Storm Typhoon Ball Review by Jeff Ussery

Layout: 80 degrees x 4 1/2" x 30 degrees

RG: 2.53"

Differential: .039"

M/b: n/a

Surface: 1500 grit w/ Factory Compound

Core shape: Symmetric

Manufacturer's Intent: Powerful. Precise. The Typhoon builds momentum with every rotation before unleashing its full force downlane. Built for light to medium oil conditions, the Typhoon delivers length up front and a strong, controlled motion off the backend. The Reactor Pearl coverstock clears the front part of the lane with ease, while Power Edge fine-tunes friction, creating a clean and consistent transition. Designed for everyone—even those who prefer lighter weights—the Typhoon delivers even more performance than expected from a Hot Line ball.

I drilled the Typhoon specifically for my league at Olathe Lanes East where the lanes can not only be on the dry side but can also prefer straighter and tighter angles through the front of the lane. Typhoon accomplishes both of these things with great success. I started with a little stronger layout than normal due to the lower .039" differential. This lower differential means less track flare built into the ball, creating less overall hook. Sometimes lower differential balls tend to flare little to not at all for my game. When the oil rings get too tight and on top of each other, the ball will lose friction and just hydroplane down lane. Thus, the stronger layout for me here on Typhoon.

Out of the box Typhoon is extremely long and somewhat limited in hook potential. This is a true dry lane ball for burn squads, lower oil volumes, high rev rates, etc. This is not the type of product that your average player is going to take to a slicker league condition and have success with. But matched up at the right angle with the right surface, this ball can do some damage. I threw my Typhoon for two weeks at two different drier lane centers here in town (KC Bowl was the other). While it had some decent looks at times, I felt like the ball was a bit slippery down lane for me. After bringing it back to the store and knocking the polish off of it, I saw the Typhoon really come to life. Getting this ball to hook just a few feet earlier was really key for me seeing good ball motion with this piece. At this point, I am a bit higher speed compared to my revolution rate, so this isn't unexpected.

Typhoon will be an excellent choice for bowlers looking for an extremely dry lane condition ball. This will also highly benefit our slower speed no thumb players. As I said before, Typhoon is going to be really good in the right spots, and probably not real useful in others. This is a niche ball, but it's an excellent one. This type of performance is hard to find in the industry right now, and Storm has filled a gap that many of their bowlers were looking for.

Storm Typhoon is in stock in 12# through 15# at Total Bowling Gear now!