The Fast Pitch from Storm brings a new urethane coverstock to the Thunderline called Control XL urethane. The Fast Pitch uses the same Tour block weight block that was used in the Fever Pitch and comes from the factory with a 1000 grit abralon finish. The Fast Pitch is Navy with green lettering, which gives a very old school type look. The numbers of the 15lb bowling balls are 2.61 Rg, and 0.030 differential.
I used two different layouts on the Fast Pitch. The first layout is a 4.5†pin with a 2†pin buffer. This ball has a nice amount of total hook for a urethane covered bowling ball. The reaction is as advertised, cleaner through the front of the lane than the Pitch Black, with a little more shape through the backends. When the Pitch Black is a little too rounded downlane or hooks a little too early, the Fast Pitch has a little more change of direction when seeing the friction and is a little easier through the fronts. Comparing the Fast Pitch to an identically drilled Fever Pitch, the Fast Pitch reads the oil better, and has a smoother shape. One drawback of the Fever Pitch was that it would read the pattern well for a few games, and then all of a sudden, miss the head pin because the cover would get lane shine. The Fast Pitch seems to have a more constant read of the lane, even as the ball gets more games on it. Keeping the Fast Pitch clean in between shots with a Shammy gives a reliable motion throughout the block.
The second Fast Pitch I drilled, I still used a 4.5†pin, but put the pin buffer at 4â€. This change in pin buffer reduced the overall flare of the Fast Pitch and created a more rounded shape through the back end of the lane. It also reduced the overall hook potential. This is beneficial in keeping my angles straight through the front of the lane when bowling on very light, short oil patterns. I also smoothed the cover down with a 4000 pad on the ball spinner just to reduce any early traction I saw from the 1000 grit factory finish. When encountering many different oil patterns or lanes that have really dry backends, having the two different Fast Pitches is a bonus.
In closing, the Fast Pitch is a good compliment to the original Pitch Black when bowling on short oil patterns in tournaments. Changing the pin buffer and pin from PAP distance will really help get the most out of the ball, for your game. It’s important to find a certified Pro shop that takes the time to know your game, and give the correct layout based on how you throw the ball. Thank you for taking the time to tread my review of the Storm Fast Pitch. Now go bowl up a storm!
