The Manic from Storm is the new release in the Hot Line replacing the 2Furious. The Manic uses the same N.O.S. core, as well as the R2S cover stock. The big difference is in the factory finish of 4000, compared to the 2Furious at 2000. The blue/pink color on this ball is much “louder†than the 2Furious as well.
I used the same pin placement of 5†on the Manic as my 2Furious. I kept the cg a little closer to my PAP though. Final drill was 5 x 4 with pin under ring compared to the 5 x 4.5 pin under ring on the 2Furious. Basically, I wanted to change the shape of motion when coming out of the oil pattern to a little more roll, instead of hard arch. The extra hole was placed on the VAL line, 2.5†below PAP.
The Manic doesn’t have any problem reading oil with its 4000 abralon finish. The motion of the N.O.S. core is readable and predictable. It makes for a great benchmark reaction as Storm offers both stronger and weaker cores and covers. The Manic seems to be a few boards more aggressive over all compared to the 2Furious even with a smoother surface out of the box. Since the Manic has less surface than the 2Furious, you will be able to hold a line longer than what you could with the 2Furious. What this means, is more consistence through the league night or tournament block, with less break down of the heads.
The Manic is all about a benchmark reaction for me. I can use this ball on a variety of patterns, just moving my feet left or right, depending on how much oil, and length of pattern we are talking. The only pattern the Manic seemed to struggle on was Shark AFTER the fronts broke down. It just isn’t enough core for my rev rate to make the corner from deeper angles. Higher rev rate players shouldn’t have this issue, though. The Victory Roads are much better equipped to handle these more extreme angles for me. With that said, though, on the fresh, when I was able to go straighter through the front of the lane on Shark, it was a beast.
The Manic is a great option for any bowler looking for a ball to use on a variety of conditions with exceptions of the extreme dry and extreme oily. The Manic will take cover alterations very well giving you a very versatile ball in the bag when carrying a few different grades of abralon pads and some polish. If you feel your game is on the fringe of braking through to the next level, and you just feel you need a ball to better read the lane, drill a Manic today!!