THE CHALLENGE: see if the Retro Buzzsaw THS is really the best ball for THS ever!
THE COMPETITORS: Buzzsaw THS, OOB (1000 polished) vs. a Storm HyRoad and Storm T-Road Pearl, both OOB (1500 polished). All three balls have label drills, pin about 1:30 to the right and below ring finger.
BOWLER: medium revs/speed stroker. I'm just an average bowler.
LANE CONDITIONS: 41' Xmas tree with a few games bowled on it.
COMMENTS: I posted a review of the THS a few weeks ago, and since that time I've been comparing it to my other equipment. I suspect the THS is the only ball I need to bring with me to cover most of the lane conditions I see, so I set out to prove whether that's true or not.
The HyRoad and the T-Road Pearl are a fantastic 1-2 punch. Both balls have Storm's proven Thunder line core, one of their all-time best sellers. The Hy-Road's hybrid cover can be used on anything from medium to heavy oil, while it's Pearl partner works on light to medium. Predictability and a smooth, gentle arc is what these balls are about. For the past year the T-Road Pearl has been my favorite ball.
RESULTS: I chose the third arrow as my target in all 3 games. The HyRoad had me standing 6 boards left of the T-Road Pearl, while the THS worked best standing exactly between those two. In the end, I found the best look standing at 32 with the T-Road Pearl, 35 with the THS, and 38 with the HyRoad, with a breakpoint around 15. However, I had no problem playing the HyRoad or the T-Road's lines with the THS. It is the more versatile ball.
By the third game, the Hy-Road was forcing me to play a deeper inside line than I was comfortable with, and the T-Road Pearl was struggling a bit with the carrydown. The THS held: no jumps off the dry and it easily made it through the carrydown. In fact, the THS proved to be more predictable than the other two, and more forgiving for operator error.
The carry on the Storm balls is more enjoyable to watch, as the pins explode on contact. No such drama with the THS. But in the end, the THS rewarded me with more strikes, even on errant shots where I missed my target. Equally important, the Storm balls left me some nasty splits and washouts when I missed. This was especially true with the HyRoad as the lanes started to breakdown. I only had one pocket split with the THS and no washouts. The THS appears to deliver better carry.
CONCLUSION: As much as I love the HyRoad/T-Road Pearl combo, the THS takes the place of both balls. It is “one ball to rule them allâ€!
