Storm Snap Lock Bowling Ball

Having been a huge fan of the Pearl Crux, I figured my best option was to drill the Snap Lock fairly similar and see how it compares. My Pearl Crux was very smooth, but with its layout, it wasn't very good when having to cover boards laterally, but it was amazing when I could keep my target in front of me. This ball is quite different. Having only used it on a THS, I can already see that this ball retains energy much more than the Crux series. This may be due to the cover, core, or a combination of both. The Snap Lock has a large asymmetric core, but it seems to really push the ball down the lane before making its move. The cover makes it much cleaner and more predictable than the original Lock, which is a huge plus. I really like that the ball still had plenty left when it made its move and I haven't seen it give up on the backend yet. I may not have had the chance to move deep enough to make it give up, which will probably be my next test. I would recommend this ball for anyone looking for a long, strong asymmetric ball. It lends itself well to a variety of layouts, which can make it quite versatile.

The original Lock has been updated with the R3S pearl cover creating the new Snap Lock. The Snap Lock uses the same RAD-X core as the Lock. The Snap Lock comes from the factory with a 1500-grit polished finish, and has a ginger verbena scent. The color combination of indigo/white/copper has a somewhat patriotic feel, and sometimes makes you look twice to see if it happens to be the Snap Lock or an Optimus. The numbers of the core, RAD-X, are as follows in 15lb balls; 2.48 Rg, a differential of 0.055 and intermediate differential of 0.019. I drilled my Snap Lock 3.75 x 6 x 2.5 to compliment my Lock that was drilled 3.5 x 5 x 2.5. I wanted to accentuate the cleaner cover with a slightly further pin distance, and longer transitioning mass bias, to create a touch more length and a little less hook set, and more backend continuation. By using the Storm VLS (vector layout system), I achieved my desired ball reaction. The Tuesday I received my Snap Lock and drilled it, happened to be summer league night. I was somewhat fighting the oil pattern the first 3 games, and once the wet dry mellowed out some for game 4, I knew I could now use the Snap Lock, and it rolled perfectly, to the tune of 300, which happened to be the first game I used the Snap Lock! Not a bad start. The next night, I was bowling on a 42 foot modified house condition in a local elimination style tourney, and finished fourth while using this ball. Since then, I have used the Snap Lock on a variety of different broken down heavier lane conditions, and medium volume conditions. The Snap Lock also happens to be a good compliment to my Hyper Cell pearl. The Snap Lock is a little earlier and smoother than the Hyper Cell pearl, which makes it better for slightly cleaner backends, with a little more control. When it’s all said and done, the Snap Lock likes at a minimum, medium conditions. This strong asymmetrical pearl ball has it’s time and place to be thrown. A Snap Lock IS the ball to consider, if you want to open up a broken down higher volume pattern, or medium volume pattern. If you are going to be drilling and using the Snap Lock exclusively as your only bowling ball, take your time and select the right layout and surface texture for your league conditions. With a ball as strong as the Snap Lock, you can vary your ball motion characteristics by following the Storm VLS drilling guide which can be downloaded by visiting stormbowling.com . Using the proper layout, and adjusting the ball surface to compliment the volume and viscosity of oil, and also taking into account the lane surface, will give you the right tool for the application you are looking for. Talking to your local certified pro shop will help you make the proper decisions on layout and surface prep. Thank you for taking the time to read my review of the Snap Lock. As always, remember to Bowl up a Storm!

The Storm Snap Lock is Storms newest Premier line release. The Snap Lock is the pearl version of the original Storm Lock. The Snap Lock features the R3S pearl coverstock and is finished at 1500 grit polished. The cover surrounds the Rad –X Core also found in the Lock. I drilled my Snap Lock with a 60x4.5x30 layout. I wanted the ball to have plenty of length with a more controlled backend reaction. I also wanted to the flare potential to be strong. I wanted to be able to move in deep and throw the ball with some ball speed and have it still hit the pocket hard. I achieved all three things. The snap lock is much longer than the Lock and has a much sharper backend motion. This ball is a great compliment to the original Lock because of its length and its ability to get through the fronts smoother. The Snap lock handles heavier oil pretty well and it recovers well when you miss your target. I recommend this ball for medium heavy to heavy oil patterns. If you have the Lock then I recommend getting the Snap Lock to create that 1,2 punch for when the lanes breakdown. This ball is perfect for playing the lanes deeper inside and it doesn’t lose its hitting power. If you plan on using it for league patterns then I recommend putting a weaker layout on it or possibly changing the surface to 3000 or 4000 to smooth out the reaction.

The Storm Snap Lock's greatest strength is that it creates a different ball motion than the rest of the line. It creates a medium to medium-high amount of friction (high for a pearl ball) and is best used as a medium-quick response time option. When compared to a Crux Pearl is roughly about as strong with a quicker response to friction. The Snap Lock, even with its quick motion, has more of a hook-stop type of motion. This is a different motion than most of the Storm quick response balls, and it's usability is likely tied to the pin deflection characteristics that a particular player looks for. For more on response time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rUcNwYkSRs Ball motion analysis video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmDK7wIgTls

Bowler: Keven Williams Hand: Left Speed: 18.5mph Rev Rate: 450rpm Oil Pattern: Typical House Shot The Storm Snaplock is everything you could want from a pearl Lock. Compared to the original Lock, the Snaplock is much cleaner in the front part of the lane with a very similar shape down lane as the Lock. The original Lock is stronger/earlier in the front part of the lane. At times the original Lock is just too much ball in the front part of the lane but that’s when the Snaplock comes into play. With the Snaplock being a pearl, it makes the ball much more versatile for an asymmetrical while still giving you that asymmetrical roll people love to see!

The Snap Lock is the newest addition to the Premier Line. I am a huge fan of the original Lock. I really like the ball motion with the lock as it allowed me to use it on variety of patterns. The down fall was I couldn't use it for a whole set or block. Well now I can change to the Snap Lock. With the R3S Pearl coverstock it allows me to stay in the same zone but yet get through the fronts a lot cleaner. With the R3S I say that it is a least 5 boards stronger than the Crux pearl downlane. With a great color scheme and scent the SnapLock is going to be a great addition to the Storm Family. Brian Watson Right Handed PAP - 3 up 1 /12 Tilt - 17 Rev Rate - 400 Speed - 16-17

I drilled my Snaplock a few weeks back, I'm slightly speed dominant, so I used a stronger/earlier angle and pin position. I really like pearl balls and playing them a bit straighter. This ball is very easy down the lane and has crazy motion on the backend. I've only tossed about 8 games with it so far on our THS League and I'm bowling an event this weekend. Let's see how it matches up! From a shop perspective, I own/operate one and have drilled a handful of these for customers. Everyone was very pleased with the strength and effortless skid up front. For my hi rev guys this ball really wheels down lane, so be careful with the quicker response layouts. All in all another solid release from Storm. #stromnation

The Snap Lock is the newest addition to Storm’s Premier Line. After the original Lock was produced, the Snap Lock provides the same core, but with a pearl coverstock. This creates more length as well as a quicker response time down lane. I drilled my Snap Lock 5 ¼ x 4 ¼ with a low weight hole. This puts the pin below my bridge and the mass bias just to the left of my thumb (lefty). The Snap Lock is very clean through the front part of the lane and has a strong motion down lane. Usually, asymmetrical balls are very slow to respond to friction, but the Snap Lock lives up to its name. I see myself drilling another one of these in my near future.

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: 55, 5 , 35 I love the Lock, but it is so strong I never really get to use it. The Snap Lock solves that problem. It’s got a much cleaner polished, pearl cover so I can get it through the front part of the lanes without a problem. I can use it on a ton of different conditions because it doesn’t burn up too much. I don’t have to wait for a puddle of oil for it to be effective. The Snap Lock has that same heavy asymmetrical roll as the Lock, but gets down lane and does what it’s named for. It SNAPS!

When I heard about the Snap Lock released I was really excited. I really liked my Lock and wanted a ball that would complement the original Lock. The snap lock does that very clean with heavy mid lane roll. This goes places the lock can't. It's a great fit between the IQ 30 and the lock. This ball had filled a hole in my bag. I drilled both my lock and snap lock with the same layout and can see a big difference between the two. If you're looking for a high performance ball to add to your bag this is a great choice.

Layout – 65 x 4 ¾ x 45 Box Finish The Snap Lock follows in the same vein as the Crux Pearl, being a big strong asymmetric pearl ball that can handle medium to heavy oil. The Rad-X core, that was also featured in the original Lock, gets down the lane easier than most asymmetric cores. This allows the Snap Lock to be used longer than most high end bowling balls, because it retains energy better, and ignores the front part of the lane. With a slight sanding of the surface, the Snap Lock can easily be used for heavy oil conditions, but in box finish, it is home on medium oil lanes. The reaction is a good mix of backend 'snap' and mid lane roll, which makes it quite versatile. The Snap Lock is easily 2-3 boards stronger than a similarly drilled IQ 30, and also has more midlane roll. The IQ 30 is best used for medium-dry lanes. These two balls can be used to conquer a very wide range of lane conditions. https://youtu.be/-kjkD7-74FI

Storm Snap Lock Ball Review by PJ Haggerty The Snap Lock is the newest addition to the Premier Line at Storm. After the incredibly strong original Lock was produced, the Snap Lock provides the same core, but with a pearl coverstock. This creates more length as well as a quicker response time down lane. Another fact about the original Lock and the Snap Lock is the asymmetrical core underneath the hood. I’ve had a ton of success using asymmetrical balls on multiple different patterns, and I’m extremely excited to have the Snap Lock in my bag. I’ve drilled one Snap Lock so far and plan to drill a couple more based on what I’ve seen so far. The first one I drilled is mapped out as: 5 x 4 ½ x 75. This puts the pin above my bridge and the mass bias just to the right of my thumb. Out of the box, I decided to take the shine off the cover with a used 2000 pad. Since then, I actually used a 1000 pad by hand to give it more teeth. The Snap Lock still flies through the front part of the lane and has a very smooth response time. If you need a big engine with a clean cover that will be able to use on multiple patterns, the Snap Lock is a perfect fit in your bag. #StormNation

Out the Box 1500 Grit (Polished) Great Ball with great controllable back-end. Keeps the pins low. Plays well on multiple angles. Great ball for people with high and low ball speeds. What I was looking for: I was looking for the Snap Lock to be smooth rolling through the front part of the lanes. Have an aggressive but not uncontrollable hook on the back end. What I got after the ball was drilled: The Snap Lock was amazingly smooth through the front part of the lane. The back end motion was aggressive but very much controllable from multiple angles and multiple patterns.

The SnapLock is the newest addition to Storm’s Premier Line. The SnapLock utilizes the R3S Pearl Reactive coverstock along with the proven RAD-X core to produce length with a fierce backend motion. The pins do not have a chance! My coordinates are 5 5/8 over and ¾ up for my PAP, Ball speed is medium, Rev Rate around 300 and I am right handed. The layout I chose for the SnapLock is Pin over the bridge with the Mass Bias on my VAL with an extra Hole on my Axis. Roughly the coordinates are pin 5 ½ from my axis and the Mass Bias is roughly 3 from my axis. The SnapLock intrigued me because of how fast the Lock would start up on the lane. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the SnapLock cleared the heads. On the medium to long patterns where the heads are drying up and the back ends are getting tighter the SnapLock shined brighter than the Summer Sun! Easy length for a strong ball with a strong aggressive but predictable back end motion. I even was also able to throw the SnapLock on the dreaded house pattern. Yes the SnapLock displayed some over under early in the practice session but after the oil line became slightly flatter… The Strike Light was on! I was fortunate enough to be able to compare the Crux Pearl to the SnapLock. Immediately I noticed a drastic difference in strength between the two bowling balls. The SnapLock was a good 5 boards stronger than the Crux Pearl. The down lane motion was where the biggest difference occurred. The SnapLock created more room for error in the middle part of the lane and power was full tilt on the backend. The Crux Pearl did create more length than the SnapLock but overall the more forgiving and more predictable pearl bowling ball was the SnapLock. The SnapLock is like American Express never leave home without it! Snap to the top with the SnapLock by your side! Storm / RotoGrip Pro Shop Staff VISE Staff

The Snap Lock is a shockingly strong ball. Though it comes polished, the strength of its roll in the midlane and traction it has is unparalleled in its shiny out of box finish. Usually when you polish a ball or leave it shiny, you're gaining length or ease through the heads, and sacrificing a bit of traction or stability in the mid lane. However with the Snap Lock, you can have your cake and eat it too. It glides through the heads like a shiny pearl should, but revs up extremely strong in the midlane and is ready to make the turn when it hits the backend friction without standing up or burning energy. This is quite possibly the most aggressive pearl ball I've ever thrown, and I have to admit there are times I still get too slow with it because I'm not expecting it to be so strong.

Storm Snap Lock ball review: Layout: 50 x 4 ¼ x 60 Coverstock: R3S pearl reactive Core: RAD – X Finish: 1500 grit polished Flare potential: High Lane details: HPL with Flex machine 44ft Kegel pattern with Fire and Ice oil Results: Very strong ball all the way down the lane, I expected a long and angular finish like my Hy-Wire, and as my YouTube video shows, the transition out of the roll was “established” and very easy to read with the 3 colors the ball has, it was very forgiving and less over/under like I had with my Crux Pearl on the lane beds and oil pattern I tested on. I will be bowling in a league with newer SPL and this will be the first ball out of my bag. The ball is super strong, but not angular when entering the pocket. If you looking for a ball to part the oil and not lose any of it MOJO, and are looking to use it on newer and less gritty lane panels… SNAP LOCK it and get #Lockedin…

Storm Snap Lock Layout- pin under the bridge cg kicked out 1.5 inches, small weight hole lower right, OOB Lane condition-40 ft THS Surface-HPL I wanted to drill this ball to compliment my Alpha Crux, and that is what I got. I absolutely love the ball shape that I get from it. This ball definitely hooks. When the lanes start to break down and I can’t use my Alpha Crux any longer this will be an easy transition for me. I could play deep inside and send this ball out to the dry and have it recover quite nicely or play up in the puddle in the middle of the lanes and still hit the pocket with ease. This ball is an absolute monster. This ball has a vibrant color scheme of red, white and blue making the shelf appeal very strong. The Ginger Verbena fragrance is nice, not overly strong or obnoxious. See your local pro shop operator on June 7th and pick one up, you won’t be disappointed. Bowl up a storm.