The !Q Tour Emerald brings current bowlers the chance to relive the !Q 30 and “gold ballâ€. The Emerald uses the same Centripetal core (2.49 Rg, 0.029 diff in 15lbs) found in the previous Tour releases as well as the same R2S pearl cover, but this time with an emerald green color. The Emerald is still in the Master line of balls in Storm’s catalog.
I drilled the Emerald with a 4.5†pin and 2.5†pin buffer from PAP, the same layout used on my Idol Pearl. My !Q 30 and my “gold ball†both had the pins at 5†with 2.5†pin buffer from PAP. Compared to a current ball in the Idol Pearl, the !Q Emerald is more responsive to friction at the end of the pattern, and creates more angle. The Idol Pearl starts up sooner, and is smoother overall, while covering more boards. This is almost always the case for me when comparing lower differential to higher differential balls. Other people and their roll may see it differently. Comparing the Emerald to a Son!Q with a 4†pin and 3†buffer, the Emerald needs to be straighter through the fronts to get the ball to read the right way, and has more angle than the Son!Q. Basically, I can use the Son!Q when seeing fresh backends, and switch to the Emerald when more backend shape (but less overall board coverage) is needed. The overall shape the emerald makes throughout the lane is very similar to that of the !Q 30. It seems to be more continuous through the backend than the “gold ballâ€, just like the 30.
The !Q Emerald is a welcomed addition to many tournament bowlers who see conditions that straighter trajectory through the fronts is key. The Emerald still has its place on easier conditions, especially those players with very high rev rates, who wants to circle the whole lane when they hook, as well as players who are speed dominate and want to keep their angles very tight. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the !Q Emerald. As always, bowl up a Storm!
