BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Storm => Topic started by: Nor Cal Bowler on October 30, 2012, 12:34:43 PM
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Sometime in December Storm will be releasing the IQ tour Pearl. Ball will have the R2s pearl cover stock. Ball will be Gold in color with blue writing (think Gold Rhino) and smell like butterscotch.
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Sounds yummy
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Release date is December 4th. Storm just completed the ultimate 1-2 punch!
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Buddies has it up on their site:
http://www.buddiesproshop.com/p-4277-storm-iq-tour-pearl-bowling-ball-wwrd-12412.aspx
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How can they call it a pearl when the cover stock (according Buddies) is a solid? Just an observation.
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Looks like a Lane 1 Golden Nugget. Slick lookin ball.
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How can they call it a pearl when the cover stock (according Buddies) is a solid? Just an observation.
**From the buddies website**
•Color: Gold Pearl
•Coverstock: R2S™ Pearl Reactive
•Weight Block: C³™ Centripetal Control Core
•Factory Finish: 1500-grit Polished
•Flare Potential: Low
•Radius of Gyration (RG): 2.49
•Differential (Diff): 0.029
•Intermediate Differential (Mass Bias): n/a
•Fragrance: Butterscotch
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Says pearl 3 times in Buddies description.
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How can they call it a pearl when the cover stock (according Buddies) is a solid? Just an observation.
I emailed them last night to correct the description. 8)
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How can they call it a pearl when the cover stock (according Buddies) is a solid? Just an observation.
I emailed them last night to correct the description. 8)
Okay, so I am not seeing things. Thanks Walking E.
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Am I the only cynical person out there that thinks it is a bit sneaky for Storm to label the 2 IQ Tour balls as Master Line and price them accordingly? OK, so the ball has a modified core from the Marvel but it is a less aggressive core with R2S, which for several years now has been the basis for Storms mid-line balls that they price about $20 cheaper? I guess more power to them if they can get away with it but this feels like a maximize profit - get more out of our wallets move.
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Am I the only cynical person out there that thinks it is a bit sneaky for Storm to label the 2 IQ Tour balls as Master Line and price them accordingly? OK, so the ball has a modified core from the Marvel but it is a less aggressive core with R2S, which for several years now has been the basis for Storms mid-line balls that they price about $20 cheaper? I guess more power to them if they can get away with it but this feels like a maximize profit - get more out of our wallets move.
That was a concern for me as well. My pro shop has the IQ Tour and the Manic priced about $70 different, yet the two balls have the same R2S solid shell.
Granted, the cores should give a pretty different look, but it seems like a large price difference for the same shell.
Still, if they sell them at that price then more power to them. The IQ Tour certainly seems like a great piece for certain bowlers and conditions.
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Storm also sold the Frantic with the R2S hybrid cover in the Hot line when it came from the Hyroad, a Thunder line ball. Does this mean bowlers should pay more than retail since they are getting a "higher" performance cover?
I think it is incorrect to think bowling ball companies need to price equipment based on a single factor like core strength. Storm has a reason for pricing the balls and if it isn't priced in a person's range, then they don't have to buy it.
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Storm also sold the Frantic with the R2S hybrid cover in the Hot line when it came from the Hyroad, a Thunder line ball. Does this mean bowlers should pay more than retail since they are getting a "higher" performance cover?
I think it is incorrect to think bowling ball companies need to price equipment based on a single factor like core strength. Storm has a reason for pricing the balls and if it isn't priced in a person's range, then they don't have to buy it.
That was my second point - basically, Storm (and pro shops) should price these balls as they see fit. It's a cover/core combo that is being sold, not just the cover or the core.
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That's right with the pricing concerning we cannot judge. If any of you knew how much the cost was for Storm or any other manufacturer to make new molds for the cores of every ball, they have to recoup the costs and let me tell you, the molds are super duper expensive. That is why we see so many cores turn up over the years in a lower line...the company does not need to make new molds and can charge less because they recouped the cost on the molds from the first time the core was in production.
WOWZERS
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That's right with the pricing concerning we cannot judge. If any of you knew how much the cost was for Storm or any other manufacturer to make new molds for the cores of every ball, they have to recoup the costs and let me tell you, the molds are super duper expensive. That is why we see so many cores turn up over the years in a lower line...the company does not need to make new molds and can charge less because they recouped the cost on the molds from the first time the core was in production.
WOWZERS
At the classic distributor ball fair in ft. Wayne, I was told by figgliometti the old track brand manager after asking a few of these similar questions that it costs them $68, 000 for a new core. Reusing cores is only way to pull a profit folks!
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if this is true about the molds. guess storm should move that part of the company to mexico like brunswick did. then ship the cores back to the us to be put into the balls. guess thats why brunswick moved to mexico. but storm is smart. look at how much many brunswick bowling balls you see with different cores. almost ever ball has a new core. but what sucks for them, is most people dont want to support them because they are in mexico and not america.
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Bill is right for the not so tough to build cores...like Ebonite and related brands.
Remember when Ebonite bought Columbia and the high tech multip piece cores Columbia built (for Track also) went away? It was because the multi piece cores are even more expensive to build and takes longer to build, which adds more cost. The Ebonite cost is lower than what Columbia/Track spent previously.
WOWZERS
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but what sucks for them, is most people dont want to support them because they are in mexico and not america.
Really? Can you provide a citation verifying this?
I'm not saying there aren't people who will not throw Brunswick due to the specified reason, i'm just asking you to provide evidence of your statement.
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Am I the only cynical person out there that thinks it is a bit sneaky for Storm to label the 2 IQ Tour balls as Master Line and price them accordingly? OK, so the ball has a modified core from the Marvel but it is a less aggressive core with R2S, which for several years now has been the basis for Storms mid-line balls that they price about $20 cheaper? I guess more power to them if they can get away with it but this feels like a maximize profit - get more out of our wallets move.
If you want to look at it like that how about Hammer quit make the Black Widow/gas-mask cores for a year then bring it back with a new cover and charge high-end prices and not enough difference between Track 912T and 811 to charge more yet all the other companies bring back there cores in lower price points AMF Grip, Columbia Burst, Brunswick Python, even the Storm Frantic is a older higher end Dynothane core from years ago
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but what sucks for them, is most people dont want to support them because they are in mexico and not america.
Really? Can you provide a citation verifying this?
I'm not saying there aren't people who will not throw Brunswick due to the specified reason, i'm just asking you to provide evidence of your statement.
Everyone knows a lot of people buy Brunswick, but yes, there are people who are hesitant about buying from things not made in America. This is true of anything. And here I am as proof. I'm not saying I won't buy anything Brunswick, I like their Tzones, but from now on I'm buying American made.
Anyway I can't wait to get this ball.
I hear a LOT of people say IQ Tour is an amazing ball, more so than I've heard rave reviews about other balls, will this be just as good?
I have acknowledged that there are people that the move to Mexico has swayed, however the huge paintbrush of saying that "MOST people don't want to support them" prompted me to verify it's accuracy from ithinkican. That's quite a statement, let's all take a second and repeat that to ourselves.. If it can be cited, I'll believe it. I'd like to hear BrunsNick's take on it, as he may have a firsthand take. :-\
The ball looks awesome though. Great cover and quite a nice color. Storm has a lot of good stuff out right now. Though I don't have a massive "need" for any equipment really right now, if personal history is any indicator, i'll probably somehow someway find a way to end up with a new one :P
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Bleh. Not impressed.
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So I asked the original 'am I just cynical' question because putting the 2 IQ tour balls in the master line and pricing them at that level way was a fairly sneaky marketing move - and I am a marketing guy for a technology company (who may or may not have done similar sneaky moves) so I'd know.
Cost of manufacturing is usually a small part of what goes into retail cost. In general retail cost is a balancing act between what people will pay and how many you can sell depending on the price point. Ball manufacturers create different performance ball lines in order to get at customers who are willing to pay higher prices and to get at customers who are not and everywhere in between. It is that simple.
BTW, If I want an IQ Tour Pearl I'll pay the price. I was just whining 8). I would actually like to see an IQ Pearl or Hybrid instead as I really love the Centripetal core in the Marvels and the IQ. Not sure I really need the tour balls.
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First off brunswick moved to mexico in 2005 to stay in business basically. they couldnt make something good enough to survive in America. so they moved to mexico to survive. the sell of brunswick bowling balls have decreased tremendously around my part of the country. because noone wants to supports mexico. if it was for their other stuff such as machine and lanes. i guarantee they would go out of business
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Storm also sold the Frantic with the R2S hybrid cover in the Hot line when it came from the Hyroad, a Thunder line ball. Does this mean bowlers should pay more than retail since they are getting a "higher" performance cover?
I think it is incorrect to think bowling ball companies need to price equipment based on a single factor like core strength. Storm has a reason for pricing the balls and if it isn't priced in a person's range, then they don't have to buy it.
Based on this, it tells me that core dictates the price primarily. it is of no consequence. It will sell anyway. I for one will stick to the Marvel line.
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From my experience so far the IQ is much more condition sensitive than the IQ Tour. With the IQ Tour having less flare potential and a weaker cover the IQ Tour sees much more love around us. I feel that this ball will probably be very continuous and probably cover a lot of boards on most shots and will probably end up in my bag as it will probably kill a THS. So I'm kind of glad they made something in the higher performance line that should get down the lane and come pretty hard.
As a pro shop operator, it is getting to the point that it is harder and harder to recommend a ball for someone. It used to be the stronger balls would generally cover more boards than the weaker balls but it is getting to the point where the strong balls are too strong and puke (even the strong pearl covers now are getting to where they hook out earlier and earlier). While there really isn't many "weak" balls (very few balls I can recommend for slow speed players on the conditions we see often)....I just wish they would start making more separation between the high end and low end equipment again. The only ball I have found on the market so far that is really a light oil ball other than urethane (which doesn't hook hardly at all for me or most) is the Cobra SE. Even the one light oil ball Storm had that was pretty good they discontinued (Tropical Breeze solid). All the other "light oil" balls flip out of the house which is exactly what I and most people don't want in a light oil ball. Some flip is good but you want control too. I don't want to loft the gutter cap because the ball flips so hard and there is so little oil that it covers the whole lane.
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Can't wait to see this in action. That color brings back my childhood.
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I really like the color of this ball. Cant wait till it gets released 12/4/12.
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Am I the only cynical person out there that thinks it is a bit sneaky for Storm to label the 2 IQ Tour balls as Master Line and price them accordingly? OK, so the ball has a modified core from the Marvel but it is a less aggressive core with R2S, which for several years now has been the basis for Storms mid-line balls that they price about $20 cheaper? I guess more power to them if they can get away with it but this feels like a maximize profit - get more out of our wallets move.
IMHO the Master Line has been for professional bowlers who need controlled strength. They might not appeal to the masses like the raw power of the Premier line for those that lack revs, or the lower line balls that are now built more for ths. The higher price could be primarily for higher scoring instead of bigger ball motion for those that have mastered our sport.
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The IQ Tour "Gold" as I call it, is ultra sideways downlane (compared to its counterparts). It is IMHO what the Fire Road should have been. While arguable, the F-Road is tame after the breakpoint (not saying that is bad or good, for me personally its a unique reaction that I personally like since I have higher axis tilt and med ball speed in general)... But the IQT Gold is long like most Road series of balls (minus the Vic Solid), doesn't roll as slow as soon as the Marvel Pearl, but has the bounce off the point similar to most of the other newer "Road" series of balls (I'd say its like combining the Vic Pearl/Marvel Pearl and Grav Shift).
Storms been doing a good job of making their pieces unique in ball reaction that fit slots, while filling voids of other pieces in the line...
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The IQ Tour "Gold" as I call it, is ultra sideways downlane (compared to its counterparts). It is IMHO what the Fire Road should have been. While arguable, the F-Road is tame after the breakpoint (not saying that is bad or good, for me personally its a unique reaction that I personally like since I have higher axis tilt and med ball speed in general)... But the IQT Gold is long like most Road series of balls (minus the Vic Solid), doesn't roll as slow as soon as the Marvel Pearl, but has the bounce off the point similar to most of the other newer "Road" series of balls (I'd say its like combining the Vic Pearl/Marvel Pearl and Grav Shift).
Storms been doing a good job of making their pieces unique in ball reaction that fit slots, while filling voids of other pieces in the line...
I agree with this. I tend to use more master and thunder line equipment than premier on most patterns.
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Threw the IQ Tour Gold in league last night. Ball is as sideways as the Vic Road Pearl, wow!!!!
Clears the fronts obviously as easy as some of the mid-lower line Storm pieces, recovers similar to the Vic Pearl but the traction of the Marvel Pearl and IQ Tour combined. Interesting piece for sure.
I'm guessing it would enter the pins less sideways with a grazing of 4000 abra...
More to come after this weekend, i'll try to throw it at a tourney...