The Storm Phaze II is the solid version of the original Phaze. Since comparisons were made to the Marvel-S, I was excited to try this ball and it didn’t disappoint!
The original Phaze is a very smooth ball best suited to house conditions with hold and shorter sport patterns. The Phaze II picks up on the upper end from the original, with a strong read of the mid-lane with great continuation on the back. This ball can be a benchmark ball for most bowlers, as a predictable solid that will quickly tell you if this is the ball or if you need to go stronger or weaker in your arsenal. In terms of overall hook the Phaze II is 2-4 boards more hook than the original and is slightly more angular. I’ve tested both balls at a 2000 finish and found about anywhere from a 3(feet)-2(boards) adjustment inside to a 5-3 adjustment, needing to open my launch angles slightly from the original.
The Phaze II is very friendly to surface changes – I’ve used it in box finish and at 1000 and 2000. This ball is usable on a medium-heavy condition with surface down to a moderately light pattern with less surface. It reads the mid-lane when a Marvel-S might not, which really makes it an update to this ball for today’s oil volumes. It is also a little stronger off the break point than a Marvel-S without being “jerky” at the back.
Overall, this is a great medium and versatile benchmark ball good for all styles of players that will give you great response to the mid lane and strong continuation down the lane.
Storm Phaze II
Hey Mike,
Watched this ball on the fall swing and it does intrigue me. I loved the original Marvel (R2X Solid is so controllable). Lately I’ve been using my IQ Tour Nano at 2000 as my benchmark ball – use it on medium to medium-heavy right up the track area. How would Phase II compare?
The Phaze II is stronger than an IQ Nano. It reads the midlane much harder than the Nano, but with the smooth continuation expected with a solid. Where the Nano might labor a bit the Phaze II will not.