LANE CONDITION

TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

Length:43

Volume:Med-High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS 12:1 Ratio


COMMENTS

Ball:
Coverstock: ReX Hybrid Reactive
Core: Inverted Fe² A.I. Core
Finish: Reacta Gloss
Differential: 0.045 (15)
RG: 2.55 (15)

ME:
Right-Handed Tweener
Speed: 12-13 mph
Rev Rate: 315
Axis Tilt: 14°
Axis Rotation: 74°
PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up

Ball Layout: Pin Over Ring 4 5/8 X 5 X 1 1/2 VLS

Storms new A.I. Technology has been introduced in some great new balls and added to some of the most popular existing SPI technology. It's only natural that the Fe2 core featured in the Hy-Road and other balls of it's line would be next to get the AI upgrade. Enter The Road. To compliment the upgraded core, it was paired with a Hybrid version of the REX cover featured on the Night Road.

I tested The Road on a fresh house pattern at my home center. Our fresh pattern is long and higher volume so the cleaner balls aren't usually what I prefer to start with. The high ratio can exacerbate the over/under so the really responsive balls can leave you some interest patterns on small misses. I was a bit surprised how well The Road worked on the fresh. I had to keep the angle open but it wasn't as fickle front to back as I expected and saw the right part of the lane very consistently.

I next tested The Road game three in league. The lanes transition a lot and the worn front panels can make moving inside a bit tricky, especially with my ball speed. I was moving off of an Optimum Idol that I had taken the surface up to 3000 on. My hope was that I could transition into The Road on the same line that I had been striking on , once the smoother OI was having trouble getting the corners out.  I was really surprised at the difference between how the ball looked down-lane on the broken down lane compared to the fresh one. The Road really saw the mid-lane harder than I expected. It got forward pretty quick so it did hit the pocket from the same alignment but I found my better carry came from getting a touch deeper, and letting my hand come around it. This is a move I have to make a lot lately with how much earlier the balls have gotten, but I had hoped the Road would be a bit closer to a Hy-Road motion. I would say that it's closer to the Night Road for me but a bit stronger.

I think the The Road will be a great ball in transition for lower ball speed players, and great on the burn for high speed players. It definitely is responsive enough to come off the dry for guys with firmer ball speed so anywhere you need the ball to make a move in a smaller window, this ball with do it for you.

Check out my full ball reaction video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ygxzBzaBil4?si=9fS-fjVD2gNtytLH

Lonnie Pemberton
Storm Pro Shop Staff
Vise Pro Shop Staff
Revolutions Pro Shop

Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@k1ngsizepapa


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

Storm
The Road
Coverstock: ReX Hybrid Reactive
Finish: Reacta Gloss
Core:  Inverted Fe² Technology
(14 pd)
RG: 2.55
Differential: 0.045

Layout: 5 x 4 x 3 1/2 - 2LS
Layout Extras: 31/32 to 2" and 7/8 to 3" Finger Depth, "X" - 4 1/2 D and 1 Inch Left
Tester: PAP 6 1/2 R, 1 1/4 D

Review:
The Road features the newer Amplfied Inertia core technology. This core as you would expect will help The Road in providing a predictable shape at the end of the pattern. As A.I. core technology has been previously tested that means a few extra percentage points of carry can be anticipated.

For my review I compared The Road to the Night Road. I must note here I did not have a Hy-Road to compare The Road to which would likely be a closer comparison oob. For me, The Road has a bigger window of use than the Night Road. The Road is most impressive downlane. Initially I thought the Reacta Gloss finish would work well by scuffing it up a bit. However, I am pleasantly surprised how the oob finish looked and will test even further before changing the surface.

The Night Road, as you may recall, had a 4K Fast finish. I liked 4K Fast even more once I let my Night Road lane shine a bit. Either of these balls would fit well for your medium type THS patterns. I recommend if you have/had a Night Road you'll be fine re-freshening your arsenal with The Road.

If you have slower ball speed consider The Road in your arsenal. At times players with slower ball speeds struggle with big asyms or syms in the bag and at times these type of balls can get forward for the bowler. The Road upgrade with A.I. definitely matches the cover/core much better for these type of players. SPI has really upgraded the middle of the arsenal with The Road.

I recommend the Road for the player looking for an edge on league transition and desiring a ball to continue with the transition as it occurs. I'm definitely excited about this ball from Storm. Please be sure to visit your favorite pro shop today or https://youtube.com/channel/UC1VA-MgFBo9mIZde-G3T11A for my occasional ball videos. Grab The Road today!

Michael Slatky
900 Global Staff Member
York, PA





LANE CONDITION

Length:

Volume:

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):


COMMENTS

Likes:

Dislikes:


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

Ball Specs:
Storm The Road
Coverstock: Reacta Gloss ReX™ Hybrid Reactive
Weight Block: Inverted Fe² Technology™ A.I. Core (Symmetrical)
Color: Midnight/Carmine

Review:
This was a much anticipated release for multiple reasons. First, it is a part of the Road line, one of the GOAT lines in all of bowling. Second, it is the first in the line to feature the new A.I. core technology, and yes the technology actually DOES hit different! Third, this Road features the ReX cover, which is a banger! All of these blend together to form one of the premier benchmark balls in all of bowling in our opinion. We drilled this ball with our normal layout: tweener, 350-375 revs, 16.5mph, layout of choice is 4x4x2 (pin is above bridge). For us this ball is like an original HyRoad on steroids. It is a touch more responsive, a touch stronger, and probably a touch earlier. The Road series looks great on house patterns which is why we think you will see a lot of these going down the lane. It really is a new age house shot killer. This can be the first out of bag, second, even third in some cases. It is versatile, responds great to surface changes, and you truly cannot get this in your bag stronger.

Kyle, Joel, & Dean Johnson
Storm Pro Shop Staff Members
kyle@parklanes.net
joel@parklanes.net
dean@frontierfuncenter.net
www.stormbowling.com
#StormNation

The Road is Storms newest thunder line release. The Road features the same FE2 core found in all the previous Hyroad series balls, but in now wrapped in the AI outer core tech. This drops the RG and Diff 2 points each while still maintaining that signature Hyroad motion they have all been known for. The Road is also wrapped in REX hybrid. The Road for me fits right in-between the Hyroad and Phaze II. The Road for me is going to be the perfect league ball for blending the wet/dry conditions as well as something I can go to later in the day for tournaments.

Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPVZnxlWVk