The ball: 15-lb., 2-inch pin, 3.5-oz top before drilling.
The drill: Pin under ring, CG stacked below, works out to a 4x4 drilling for me. Box finish.
Me: PAP 4 over 3/8 up, tweener, good speed, good circumference coverage
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Bought this ball off eBay at a good price. I was impressed with the Dark Thunder solid and wanted the pearl to complement its more oil-friendly brother.
I'm not a big fan of pin-down drillings but I haven't done one in a while and the short pin on this ball made it mandatory. I was pleasantly surprised by how it worked out.
The ball has easy length through the front. I was expecting a mild reaction in the back, as I had heard this was a fairly weak piece from Storm because of the core/cover combo (Thunder Road core with Monsoon Pearl, last seen on the XXX Factor).
That was not what I got, however. On a fresh THS, this ball revved up very quickly and got pretty angular in the backend even with a drill that allegedly promotes more of an arc shape. Had I been able to drill this ball pin-up, I almost shudder to think of how angular it could have been.
Carry was good, nothing special -- not a shock given this ball is older technology. Surprisingly, however, I found I was able to play in the oil with this ball more than I expected. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, as Storm's pearls are more oil-friendly than most. But carrydown is another story.
A note to those who don't know: The Dark Thunder series is a contract pour from Storm, done at the request of, I believe, Cal Bowling Supply. Therefore, supplies are very limited. Most will never see this ball unless they request it or find it online.
Summary:
Positives: More versatile than you might think, proven technology, helps create entry angle, good-looking black/gray pearl coverstock.
Negatives: Some corner leaves on good hits, somewhat allergic to carrydown, can't find the da*n thing anywhere anymore.
Overall, this ball should have been released to the general public through Storm. I have both Dark Thunders and both Thunderstruck series balls and this one may be the best pure performer of the bunch. The ball is very similar to the Thunderstruck Pearl, however, so if you have that ball you might find the DTP to be too similar.
Jess
