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Thread: Virtual Energy review

  1. #1

    Default *~Storm VIRTUAL ENERGY videos from Videoballreviews.com~*

    Hi all,

    I'm proud to present to you my new Storm Virtual Energy videos.

    http://www.videoballreviews.com/virtualenergy.html

    Or

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOTkhqH5YYE - Layout Comparison

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYbXOoV6d0M - Comparison to Virtual Gravity and Hyroad

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YFg-j5PJx0 - Surface Changes

    Virtual Energy

    Layout 4.5 Pin to PAP x 5 MB to PAP x 2” Pin Buffer - NO weight hole
    Layout 5 Pin to PAP x 3 MB to PAP x 4.5” Pin Buffer - NO weight hole

    The follow up to the hottest selling ball on the market is here! The Virtual Energy features a HYBRID R2X cover wrapped around the Shapelock HD Core.

    Some comments on the videos:

    I was very excited when I heard about this release. I love my Virtual Gravities, and I love my hyroads. Combine the two and BAM! You have a virtual energy!

    The 4.5 x 5 x 2 VE I drilled is flat out awesome…clean through the fronts, strong roll in the midlane (like a hyroad) and I huge move downlane…continuation and pin carry is above average, just like the virtual gravity. I used this ball for the comparison to my favorite Virtual Gravity and Hyroad. The Virtual Gravity is still the king as far as overall hook. The Virtual Energy will work perfectly when your Virtual Gravity is simply too much. For those who are more of a fan of the Hy-Road, the Virtual Energy will give you a similar look with a stronger move downlane and more overall hook. It falls right in between the two as far as total hook goes.

    The 5 x 3 x 4.5 was drilled to create a smoother overall motion, and it does. Again, clean through the front, strong roll in the midlane and again a strong move off the back of the pattern. I then adjusted the surface on this ball to see how versatile it really was. At 4000 and 2000 the total hook increased, but the backend reaction DID NOT SUFFER, it still flipped hard and drove strong on the back. Don’t be afraid to touch the surface on this ball!

    Without a doubt, Storm has another incredible ball here. The stuff coming out of Utah is second to NONE…The virtual energy is going to be a must have for tournament and league bowlers alike.

    Thanks!

    --------------------
    Britton
    Owner/Operator of Videoballreviews.com
    Multi Media Consultant
    Storm Products, Inc.
    www.stormbowling.com
    www.rotogrip.com
    Last edited by JaxBowlingGuy; 09-09-2009 at 10:20 PM.

  2. #2
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    Default (updated) VIRTUAL ENERGY review from Storm staffer Jeff Richgels

    VIRTUAL ENERGY

    # 1 – 5 1/4 pin to PAP, 4 7/8 Key to PAP, 4 1/2 pin buffer
    Pin is over bridge with key kicked a little right. About 75 degree drilling. No hole.
    This is my favorite strong drilling for balls to get down the lane and make a strong move.

    # 2 – 5 7/8 pin to PAP, 1 7/8 Key to PAP, 5 3/4 pin buffer
    Pin is under middle finger with key kicked almost directly right. About 25 degree drilling. Hole on VAL.
    Idea is an earlier and therefore smoother move at the breakpoint and down the lane. Had a DEUCE this way once that I loved for playing straight/staying on a direct line with a strong, asym ball.


    My first experience with both VIRTUAL ENERGYs was on a wet/dry house shot on 6-year-old Brunswick Pro Anvilane synthetics.

    The VIRTUAL GRAVITY has been perhaps my favorite Storm ball of all time – and that's saying a lot since I've been on staff since 1996. When the VG came out, I bowled for the title in seven of the first eight tournaments I used it. I now have three and they still are my go-to nuggets for oil for me.

    The main thing I like about the VG is the way it rolls hard through the pins. I prefer balls that arc hard and roll, rather than skid/flip and perhaps quit. The only drawback to the VG is the R2X solid cover needs oil, so you can imagine how much I've been looking forward to the VE, which has a hybrid reactive R2X.

    My hope for the VE was for a VG roll pattern that gets down the lane much easier ... and that's exactly what I got: All I can say is WOW!

    I compared them to my original VG (1,000 Ab lane shined) and a HY-ROAD (2,000 Ab lane shined) and the VE was easier down the lane and rolled stronger in the back/end than both, which is what you'd expect with the cover preps on the other balls.

    The strong VE I could play relatively straight up the oil line, going maybe 12 at the arrows out to around 10 at the breakpoint. It left a couple ring 10s but otherwise struck consistently.

    The earlier and smoother VE definitely was earlier and smoother. My first shot was a 4-6 in the same spot where I was throwing the strong VE. A couple boards in with my feet resulted in a blower 5 strike.

    What was happily surprising was how strong both VEs were when I moved in, slowed down and circled the lane some. I moved to where I was just inside 15 at the arrows going out to 10 or a little right at the breakpoint.

    Both balls had no problem making the corner and rolling back to the pocket. The strong VE was a little more angular and would have been my choice while the earlier VE tended to hook and stay in the oil and was more likely to go high. Neither ball had any problem with the puddle, although I need to point out that this center does not use a huge amount of oil.

    I will be bowling a regional on the Earl Anthony pattern this upcoming weekend so I will be able to update this review after that. I think the earlier and smoother VE may be especially good for tough PBA patterns like Viper and Chameleon.
    Last edited by Riggs; 08-01-2009 at 06:58 AM.

  3. #3

    Default Virtual Energy review

    Drilled 6'pin to axis, 5'mb to axis...pin well above fingers....needed something strong but very clean down the lane and got just that. Rolled extremely well on our med house pattern with great hitting power, tried to throw on shark and just wasnt enough friction(especially with this layout). Overall an awesome ball, reads the mids like you would expect, with more than enough backend. This ball is gonna be great for when the virtual is too strong...also i was a big fan of the original gravity and this ball read the oil much better, only had it for a week or so but so far im very impressed!
    --------------------
    chads pro shop
    storm amateur staff

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    Talking Storm Virtual Energy

    Hand: Left

    Ball Speed: 16-17mph

    Ball Weight: 15lbs 4oz

    Top: 2.97oz

    Pin: 2.5-3

    Layout: Pin under ring finger

    I have mines drilled pin under my ring finger with the cg kicked out a little and the mass bias a little to the left of the thumb hole. It is a great compliment to the Virtual Gravity when the lanes start to break down and there is no more head oil or when the backend is flying. It goes through the heads just as clean and has the same backend motion as the Virtual Gravity. I call the Virtual Energy a hyroad on steroids because they both have a hybrid coverstock but the Virtual Energy is a lot stronger overall.

    I have used it so far on a house shot that I can hardly use on it because it is really strong in the backend that I like but just not for the house shots I bowl on. I bowl in a sport league where we have the kegel shots and it works great on the one I bowled on so far, which is what I drilled it for. I bowled on the beaten path pattern and its really clean and strong in the backend but a little too strong. I had to put it away because I was leaving a lot of 7 pins, which meant it had a lot of angle and power.

    Good luck to everyone that grabs their hand on this ball its awesome!

    I have a picture of my Virtual Energy drilled in my photo album on myspace! If you have any questions about the Virtual Energy email me at grichardson7716@aol.com.

    Garrett Richardson
    Storm Staff
    Al Louie's Pinole/Diablo Valley Pro Shop
    www.myspace.com/grstorm
    www.stormbowling.com

  5. #5
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    Default Virtual Energy

    Alright.. /i just had my Virtual Energy drilled tonight. Had it drilled 4x4 so I was expecting a very strong ball. Thats exactly what I got... I threw the ball on a fresh oiled house shot and the ball was really too much.. If I got the ball to the dry too quick it wanted to roll out and through the 3... I left ALOT of 1-2-4-10... I moved deep inside and got it out to 13-15 and it came back very nice.The issue I then ran into was I left a great deal of 10 pins.I was just unable to carry the 10 with this ball at the moment.. Also if you missed inside, just start waving because it WILL take off.. I think once I get a few games on the ball it will tame down some and play a little better. I had this same isssue with my 1st Virtual Gravity. The 1st 5 games or so I hated the ball because it was just too much ball, but once I got some games on it, it calmed down and was and still is a very good ball. This should be about the same... If you currently throw a Virtual Gravity and you are doing like me and having this drilled the same way, be prepared for alot more "snappy" of a ball. over all the ball is a 9/10 currently in my opinion.
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    Just a little update... /the ball now has about 4-5 games worth of throws and is begining to calm down some.. /i threw it in a tournament tonight that was claiming to have 44ft of oil..I was throwing about 22 out to 8ish and the ball was reacting very nice.. The ball came back very strong and hit pocket HARD!!! So hard that the 1st 3 balls all left 9 pins.. After that I bagged it and just went to my virtual gravity to finish out that game... So the 1st day I had issues with the 10 pin and now the 9 pin.. I will continue to update has I get more feedback.
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  7. #7
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    Default Storm Virtual Energy and Natural reviews

    Storm Virtual Energy:

    I started with a 15 lb. VE with a 4" pin and drilled it 4 1/2 X 4 with a 2 1/2 pin buffer. The weight hole is 3" down from PAP on the VAL. Specs aside, here's what the ball did on the lanes.
    First session was on a THS, fresh oil, old wood surface. The first ball I threw was very reminiscent of the Virtual Gravity, clean through the heads and mids with a BIG back end. The VE was several feet longer than the VG with the pearl elements in the coverstock and did on a few occasions skid through the breakpoint. A light scuffing with a 2000 Abralon pad solved that issue. Compared with Storm's other hybrid cover ball, the Hy-Road, I was about 4-5 boards further inside with the Virtual Energy with even more pop on the backends. On the Viper pattern at a regional, I took the ball back to box finish and was able to pipe the ball up the gutter in games 3-6. I was in the pocket more consistantly than with anything else I threw all day but those back row pins gave me fits and my spare game must have stayed back at the hotel room because I missed more than a few.

    Additional note: When I put the Virtual Energy on my display shelf, the pear berry scent literally filled the room. Feedback from my customers was very positive.

    Storm Natural:

    Started with a 15 lb. ball, 2 1/2" pin and drilled it 3 3/8 X 5 with a 2" buffer no weight hole. This is the first pure urethane ball I have thrown in over 15 years and I was looking forward to a little nostalgia.
    On the THS, this ball revved up early with the box finish and strong drilling but just like the urethane I love and remember, made a smooth, steady move to the pocket with no jump or jerk at all. Given the nature of today's "hockey stick" ball motion, this was a pleasant surprise and allowed me to play nearly two arrows left of where I normally play in this center and just go up the boards. As the head oil broke down, I put the ball in my Surface Factory machine and took the cover down to 4000 grit which where I think I'll leave it. This is the smoothest ball motion I've seen in years and yet it still hits extremely hard. I haven't thrown it on any PBA shots yet but I think this ball will be a huge asset on any Sport patterns, very predictable in reaction but no sacrifice in hitting power.

    Thank you again, Storm for putting two more monster pieces in my arsenal.

  8. #8

    Default Storm Virtual Energy Review by Jusitn Buford

    I put a dual angle layout of 45 x 5 x 35 on my Virtual Energy. I wanted to lay my first one out almost identical to my Virtual Gravity. The results were amazing! I got the extra length and stronger backend angle that I was expecting in comparison. The VE is amazingly clean up front and has a smooth reaction in the back and through the pin deck.
    I kept the ball at it's original box finish (1500 grit polished). I went through a couple of layouts with the Virtual Gravity trying to find the reaction that I liked. I don't foresee having to do that with this ball.

    I originally threw the VE on a 37 foot house pattern and loved the reaction so I was interested to throw it on PBA Shark. What surprised me was not having to amp up my rev rate to get the ball to turn the corner. All I had to do was make a slight change in my ball speed and it was golden. Have an tournament coming up next week that I am excited to throw the VE on. With my Virtual Gravity, Gravity Shift, and Virtual Energy, I have a great high end 1-2-3 punch. Below are pictures and a link to my video of the Virtual Energy!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SDLJ9haQeY

    http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...gy45x5x352.jpg

    http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...rgy45x5x35.jpg
    Justin Buford
    Storm Amateur Staff
    Cliff Barnes Pro Shop- Strike Zone Brunswick, GA
    http://www.myspace.com/wildcat300

  9. #9
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    Default

    VIRTUAL ENERGY update

    I finally had a chance to use my VIRTUAL ENERGYs on something other than a house shot the weekend of July 25-26. The one PBA regional I bowled was on Cheetah and they were just too strong, but this weekend was on the 2009-10 version of Scorpion at King Pin Lanes in Springfield, Ill. King Pin has unique lanes – about 25 feet of AMF synthetic in the front and the rest wood. It’s the house where Jeff Carter averaged 261.74 back when it was all wood.

    The outside on the new Scorpion is dead OB and the inside is very flat. The VE with the low pin and 0-25 degree drilling was the best option I had to keep it straight up the track playing defense on the fresh. Once the oil carried down it went in the bag.

    Later in the day, I was able to use the strong VE with the high pin from in between 4th and 5th arrow. Scores overall were low – it took plus 95 to make the top 16 among the 48 doubles teams. The strong VE got me a 280 game on one of the nice pairs in game seven.

    Overall, the VE performed just as I expected from my house shot test run, with the same kind of hard rolling action as the VIRTUAL GRAVITY but with much easier skid to the breakpoint. Carry was excellent with the strong roll of the VE.

    I did wish I could have hit it with a 4,000 Ab pad by hand to make it read in the oil just a bit more as on the tighter pairs I did leave a couple of 2-pin combos on shots I threw pretty well.

    BOTTOM LINE: If you like the V-GRAVITY you will like the V-ENERGY and it probably will be the perfect go-to ball when the VG starts burning up too early. But if you don't like the roll pattern of the VG I would not recommend the VE!

  10. #10
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    Default Virtual Energy Ball Review by Amateur Storm Staffer Casey Murphy

    Name: Casey Murphy
    Style: Right handed, 425 rpm, 16 mph ball speed
    Axis: 4 13/16 over, 5/16 up

    Ball: Virtual Energy
    Layout: Dual Angle Layout (35 degree drilling angle, 4 13/16 inch from axis,70 degree angle to the val) The pin is below and centered between my fingers, cg is kicked out quite a bit with a balance hole.

    Ball: Virtual Energy
    Layout: Dual Angle Layout (45 degree drilling angle, 5 1/4 inches from the axis, 35 degree angle to the val) Basically, the pin is above and between my fingers, cg is kicked out with a balance hole.


    Playing around just after drilling the ball
    Location: Sunshine Lanes, Springfield, MO
    Lane Surface: Synthetic Heads, Wood Backends
    Condition: House Condition, High volume. A lot of oil from 10 to 10, just a little less oil from 9 out to the gutter
    Was very excited to get the next "Virtual" ball from Storm. Loved the Virtual Gravity and the Virtual Energy lived up to the hype. Both my Virtual Energy's were very clean through the front part of the lane and made a strong reaction on the back. The low pin VE read the lane very early and controlled the backends. Shot 258 first game in practice. Switched to the higher pin VE and had a much stronger reaction. The quicker transition meant i could move in quite a bit more and cover boards. Followed up my first game of practice with a nice 235 game.

    Weekly League
    Location: Sunshine Lanes, Springfield, MO
    Lane Surface: Synthetic Heads, Wood Backends
    Condition: Kegel Challenge Pattern - Middle Road
    Started with the low pin VE. The middle portion of this pattern changes very quickly and the low pin VE controlled the over/under very well. Won both my first matches with 222, 237, while everyone else around me was trying to hit the pocket. Switched to my high pin VE the next two games and moved in. Was able to really cover some boards and open up the lane. Shot 244, 238. Next day 3 people were in the shot trying to by a Virtual Energy for themselves!

    Overall
    The Virtual Energy is a great follow up to the Virtual Gravity. The Virtual Gravity is the best ball on the market for higher volumes of oil and the Virtual Energy corners the market for medium oil!

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