First Impressions
The Absolute Power impressed all 3 testers right out of the gate!
Tamer Elbaga (Lefty)
Style: Tweener
RPM: 330 rpm
PAP: 5 & 3/8 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium/high
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 4.5 x 45
Bryan Hoffman (Righty)
Style: Stroker
RPM: 280 rpm
PAP: 4 1/2 & 1 1/2 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: high
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 5 x 45
Tyler Church (Righty)
Style: Power Player
RPM: 450 rpm
PAP: 5 1/2 & 1/2 up
Average Speed: 19 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: med
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 14 Pounds
Layout: 50 x 5 x 45
“Keep in mind that coverstock accounts for 70% of ball reaction, but the core creates the dynamic shape of the reaction. Your driller will alter the shape to suit your game.”
Pattern
THS: 42ft, 23ml
Sport: TBD
Specs
The Storm Absolute Power uses the Sentinel asymmetric core inside the R2S Deep Solid Reactive coverstock.
15 pound = RG of 2.48, diff of .050, mb of .021
14 pound = RG of 2.54, diff of .045, mb of .018
Coverstock finish: 4000 abralon
Overall
Let’s get right to it. The Absolute Power uses a large volume weightblock inside a pretty clean solid cover. The core wants to get into a roll quickly, get forward. The cover gets length pretty easily even though it’s a solid. So it’s a premier lineup ball and you kind of think it’s a big top of the bag ball. And the immediate results of the test might make you think so. However, the success we all saw on the house shot is due to this formula of putting a tumbly core in a cover that allows some stored energy. We all struggled with the original Absolute. The R2S Deep hybrid with shine just felt like it went 60 feet. We hit it with a 3000 pad scuff at the lanes and it didn’t do much to be frank. However, we all really liked the Absolute Power.
The Lanes are a new SPL installation but honestly it plays very similar to the previous lane beds at Bowlero Limerick which were also SPL. The pattern is a very walled house shot. There’s not much of a taper so it really boxes you into a very specific area. So it’s really tough to get out of the area you start with and it really pushes balls towards each other in terms of shape.
When I threw the Absolute between the 2nd and 3rd arrow, I really couldn’t miss. I had forgiveness in and out. The pattern plays very well outside 5. It plays OK in the 5-10. It goes 60 ft further in. The tricky thing is I couldn’t get passed the 3rd arrow at all. I think this is partially the ball and partially the new lane beds with the pattern. The ball is heavy rolling and stops so just didn’t have the juice to make it back. That tumble and forward roll worked awesome from more direct. But the newer lane beds that don’t have any built in friction yet plus the pattern and the tumbly ball meant past the 3rd arrow was DOA if it got there at all. Just a quick comparison the the 900 Global Eternity Pi and you immediately realize if you didn’t already, the Pi is a Stronger ball, just getting started sooner. The cover digs more and also has a huge core. It’s also a little rounder because it starts so much sooner. So the Pi works from deeper than the Absolute Power.
Tyler is up next and I’ll probably run a separate video. Hint: he struck so much out of the gate from the first ball thrown. It’s really all you need to know. He immediately found a spot in the track and was able to stay there the whole time. The cleaner R2S Deep cover just allows enough length and energy retention to allow the Sentinel core to turn over and roll forward through the pins. Tyler is using the zone between the 3rd and 4th arrow so a zone further in that me having about 100rpms more. The thing never really looked like it ran out of steam in terms of energy retention. Again, the initial thought when you have such a big core is that this is a top of bag ball but the reality is the cover is a little too clean to really be considered top of bag. Perhaps if you put more surface, you could create that if need be. Honestly this reminds me of the formula in the Code X from years ago. Big tumbly core in R2S medium strength solid. It works but certainly wasn’t the biggest ball in the bag. It did make the ball more usable than those and that might be the same situation with the Absolute Power. The Absolute is more forward than the Rounder RAD4 core though. Tyler also compared to the Eternity Pi and you can also see for him how much more tumbly the Pi is. Still works well but stronger overall which isn’t as good a match up for the house shot for Tyler.
Bryan is up next and the Absolute Power looked really good for him as well. Again step down from the biggest pieces but getting right to the punchline if you will, he got a solid big core ball to really go off the end of the pattern which carried very well. It reminds of the Lock. I called it a baby Lock for him. Length wasn’t an issue at all, owning to it being a medium strength cover with inherent length and response to friction. The big thing with the Absolute is it serves that rare solid ball that really flips more than arcs for Bryan and this could come in very handy. He had a nice play going through near the 2nd arrow and bouncing the friction around 5. Missing in hit worked surprisingly well too. The heavy roll of the Sentinel core just had the ball getting into a good motion through the pins. So he could hit in to 10 at the breakpoint and still have a decent look. Maybe the weakness is that he doesn’t have to move far in to lose hit. So just beyond the 2nd arrow and he risked the 10 pin. He did have a few high shots also due to the angularity and being close to the friction but overall, it was an incredible ball reaction for Bryan.
Final Thoughts
The Storm Absolute Power is an interesting piece. I have to say my confoundment clearly doesn’t come from the effectiveness of the ball for all testers but more of where it fits in an aresenal. It’s not strong enough to be a Strong Defined. It’s a little bit angular for the Mid Control Perhaps it’s like a Strong Defined – or Mid Control +. You could consider Mid Defined but I reserve those for an even cleaner reaction. However, with that said, on typical medium or light house shots, it’s a distinct possibility for a bowler to slot this as the strongest ball in a 3 ball bag to really simplify what they bring. All I can say beyond that is that it was very effective for what it was. It’s great in a slot but one weakness which is most likely due to the big rolly core is you can’t really get much deeper than that zone. You will immediately know you need something else.
That’s it, thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching.