LANE CONDITION

Test Patterns:
41 ft higher volume THS
Scorpion Pattern

COMMENTS
Yeah, first to review!

Anyway, long story short, if you like the Marvel Pearl, this is definitely going to fit the bill.  It rolls so much like it.  Low RG core with a fairly aggressive pearl coverstock.  When I say aggressive, I mean it's a grittier coverstock with more surface friction than previous generation Reactor covers which helps make it smooth but strong.  Allows for decent length while still saving that smooth and strong backend.

Check out the review and video here.  Digitrax analysis will be added soon.

http://tamerbowling.com/index.php/new-storm-equipment-optimus-hy-road-solid/



PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

LANE CONDITION

Length:43ft

Volume: High

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): 2014 USBC OC Team Event


COMMENTS

I think Storm has finally found a replacement to the Marvel Pearl.  I’m proud to introduce the latest pearl ball in the Master Line, “Optimus.” Using the same coverstock as the Marvel Pearl, the Optimus has a R2x Pearl Coverstock with a Tri-Sphere Core on the inside. This ball comes at a 1500 grit polished factory finish. I drilled this ball with a 5″ x 5″ pin down layout with a p2 weight hole.

I first tested this ball on the 2014 USBC Open Championships Team Event Pattern. This lane pattern has a good amount of oil with a long length. The Optimus gave me a great read through the fronts but still responding to the friction in the midlane with a  strong backend motion. This ball never pushed past the breakpoint. I had lightly hand sanded this to a 2000 grit abralon finish to see a better smoother read at the breakpoint. This ball is very comparable to the every popular Marvel Pearl. The difference between the two is the Optimus is overall much stronger than the Marvel Pearl. I would have to say about 3-4 boards stronger.

On house conditions, this ball gave me great length through the fronts with a strong backend motion. I found it very easy to just stand left and throw it right while watching the ball scream back to the pocket. There is no doubt about this ball storing energy.

Based off performance, I’ll give this ball a solid “A-.” Everyone is going to love this ball and will probably be a very big seller for Storm. Based off the cosmetics of the ball, I will give it an “A.” I love the colors with the red, white, and blue with the very appealing logo but not to large in size, and the awesome smelling berries n’ cream fragrance. This is a must have in every bowlers bag from a tournament bowler to a typical league bowler. The Optimus a ball for everyone!!


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

OPTIMUS review by Storm staffer Jeff Richgels
      Drilled June 2, 2014
     

      The OPTIMUS specs are here:
   http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/optimus

   The OPTIMUS video is here:
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1MmfPXoqWs

   You can see a picture of it in my blog here:
   http://www.11thframe.com/reviews/37


The striking thing (pun intended) about the new OPTIMUS, which will be released July 1, is the interesting new Tri-Sphere core, which Storm says “brings new meaning to the term 'power personified.' "

The RG for the Tri-Sphere core is in line with the Centripetal core of the Master line, while the differential is greater than the IQ TOUR but under the MARVEL PEARL.

The coverstock is the strong R2X pearl found in the MARVEL PEARL.

My first experience with the OPTIMUS was at the PBA Senior U.S. Open at Suncoast in Las Vegas the first week of June. After a brutal first round, Storm rep Jim Callahan mapped out an OPTIMUS with the pin under my bridge and CG kicked right at about a 60-degree drilling angle. It has a medium weight hole kicked to the right in line with my thumb. I hesitate to give the numbers because I’ve been messing with my grip and am not sure what my PAP is. The ball is pictured with this blog — sorry for it being a side view ... trying to figure out why it's square on my desktop but shows up in side view in this review.

I bowled on the fresh in the second round of the Senior Open so we hit my OPTIMUS with Turbo sandbagger 1,500 and then a 1,000 Abralon pad by hand.

I quickly noticed two things about the OPTIMUS: it gave me reaction no other ball in my bag gave me and it lane shined quickly. The lane shining may have been due to the heavy, nearly flat Senior Open pattern with Brunswick’s thickest oil. (I also saw this in the USBC Senior Masters with Kegel Ice oil.)

Regardless, the OPTIMUS got into a strong roll AND made a very strong back-end move, which was something I saw with no other ball in my bag in the Senior Open. My first two games of the second round with the OPTIMUS were 233 and 224, which were easily my two best of the tournament. (Yes, I struggled!)

I have since bowled with the OPTIMUS at the USBC Senior Masters, on a transitioned house shot, and on the fresh USBC Open Championships team pattern.

And I can unequivocally say that the OPTIMUS rolls like no other ball I’ve ever thrown, which makes sense since this is an entirely new weight block.

It rolls quickly and strongly similar to the SYNC, but not so early like the SYNC that it demands a ton of head oil, which probably is due to the R2X Pearl cover. Even with that quick and strong roll, the OPTIMUS makes a ridiculously strong move in the back. The move is more smooth than it is angular, however.

And likely because it’s “rolly,” it doesn’t seem to over-react on misses to the dry — a valuable trait for balls on house shots or transitioned non-house shots. I would think this would make the OPTIMUS a great ball for high-rev players who hate seeing their ball hit the dry, check up and jump high. It looks to me like the OPTIMUS will be forgiving on balls grabbed a little or sent wide early for all players.

As I said, the OPTIMUS was the only ball I had that got into a roll and consistently turned the corner for me at the Senior Open, and on more forgiving conditions it provides a ridiculous amount of miss room to the right. In fact, it took me a while to not be surprised by shots I thought were out the window turning the corner and coming back to the pocket — even on non-house shots.

The one negative I’ve seen with my OPTIMUS is that it provides me little miss area on shots cut short or pulled, which is logical considering its quick and strong roll. This does NOT mean I haven’t seen hold with it on good shots when properly lined up; it means bad shots are going high. And needless to say, this characteristic was more pronounced the rougher the surface of the ball.

The bottom line is that the miss room with the OPTIMUS definitely is to the outside!

The other notable thing about the OPTIMUS is that it keeps the pins low, which I believe generally makes for better carry. I may have a few more weak 10s with the OPTIMUS, but I’ve also seen fewer solid 9s, ring 10s, and blower/mixer 7s.

The OPTIMUS comes 1,500-grit polished but works well with rougher surfaces, though as I said it does lane shine quickly.

I am looking forward to the Tri-Sphere core with a solid coverstock, which should be a monster of a ball for oil. I would think that ball would have me retiring my SYNC.

I do like my OPTIMUS best with shine and actually plan to plug it and re-drill it with a pin over the bridge to get it down the lane easier and take advantage of its strength of providing generous swing area.

With the proper surface, I can’t think of any condition the OPTIMUS couldn’t handle, although slow speed and rev-dominant players likely would need a weaker piece for hooking conditions.

I can’t think of any style of bowler who I wouldn’t recommend the OPTIMUS to — it’s that good and versatile.

And the red, white and blue colors make it perfect for a Fourth of July purchase!

Storm Optimus Ball Review by PJ Haggerty

   All good things must come to an end, right?  Not true.  The Marvel Pearl has had a tremendous run.  It’s been a ball that goes with me everywhere.  The new Storm Optimus is a very close replacement to the Marvel Pearl.  Looking at the numbers, core, and cover, it won’t be exact.  But this will be a very versatile ball for all types of players.  My initial feeling on the Optimus is a quicker response time than the Marvel Pearl. 

   The layout I went with is one of my favorites.  The pin is approximately 5 ¾ x 4 ½ with a small hole two inches below my axis.  I also knocked the shine off a bit with a used 2000 pad.  This slowed the response time down and created a smoother, more predictable motion.  For high rev players, I think they will find more success taking the shine off and for the lower rev players, they should be able to leave it shiny and they will appreciate a faster response time.

   Comparing the Optimus to the Marvel Pearl, I think they are close.  I feel like Optimus reads the mid-lane a touch harder and continues a bit more, but when we have to say goodbye to the MP, the Optimus will be the next best bet.  I will use this piece on all types of conditions and it will go with me everywhere.  I can see using it on longer patterns because the cover/core combination is very strong.  It will also come in play on shorter patterns because the core will help slow down energy off of the friction. If you are missing that benchmark/go to/most reliable reaction ball in your bag, the Optimus is the one for you. 

   Go drill one!!!

   #StormNation

My Initial Optimus Layout: 45 degrees x 3 3/4" X 65 degrees or 3 3/4" x 4 3/4" x 3 1/4"

The Storm Optimus combines a strong R2X cover with the all new Tri-Sphere Core. The Tri-Sphere Core is the first new weight block shape in the Master line since the introduction of the Centripetal core in the Marvel. I will not be surprised if the Tri-Sphere has the same staying power.

The Optimus, as laid out above, has a very strong roll but that strong roll does not take away from the backend reaction/motion. This combination makes the Optimus a very good choice on heavier volume and longer patterns and less so on medium to lighter volume patterns. I have bowled on a couple of modified house shots that just didn't have enough volume to let me start with the Optimus. Can't say I've had that happen with too many pearl balls in the past.

The closest ball to compare to the Optimus is the Marvel Pearl but the Optimus is much stronger in every way. It reads the midlane earlier/stronger and also has a more violent reaction to dry than the Marvel Pearl does (more angular). The two balls can complement each other quite well in that regard.

Conditions I have used the Optimus on: I have used the Optimus mostly on the 42' Kegel Autobahn and 41' Kegel Turnpike patterns during a summer sport shot league. I have tried it on a couple of house/modified house shots. The best reaction was when bowling on patterns with more volume and struggled when there was a little extra friction.

Where the Optimus fits in my bag: My pin-down Optimus is the first ball out of my bag on the heavier/longer patterns at the moment because of it's ability to handle volume, provide a solid midlane read and strong backend reaction. It sits just below my pin down Marvel-S in overall aggressiveness and is a step up from IQ Tour Pearl, IQ Tour Solid or Marvel Pearl (whichever I might have with me).

When I use the Optimus: Whenever there is enough volume and/or length to get the Optimus down the lane. When I need/want an aggressive reaction down lane. It gives me confidence to stay aggressive because I know it can recover if I miss a little right down lane even on flatter sport shot patterns.

Overall the Optimus is a great choice if you're looking for an aggressive pearl ball, especially if you tend to stay away from high end solids but still need a ball for heavier oil.

40ft THS
layout:5x4x3

Extremely clean through the heads and middle of the lane.  stores energy extremely well and keeps the pins low.  had plenty of room to the right and was the perfect ball choice for this pattern, where other balls seemed to roll thru the breakpoint and make sudden left turn,  the optimus has a very consistent and even roll on a very challenging house pattern.  As the fall leagues begin very shortly, this is a must have for your bag, storm fans or not, u will not be disappointed.  this ball is available now, go to your local pro shop and pick one up today. 
bowl up a storm

Optimus review by Storm staffer Tony Marino

I drilled the Optimus, with a 4.5" pin and a 2 1/4" pin buffer (Pin above ring finger). The Dual Angle numbers on this layout are 45° x 4 1/2 x 35° with a P2 weight hole, which is slightly under my PAP.

It took me a few games (and a few tournaments) to really figure out the strengths and weaknesses of this ball. I have thrown my Optimus on a few 3:1 ratio sport patterns as well as several different modified house patterns. From the beginning I was impressed with how clean the R2X pearl cover was. It is noticeably cleaner than the IQ Tour Fusion (R2S Hybrid cover), but never got “sideways” the way I expect pearl balls to roll for me. The new Tri-Sphere core truly makes the Optimus a unique rolling pearl ball that was missing in my arsenal. It makes a strong, almost arcing, move down lane, but doesn’t overreact off the dry. The best way for me to describe it is that it rolls like a strong even motion ball (I.E. Zero Gravity), but it doesn’t pick up the front part of the lanes nearly as quick.

This ball has earned a spot in my bag for every tournament and league night! The Optimus is a great fit if you love the Zero Gravity, but need a ball doesn’t read the lanes as quickly. I also see this ball being great for high rev players that want a stronger ball that will “clear the front,” and won't overreact on the backend.