(For reference my PAP is 5 1/8 over & 3/4 up my A game rev rate is about 325 with average speed)
   

      VIRTUAL GRAVITY review

      VIRTUAL GRAVITY 6 pin to PAP, 4 7/8 key to PAP, 5 1/2 pin buffer

      After speaking with Storm's Ernest Goedicke and my doubles partner and Roto staffer Steve Richter, I was almost scared of the VIRTUAL. They cautioned me that I needed to drill it weak or it would be too much for my game on all but very heavily oiled conditions.

      So I drilled mine with the pin above and left of my middle finger, the CG about in my grip center and the key to the right of my thumb. I left it box finish (4,000).

      I bowled over the weekend in a 2-day tournament at a house with Pro Anvilanes. The pattern was a modified house shot. Based on my ball reaction, my feeling was that the oil was piled up in the front with not much in the midlane as there was little hold when going straight but a lot of squirt if you got in and sent it right. Yet the dry to the right was pronounced enough for overreaction on shots sent too wide too quick.

      I used the VIRTUAL for the first seven frames and went back to it for a couple of shots in game two. Even with the weak drilling it still was reading too hard off the dry boards. I struck on five of the first seven shots but the two that didn't were a weak 10 that I got too wide for instant rollout and a 4-pin that went very hard off the breakpoint on a shot I grabbed and got in. Despite my weak drilling, the VIRTUAL made a very strong move at the breakpoint and was noticeably slowing down as it got close to the pindeck, indicating how hard it was grabbing the lane.

      I probably could have made the cut using it for much of the 8-game block but knew I had balls that would give me better reaction and put it away. The lanes were hooking more on Sunday so I left the VIRTUAL in my bag.

      As advertised, I would say the VIRTUAL is a few boards stronger than the DIMENSION. I was 4 and 2 different between the two. The big difference – obviously since they share the same coverstock – is the asymmetrical core of the VIRTUAL, which gives it much more of a dynamic revving action and movement.

      Since this pattern was what I would consider middling in oil volume, I am certain I'll have plenty of opportunities to use the VIRTUAL.  

      And I think it will be an awesome ball for those who are speed dominant and/or rev challenged. If you throw it hard and are searching for a ball that will read the lane quickly and strongly on heavy oil, the VIRTUAL should be your ticket.

      The VIRTUAL's movement through the pins was what I like – rolling and generally keeping the pins low. I don't generate many messengers so I'm not looking for a ball that splashes messengers all over.

      I have another VIRTUAL that I am thinking I will drill with pin under the middle finger and the CG kicked directly to the right. Another weak drilling, but with a different look.

 

           

      HY-ROAD review

      HY-ROAD 5 pin to PAP, 5 7/8 "MB" to PAP, 3 7/8 pin buffer ("MB" = point 6 3/4 from pin through CG) I left it box finish shiny.

      After watching Norm Duke win the World Championship with the HY-ROAD I couldn't wait to drill mine. Talent difference aside, my reaction was very similar to what Norm's roll pattern looked like on that TV show.

      One of my favorite balls is a T-ROAD PEARL with the pin over the bridge and the CG in my grip center so I did my HY-ROAD the same way. (I tried a couple of T-ROAD SOLIDs but never got a lot of use for them as box finish they were close to my SPECIAL AGENTs and I preferred the SPECIALS and shiny they were close to the T-ROAD PEARL but with slightly less carry, although I did use one shiny for an 800 series.)      

      I used my HY-ROAD much of last weekend's 2-day tournament mentioned in the VIRTUAL GRAVITY review above. In Saturday's qualifying I went to it after my RAPID FIRE PEARL began burning up too early – the RFP, by the way, continues to amaze me for its strength in oil despite being a pearl.

      The HY-ROAD was the perfect move from the RFP as it rolled strongly but got down the lane easier. It also was the choice for most of Sunday's finals when the lanes hooked more.

      The best way I can describe the HY-ROAD is that it's a T-ROAD PEARL that rolls rather than skids and flips. The TR PEARL makes a quick and strong move at the break point that is awesome for playing deep inside on burned up conditions, especially Sport shots. On too much oil, it is a tough ball for me to control. However, the HY-ROAD's strong but rolling nature is perfect for playing hooking conditions with more skid. It still make a strong move at the break point but it's more of a rolling motion than a flip move.

      I like to spin the ball more with the TR PEARL to match what it likes to do and works best on, and the HY-ROAD I rolled harder when I used it over the weekend for the same reason.

      I would imagine the HY-ROAD would be a great ball for playing up the outside on VIPER and CHEETAH types of patterns, just the way Duke did playing out on the World Championship pattern.

      This was another ball that rolled through the pins, which I like. The one thing it tended to do was rollout for weak 10s when I got it too wide to the dry boards so I think it would carry best staying in the oil. This was hard to do on this pattern as you had to cut it right with no hold in the midlane.

      If I ranked them by hook, I would say RFP has a couple boards more than the HY-ROAD which has a couple boards more than the TR PEARL.

      I think bowlers of all styles can use the HY-ROAD.

     

      As always, I will add thoughts as I get more use of these balls.

 

     

     

     


Edited on 11/17/2008 9:14 PM

Thanks for the reviews riggs. How would you say the Hy-Road compares to an Agent or Shift?

I would say HY-ROAD and SPITFIRE have similar shape but HY-ROAD has a bit more hook potential with the stronger cover.

DOMINATION was more skid/flippy than HY-ROAD is.

I would say a T-ROAD PEARL or a shined up SPECIAL AGENT might be as close as you can get without finding another DOMINATION.

Update on VIRTUAL GRAVITY
   
   I have not had much chance to throw the VIRTUAL as I've been bowling mostly on fairly hooking house or challenge/sport conditions.  But at the Iowa Open over the weekend the VIRTUAL completely proved its value to me.
 
   The Iowa Open awards a U.S. Open spot to the winner and it is bowled on the flat, 40-foot U.S. Open pattern.  I won a regional at the site, May City Bowl in Cedar Rapids, about 15 years ago when it had wood it now has newer Brunswick synthetics.

   The house was almost filled with 72 entries, mostly 5 to a pair. So with 8 games of qualifying I knew there'd be some major shimwrecking going on as the flat pattern made the wind-ups jump deep inside.  Since my creaky wrist isn't likely to be able to strike much from that deep, I tried out in practice.  My box DIMENSION, a 1,000 ab SPECIAL and a 500 ab VERTIGO all pretty much punched the 3-pin in the face no matter how I rolled them.

   The VIRTUAL, on the other hand, jumped off 5 board with no hesitation. I was basically square to 5 board and if I got it right of 4 I absolutely missed the head-pin every time.  But I had a chance at 4, was in the pocket at 5 and could get it to 6 and even 7 depending how well and firm I threw it.  Keep in mind that this was just box finish 4,000 with some lane shine and the pin is weak (see drilling below).  I think that is why I had a touch of hold if thrown well. My only swing thought was to stay as behind the ball as possible so as to limit side rotation.

   After three games I was plus 56 and in second with pretty close reaction pair to pair. Very few other players were out but many were not that far left of where I was so I figured I might not be able to stay out there all 8 games. Game 4 the left lane had no skid and I split 3 times for 168. Game 5 was 181 with a bad shot and a spare miss. But game 6 was still OK outside and my 204 should have been more with a high flush 7 pin between strikes and a solid 9 on a strike.  Game 7 was when I got forced inside, salvaging a 170 that left me 11 under the match play cut at minus 21. The last game with a FIRED UP about 25 board I spare the first 9 frames, most in the pocket.  The 10th I went deeper and firmer and roped two flush strikes and a 4-pin for 198 and minus 23 to hopefully stay inside the cash cut. Thinking I had no chance at the finals I took my equipment out to the car, only to have to bring it back in when I grabbed the 10th and last spot.

   After a re-oil I found basically the same reaction and my start in match play was 223-255-245. I then stayed between 192 and 225 and ended up 7 wins and 2 losses to move up to second going into the position round against Brett Lobdell, who was the only other player playing outside. Brett is very hard and straight. In the position round I had 8 of the front 9 and won the tournament with a 245 after a meaningless 10th frame open.

   I repeat: without the VIRTUAL I would have had no chance of winning this event as no other ball in my bag would roll up from the outside with any consistency.  The VIRTUAL rolled up hard but controllably and absolutely punished the pins. My main taps were hard rolling hits like four solid 9s and a flush 7 and a flush 10 – not ringing 10s where the ball breaks late and sharp.  I do not know what amazed me more – that the VIRTUAL hooked back from out or that it also gave me some hold.

   With much less play in the match play I was able to parallel in as the 10 games wore on and even leak it right a little and get it back on some lanes.  I also could go around it a touch instead of just dead rolling it.  In the position round I was going around 9 at the arrows to about 6-7 for a breakpoint on one lane and firing it straight up 10-11 on the other lane.  

   If you saw the PBA Tour on Sunday where Mike Machuga switched to his VIRTUAL and suddenly had swing and some hold for a game or two then you know the kind of reaction I had at this point.  Mine was more skid and less swing, but the shape difference with the VIRTUAL compared to other stuff was similar to Machuga's.

   The other fascinating thing about this ball is that I could not pick up any oil rings with it – by the time the ball came back they were gone.  And I was getting some rings with other balls.  Lane shine was minimal – my hook was the same at the end of the day as the beginning. I had maybe 3-4 games on the VIRTUAL starting the day.

   I am thinking that I may even be able to drill a second VIRTUAL with a high pin but closer to my PAP – perhaps over the bridge so it’s about 5 inches – and shine it up and have something to wheel the lane on an easier shot.

   There is no question this is the most dynamic and powerful ball Storm has ever made.  And for my taste of favoring balls that roll through the pins, rather than break sharply and scatter them, it is perfect.

   The one caveat I have is that if you bowl in a house where there is a pronounced dry area on the lane, the VIRTUAL is going to read that area wickedly hard and you may leave a lot of weak 10s if you have moderate speed and decent revs.  KEEP IT IN THE OIL!  If you have decent speed fire away!



Edited on 11/17/2008 9:15 PM

spot on review jeff...this ball just flat out recovers from places where other balls dont even try...
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Britton (formerly bar5003)

Owner/Operator of Videoballreviews.com

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Congrats Riggs.  Nice shooting.  The Virtual is looking pretty good.  Better & better everyday.
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"The last time I saw a mouth like that, it had a hook in it." Rodney Dangerfield

This literally was a case of where it was technology more than - or at least as much as player. No way I can play out with success with anything else in my bag.  Reminded me of when the X-Calibur came out and what they gave that  nothing else did. VIRTUAL is not different to that extent but it is something way more than anything else I've ever thrown from Storm.  Important to note again that this is not a ball for lighter volumes or a house shot where the dry is super dry - unless you really have a ton of speed.