to move in on the lane. Again, Storm offers better options for dry lanes, and heavily oiled lanes.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Storm Sky Rocket. and as always, remember to Bowl up a Storm!
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1) Sky Rocket by Storm
2) Ball Specifications:
-Pearl R2S Cover Stock
-Booster Core
-Finished at 1500 grit and polished
3) Drilling Layout
- 95 / 4 / 70
- pin below the ring finger
4) Bowler Specifications
a) Right handed
b) Stroker
c) 18 mph (est)
d) 300 rev rate (est)
e) Positive Axis Point: 5 1/2", up 1"
i) If not known use high track, low track, full roller, 3/4 roller or spinner.
5) Lanes
a) Synthetic lane
b) 41'
c) Typical house shot
6) Ball Reaction Characteristics
With this layout, this ball was very smooth and controlled. Very easily cleared the front of the lane, with a defined move to the pocket but not over reacting. This has really become my go to ball when lost and needing to get going in the right direction.
7) Comparison
Compared to the original Rocket, the Sky Rocket seems to glide through the front of the lane more effortlessly, with a more defined move down lane. However, I found this ball much smoother than the Optimus.
8) Summary
This ball is a no brainier to nearly all bowlers and is the perfect bench mark ball. I have seen success with this ball from very high revved players and very low revved.
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LANE CONDITION
Length: 40’ PBA World Championship & house shots
LAYOUT
The pin is on the centerline above the fingers with the cg on the centerline too. Straight up!!!
COMMENTS
WHOA! I tossed a perfect game with the Rocket but there are times for me as a high rev player that my Rocket was on the strong side. The Sky Rocket gives me that little extra length before the move I was looking for to score. And do not worry, this ball corners like a Continental tire, sticky-sticky!
My first three games with this ball landed me a 730 series (3-games) on the PBA World Championship pattern. I felt like I was bowling on a THS with the room left and right I had to hit the one three. It was crazy to watch. Since then, I have been using this ball to cover my big butt when the shot breaks down. And it is great at handling what is on the deck when it gets ugly.
This ball is a return to Storm’s roots of a ball that gets down the lane and hooks back. It is just fun throwing a ball that gets to the breakpoint so easily while splitting the pocket like a lumberjack.