User Specs:

Left handed, 375 rev rate, 17mph speed, 45 degree angle of rotation, 7 degrees tilt

Layout: 4 ¾ x 3 ½ x 3 ½

The Absolute is a new asymmetric ball in Storm’s Premiere line.  It features the R2S Deep hybrid coverstock, which is a cleaner version of their R2S formula, or it’s basically a longer and sharper version of the original Hy-Road coverstock.  The core is the new Sentinel core, featuring a single density with no flip block to still provide torque but prevent it from locking up, in addition to cavities on either side to limit the amount the core is altered when drilling holes, this preserves the pre-drilled numbers and core dynamics. 

I’ve used the Absolute at several different surfaces on several different conditions.  First, the box Reacta Gloss surface combined with the cleaner nature of the cover just made it too long and inconsistent for me, so I took it to 3000 grit by hand initially.  This made it more controllable and consistent, but it’s difficult to get very deep by hand, so as I continued to bowl, it shined back up and was still cleaner than was comfortable for me.  I resurfaced it to 1000 grit on a resurfacing machine, and then finished it with Storm’s Step 2 compound.  After that, the reaction was much improved, still clean and sharp, but much more stable, much more controllable, and the more games I got on it, the stronger and better it reacted.

The Absolute is a remarkably versatile ball.  The roll of the core is unique, it feels like a strong symmetric core because of how it rolls and revs, but it handles angle much better.  At the same time, it expends energy a little slower than regular asymmetrics so that it doesn’t lock up or roll forward.  It’s very forgiving and predictable, and is in play on some fresh league conditions, but is a great 2nd or 3rd ball out of the bag in transition on either house patterns or sport conditions.  On the left side of the lane, it’s a little too angular for me to use on a regular basis, but it stays in the bag in case the backends start or get too slow or soft.  What it reminds me most of is the Rubicon UC2, just a touch weaker and a touch smoother.