The new Idol Synergy brings back the Ikon core with the E-Trax Hybrid coverstock.  I was a big fan of both the Idol and Idol Pearl because of its continuous nature and versatility.  I was very excited to receive this ball as a staffer.  The Synergy fits perfectly between the Idol and the Idol Pearl by giving a cleaner reaction then the Idol but a more controllable shape compared to the Idol pearl.  I can see myself using this one a lot on medium conditions and house patterns where control is still needed but the lane surface has some hook to it.  Don't be afraid to add some surface to this ball to give it a more controlled reaction which will increase its versatility even more.   

Adam Chase
Storm Staff

Layout: 75 x 4.5 x 35 (pin up, over ring finger)

Best of Idols yet!
How do you take two of the best bowling balls ever made and make one better? By putting the 2 together. There’s a reason the top tour players in the world have Idols in their bags. The smooth and controllable solid magenta Idol is absolute money on tricky conditions while the pearl Amethyst Idol is best on slightly beat up conditions. The blend of the two covers produces exactly what you need. Easy skid thru the front half of the lane, great read in the middle part of the lane, and a smooth but punchier backend reaction.  The versatility of this ball is what makes it stand out. The polished box finish gives you plenty of skid up front and backend down lane, while putting a little surface on this ball makes it read the mid-lane and arc more without having to force it. Easy and playable on all your medium lane conditions and mostly all your typical house shots but versatile enough to alter the surface and use on challenge/sport shots. Total versatility and playability for a wide range of player styles.

Ron D’Ambrosio
Storm Amateur Staff
#StormNation #SquadRG #Rdamballreviews

As with the rest of the Idol line the newest addition is a winner. If you take the original and the pearl and put them together how could it possibly be bad? Super clean for me. It just looks like its going fast. More punch on the backend then I even expected. My best description would be Phaze3 like....... but better

Roto Grip Idol Synergy
Layout - 55 x 4.75 x 25

This is the most angular skid-flippy ball I've drilled since signing with Storm.  Super clean through the front and all the energy retention and booming back end motion you'd ever want!  What I like so much about this ball is how I can use it shiny and it doesn't miss the window front to back.  The low-RG core never seems to miss it but continues like crazy.  I have it cleaner and longer than my Axiom Pearl and it bridges that gap for me between Axiom Pearl and HyRoad Pearl.  This one is a grand slam! 

Bowler Name: Wes Dye
Style: RH Thumb-in bowler
Rev Rate: 425-450 RPM
Ball Speed: 18mph off the hand, 16.5 mph @ camera (where most speed data in centers come from. 
Axis Rotation: 40-60 degrees on average
Axis Tilt: 10 degrees

Ball: Roto-Grip Idol Synergy
Layout: 4.5x4.5x2
Surface Prep: Box

When I drilled the Idol Synergy, I was hoping for something in between the original and the pearl. As someone who did not get to drill an Idol Pro, I was excited for this release.  I loved my original idol, but it was a bit strong for my house shot. It got a lot of use on tougher patterns.  I liked my idol pearl, but when I drilled it, I had not quite nailed down my layouts as I had just come back to the game after a 6-year break.  The idol pearl for me was very niche.  This synergy on the other hand has looked a lot more versatile. For me it is as clean if not cleaner than my idol pearl. This makes since as the layout was stronger and earlier on the idol pearl.  On our house shot, I have not found a night where this ball sees early friction.  It seems to ignore the first 35 feet of the lane and see a slight bit of the midlane.  From there I see a strong boom on the backend.  I do not know if it is the flippiest ball I have ever thrown, but it’s up there.  This ball has really helped me in situations where I have needed to move left and loop the lane quite a bit, but it has also been terrific when I start to see bigger stuff like the RST X1 lose some energy too soon in the lane. This is common for me with my lower tilt.  I have had great success balling down to the synergy from the RST X1 and staying in the same spot.  I think those two compliment each other nicely for league.  In comparison to the Phase III (same layout) I have the synergy 1-2 feet longer and stronger off the break point.  I believe part of this is due to the number of games on my P3. 

I do think this ball can get some play on some tougher conditions, though I have not had the chance to bowl any tournaments with it. I did throw it some on Kegel Abbey Road. My initial thoughts would be to break the shine a bit with a 3000 pad.  This ball is very clean out of box, and for my game and local center it feels too clean for any flatter pattern with decent volume.  Maybe in a longer format where the lanes can really transition, I could use it box, but it feels a bit too “long and strong” for me in my house.  I could see using this ball on some higher friction lane beds much easier.  Like I mentioned earlier, the cover really seems to ignore the first 30-35 feet, and that could be AMAZING in some houses where everything wants to read early. 

Overall, the Synergy looks like a great ball for any bowler in league, as it was designed to take advantage of the high ratio of oil on most league patterns.  I do think naturally rev dominant players and players with low tilts will like this piece as it will help retain energy and create down lane motion.

The Idol Synergy has Shelf appeal.  It's Purple and blue colors are a throw back to the original Idol and the Idol pearl.  After drilling it I quickly realized that it had the comfortable Idol motion.  I have had many of the Idol series, including multiples of all of them.  This one will be the same case.  The Synergy will give you effortless length (even more than the pearl) coupled with a strong motion down lane.  I actually hit mine with a little surface just to knock the cover down and to get the ball to slow down a bit in the back.  I used a fairly traditional layout for me in 50x5x30 to get the motion I was accustomed to.

Other balls in heavy rotation:
Trend- 50X5x30
Emerald- 50x4/14x 65
Hyroad Pearl- 50x4-1/4x 65
Rubicon-60x5x15

Perfect Idol Blend

The Roto Grip Idol Synergy is the perfect blend of the Idol Solid and Idol Pearl in the HP3 line.  It reads the mid lane decent like the Solid but has more length overall and has the backend of the Pearl.  This is the definition of Hybrid. Its very smooth and controllable and I don’t see it jump off the dry like some pure reactive pearls do.  This ball is really good and I see this in my bag on sport and house. Hitting Power is great like every Roto Grip Ball I’ve thrown. I can play pretty much any line because it recovers smoothly from anywhere and blends the pattern out. My PAP is 5-1/8 and 1/8 up. Usually around 15-16mph, I’d probably be classified between a tweener and a cranker.