BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Storm => Topic started by: axeweldr on February 22, 2016, 08:51:57 PM
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For all my bowling friends out there, I don't state my opinion on many bowling balls, but this one I have to. It bothers me that I don't get many answers to why this ball is such a let down. With that being said, the new Storm Phaze is by far one of the worst balls I have thrown in a long, long time. Could it be the layout, could it be the bowler, what could it be? Well the layout which is pin over the bridge, is actually a decent layout for me, most balls work when you throw this layout a ball. Even had a weight hole punched in it to help it start up sooner. So are you marketing a high priced dry lane ball? If you are maybe you shouldn't advertise how "tacky" it is. That can mislead people into thinking that it might do something called "hook", am I right? It might just be me, but I really think that Storm missed the mark with the advertisement of this ball. Do yourself a favor, if you want to try it, run far away from it.
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be more specific? what issues are you having?
I have only seen one guy throw a phase in my sport league and he is kicking ass with it. I he averaged over 210 with it on the pattern we just wrapped up bowling on. my observation for this guy was that it reacted just as the marketing said it would.
but that was just one guy.
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should add, I am truly interested in the details in how you came by this opinion as I am considering a phase.
but its likely my equipment budget is empty for the rest of this year; its amazingly expensive to plug and redrill 7 balls.
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I have seen several Phazes thrown, they seem very hit or miss. The majority of feedback isn't good. I've seen a guy with a rev rate of 550 throw this ball, and it literally goes 60ft. Aggressive drilling, several surface changes much like my own experience, doesn't seem to matter. There is also a bowler in our area that has multiple titles, honor scores out of his butt, he couldn't make this ball work either. He makes every ball look pretty darn good. Be it a bad batch or something, which Storm tells me there isn't a bad batch. It's hit or miss and if i was on limited funds, id look else where. This of course is my opinion.
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This is a Down and In house shot killer type of reaction. I would say like an Optimus but 3-5 weaker overall. This is not a flashy "boomerang off the end of the pattern" reaction, even though the shelf appeal of it screams "Skid Flip". I watched a two handed staffer of theirs throw one recently as a step down from the Wrecker/Uproars.
A lot of people are going to be unhappily surprised with this reaction if they make a blind purchase expecting it to be the next Marvel Pearl type big booming reaction.
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I have tried surface change after surface change, tired using it on different surfaces different condition, I see the same thing. No reaction to little reaction, and carry is just dreadful. I have also seen guys using it to shoot numbers, hence why i believe there is something wrong with it. I have thrown a few balls in my day, and can make almost anything look good.... I have met my match. I give up on it, and almost just want to send it to the factory and be done with it.
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When you market a bowling ball as being tacky you expect some grab on the lane. My optimus hooks rings around the ball, literally. If your going to market a dry lane ball, don't sell it for 200 bucks, you might make some people unhappy. Also the video to promote the ball isn't a down and in reaction.....
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Have any videos of you throwing said Ball? Or palming it like a basketball?
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I don't really like to make videos, because i hate seeing my arm swing (which is pretty bad) I grew up in the days of urethane where you had to really torque on a ball. My ball was never that tacky, and besides that i can't palm it. I've been on this site for a long long time, since the start really, was also one of those gold members. lol I won't flame a company or ball unless I've got good reason too.
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The Phaze is one of those balls I want to throw just because people seem so mixed on it. I know our main pso got one but I haven't been able to ask him if he likes his
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I've only seen one of these in action so far. On wood lanes in house with back ends that really move. The bowler is an average speed lower revs guy but he's accurate. The first set I seen him throw with it was maybe one of the worst looking balls I've ever seen. The ball constantly would hook roll out and hit the pins leaving something.
The next week it looked much better making a move to the pocket and carrying really well. I went over and asked him what the difference was and his response was the ball is very temperamental to friction. Get it to the spot early it hooks out doesn't over react but doesn't carry, Get it to the spot on time ball hits like a Mack truck, don't find the friction it's a dart. Even in a house with big back ends the Phaze doesn't hook a lot.
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I've had my Phaze for a little over two weeks now and I'm very happy with it. I'm averaging over 230 with it and yes it's on a THS, but it hits hard and haven't had any issues with carry so far. I think the ball is what it's advertised...a medium oil ball. Storm may have over marketed it and people think it's going to be a hook monster, but it's not an oiler. It does turn left when it finds the friction for me and I've never had it go 60 ft straight. It could be that you're playing it on the wrong pattern. I've had my Haywire look like a dud on certain patterns, but that's because it was burnt up before it got to the pins. I have heard from numerous people to knock the shine off of the Phaze and it will really come to life.
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All the bad reviews on this ball make me want to get one because i usually do well with balls that no one else likes. If anyone has a 16lb that wants to get rid of, pm me please.
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All the bad reviews on this ball make me want to get one because i usually do well with balls that no one else likes.
+1
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All the bad reviews on this ball make me want to get one because i usually do well with balls that no one else likes.
+1
Me too
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I just asked our main pso if he likes the Phaze he drilled. He said he likes it because it's not real aggressive. He drilled another for one of our better bowlers and he thinks it won't be aggressive enough for him and he'll be selling his soon so maybe I'll be able to pick one up soon
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The BTM review called it a more controlled reaction than other Storm pearls. That is appealing to me but the price is not.
I am wondering if it might have some particle or equivalent in the cover. Anyone know?
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The BTM review called it a more controlled reaction than other Storm pearls. That is appealing to me but the price is not.
I am wondering if it might have some particle or equivalent in the cover. Anyone know?
It's got some thing in it. Otherwise it would be a Reactor-something
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The BTM review called it a more controlled reaction than other Storm pearls. That is appealing to me but the price is not.
I am wondering if it might have some particle or equivalent in the cover. Anyone know?
I've been speculating the same ever since Storm made the video and mentioned additives.
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I am in a unique position on this ball and on bowling in general.
I have been bowling since the 1960s and have 300 games and was averaging about 220 at the end of the 2013-2014 season.
Right-handed.
At that point I had to quit do to a a torn Labrum and torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder (injury, bowling related)
So in since June 2014 I have been bowling Left-Handed. It's been a long road but over the last few months a got more consistent and now I have my average for this season above 170. Last three months it's more like 180.
That said, I am NOT ACCURATE. I know what accuracy is. I used to be accurate. Simularly, my release is inconsistent. Both those things are getting better, but on an absolute scale compared to where I was, I am moderately bad. But getting better.
For the last year or so I have been using a Rocket. And it's fine. But there were two characteristics I wanted to address in a new ball. One is that when I miss left with the rocket, it crosses over. And when I missed right the Rocket did not carry since it skid all the way to the pocket. Again, this is not a complaint about the Rocket. This is ME using a Rocket. I wanted something that was at once more powerful but a little less reactive to dry. Something smoother and more forgiving that would give me more area. I was not looking for a boomerang.
So now I have a Phaze. And it took me a while to figure it out, but this is where I am: I am standing 25-ish and throwing the ball at the 4-7 and watching it hook back into the pocket. I typically cross 12-15 at the arrows. The ball goes out to about 3-4 then charges back, with good carry and good power (remember, I am BAD).
THE BEST THING about it is the MARGIN I have. Especially left. I can miss 5 boards left and it will still find the pocket. I can miss 3-4 right and still carry through the oil. It's very smooth and forgiving. And it's forgiving of inconsistent releases (remember, I am Bad).
With the Rocket if I threw that line it might make it back to the head pin, but it would be tired when it gets there. I could move five boards left and strike, but not have nearly the room for error. If I missed left, it's picking up right now when it hits the dry and crossing over. So the rocket on my best day had about a 3-4 board area (did I mention that the left side of the lane seems a lot tighter?). This would have been great right handed, but it's tough for me to be that consistent left handed.
So that's a report from a late 50s guy who's been bowling all his life, knows what he's looking at and trying to re-learn the game from the left side.
To those of you who are having trouble with your Phaze, I would say suggest trying something different. I thought I would be able to play it straight. So did my coach. I couldn't. Maybe it just doesn't like that. Try moving inside. For me, that was the key to generating area with it. I just said "what the hell" and moved further and further right. And the more right I went, the more area I had. For me it always seems to find its way home from there. Down and in? That was frustration.
Two videos helped me with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWgfPj5dzNU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWgfPj5dzNU)
This shows middle-out from the right with a Phaze compared to "real" pearl balls. This video helped me figure the ball out more than any other video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgYQGIghSEo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgYQGIghSEo)
The second shows something like what I am seeing from the left side, shots all over the place that manage to find home. What I would call the "forgiving" nature of the ball. Also made by a "converted" lefty.
As to the surface, it reminds me of the "epoxy" ball from a few years ago: EPT-X1? I have not changed mine.
After 20-one games with it, the last few I am averaging close to 195. So it's forgiving nature is helping me a lot and giving me options I did not have before.
Hope this helps someone.
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It just seems like Storm is having a hard time trying to come up with a marvel pearl replacement in the master line. The optimus pearl wasn't it and the phaze isn't it either. The price is too high to justify a medium oil piece.
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ive been a brunswick guy for a long time i liked the look of the phaze so i got it to try it and i got to say ilove it. its super strong reads the lane well and hits hard i dont have any issue with mine at all
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Guess I just don't know how to bowl anymore. I get zero reaction out of mine dull or polished. I'm going to lock this thread because all it is doing is pissing me off more.