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Ball Review


Storm: Hy-Road Pearl Hook 50.5 • Length15.5 • Breakpoint Shape 16


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Manufacturer’s Intent: “The number one factor in ball motion is coverstock,” says Storm’s Matt Martin. “Just one shot with the new Hy-Road Pearl, and you’ll see the difference. The R2S pearl reactive shell floats easily through the fronts, maintain- ing ball speed, and really cuts loose on the backends. Matching that up with the inverted Fe2 technology makes the Hy-Road [a special ball].”


Core Design: The symmetric inverted


Fe2 core has an RG of 2.57 and .046 differ- ential at 15-lbs. We saw nearly 5 inches of track flare with the 4-inch pin distance lay- out drilled with a 1-inch buffer. Our 4-inch pin with a 4-inch buffer produced only 3 3/4 inches of flare. The original Hy-Road (December 2008) shares this core. Coverstock: Storm chose the prov- en pearlized R2S cover formula for the new Hy-Road. This edition is grape punch scented and colored in deep blue and pur- ple hues. Factory surface is polished with Storm’s 1500-grit polish. The response time off friction is quick and strong, with limited traction in oil. The Ra measures 1.5, with an


effective surface grit reading of 5400. Test Results: Having the origi- nal Storm Hy-Road in our “control ball stable” for the past few years allowed us to really understand the simplicity and grace demonstrated by the inverted Fe2 core. Its symmetric design doesn’t overpower or create any undue motion shape phases, as some stronger asymmetric cores do. Now surrounded by an all-pearl R2S cov- erstock formula, the new Hy-Road can produce easier and added length in lighter volumes and create added angularity if the volume isn’t too heavy in the midlane or backends. This ball is produced to handle medium and lighter volumes with a back-end motion shape of a hard-arc (not skid/ flip). Usability and hitting and carry power were all above average for our low, medium and high rev rate testers. When to Use: The new Hy-Road Pearl will not perform well on oil patterns with heavy carrydown, nor will it have enough traction on extremely heavy oil volumes. Other than that, it can be an all-purpose pearl for many player styles. It responded predictably with both pin- up and pin-down layout choices. We saw sub- tle differences in motion shape (pin up vs. pin down) with this core, so choose your favorite with the help of Storm’s Vector Layout System.


TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER


Track: 505C2 Hook 47 • Length 16 • Breakpoint Shape 14 .5


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“Our goal with this new release was to make an even better version of the original 505C [August 2009],” says Track Brand Manager Rich Hanson. “We tried several options, but settled on making one minor tweak and updating the cover to match up


better with today’s bowling environment.”


Core Design: Track


decided to keep the shape of the Shuttle core from the original


505C, but raise the RG to 2.49 and lower the differential to .038. It’s now called a modified Kinetic core. We saw easier length with a controlled arc motion downlane. Coverstock: The 505C2 cover formula is called Gen MC (Moderate Continuation). It’s formulated to lessen friction in the front part of the lane. Response time off dry is moderately quick and oil traction is limited. The color is a metallic orange pearl. The factory finish is sanded with 800, 1000 and 2000 Abralon and then highly polished. The Ra measures low at 1.4, with the effective surface grit being 5500.


Test Results: The 505C2 is an all-pur- pose pearl that offers many motion shapes, contingent on layout and player specifics. Most will enjoy its ease through lighter oil concentra- tions and its ability to corner smoothly and consistently downlane. The hitting and carry power also are well above average from a multitude of attack angles. Scuffing its surface down to 1000 or so will create a noticeably earlier and stronger mid-lane motion. Its mild asymmetry will allow ball drill- ers to utilize any symmetric or asymmet- ric drilling layout, with the help of Ebonite’s Blueprint software — an added bonus, for sure. When to Use: As with most mid-range pearls with medium RG numbers, the 505C2 will not be your first choice on heavier volumes. That choice would be the 910A (reviewed next). Most 5 and 7 series Track products offer premium performance at a lower price point. The 505C2 is no slouch. It reacted well from extreme inside and outside lines, and always responded downlane, even in light carrydown. Just line up reasonably close to friction and watch the ball do its thing. The 505C2 proves you don’t have to pay a premi- um price for performance.


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