Storm Hy-Road X Bowling Ball

Anniversaries are something to celebrate. The Hyroad has been one of, if not, the most popular bowling balls in the industry the last 10 years and Storm decided to make a Hyroad X, representing a 10 year anniversary of the ball. We've seen several different versions of the Hyroad and from what I've seen, this one is as close to the original in 2008 as we've seen. The engine is the same as it's always been, but this one has the R2X solid coverstock. I've drilled two Hyroad X's thus far. The first one is mapped out as 5.5 x 5 which puts the pin above my middle finger. This is my standard layout on most balls and I'm seeing a good amount of length and a pretty quick response time. I've been using this one when there's a good amount of friction on the lane and I need to open my angles. The other one I drilled is mapped out as 4 x 4 with a taller pin above my ring finger. I changed the surface to 2000 by hand and this gives me a completely different motion than the first one I drilled. This one provides an earlier and smoother motion. The response time is slower down lane and I've been able to use this one earlier in blocks as opposed to the 5.5 x 5 Hyroad X. If you've been a Hyroad fan over the last 10 years, the hype is still real and the Hyroad X is as close to the original as I've seen since then. I'm a big fan and am bringing two of them everywhere I go! Go drill one! #StormNation

Storm wanted to celebrate the HyRoad's 10th year in the Thunder Line... So they released the HyRoad X! The HyRoad X has the R2X solid reaction coverstock with the Inverted Fe2 Technology core. However, the difference is that the weight block lacks core material and has a thicker shell. That means more power through the pins and less deflection. What I noticed while throwing the HyRoad X was how smooth and predictable it was. The layout is nothing fancy just Pin and CG kicked 1 ½ from midline. Roughly 60 X 4.5 X 40 for Dual Angle people and 4.5 X 4.5 X 2 for storm coordinates. These are based off my Axis Point which 5 5/8 over and ¾ up with a 300 Rev Rate and medium ball speed. The HyRoad X is the first HyRoad that I feel comfortable throwing. The Original HyRoad would give me good length but I had no idea where or when it was going to hook. The HyRoad X is extremely predictable at the breakpoint and is still aggressive enough to throw some pins. I did not have an opportunity to throw the HyRoad X on anything tough just House Patterns. The HyRoad X made the Great Wall of China look blended there was no over under even with the factory polish. To test a theory, I took the shine off with a 2000 pad and it still generated generous length with a more distinct break point. The first time I can say this about a bowling ball in the Thunder Line... The HyRoad X is going to be a mainstay in my league and tournament bags. I will not leave home without it!

The Hyroad X uses the classic inverted Fe2 core from the original Hyroad, with a polished R2X solid cover. The result is a ball that feels like a stronger Hyroad Pearl across the board to me, and a great compliment to the original. The original feels a little sharper to me, and is a little straighter on the backend, where the X is still quick, but blends the back end of the lane a bit more, and is a rounder shape. The original for me is best from straighter angles, while this one is good from anywhere on the lane I want to use it. It's great on the fresh going straight, but also very good in garbage time when the track gets beat up and you need to get inside. Due to the polish and super high RG, it gets down the lane easier than most balls on the market, but the medium-high differential helps it gain traction down the lane, and remember that despite being polished, it's still a solid cover and also responds well to surface changes. You could really have a case of these with different layouts and surface preps and cover 90% of the conditions that you see on a regular basis. Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypkyVS9SObY&t=37s

When I threw my first couple shots with this ball I could not believe how much overall hook I saw. I used it on a fresh house shot and the ball read early and was significantly continuous down lane. We placed a pin down layout at 70x4x80 which is intended for fresh house and sport patterns. I got very far left, for myself, standing around 32/33 on the approach targeting 9 down lane. To give a reference on how I normally play the lanes on fresh THS (Typical House Shots) my feet are normally 19/20 on the approach so you could see the significant move this ball had me make. Once I matched up in the right part of the lane all I did was chased the line left, threw the ball right and the PHYSIX continued to drive through the pins. The ball was very controllable in the mid-lane and produced a very smooth reaction. I did not alter the surface as I kept it out of box finish at 3000 grit. This will be a great ball to have in your arsenal for fresh patterns and/or when you need something strong with continuation down lane.