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View Full Version : FRANTIC review by Storm staffer Jeff Richgels



Riggs
09-20-2011, 05:51 PM
The bright orange and green FRANTIC is the latest ball in the Hot Line that includes the 2FAST and 2FURIOUS. The FRANTIC has the exact same R2S hybrid coverstock used in the extremely popular HY-ROAD with a 1,500-grit shiny finish. The core is the N.O.S. The combination produced three times the entry angle of a box finish 2FURIOUS, according to CATS testing, Storm says.

Here is the tech data from Storm's site.
http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/frantic

The HY-ROAD was one of the most popular and successful balls Storm ever made but it was an all-or-nothing ball for me. It was a monster at times, including the last five games of minor events at the 2009 USBC Open Championships when we finished second in team all-events. But it also often was too much for my moderate speed, tweener rev rate (about 325), with a lot of solid 9s, 4-pins and ring 10s. I drilled a couple of different HY-ROADs and plugged and re-drilled one searching for a perfect combo but there wasn't one for me.

So I was excited but apprehensive when I heard the FRANTIC would use the HY-ROAD cover with a different core. My hope is it will give me a slightly different look and be a monster for me.

My doubles partner Steve Richter suggested that I not drill it too aggressively, so I put the pin in my middle finger with about a 60-degree drilling that has the CG near my thumb.

The numbers turn out PIN-PAP 5 1/2 inches, "MB" (it's a symmetrical)-PAP 4 1/2 inches and pin buffer 4 3/4 inches.

I've only used it twice so far, both at the Fusion Realtors Open weekend in Waterloo, Iowa, Sept. 16-18.

On the very heavy oil house shot in the pro-am, the FRANTIC was not the best match but that was to be expected with my style and the 1,500-grit shiny cover. It had trouble with the huge volume of oil.

That turned out to be very unfortunate for me as the next day during the tournament I didn't try the FRANTIC and it probably was exactly what I needed. I ended up finding my best reaction the last portion of the 8-game tournament with a high-pin box shiny REIGN.

I was leery to try to the FRANTIC because I just didn't know what to expect from it and I like to use equipment that I understand the reaction of.

After our squad ended while they oiled from the other end of the house, Lew Wemett of Storm shot some video of me with the FRANTIC. If and when that video is posted, you will be able to see the reaction I had on what was a very low-scoring, demanding lane condition.

The FRANTIC rolled awesome — down the lane so clean with a very hard move to the pocket, giving me a touch more room but far more striking power than the REIGN.

My early analysis of the FRANTIC is that it's a longer and sharper version of the HY-ROAD, or perhaps a stronger version of the T-ROAD PEARL.

All I know is that it gave an energy storage and back-end move nothing else I tried that day gave me.

I can't wait to get some more action with the FRANTIC to see what it can do.

Unless you have a lot of hand, I wouldn't plan to use the FRANTIC on heavy oil, but when the lanes are hooking/broken down, this might be the go to ball you are looking for – especially if there isn't an extreme puddle in the middle.