(Sorry for this review coming out so late, but I spent three months rehabbing a hip injury after getting a cortisone shot and just returned to bowling July 29.)

PRODIGY -- 6 1/4 pin-PAP, 4 1/2 MB-PAP, 4 5/8 pin buffer. Pin is above and left of my middle finger with CG about in my grip center. This is same drilling as my first and favorite VIRTUAL GRAVITY. Controlled power is goal. No weight hole.

It's been a long summer for me not being able to bowl, especially with my new PRODIGY sitting there for more than a month waiting to be thrown. I've looked forward to the PRODIGY from the moment I heard about it.

I had some solid success with Storm's last E.T.M (Enhanced Traction Mica) ball (the SECOND DIMENSION) and have loved the R2X (INVASION) cover so I was very interested in seeing what these were together with the new "Centripetal" core. It was something between the VIRTUAL GRAVITY and the INVASION from what I'd heard.

I ordered just one PRODIGY to try with the same control drilling as my original (and still going strong and still favorite) VG.

My hope was to have a ball that got down the lane somewhat easier than that VG – the VG rolls hard and early for me and needs oil up front with my moderate speed and rev rate – but with the same strong move at the breakpoint and through the pins. I also hoped it would be somewhat weaker than the INVASION at the breakpoint so it would be more continuous.

After bowling with the PRODIGY on both a broken down (by open bowling) house shot and a fresh house shot at a 7-year-old Brunswick Pro Anvilhang house, I'd say I got what I was looking for.

The PRODIGY definitely was much easier to get to the breakpoint than the VG, which won't get there without a lot of forcing on a broken down shots. And its move was not as abrupt as the INVASION at the breakpoint – I saw several shots where a strong-drilled INVASION left weak 10s and the PRODIGY went through the pins for strikes (and a couple of solid 9s). With the mica in the cover I was pleasantly surprised that the PRODIGY didn't burn up more and leave more weak 10s, especially since the center I bowled at does not use a large volume of oil.

I think the PRODIGY looks to be very good for both Sport and house shots for those looking for a strong ball that is not super early or overwhelmingly strong at the breakpoint – I'm thinking especially of those people who say the INVASION doesn't hook, when what I'm sure is happening is that it's blowing up and using all its energy before it has a chance to hook in the back.

On heavier oil, I'm sure some 1,000 or 2,000 Abralon would get the PRODIGY moving a lot stronger – that's almost certain with an R2X cover with mica.

I don't have any competition scheduled until the end of August so I'll probably not get a full picture of the PRODIGY for another month or so, but I like what I see so far a lot.

One thing I really liked with the PRODIGY is that it took very well to release changes. After 3 months off, my game is horribly erractic still, and when I missed a shot the PRODIGY didn't still hook roughly the same amount as when I grabbed it. This tells me that this is a ball that doesn't overwhelm the bowler's game –  put another way, it will be amenable to release manipulation. I do not like balls that are so strong that you can't change the motion a lot by tweaking release and revs. The VG is an example of that kind of ball for me and I think it's why while I've won a ton with the VG I can only use it when there's a puddle – I can't tweak my release to get it down the lane. It looks like the PRODIGY is one I'll be able to tweak to expand its window.

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