win a ball from Bowling.com

Author Topic: X Factor  (Read 32126 times)

admin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1241
X Factor
« on: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM »
Color: Blue/Red

Coverstock: Reactive Pearl

Core: 2-piece Asymmeterical

RG: 2.53

Differential: 0.058

Factory finish: Polished

Weights: 14 thru 16lbs

 

khescock

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: X Factor
« Reply #91 on: February 13, 2004, 02:32:15 PM »
I just got my second X-factor a couple of weeks ago and I love the ball. My father drilled it more aggressive then my first, which was pin under the ring and the rad in my pal line. My first one rolled down the lane. Since then I sanded so that rolled more and earlier in the backend for weaker backends. As for the new one, it drilled more leverage and is more skid flip and on wet/dry strong backends it reacts great and hits hard to allow me open up the lane.

Mike Austin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2057
Re: X Factor
« Reply #92 on: February 29, 2004, 02:13:59 AM »
I'm gonna try a fairly generic review with the X Factor, not about any one particular ball.  As it has taken me 4 balls before I got one that I really like, I have to say that I was somewhat pessimistic about this ball.

As this is an assymetric ball from Storm, it rolled a little different than previous offerings.  Being on Staff for awhile now, I was not used to seeing a Storm ball rev up as quickly as this one does.

The pearl shell gets the ball through the front part of the lane, even when not much oil is present.  The middle part of the lane is where this ball is different, it revs up really hard here, maybe too hard.  On medium lanes this is great, very controllable break point shape.  For slower ball speeds and big handed guys with medium speed the ball may use up too much energy here.

I still feel that the X Factor favors higher speed and/or lower rev players.  A number of ladies that I have drilled these for really like them, most ladies are lower rev players.

I feel like the X Factor is best suited for medium to some oily lanes.  This ball will burn up too fast on really dry lanes.  The pearl shell may make it go too long for truly oily lanes.

The layout that I used that I really liked is:  pin 5" from my PAP under my fingers, almost under the middle finger, with the RAD swung out in a 45 degree position.  I had to use a small hole, and I put it 2.5 inches under my PAP on the verticle axis line.  Pin was out about 3 inches from the CG and had about 2 oz top weight before drilling.  I get good length, not the most, but about like my Power Charge Pearl, with a smooth predictable back end.  The ball does not quit on the back.

Some thanks go to Carol Norman who suggested I try this drill since I have an X Factor Deuce drilled this way already.  No matter, both of these balls roll great for me, smooth arcing motion, not very snappy.

Hope this helps ya....
--------------------
Mike Austin
Mike Austin's Precision Pro Shop
Houston, TX
strikes4days@sbcglobal.net
Storm Pro Shop Staff Member
Vise Grips Staff Member


Onward through the Storm!!!!

Check out our web site - www.BirdDogBowling.com
Mike Austin's Bowling Dynamix Pro Shops
Inside Emerald Bowl
Inside Tomball Bowl
Track Pro Staff Member
Vise Grips Staff Member

ebwkidvicious

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 76
Re: X Factor
« Reply #93 on: March 02, 2004, 09:09:21 PM »
hey Bowlers, this is my first post.  Got the original X Factor about 1 month ago.  I'm a lefty, medium revs, medium speed, play on a house shot w/ medium oil 5 to 5 and the outside bone dry.  Got the ball drilled the first time to go long, more ideal for drier shots using Storm's Layout # 1 with the Mass Bias in a moderately aggressive position.  Because I don't put a great amount of hand in the ball, I hated the reaction, so I had it plugged and redrilled.  Turns out that the next time I had it drilled, the pro shop operator must have measured my Positive Axis with a blind fold on b/c my pin ended up about 6 1/2" away from it with no leverage helping from the CG.  Now the ball is basically useless for the conditions I bowl on.  Unfortunately, it went into the closet to be retired before I could ever get any good games from it.  I will say this though, I believe that drilled right, this ball would've been a very useful piece of equipment.  I have many friends who swear by it and have seen all the good reviews on this site.  Lesson to be learned here, now matter how good or expensive the ball, it's gonna suck unless you drill it correctly.

GOOD BOWLERS!
F-M-3

laxbowler02

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 9
Re: X Factor
« Reply #94 on: March 03, 2004, 02:43:33 PM »
hmm....well...i will start by saying that the X-factor is probably the best ball i  have ever had.  Out of the box....it hooked a little much for me but throwing a ball with high revs and a medium to medium high speed, you are bound to have that problem.  On  a normal house shot, i would say oiled 5-5 is when i works the best.  It clears the heads great but like a lot of you have said....it revs up hard.  At times its very spuratic.  My factor is formed for arc, not snap.  It revs hard and hits like a ton of bricks.  overall review...8 out of 10!



CoachTim

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 27
Re: X Factor
« Reply #95 on: March 05, 2004, 12:13:27 PM »
O.K. Here is my $0.02. I have been throwing STORM equipment for a few years now. I have liked all the balls I have drilled. The Wrath, X-it (2-300's), Responce, X-facter, La-nina. I have scored well on their respective shots and have drilled only a couple of other ball manufacturers. I have one Roto-Silver Streak, and the Matrix(great ball).

But I have noticed with almost all the Storm equipment, the fresh-out-of-the-box reaction is great but REALLY SEEMS TO SUBDUE after a limited number of games. I do not mean they become oiled-up. I wipe my balkl after every shot and routinely clean as well as scotch brite the particles (litely).
Who are the experts that can steer me right in either staying with storm (XXX), or should i give up on them(monsoon coverstock)?????

HELP  HELP  HELP HELP   HELPHELP

winny567

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 7
Re: X Factor
« Reply #96 on: March 08, 2004, 11:12:34 PM »
I have owned this ball for about a month now, and admittedly I struggled with it.  I normally play an arcing shot and had to get used to the snappiness of this ball.  Now that I have played it for a while I can see the effectiveness this will have in my arsenal.  The layout is pin above bridge, CG kicked out a little right of grip and RAD is to the right of the thumb hole.  This ball definitely goes long and snaps on the end.  In oily conditions this ball just skids through everything and won't get back to the pocket.  But, on medium oil it is a monster with excellent carry.

--------------------


Chris Winchester
Storm!!!

Everyone else just takes shelter!

Jason Fitzgerald

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 18
Re: X Factor
« Reply #97 on: April 11, 2004, 08:44:26 PM »
I'm only 13 years of age, and have just started to bowl with Track. I throw a 90 degrees angle, and about 10-12 revs, throwing about 14 mph.

This was my first ever hook ball. Whenever I threw it, I loved the way it hooked. I still have the ball, throwing it sometimes. I have had it resurfaced, and now it wont hook again. Also, the drilling, I found out, was off. No matter how I threw it, the rotation was always on top or behind it, not around it. I'm thinking of giving it up, but when it did work, it was the best ball I had.

10pinsuk

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: X Factor
« Reply #98 on: May 24, 2004, 03:40:00 PM »
I have had this ball for about 4 months now and all i can say is wow! I got this ball because i need a ball like this in my arsenal. Before this ball all I had were particles or very dull balls.  So I picked it up and the first time i threw it, I wasn't too impressed with it.  It didn't seem to move at all.  Every time i threw it, the ball just seemed to skid all 60 feet.  I tried on numerous patterns and it did the same thing on all of them.  After about 15-20 games the ball started to grab the lanes like crazy.  Since then the ball has been my "read the lane ball".  Very consistent roll.  One of the only things you have to look out for is that you cannot grab this ball.  If you grab it, right when it hits the dry its goes flying.  As long as you have a consistent release this ball should be very good for you.  This ball is not for fresh oil either.
I bowled on two sport patterns and both times it didn't even roll right until the end of the 2nd games, beginning of the third.  There has to be dry out there.  But for my house shot (which is basically the great wall of china) it works very well.  
All in all I am very happy with this ball.  It is my favorite ball in my arsenal and if you are looking for a very good all around ball I would recommend this ball.
--------------------
Tens pins are the devil!

TPC_Player

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: X Factor
« Reply #99 on: June 07, 2004, 02:47:10 AM »
Got This Ball last year didnt have much use for it then brought it to a recent tournament, none of my other balls would carry the corner pins so I put it on my recap for my second run at the tournament and it crushed the pocket in the entire four game set, in the first three games I went 299, 279, and 290 for an 868 series and ended the set with a 268 game to finish + 336 over, the next closest person was at +123! great ball get it if you can by far the best ball of the x-factor series.

Breakpoint

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 10
Re: X Factor
« Reply #100 on: August 19, 2004, 03:41:42 AM »
this is a good ball for players of all skill levels from newbie to season veteran. it does good on basicly any oil. it hooks hard on oil.on dry it is very easy to adjust to. all in all i liked it.8-10.

tonygee

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: X Factor
« Reply #101 on: September 23, 2004, 04:47:32 PM »
15lb, pin above and between fingers, MB 1" left of thumb, drill resulted in some finger and some side, extra hole.

Some balls hit surprisingly pleasent others surprisingly or disappointingly BAD, I was reluctant at first to drill this due to all the success I've seen with this ball (because that which works for others had historically failed for me).  I finally drilled it and from my first toss I know we will have a beeautiful relationship in our future.  I'm currently trying to find them everywhere (at a reasonable price of course) and stockpile them before the unforseen apocolypse, in a word "discontinued land".  It really is incomprehensible how hard this ball hits.  Of course with power comes responsibility and...risk.  I have left 2 pocket 7-10s so far but then my Inferno has left many a 7s on what seems to be great shots, these are my two favorite balls.  

I think the "x" factor in the X-Factor is the perfect combination of core and coverstock.  Whew, just reminiscing about the ball's reaction makes me sweat.

My father once said "One day grasshoppa you will discover your true destiny, but to be successful you must obtain the tools to aid you in your trek, embrace your hardships and be weary of effortless success"  For a decade I thought my destiny was to be a short order cook at the Ponderosa and my tools to be a spatula and a cuisinart.  I know now of where my true destiny lie...the medium: the Internet, the tools: Mouse, Keyboard, Monitor, oh yeah and PC, Destiny: To write stupid but hopefully entertaining reviews about bowling balls...

tonygee

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: X Factor
« Reply #102 on: October 18, 2004, 05:25:10 PM »
Hits like a TRUCK....MAN!

Watch out Angry Asian...I have chopsticks.....and I know how to use them <in a low serious tone>

tonygee

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 58
Re: X Factor
« Reply #103 on: October 20, 2004, 12:22:50 PM »
This ball is all that and a bag of chips!  I just shot my high series 189 175 143, I'm 17 and carry a 117 average and I'm a HORSE, that's 38 in human years.  I could be better but they don't have a drill size for my hoof so I use my nose.  Sometimes I use my tail to incur hook but my tail has a mind of its own.  

Hey you, give me that carrot SUCKA!

P.S. Life's a beeyatch when you're Mr. Ed's illigitimate son

twanga796

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: X Factor
« Reply #104 on: October 28, 2004, 11:27:26 PM »
I drilled this ball 1 by 3. Something to give me Lenght and it does just that this ball goes forever! I Usually throw 20-5 but with this ball on my house shot i can go straight up 5 as soon as it hits the back it flys. This ball drilled the way it is, is great for dryer lanes the axis never pulls out slams the pocket, the 2 week of league i bowled with it and shot 760 not my highest series but nothing to complain about this ball is great if you get it drilled up right!

oli_crawley

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 6
Re: X Factor
« Reply #105 on: December 09, 2004, 12:58:27 PM »
I must have got this ball about 2 years ago, and it was my only 15lb reactive at the time (becasue i had just moved up a weight). I found it was a wicked ball, and scored pretty well with using it. I hit a 287 with it after the first couple of months and i was very happy. Since then, it has begun to die (and becasue i dont use it very much the chocolate scent is greater..mmm), however, i can still use it on heavier oil conditions, and it will still hook a fair bit, it will just not carry as well as it used to. Due to that, switched to varying between my other 5 balls.
All in all, it is a good ball, and I would definitely consider another one, and would recommend it for anyone looking for a ball to go on medium to heavier oil conditions. It hits the pocket nice and hard...........until its dead lol.
Oli