Ball NPS Score: 100.00
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- Color: Scarlet Red/Platinum Pearl All colors do vary somewhat from the picture shown.
- Coverstock: Reactor Hybrid Reactive
- Weight Block: Cruiser Core for 14#-16# (Modified Centripetal Core for 12# & 13#)
- Finish: 1500-grit Polished
- Recommended Lane Conditions:  Dry-Medium
- RG:  2.58 (15#)
- Diff:  0.021 (15#)
- Fragrance: Paradise Punch

Storm Ride Ball Review by Walter McKnight

Lane Conditions: Medium-Light Oil
Typical Conditions: Variety of Shots
Type of Lane: Combination
What part of the lane did you play? Second Arrow
Weight of bowling ball: 15
Surface of bowling ball: Factory/Box
What grit was the surface of the ball? 1500
Likes: The Ride allows you to play a lot straighter without losing power or pin carry.


The Ride is a the New edition to Storms Hot Line. The Reactorâ„¢ Hybrid Reactive cover is used in conjunction with the all NEW Cruiserâ„¢ Core. The Reactorâ„¢ Hybrid is specially designed to push down lane on the driest of conditions, that in combination with the Cruiserâ„¢ Core allows the bowler to create a straighter angle to the pocket. The Ride is not a hyper aggressive ball off the spot, it is very gradual and allows the bowler to read the lanes with ease after the lanes start to break down.

I drilled my Ride 95° x 4 x 50° the pin is to the right of my ring finger and the CG is almost dead center of the grip. I wanted this ball to get into a roll sooner than later and be very smooth, nothing skid flip here. I have been able to move more right after the lanes break down. Instead of fighting the lanes and moving 15 boards left, I can square up and restart my A game. I find I can use this ball on a variety of patterns and house shots. Whether it is a dry pattern or medium volume with dry backends. The ball is very tame but predictable which is a great balance. As you can see the Rocket is a lot more violent off the spot and pulls hard in the midlane compared to the Ride.

I would suggest this ball for bowlers of all ages and skill levels. The low price point is great and the amount of performance you get is spectacular.

Layout: 70x4x35, P3 hole

Bowler Specs: 17 mph, 400 revs, Tilt 7 degrees

Lane conditions: THS 39 feet, 2015 USBC Nationals Team, D&S pattern

The Ride is the newest entry in the Hot line releasing on 4/21/15.  The intent was for this ball to bridge the gap between the somewhat strong balls of the Hot line and the much weaker balls in the Tropical line, and it fills that hole perfectly.  It’s not exactly what I’d expected, but better than what I’d hoped for at the same time.  It’s a weak ball that is controllable and smooth without being over/under.  A lot of weaker balls have a lot of length and a strong backend transition, but that can cause issues when the ball doesn’t have enough traction in oil, but too much on dry.  The Ride is very smooth and the transition from wet to dry is slow but strong, which creates a predictable motion and a lot of control. 

On a typical house shot, the Ride will most likely be too weak to start with on the fresh unless you have a lot of hand or like playing straight down and in, but once track burn sets in, it will give you the length and control you need to stay in the pocket and ahead of everyone else.  On this year’s Nationals patterns, while most other balls are jumpy, the Ride really smooths out the backend transition.  It isn’t strong enough for use on the fresh, but once the lanes begin to dry up, the Ride should be a very good option. 

The Ride plays well from any angle on the lane.  It is smooth and continuous without losing energy, rolling out, or “standing up.”  When forced deep, it still rolls up and continues through the pocket, blends wet/dry or spotty conditions, and hits well for as weak of a ball as it is.  Overall, I was expecting it to suffer from the same issues that plague most less aggressive balls: over/under, weak hit, less control, but Storm seems to have focused on eliminating those issues and creating a better low end ball.  In my opinion, they have succeeded.  The Ride is a ball that definitely needs to be in everyone’s tournament bag for later games, shifts, or blocks where you need length, control, and hit when the lanes get rough. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdZHve59b3E  Ride on THS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HNX8NBPKm4  Ride on Nationals Team Pattern

Introducing Storm's latest addition to the Hot Line, the RIDE! The Ride is designed for drier lane conditions. It was created with a weaker coverstock and a slower revving core to give you a smooth and predictable motion. This ball is excellent for when the fronts start to burn up or when your other balls are just hooking too much.

I drilled my ride with a 3 3/8" pin to pap and a 5" cg to pap which places the pin to the right of my ring finger. I mapped out my Ride with this layout to create a ball that will give me a continuous read throughout the entire lane. It doesn't overhook while still not going as straight as a urethane would. This ball clears the front part of the lane like none other.

I have been able to use this ball on a variety of lane conditions. This ball has worked really well on drier house shots and in later blocks in tournaments. I have also seen great results with this ball on the US Open pattern. It allows me to play inside and keep my angles tight giving that it doesn't read the heads when I missed inside by a board or two; it pushed through the spot and would still hit pocket.

In summary, the Ride is very predictable and consistent. Grading this ball based on drier lane conditions, I will give this an "A" because it allows me to stay straighter for a longer period of time while still providing a furious punch into the pocket. Based on the cosmetics of this ball, I will give it an "B+." I like the red and silver swirl throughout the ball with the yellow Ride Logo. From tournament to dry lane conditions, enjoy "The" Ride!

Thank you for reading this blog and hope you stay tuned for future blogs,

Joshua Tajiri

BowlersDeals.com Technician

Storm/Roto Grip Amateur Staff

Senior stroker.  17 mph ball speed through heads.  280 RPM.  PAP 4 1/2 straight over.

Drilled Ride out yesterday based on reviews.  Tested it first on 38 ft USBC El Paso team pattern.  It was a couple boards weaker and smoother off the break point than my Cobalt Vibe on this pattern.  Not sure it would be my ball of choice on this pattern, but I was able to square up between 4 and 6 board with a decent reaction. 

Next, moved a few pairs down on second shift 38 foot 9 to 9 THS.  Here is where it really shined.  I could still square up right on the original oil line and get hold if I missed in to 10, and get strong recovery if I hit 8.  I could almost line up the same as I would with my Blue Hammer, but got a bit better continuation through the carry down for good carry.  It has been a long time since I had something that I could play into hold area and both get the hold and a good ball reaction.

This is a great core shell matchup for me that gives me more options to square up with good carry than I could get from pure urethane 

Lay Out: 4" from PAP at 60* PAP angle and 40* VAL angle. Dual angle measurement would be 60/4/40, weight hole on axis point (5 1/4" over and 5/8 up).

Surface: Box which is 1500 Reacta-Shine.

Purpose: I wanted a piece to fill the gap I have between my Super Natural and Punch Out.

Observations: The Ride reminds me of the Tropical Heat Hybrid from a couple of years ago. The numbers and cover stock are very similar. So to compare apples to apples, I threw this side by side with the Super Natural and Punch Out. The Punch Out gets into a roll much quicker since it is a stronger cover ball than the other 2. The Ride is perfect to ball down to from it for me. I also like the fact that the Ride is very smooth and lets me get on top of the friction more. My Super Natural is a different look entirely with a hook and early set motion (urethane reaction). The Ride gives me the impression that I can stay with it longer and not stray too far from the friction. I will be most curious to see the Ride on shorter patterns like the 32' PBA Wolf and the 34' & 35' Team USA patterns.

Conclusions: The Ride fills that gap between urethane and reactive perfectly for me. I also get the impression that heavy handed players will love the Ride since it look like you can rip on it and not have it boomerang off the back of the pattern.

The NEW Storm Ride is the perfect mid level ball I have been looking for.   The lower diff core on this ball is great for higher friction surfaces,  shorter patterns,  and is a very reliable piece when you're trying to not to give the pocket away.   The layout i used on mine is a 45x3 7/8×75 (axis  3 3/4 over,  7/8 ^).  The stronger layout really blended well with the weaker numbers on this ball.   This is a must have in your bag to fill the gap between the tropical and thunder line.  Awesome Release Utah!

BALL SPECS

Pin Length: 4"

Starting Top Weight: 2.7oz

Ball Weight: 15lbs.


DRILL PATTERN

Pin to PAP: 5"

PSA to PAP: 5.5"

Pin Buffer: 1"

X Hole (if there is one): No Hole


BOWLER STYLE

Rev Rate: 430rpm

Ball Speed: 17mph

PAP/Track: 4 3/4" x 1" up


SURFACE PREP

Grit: Box Finish compared to 4000


LANE CONDITION

Length: 30'-35'

Volume: Med/Light

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): WTB Bejjing/Sydney, PBA Wolf/Cheetah


COMMENTS


Likes: With it's smooth Cruiser Core, The Ride is an absolute must for any bowler looking for effortless skid with a smoother turn towards the pocket. I absolutely love this ball on short patterns that allow me to play the gutter. It gives me a much better reaction than urethane without being too jumpy. After knocking the shine off and going with a smooth 4000 finish, the Reactor Hybrid cover reads the mids even better and can handle some of the thicker volumes that are seen in the WBT short patterns. For the lower speed and/or senior bowlers, this ball is exactly what many have been looking for. It allows players to play in the dry and go up the boards without forcing them left into the puddle that we see in most house shots. There have been countless senior/low speed bowlers who struggle with keeping the ball on the correct side of the headpin either due to ball speed or unwillingness to move in due to habit/comfort. The Ride is the perfect fit for those bowlers on a house shot. For the tournament bowler, this is a rock that's excellent off of the friction or in the burn. It's a smooth rolling, reliable piece that fits perfectly below the mid ranged pearls/hybrids without losing the pop and power downlane that occurs when dropping to entry level reactives.