In the beginning of 2024, Storm caught everyone's attention with a new bowling ball release - Storm Absolute Power. This bowling ball is an updated version of its ancestor, Storm Absolute, which was released back in January 2023. Back in a day, Storm Absolute introduced both the new R2S DEEP Hybrid coverstock and a new asymmetrical Sentinel core design, promising bowlers a more consistent but nonetheless strong motion down the lane.
Even though Storm Absolute was not as big a success as some other Storm bowling balls, creators had more than a year to think about how to fit Absolute Power into everyone's bowling ball arsenal. In this Storm Absolute Power bowling ball in-depth review, we will find out if the new Storm Absolute has the potential to be one of the best bowling balls to have in 2024.
Storm Absolute Power Bowling Ball Review
Don't want to read a full review? Here is a short summary!
Storm's Absolute Power bowling ball represents a significant advancement in performance, featuring an upgraded coverstock and core design. With its enhanced capabilities, this ball offers bowlers versatility and reliability across a wide range of oil conditions and playing styles, ensuring consistent and effective performance on the lanes.
Advantages:
Versatile adaptability to different oil conditions and playing techniques.
Responsive to surface adjustments, ensuring controllable reactions.
Consistent performance and strong backend motion similar to the reliable Storm Phaze II.
Limitations:
Requires precise control on dry lanes due to its aggressive backend reaction.
While effective across various conditions, may not offer the same level of hook potential as some competing models, particularly on extremely heavy oil patterns.
Key Specifications
Coverstock Type: Reactive Solid
Coverstock Name: R2S DEEP Solid Reactive
Core Type: Asymmetrical
Core Name: Sentinel
Box Finnish: 4000 Abralon
Best For: Medium-Heavy oil
RG: 2.48
Total Diff: 0.05
Intermediate Diff: 0.021
Definitions
Asymmetrical core - Asymmetric bowling ball deliver sharper, more angular motion when meeting friction.
Symmetrical core - Symmetric bowling balls produce a soft, controllable motion.
Radius of gyration (RG) - The higher RG, the more back-end motion a bowling ball will produce, as high RG ball skids more and tends to conserve more power for the further part of the lane.
Total Diff - the difference between low RG (X axis) and high RG (Y axis).
Intermediate Diff - only found in asymmetrical balls, as it is the difference between the high RG (Y axis) and intermediate RG (Z axis).
First impression
In contrast to the Storm Absolute Reacta Gloss finish, the new Storm Absolute Power comes with 4000 Abralon factory finish right out of the box, promising more mid-lane read and more manageable reaction. Considering the unpredictability of the Storm Absolute on heavier oil, the shift to a 4000 Abralon finish initially appears to be a wise decision. The key question lies in how well it will perform on the lanes.
Our testers particularly appreciated the new Absolute Power for its distinct Berry/Tangelo/Steel color combination, providing clear visual cues regarding the ball's movement and response.
Lane Performance
We gave Absolute Power to two our testers - speed dominant one-hander and rev dominant two-hander. The goal was to give the ball a chance to demonstrate its strengths across various lane conditions, so we tested it on heavy, medium, and dry sport oil patterns, plus on a typical house shot pattern (THS) for our league players.
A speed-dominant one-hander thoroughly enjoyed using this ball on all three sport oil patterns. The 4000 Abralon box finish provided just enough strength to generate a nice, controllable curve using straighter angles on heavy oil. However, it fell short in creating sufficient pin carry on a fresh oil pattern. To unlock the Absolute Power's true potential for mid-lane read, the tester dulled the bowling ball with 2000 Abralon, anticipating a stronger reaction. This adjustment allowed them to move further left and open up the angles a bit, creating more room for error and improving pin carry.
The Absolute Power truly showcased its abilities on a medium oil pattern. With a 3000 Abralon finish on the fresh, this ball produced a similar bowling ball reaction to that seen in the Storm Phaze II - a controllable, consistent, and strong (but not overly strong) back-end motion for excellent pin carry. The same reaction applied on a THS.
Some other bowling balls may be better for dry lane conditions, but it is possible to play with Absolute Power as well. A speed-dominant one-hander dulled the ball back to 4000 Abralon factory finish for a dry oil patter and had to open up his angles straight away. Absolute Power demonstrated a very strong back-end motion, which was hard to control, but very interesting to see.
Unlike the speed-dominant one-hander, a rev-dominant two-hander successfully identified a line using the Absolute Power with its box finish on a heavy oil pattern. The strategy involved keeping the ball near the pocket for the initial frames and then transitioning the entire line to the left while maintaining the breakpoint in the same position. To explore the ball's versatility, the two-hander tester opted to dull the ball to 3000 Abralon. This adjustment allowed to dig deeper into the oil along the mid-lane, resulting in a more aggressive ball reaction. It also allowed for a shift in the breakpoint to the right, creating additional space to play within.
A rev-dominant two-hander tester also loved this ball on medium oil. Its optimal performance was achieved with a 4000 Abralon finish. This grit enabled the two-hander to produce a more pronounced angular shape and fully leverage the strong back-end reaction capabilities of the Absolute Power while maintaining the breakpoint in proximity to the right gutter.
Overall impression
The Storm Absolute Power proves itself as a versatile bowling ball with the ability to adapt to various oil patterns and playing styles. Both our testers found a way to make quality shots with this new bowling ball from Storm. Storm Absolute Power is definitely a better choice for your bowling ball arsenal than it's ancestor. Testers loved how Absolute Power maintained it's reaction while changing balls surface with different grit Abralons, making it a versatile bowling ball for everyone. While observing Absolute Power reaction on the lane, it somehow reminded old reliable Storm Phaze II.
Storm Absolute Power Evaluation
The Storm Absolute Power is great because it works well in different bowling situations and it is responsive for surface changes. It's a good choice for bowlers who want a reliable and controllable asymmetrical bowling ball on various lane conditions. Compared to last year's Storm Absolute, it reads the middle part of the lane better and has the same good motion at the back. It may not be as successful as Storm's flagman Phaze II, but it can be really helpful for players who are seeking a similar controlled reaction from the ball, just with a bit more backend motion.
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