BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Storm => Topic started by: ryguy119 on January 29, 2016, 07:20:30 AM
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I currently have a Lock for oil and a Ride for dry. Been using my IQ Tour and my IQ Tour Nano for medium conditions. Both balls have tons of games on them. Looking to replace both IQ's. I would not be against switching to a different company if I can find a true benchmark ball. I also can just buy a new IQ Tour and Nano but thought I would see what you guys are using today as your benchmark ball. Black Ops or the IQ -30 are a few of the balls I have in mind. I also thought about buying another Lock and polishing it up to use as my benchmark ball. Tournament time around the corner so I want to get my arsenal in shape before then. Thanks
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There is a large gap between the two balls. If you are looking for one ball, then you may have to decide which side of the spectrum you want to be in. Something under the Lock or something over the Ride. Or do you want to fill the gap with two balls in preparation for the tournament season?
For more difficult shots, I would lean towards the IQ series. For THS I would probably go to Roto Grip for their offerings of that strength. With higher revs I prefer a little more differential than what the IQ balls offer for the THS. But for flatter patterns the lower differential is nice.
Below that you have the newer balls from Storm coming out so not sure if that can be an option.
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I don't know how you throw the ball but I wouldn't consider the Lock a benchmark ball for most people. I'd say the IQ Tour Solid, Gamebreaker 2, Venom Shock, Legion Solid, or Black Ops (with a surface change).
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What your benchmark would be would also depend on your speed/rev rate ratio.
If you're speed dominant, you'd need a stronger than average ball, like a Haywire.
If you're rev dominant, you'd need a weaker than average ball, like a Rumble, Venom Shock, Eruption Pro, Viral Solid.
If you're matched, you'd need a true medium oil ball, like an Arson Low Flare Solid or a 900G Breakdown, Game Breaker 2.
FYI I also think there's a gap between the Lock and the Ride you could drive a truck through. I think you'd need at least 2 balls to cover that gap.
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My ball speed is 15.5 with a medium rev rate. A game is playing out . That is why I like the Ride so much. I am looking for 2 new balls to fit between my Lock and the Ride.
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For motiv I would say venom shock. Every motiv person loves that ball. For storm roto, anything in the thunder, master or hp3 line would work.
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External Cell looks like a nice ball to start the night out with. Anybody use one for their benchmark?
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IQ Tour and GameBreaker2
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My ball speed is 15.5 with a medium rev rate. A game is playing out . That is why I like the Ride so much. I am looking for 2 new balls to fit between my Lock and the Ride.
Is that ball speed at the pins or the heads?
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pins.
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External Cell looks like a nice ball to start the night out with. Anybody use one for their benchmark?
While it's polished, it is a solid and it is a stronger asymmetric. That CAN make it problematic when drilling it. Your driller needs to be more knowledgeable than the average driller I know, to do it correctly. He has to know your style almost personally also.
That said, one COULD drill and prepare the surface of the EC to fill both roles you want.
The only problem with most stronger asymmetrics that most people don't realize is that while they can be drilled to have many ball reactions, once drilled that reaction is almost fixed. You should always throw that ball with the release from which the driller got your release delivery specs. This is because ll those specs are USUALLY necessary to drill the ball correctly for you. Once you use that ball with another release, you USUALLY change one of more of those release/delivery factors. That will make the ball react differently.
(FYI by stronger asymmetrics, I mean those with higher MB strengths. Many asymmetrics now have MB strengths (also called intermediate differential) closer to the minimum to be taken into consideration,.008", according to Mo Pinel, the asymmetric core guru. Many are in the .009" - .015" range. Of course once drilled, that number USUALLY goes up.)
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Hy Road or the new Fight would be options from the Thunder Line.
If you don't want another IQ ball (LOVE my Nano as a benchmark) you could switch to the Roto Line for a Critical or Unhinged depending on your Preference.
The Radical line has a bunch of good options you could mix and match as well with the Primo Solid, Primo, Ridiculous, Ridiculous AYSM, Rave, and Rave ON.
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External Cell looks like a nice ball to start the night out with. Anybody use one for their benchmark?
For the last year and change, I have been using the Hyper Cell Skid, which has the same core and same hook potential as the Eternal Cell (but different hook shape) as my benchmark ball. It is one of my favorite balls of all time.
If you want to stay Storm/Roto the following would be a good arsenal for various conditions:
Lock - hook monster
Eternal Cell - polished solid for length and backend pop
IQ Tour - smooth solid
Ride - dry
From this you might be missing a pearl that's a little stronger than the Ride. Maybe swap out the IQ Tour Solid and go with the IQ Tour Pearl. Depends on what's more important to you.
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I like your thoughts. What about this for my arsenal: Lock, IQ Tour, Fight, and Ride.Fight looks to be a decent benchmark ball. Not sure how much longer I have with the IQ Tour but I like the idea of the IQ 30 as a replacement. External Cell also looks real good. Tough choices but the research is what makes it fun. We don't always get it right but we sure try.
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The best benchmark ball I have thrown since my Ransom Demand is the DV8 Deviant. It is a ball with predictable motion. I have thrown it on med to med/heavy conditions with success. I was able to tame an over/under condition with it as well. If you want your benchmark ball to be versatile on a variety of conditions and be predictable then I would highly recommend the Deviant.
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In theory, I know what a Fight is supposed to due based on the marketing, but I have not seen it thrown in person (so I can't truly give a properly educated opinion). Guessing from Storm's intentions though, depending on the surface prep you keep the IQ Tour and the Fight, they could in theory be a good combination for medium conditions. I would wait to see how the Fight looks like in person though before going that route. You may see something that might make you lean in another direction.
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I use my Haywire or Vandal as benchmark
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Disturbed from Roto has been very good to me...if you can find one, good stuff.
For a benchmark, I tend to like stuff that is not highly polished or pearl as I want the ball to be able to read the lane and tell me which way to go, if I need to go away. Also, don't want anything too sanded or gritty (particle/etc) as that can also mask reaction.
Thus, a nice full solid cover (no hybrids) around 2000 abralon. Thus the Disturbed, but depending on what weight you throw, the Storm Wipe Out fits nicely in that slot, also the Hy Road solid (if you throw 14 - check out the specs if you throw 14#...you will see why) or the new Fight as that ball looks real good, but who knows for sure until some get delivered, drilled, and used.
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Out of the 900 Global lineup, Chemical X is where it's at.
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Chemical X is pretty awesome. I bought one at the beginning of the season and have consistently scored well with it. It needs some dry to hook, but doesn't jump or overreact. For me, its great from the outside, in the track area, and playing a small swing (on a THS). Quite honestly, the cover is such that I rarely need to move a ton ove the course of a typical night.
Really, the only thing I don't like about the ball is the yellow/lime color ;-).
Scott
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Thanks everybody for the advice. Ordered a Fight to use as my benchmark ball. Can go up to my Lock or down to my Ride if need be. Also have IQ Tour and Tour Nano as my tournament balls. Will let everybody know how she rolls. My pro shop guys know my game and suggested the Fight.
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You can't miss with either the IQ Tour Solid or the Track Tour Sic. Both are even rolling, smooth revving, predictable pieces with the ability to strike a lot, also. IMHO, benchmark balls should be symmetrical and Solid.
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You can't miss with either the IQ Tour Solid or the Track Tour Sic. Both are even rolling, smooth revving, predictable pieces with the ability to strike a lot, also. IMHO, benchmark balls should be symmetrical and Solid. <-----Great comment!
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I'm on my 2nd Storm Rocket. I hated the first one with a 6" pin high. Just way too much angle too late. I drilled a second one pin down 5" with a low x Hole and this is the best benchmark motion I've ever seen. I bowl on quite a bit of oil, but this ball gives me enough motion to square up and give a strong continuation. It's one of those balls that finishes hard from every angle. Very versatile ball.
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The Motiv Forza is a great benchmark ball.
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The Motiv Forza is a great benchmark ball.
+1 Motiv forza great benchmark smooth and smooth and smooth
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Grease Monkey POW is mine, but sadly discontinued.
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IQ Tour Edition (solid) - no other ball can compare.
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I've seen the fight and wouldn't consider it as a benchmark type of reaction, the ball tries to hook at the arrows, don't cover that many boards as the jackal carnage, which is the ball motion I could identify from seeing it roll downlane.
I know one is asym and the other is sym, but the motion was pretty similar but again, less boards covered, it's a good ball for the fresh, strong cover and BIG core, maybe polish it and could work as a benchmark, plus solid polished balls roll great, at least for me