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Thread: Fast And Furious Review

  1. #1
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    Default FURIOUS & FAST reviews by Storm staffer Jeff Richgels

    A caution with this initial review: It was only a few games on a house shot. I will update the reviews after I bowl a PBA regional on Scorpion next weekend. I will be there for Friday's practice session so I will throw them then so I'll have info even if I don't use them during the tournament.

    The FURIOUS and FAST both use the Turbine core found in the STREET RODS but with an R2S coverstock (SPECIAL AGENT, T-ROAD, etc.). My expectation was the same basic motion as the STREET RODS but with a stronger mid-lane reaction and that was what I found.
    I would see these two as fitting in below the HY-ROAD and SECOND DIMENSION but above the STREET RODS.

    FURIOUS
    (solid reactive, 2000 grit Abralon, Turbine core, R2S cover)
    4 1/2 pin to PAP, 4 "MB" to PAP, 4 1/2 pin buffer
    Pin is under ring finger, about 45 degree drilling, hole on VAL just below grip center line.
    FRESH WET/DRY HOUSE SHOT WITH VERY DRY BACK-ENDS AT 6-year-old PRO ANVILANE HOUSE – The FURIOUS motion is a very hard arcing roll, reminiscent of the motion of the VIRTUAL GRAVITY. Reacted very strong off dry. It went a little longer with a crisper move than a SPECIAL AGENT with a virtually identical drilling, though SPECIAL has at least couple hundred games on it.

    FAST
    (pearl reactive, 1500 grit polish, Turbine core, R2S cover, cherry fragrance)
    5 3/4 pin to PAP, 4 5/8 "MB" to PAP, 5 1/8 pin buffer
    Pin is over middle finger, CG is about in grip center, no hole.
    FRESH WET/DRY HOUSE SHOT WITH VERY DRY BACK-ENDS AT 6-year-old PRO ANVILANE HOUSE – The FAST gave me the same roll pattern as the FURIOUS, although it obviously went longer. Considering the relatively weak pin I was surpised at how strong the move – again a hard arcing roll – was. It was NOT a skid/flip at all. My STREET ROD PEARL with a pin over bridge stacked drilling was more skid/flippy. My RAPID FIRE PEARL with the pin over the bridge and the CG kicked right made a quicker move at the breakpoint and then tended to roll forward on the wet/dry house shot.
    I could almost play in the same spot with the FAST as I could with the FURIOUS on the fresh house shot, with less effort needed to get to break point. But once there was carry down I had to move about 4 and 2 back right to go from 2-pin hits to flush.


    Here are updates on the FURIOUS & FAST after using them at a PBA regional on the Scorpion pattern last weekend.

    FURIOUS
    The FURIOUS gave me my best look on the fresh for qualifying of any ball I had with me. The lanes were nice enough that I had multiple options playing fairly straight around 10 board. But while other balls I had a decent look with were either too early (VIRTUAL GRAVITY, DIMENSION) or too long (HY-ROAD, SHIFT), the FURIOUS got to the breakpoint fine on the fresh and made a strong and continuous move. After three games I was 68 over and leading my squad. I had moved to about 13-14 at the arrows going out to 10 at the breakpoint and had a decent reaction. However, in the fourth game the pair was hooking more and when I tried to go further left the FURIOUS would not go to the breakpoint comfortably. That forced some ball changes that resulted in a train wreck 161 game.
    Clearly, the box finish surface for the FURIOUS is best when there is oil that helps it get to the breakpoint. I would definitely see this ball as similar to a SPECIAL AGENT with a less dramatic move at the breakpoint -– as I found on the house shot it makes a strong arcing move where the SPECIAL is quicker and sharper at the break point. With both balls having the R2S solid cover, it’s a matter of what motion shape you are looking for.
    The lanes seemed to have less oil in match play Sunday and I could not use the FURIOUS at the start. I ended up going to the HY-ROAD almost from the start. The FURIOUS just wouldn’t go the breakpoint as easily as in qualifying. I am sure with a less rough surface, the FURIOUS would have been fine but I like mine fitting into my arsenal as a heavy oil alternative to the VIRTUAL and DIMENSION.

    FAST
    The FAST turned out to be a great option on the broken down Scorpion in match play on Sunday, when they hooked more than in qualifying.
    With the lanes being a tad drier in the finals and 16 games under the PBA “retro” format, I eventually needed something that skidded more than my HY-ROAD — which was hand hit with a 2,000 Abralon pad by hand at USBCs in April but had much use since then that it had become very lane shined.
    The FAST fit the bill perfectly.
    I was able to roll the fast from between 15 and 20 out to around 10 at the breakpoint. My scores tended to be 190-200 on pairs that were a tad tighter where the carry was tougher but I also had a handful of games from 230-260 on pairs that were a tad drier meaning better carry. After going 1-6-1 before the break, I went 3-5 in the second round of matches. It was one of those days where I just couldn’t win many matches -- making bad shots or not carrying at crucial times or seeing my opponents get the crucial break at the right time. I even lost with a 264 on a day that scores were not high at all. I finished 12th but a .500 record in match play would have gotten me around the number for 5th for the stepladder.
    To provide some comparison to the FAST and because I wasn’t going anywhere anyway, the last couple of games I switched to my trusty old FIRED UP. The contrast between the two balls was interesting. The FIRED UP has a weaker cover than the FAST but its core gave it a more dramatic move at the breakpoint – the contrast was similar to the SPECIAL vs. the FURIOUS. The best way I can describe it is the FAST goes straight to the breakpoint and then makes a turn and rolls sort of forward into the pins while the FIRED UP is more of a quick and circular move. Part of that could be the relatively weak pin on my FAST.
    I also might describe the FAST as a more rolling version of the T-ROAD PEARL.
    One thing is clear – even box shiny the FAST still rolls strong enough with the R2S cover to get in the oil and roll it. There just has to be some dry area – on fresh with no dry it will squirt like any shiny pearl ball.
    Last edited by JaxBowlingGuy; 09-09-2009 at 10:49 PM.

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    Default Fast and Furious reviews from Storm Staffer Kurt Gengelbach

    From left of the big dot, reviews of the Fast and Furious.

    I decided to drill both balls weaker, both with 5" pin to PAP, 3" pin buffer, CG just left of grip center. Both balls were left at factory finish.

    Both balls were used on a fresh house shot, toasted wood. Unfornately, no regionals for a while until Wichita in two weeks when we see Viper. I'll add updates then.

    The Furious gave me better length than I expected but still read the lane in the oil just before the end of the pattern. The big difference was this ball didn't go sideways like the VG's, Dimensions, etc. It made a smooth, arcing move off the breakpoint with a predictable, continuous finish. This ball reminded me of the best parts of the T-Road Solid, just a little cleaner in the heads. To compare with another brand, think anything with a V2 core in it. I threw several shots that didn't look at first like the entry angle would be very good and yet the ball helped create strong pin action on less than perfect hits. This ball should do very well on most fresh house shots and fresh medium to long PBA patterns.

    The Fast was thrown at the same time as the Furious and quickly showed that pearl balls aren't best suited for fresh oil. However, after moving left (farther than usual for this house) on the approach, I still had a good look to the pocket and carried better that expected. I decided to wait for a while until the pair had some more lineage thrown on it (no leagues that night, just open play) and tried it again. What a difference! I was eight boards right with my feet, and got a good bounce off the breakpoint. Like the Furious, no hockey stick movement but tore through the rack anyway. I how feel I have a strong medium to drier lanes ball that doesn't sacrifice hitting power for less hook.

    These balls replace the Street Rods in price point but with the R2S shell covers, far outperform them in duty.

    Thank you, Storm Products for yet another strong addition to the menu.

  3. #3
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    Default Fast & Furious 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: Furious
    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: Fast
    Layout: Dual Angle Layout (70 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 stacked below.


    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
    First thing I noticed was the Fast & Furious are extremely different. The Furious rolled sooner and smoother. Fast was very clean through the heads and very angular on the back part of the lane. I was practicing on fresh house condition and at first i was throwing lots of strikes with both balls. However very quickly i struggled to keep the Fast in the pocket. I had to jump quite a bit right to get the ball back into the pocket. On high volume house patterns the Fast seems to be very sensitive to transition down the lanes. The Furious stayed strong the whole time. I compared the Furious to a similarly drilled Dimension and found the Furious slightly cleaner through the heads and more continuous.

    Weekly League
    Location: Sunshine Lanes, Springfield, MO
    Lane Surface: Synthetic Heads, Wood Backends
    Condition: Kegel Challenge Pattern - Route 66
    This pattern is very long with a good amount of oil in the middle of the lane. The Furious matched up perfectly. It gave me a strong and continuous roll and i was able to use it all 4 games of our league. I shot 226, 214, 268, 238. I was surprised that i didn't have to switch balls as the condition broke down. I was able to move inside of 20 my last game and the Furious still cleared the heads and retained energy to maintain carry.

    After league several of us decided to pot bowl. After a few games i brought out my Fast and was extremely surprised by the reaction i got. The Fast is the cleanest ball through the heads i've ever thrown from Storm. The pair we where on had a lot of breakdown through the heads and a lot of carry down on the back part of the lane. The Fast cleared the heads effortlessly and still responded with plenty of energy on the back. This ball is going to be a great 2nd shift ball!

    Overall
    The Fast and Furious are two great balls from Storm. I personally liked the Street Rods very much and didn't think these balls would be a huge upgrade, but i was wrong. The Furious could match up against any dull High Performance ball and the Fast is probably the cleanest and most angular ball on the market. I'm already ordering more of each!

  4. #4

    Default Storm Fast and Furious Review

    Fast and Furious review from Storm Staffer Justin Buford


    I have to be honest, I was really looking forward to these releases because I didn’t get along with the Street Rod Solid nor the Street Rod Pearl. I hardly ever found a use for them because I had similar reactions with my Special Agent and Agent. I was excited to see the R2S coverstock being utilized over the turbine core, and the performance did not disappoint.

    To be fair, I first used these balls at Colonial Lanes in Orlando, FL where I sub in a Thursday night league. Colonial is a wood surface center where I have been having some trouble finding good reactions after the lanes break down. Also, the fresh house shot there can be rather tricky as they tend to play like they have not been oiled in days with a ton of friction just past the 15 ft mark.

    FURIOUS: First let me say, I am big fan of the Grape fragrance. I wish I could just stock pile Furious and Rapid Fire balls in my office area at home so I could have that scent around there. Jokingly saying, the Furious has three features of two of my favorite bowling balls. A similar color scheme to that of the Special Agent, the same fragrance as the Rapid Fire, and the R2S Solid Reactive cover. This ball has to be good right?!?!? Darn Right it is!

    LAYOUT: I used a 4 ¼ inch pin to PAP x 3 3/4 inch CG to PAP with no hole. I left the surface as is at 2000 abralon. Very close to the layout on my Special Agent.

    REVIEW: Like I described the fresh shot of Colonial Lanes above, there’s a lot of friction up front. So I wanted to test the teeth on the FURIOUS. What I saw was very surprising. The ball cleared the front of the lane very clean. Much cleaner than my Rapid Fire or Special Agent when comparing the same cover stocks. The motion in the middle and back end was very even for me. Where my Special Agent has been wanting to give up on me and hit flat, the Furious charged hard for me through the pin deck. I really had to hit up on the ball to get over reaction out of it, which meant I had to go way outside of how I normally release the ball. So I don’t have to worry about that LOL..

    FAST: Fantastic looking ball. Always been a big fan of this color scheme. Cherry is not my favorite fragrance in the world but I’m not picky. I had no real expectations of this ball initially. If anything I was expecting it to give me a little bit more pop on the back end than the Furious.

    LAYOUT 4 inch pin to PAP x 4 ¼ CG to PAP no hole.

    REVIEW: As I broke the lanes down and found myself moving deeper and deeper with the FURIOUS, I decided to try the FAST. During my league at Colonial this is where everyone gets in trouble as the lanes flip-flop. The friction I had up front is now way down lane and the skid is more up front. My SHIFT is my go to ball in this situation. The FAST was very predictable down lane for me, I felt that if I just got it to 9-10 at the break point, it was pure gold. It handled the friction very well for me, and didn’t jump off the spot at all.. But to be fair, I am going to have to test this at my home center which is a pro-anvilane surface. The FAST had a similar shape under these conditions as my SHIFT. Unfortunately at some point during the transition, the lanes get real easy to where every ball starts to look the same. So I can’t give a full honest review about this ball just yet.

    I will update and put a link to my videos of these two balls soon.
    Justin Buford
    Storm Amateur Staff
    Cliff Barnes Pro Shop- Strike Zone Brunswick, GA
    http://www.myspace.com/wildcat300

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    Default Fast and Furious 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: Fast
    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: Furious
    Layout: Dual Angle Layout (35degree 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 quite a bit 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
    I was unsure of what to expect with the Fast and Furious with these layouts. The Furious is a very aggressive ball through the heads and the Fast is very long. I drilled the Furious to transition pretty quickly and the Fast to be roll early and smooth. I was not disappointed. The Furious, while it did transition, quickly was still smooth and controllable. Compared to a different Furious with a low pin this ball tended to lock up into the hole a little better in carry down. The Fast, drilled to roll in the heads was very aggressive and since it stores so much energy, in had a lot left on the back. This ball will be ideal for generating backend on longer patterns.

    Weekly League
    Location: Sunshine Lanes, Springfield, MO
    Lane Surface: Synthetic Heads, Wood Backends
    Condition: Kegel Challenge Pattern - Beaten Path
    Threw both balls in practice. The Furious had a slightly better look as i was able to control the hole lane better. The Fast was a little too aggressive on the back for the fresh condition. Started the first two games well, 225, 221. At the end of the 2nd game and beginning of the 3rd game i started leaving corners, so i switched to the Fast and moved deeper. The ball read the midlane great and had plenty left to carry the 10's. Shot 235 and 269.

    Overall
    The Fast and Furious are two very dynamic balls from Storm. You have the freedom to try many different layouts and you won't be disappointed.

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    Default Fast And Furious Review

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