Ball Review: Storm Rocket Ship

Ball: Storm Rocket Ship

Surface: 3000 grit sheen

Layout: 70 degrees x 5 1/4" x 45 degrees

PAP: 5 1/2" x 1/2" Up

The Storm Rocket Ship pairs up Storm's very successful R2S Solid reactive coverstock with the Booster core system. R2S reactive was previously used in both the Hyroad and IQ Tour series, and has been one of the best performing covers in the history of the Storm brand. By design the Booster core is a medium-high 2.54" rg, paired with a medium .046" differential. All together, this gives users a ball that is best suited on medium oil lane conditions.

I've historically had a little trouble for my own game with these medium to higher rg balls in the past. Most of the time they want to blow through the breakpoint, and then get behind the head pin for poor pin carry, or just not enough hook. Rocket Ship seems to have cured a little bit of those issues for me. With the solid version of the R2S cover, Rocket Ship reads the mid-lane significantly earlier than the Rocket and Sky Rocket did. This gets the ball transitioning sooner, and makes for a far more predictable ball motion in my opinion.

Rocket Ship tends to match up the best when the lanes have blended a bit, and you have a little friction to throw at. When there's some dry to the outside of your target, this ball can get down the lane and provide an angular response. When the patterns are fresh, Rocket Ship tends to accentuate the over/under a bit, so make sure to go to this ball in games 2 and 3 of your league sets. I've also found this to be an excellent longer format tournament ball. The higher rg core system and tumbling motion from the Booster shape gets the Rocket Ship through the front of the lane easier than most sanded coverstock balls. Rocket Ship tends to get through the pins the best from further inside angles when you've opened up the lane.

Overall, this is a nice piece from the Storm brand, and one that is very good in the environment it's designed for. Remember, we own multiple bowling balls so we can throw them when the time is right! The Rocket Ship is exceptional when the lane matches up to it.