Storm Crux Pearl Ball Review by Walter McKnight


Lane Conditions: Medium-Heavy Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: Combination
What part of the lane did you play? Third Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 1500
Likes: Super Clean with just enough midlane read.
Dislikes: I only have one so far!

Every year Storm keeps raising the bar. Continuing with the success of the original Crux they have paired the Catalyst Core. A core over 8 years in the making with their super clean yet aggressive ERG pearl reactive coverstock. The combination of the two make for effortless motion through the front of the lane while producing an unrivaled backend reaction.

I drilled my Crux Pearl 40º x 5 1/2” x 35. Pin over the bridge Cg in the center of my palm. I find this ball to be super clean, The ball has a touch of mid lane motion and a very controlled breakpoint. This allows me to read the front and the back of the lane with ease. After the lanes start breaking down the Crux starts to read very early, The Crux Pearl is a perfect compliment when this occurs. Some pearls have a problem making the turn down lane thru the oil but not for the Crux Pearl it still cuts through tough oil down lane giving you the best shape out there.

The Crux Pearl is one excellent ball.  If you like the Crux and its strong mid-lane read and reaction then you will love this pearl version.  As expected, it is longer than the Crux but unlike many pearl balls, it still is able to read the mid-lane and make a move, even if kept in the oil because of the Catalyst core.  When my Crux starts charging too hard, I can switch to the Crux Pearl and keep the same line.  Plus it has the same awesome carry as the original Crux. 

As an added bonus, the root beer fragrance is nice and is a good change from the mainly fruit fragrances of past balls.

Crux Pearl Review by Derek Eoff

When I heard they were coming out with a Crux Pearl, I was really excited.  I love the Crux and was looking forward to a strong asymmetrical pearl.  I put my standard layout on the Crux Pearl, pin above my middle finger with the CG kicked out at 45 degrees and a small hole on my axis. 

I have had the opportunity to use the Crux on a variety or patterns such as WTBA Mexico City, Kegel Turnpike, 2014 USBC Open Team pattern and a typical house shot.

The Crux pearl has exceeded my expectations.  On the Turnpike pattern, I bowled 740 in league on a very high friction lane surface.  I could move in and it never lost hitting power.  I just bowled a tournament on the 2014 Open Champ. team pattern and it was the tightest version of that pattern I have seen.  In game 1, I could use the Crux pearl and bowled 300.  I had no problem with it picking up when my Optimus and Marvel Pearl labored. 

Comparing it to the Optimus, the Crux pearl is cleaner and more angular.  The Crux pearl is about five boards stronger than the Optimus.  Comparing it to the Marvel Pearl (one of my all time favorites), it is a similar motion, but the Crux pearl is about five boards stronger. 

In my opinion this is the best pearl asymmetrical Storm has made.   

If you love the Crux you will love the Crux pearl.  If you didn't like the Crux because it was too early or too strong, the Crux pearl may be a better option.

 This new ball from Storm does not disappoint. With It's revolutionary asymmetrical Catalyst Core and advanced ERG is has Excellent length and is so smooth down lane. Personally I was really looking forward to this one being that with my high Rev rate I wasn't really to hung up on the Original Crux for my game. ( Hooked To much )

 I drilled this ball Pin up with the C.G kicked to the left about 1" ( Opposite Side ) and drilled through the Mass Bias due to location. Del Ballard recommended this layout for my game. Dual angle Layout is 60x5x20

 This ball started to get into a roll about 3' further down lane compared to the Original crux which was awesome and had excellent flip. On average I was about an arrow further right with this ball compared to the crux. This ball is a great compliment to the Original especially if you want more skid and more flip.

 Check out my ball comparison video on My YouTube Channel @
 Joe Pompilio Bowling

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiFhdYXHvnI

Joe Pompilio
Storm Amateur Staff Player




 

Ball: Storm Crux Pearl
Layout: 50 x 4-1/2 X 50
Test pattern: 41ft THS and 40ft Kegel Flex Pattern
Results: Well, it was too strong for me to play my typical THS place on the lane. I actually moved LEFT to about 20-22 and look at the bottom of the 4 pin to make the ball stay in the pocket. The ball works well on a THS that I bowl on that is the same length, but on Pro Lane by playing 30 to 18 with a good amount of tilt.So,in TWO WORDS: Hercules Strong!!! For the love of the sport, I proceeded to continue with the ball review. I used this ball more of the 40ft Kegel flex pattern and found the ball roll better inside of the track area and where the oil was heavier and longer. This ball will suit those players that bowl on the harder lane surfaces like SPL, Pro-lane and Anvilane on the longer house patterns and sport patterns.

The Crux pearl is the second ball released by Storm with the Catalyst core, only this time it has the ERG pearl cover. The black, white, and copper color has great shelf appeal. The root beer fragrance takes me back to my childhood, remembering root beer barrel candies that were a staple at my great grandmothers home. The Catalyst core has an Rg of 2.50, a differential of 0.052, and an intermediate differential of 0.017, in 15lbs.
I drilled my Crux pearl 5 x 5 ¾  x 2 ⅝ . That layout puts the pin above my ring finger, and the mass bias just a slight bit right of my grip line. I did not have to use an extra hole on this ball. I will be comparing this with an original Crux that I polished with Storm step #1 and drilled with a layout of 4 x 5 x 2 ¾, and a Hyper Cell Skid drilled 5 x 5 ½ x 2 ½. The Crux pearl gives me more length than the polished Crux, and has a smoother, more continuous change of direction. The ball motion of the Crux pearl isn’t as defined at the breakpoint as the Crux. The pearl Crux needs cleaner backends to make it’s move, than does the original Crux. Most of this can be attributed to the change in layout, but the difference in cover also has the Crux pearl not slowing down as fast. The Crux pearl is about a 2 and 4 board move closer to the drier part of the lane than the original Crux.
 When comparing the pearl Crux to the Hyper Cell Skid, the biggest difference on our house condition, is the shape through the backend of the lane. The Crux pearl revs up, and has a more hook set shape than does the Hyper Cell Skid. I find this better for  fresher backends. The Hyper Cell Skid continues more, and has more hook through the backend than the Crux pearl. I can stand at the same place with both balls on our house condition, but the different shape they make in the backend means that if I make a mistake, it has to be different with each ball. With the Crux pearl, it is better to miss in, as it will hold pocket, and not over react. With the Hyper Cell Skid, it is better to miss out, as the stronger more continuous move the ball makes down lane will recover better.
In conclusion, when comparing the three balls listed above, I would use the original Crux for higher volumes, and a more pronounced shape at the breakpoint. I can then go to the pearl Crux when the pattern breaks down. If I am using the pearl Crux, and the pattern starts to break down, and I have to start chasing the pattern in, I can then go to the Hyper Cell Skid and open up the pattern with the stronger backend hook. Basically, the pearl Crux fits in the middle of the two balls, and would be the ball I would start with out of the three if I didn’t have any idea of what I was bowling on. The Crux pearl will fit best for medium to medium heavy patterns that I need some length through the front of the lane. The Crux pearl will benefit me on flatter patterns as well, when I want a defined shape, with some good change of direction, that only an asymmetrical ball can provide. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the new pearl Crux. And always remember to bowl up a Storm!

Storm Crux Pearl

Upon such success as the Crux, Storm created a ball to perfectly compliment the original Crux, Crux Pearl. This ball utilizes the same core as the original Crux, Catalyst Core, but it has an all pearl coverstock, ERG Pearl Reactive. This ball comes out of box at a 1500 grit polished finish. The Crux Pearl comes with a Root Beer fragrance that is spot on; it makes me crave a root beer every time that I use it.

The Crux Pearl will fit right under the Crux based on the hook potential. When you see your Crux hooking to early or dying out, you can easily switch to the Crux Pearl to give you a similar motion while getting through the heads and retaining energy.

I drilled my Crux Pearl with a 60° x 5" x 70° which places the pin below my ring finger with a p3 hole. With this layout, I saw great length through the heads with the ball picking up at the end of the pattern while having a controlled motion in the backend.

On a house shot, I can heavily see this ball working very well. It gave me miss room in when I missed left and gave me great recovery when getting the ball to the right of my breakpoint. I also threw this ball on multiple sport shots. I have found this ball come into play on later blocks or later on during the day during league play or in a tournament. On fresh this ball went to far down lane, but when the lanes started to transition, this ball was perfect. I also took the shine off the original box finish because I felt like the ball was pushing to far down the lane. As soon as I did this surface adjustment, I saw  that motion I was looking for out of this ball. Don't be afraid to do a surface adjustment to match your style or lane play.

Thanks for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,

Joshua Tajiri
BowlersDeals.com Technician
Storm/Roto Amateur Staff