Storm Match Pearl Bowling Ball

The Match pearl is the latest ball released in the Hot line of bowling balls from Storm, the Bowler's Company. Match pearl uses the new Stinger core that has an Rg of 2.55 and a differential of 0.030 in 15 lb balls. The cover is the Reactor, which is cleaner through the front of the lane than all of the other current covers in Storm’s line up. The pearl Match really stands out on the shelf with the bright gold/burnt orange color combination, and is finished to a 1500 grit polish. I drilled my Match pearl with a 5.25 x 5.25 x 2 layout. Comparing Match pearl to an identically drilled Rot Grip Hectic, the Match pearl goes a touch longer before making a much stronger move off the spot and has more angle through the pins. This will be an advantage to bowlers looking to move deep on the lane when seeing drier conditions. I haven’t been able to use my Match pearl a ton, because the reaction for me personally is very condition specific. The slightly smoother transition of the Hectic has a little more pattern coverage for me personally as I have a softer hand and slightly slower ball speed. The Match pearl provides a step up in hook compared to the Ride series balls, but not as early or as much hook as the Punch Out. Bowlers who want to really open up drier lane conditions, and like a strong change of direction will love the Match pearl! Match pearl gives bowlers a new option and ball motion for drier to medium lane conditions. Being a step up from the JoyRide is a real plus! Bowlers looking for skid snap will love the Match pearl. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the new Match Pearl from Storm, the Bowler’s Company. Bowl up a Storm!

The new Storm Match and Match Pearl are the latest additions to the Hot Line in Storm’s lineup. These two pieces provide bowlers with a couple less aggressive options to add to their bag. For this review, we will talk about the Match Pearl. When I worked in the Pro Shop business, the less aggressive options were extremely popular because of a couple reasons: bang for the buck, price point, but also balls that work well with lower ball speeds. The Match Pearl is a perfect option for many styles of players. Because the RG is relatively high and the differential is relatively low, the Match will get down the lane extremely easy with a quicker response time because of the pearl cover. I’ve seen the Match Pearl used by the following styles: high rev guys when lanes get drier, lower rev rate players to stay farther right and more direct, and older players who want something above a plastic ball, but with some performance. I’ll caveat again, the Match Pearl will provide a quicker response time because of the Pearl coverstock, so expect a more angular shape off the breakpoint. I’ve drilled one Match Pearl so far and it’s mapped out as: 3 ½ x 3 ½ with a hole on my axis. Because the RG and Diff are so high, I always drill those types of balls stronger to make sure they flare enough. I’ve been able to use the Match on shorter and flatter patterns with surface because the response time is still on the slower side, while creating a cleaner motion. I’ve also tweaked the surface a little bit as well, hitting the cover with a used 2000 pad to slow down the response time. If you are looking for a ball for drier lanes, you want to stay farther right with a cleaner piece, or are older and don’t have an extremely high rev rate, the Match Pearl is a perfect fit. #StormNation

What I was looking for: The Match Pearl was drilled with the Pin Up. I am a cranker and I have high ball speed. I drilled this ball with the pin slightly above the ring finger for a little length not long length as the ball speed would send the ball through the break point. What I got: The Match Pearl was exactly what I was looking for. While others were struggling to keep their balls from hooking I simply moved in to center arrow and played the 4 to 5 board. The ball rolled very smoothly and had a nice arcing motion at the end and not super sharp. The smooth arcing motion kept the pins low and had awesome pin carry. Last three games out of 8 I went 279, 268, 222.

The Storm Matches are the newest addition to the HOT Line series of bowling balls. I will be doing a review of the Match Pearl. The Match Pearl uses the NEW Stinger Core and the Reactor Pearl Reactive coverstock. This combo means decent length with a strong but not too strong backend motion… perfect for the Hot Line! The Match Pearl is a good introductory pearl ball or a great shell down ball for those league / tournament players. The Match Pearl surprised me by how it read the mid lane and how continuous it was at the spot. I was able to throw the Match Pearl or several short to medium sports patterns and also the infamous House Pattern. The comparison ball that I used was the JoyRide both are drilled similar with a pin down with a large hole down. The layout is where the similarities stopped! The Match Pearl gave me more length and more reaction at the breakpoint on the shorter patterns than the JoyRide. I was able to chase the pattern left with the Match Pearl whereas the JoyRide I was not able to. The medium patterns the Match Pearl was able to finish on the backend and not squirt as much as the JoyRide. I think maybe with some added surface the Match Pearl would have been fine but again that is why there are other bowling balls that would be a better choice… (Match Solid???) The House Pattern is always fun for me being a lower rev guy (300) with medium ball speed because of the super wet dry. The Match Pearl was not very good early but later on like around the middle of the second game when the pattern started to break down. The medium strength of the Match Pearl was refreshing! I could keep my angles reasonable and the Match Pearl beat the pins down with authority. The Match Pearl added versatility to the Hot Line! Great Ball for the price!

I drilled both the Match Pearl and the Match. I looked forward to these two balls to help fill a hole in my bag between my Ride and my IQ Tour 30. The match Pearl is a great choice when the Tour30 becomes too strong and starts to burn up. Very clean in the heads a much more control down lane. I drilled my Match pearl 3.5 by 4.5 was the same layout I used on my Phaze. This is a great choice to add to your bag if your looking for something for dryer lanes and you still want that pop in the backend.

I drilled up the Match and it's counter part the Match Pearl because I have always liked the Storm entry level releases for shorter and medium volume patterns. Most of the time these releases have weaker covers/core combos. That is not the case with either of these. The numbers may show Med/High RG with Med/Low diff but the reaction is more like their mid-line products. I drilled both balls at 60 x 5 x 35. This is a favorite drilling of mine for lower powered gear as it gets the block slightly more at an angle to wobble early then can be tweaked with a weight hole or surface. The Match Pearl was a good ball down from my IQ 30 as it pushed thru the fronts a little cleaner. Drill this one up when you need some length thru the front with good energy retention in the back end of the lane.

The Match Pearl is Storm's newest house shot killer for higher rev players, and/or drier conditions. It reminds me quite a bit of a weaker Sky Rocket. This ball will be in play on the medium side of light to medium oil, and is several boards stronger than both the recent balls in the Hot line. Both this and the Match Solid are definitely bang for your buck releases, as both will be in play on all but very heavy conditions, and with the proper surface prep, the Match Pearl is a good choice for later games in sweepers or when dry heads have forced you left on sport patterns and you need something with good length and recovery. The Match Pearl is 3-4 boards weaker than the Match Solid and is a great compliment to step down to when the Match Solid begins to hook too much or too early.

Bowler: Keven Williams Hand: Left Handed Rev Rate: 450rpm Speed: 18mph Pattern: Typical House Shot The Storm Match Pearl is one of the most versatile Pearl bowling balls on the market today! Like the Match Solid, the Pearl hooks in oil and tames down any friction on the lanes. The Match Pearl is very clean through the front part of the lane with a strong and continuous roll down lane. The new Stinger Core with the Reactor Pearl Reactive coverstock reminds me a lot of the Tropical Heats but on steroids and more up to date to the game today! This piece by Storm is a homerun for a “Lower End” bowling ball! It really is a Match for any condition!

Orientation: Right Handed Rev Rate: 375 RPM Speed: 16-17 MPH PAP: 4 5/8 straight across Location: Enterprise Park Lanes, Springfield MO Pattern: High Volume THS Layout: 35, 4 ¾, 70 with p2 hole The Match Pearl is a great new replacement for the Tropical Heats and the PunchOut. It’s a significant step up from the Joy Ride, but definitely clean enough for super dry lanes. The best part about this ball is that it features the Reactor Pearl cover, which has a proven track record of being clean in the driest of heads and always having a ton of backend reaction left. If you’re looking for a dry lane ball that still snaps a ton, then the Match Pearl is the ball of choice!

Storm Match Pearl Layout: 50 x 4 ¾ x 60 Coverstock: 1500ab polished Lane conditions: 42 ft. house pattern with 2015 Flex with Fire and Ice conditioner on older HPL installed in early 2000’s. Test results: For a lower mid-entry pearl ball this ball does take the cake against all on comers and actually a few balls price point higher then this Match Pearl. I wanted a pearl that would be able to play the extreme outer part of the lane when I need to “go around” everyone else. I tired the Loco Pearl and the Joy Ride with decent results, but with the Reactor Pearl cover and the stinger core, its perfect match for what I am looking for. Being used exclusively in a 5 person “competitive” league, I enjoy knowing that I can get away from all the traffic in the track area and towards the center of the lane. One thing the ball really loved was a few games on older wood and where everyone else’s balls were hooking at the arrows, my winning combo of the Match and Loco Pearl allow me to put a lot of pins between me and the rest of the bowlers.

Storm Match Pearl OOB condition House pattern 39 ft-Guardian surface Layout- pin below the bridge, cg kicked to the right 2 inches This ball is absolutely amazing. I used this in a tournament, knowing it would be a light volume shot and boy did it ever perform up to my expectations. This ball for me has a very sharp transition of the spot and just sets the pins on fire. If you’re looking for something for that lighter volume condition, look no further, this ball is awesome. It has great colors that are appealing to the eye and a cider donut fragrance. Go see your local pro shop operator today and pick one of up. Bowl up a Storm