Storm Match Pearl Ball Review by PJ Haggerty
The new Storm Match and Match Pearl are the latest additions to the Hot Line in Storm’s lineup. These two pieces provide bowlers with a couple less aggressive options to add to their bag. For this review, we will talk about the Match Pearl. When I worked in the Pro Shop business, the less aggressive options were extremely popular because of a couple reasons: bang for the buck, price point, but also balls that work well with lower ball speeds.
The Match Pearl is a perfect option for many styles of players. Because the RG is relatively high and the differential is relatively low, the Match will get down the lane extremely easy with a quicker response time because of the pearl cover. I’ve seen the Match Pearl used by the following styles: high rev guys when lanes get drier, lower rev rate players to stay farther right and more direct, and older players who want something above a plastic ball, but with some performance. I’ll caveat again, the Match Pearl will provide a quicker response time because of the Pearl coverstock, so expect a more angular shape off the breakpoint.
I’ve drilled one Match Pearl so far and it’s mapped out as: 3 ½ x 3 ½ with a hole on my axis. Because the RG and Diff are so high, I always drill those types of balls stronger to make sure they flare enough. I’ve been able to use the Match on shorter and flatter patterns with surface because the response time is still on the slower side, while creating a cleaner motion. I’ve also tweaked the surface a little bit as well, hitting the cover with a used 2000 pad to slow down the response time.
If you are looking for a ball for drier lanes, you want to stay farther right with a cleaner piece, or are older and don’t have an extremely high rev rate, the Match Pearl is a perfect fit.
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