The Phaze III is the latest Master Line release from Storm. This version uses the R3S Hybrid cover, which we first saw on the Intense Fire from last year. The Phaze III has great shelf appeal with the combination of Obsidian, Jade, and Orchid. The Phaze III uses the same core as the two previous releases called Velocity. This core has a low Rg of 2.48 and a differential of 0.051 in 15lbs.
I drilled my Phaze III with a 4.5†pin, and a 2.5†pin buffer. The Phaze III with the out of the box finish of 1500 polish, is very clean to the spot, with a strong backend move. Compared to a Phaze II with a 4†pin and 2.5†pin buffer, the III takes much longer to slow down, and is sharper off the spot. I used a grey scotch brite pad to break in the surface and get the III to slow down a little more. Surprisingly, even with more surface, this didn’t really take anything away from the backends, but did make the III much more manageable through the front of the lane. The added surface allowed me to keep the ball on line better, and not over squirt through the front of the lane. The Phaze III will be useful on lane conditions that are a bit more blended left to right, as the strong move at the breakpoint could get unpredictable on very wet dry patterns. This will be a useful ball for players that need to chase a pattern in, but still need a strong core to help the ball spin up quickly.
The Phaze III is different enough from the II to have both balls in a bowlers bag. The two compliment each other very well, with the III being better suited for medium conditions. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Phaze III from Storm.