“2Fast, Not so Furious”
This is a very smooth control ball, just don’t expect it to hook the house.
Layout (Picture coming soon)
Remember that coverstock accounts for 70% of ball reaction, but the core will create the dynamic shape. Your drilling will alter the shape to suit your game and conditions you bowl on.
Please work with your local pro shop operator to find what best works for you.
First Impressions
It looks like it hooks a lot less than the original Fast and may a bit release sensitive. I had to perform some Digitrax analysis confirm my suspicions. This ball looks like it starts up a little earlier and has a much smoother backend than the Fast. The Tropical Heat Hybrid is also more aggressive on the backend, but to be expected given it uses the same core as the Fast. I felt like this would be a ball to go to when you are experiencing too aggressive moves on the backend from other equipment and you’re looking for something a bit smoother, yet clean through the fronts. It’s a bit of a unique look for a pearlized ball to be honest. Kind of reminds me a bit of the Roto Grip Dark Star in that it is a control pearl ball that can be used when the lane breaks down.
Price 8/10
It’s an affordable piece in the mid-low Hot line for Storm.
Core
The NOS core is new for Storm. RG is 2.53 and Differential is 0.045. It’s a medium RG and medium diff. The core shape dictates the overall ball reaction shape and this one is very smooth. This ball reaction shape is much more in the mold of the smooth Marvel and Prodigy, except quite a step down with it’s very clean pearl cover. This ball reaction is pretty different than anything Premier or Thunder lines.
Cover 8.5/10
The venerable R2S cover has been around, seemingly forever. It’s the same cover as in the Victory Road. It can be tweaked and is very flexible. I haven’t heard many complaints with longevity.
Reaction 7/10
When you put this core and cover together, you really get something different than anything else in the Storm lineup. Simply put this ball is smooth and controllable. Some will actually really like it as a benchmark but it depends on what you like to see out of your ball reaction. Personally, I prefer a bit more strength on the backend. Not necessarily a later reaction, just more aggressive on the backend. The video will show you how much smoother this ball is than the Tropical Heat Hybrid and Fast. Some might think it will look weaker. I think it is, but you just have to recognize that it’s different. Giving it the same room as the Tropical Heat Hybrid for example will have the ball come in very light into the pocket. You’ve got to square up much more with this ball.
Our tester really finds this ball to his liking because it gives him so much control. It never seems to overreact. I also found that it never had a chance to overreact, I was just always looking for a bit more reaction. The point is that you can find the pocket with the ball and then decide if you need more angle, a different line, etc. In many ways, this could be considered a control ball for many. Just don’t expect a strong move off the breakpoint because of how smooth it is.
Overall 7.5/10
The Storm 2Fast is a smooth, control ball. It’s very clean through the heads and makes a gentle move off the breakpoint. If you like that type of reaction, you will be very happy with this ball. If you have a good amount of side rotation, you will see decent and controlled board coverage with this ball. Some will find that it can be first ball out of the bag to tell you what’s happening. While this may not represent what has become the more typical “backend” reaction from Storm, many who have had trouble controlling the other equipment will come to like this ball a lot.