The long-awaited release of the Storm Match Up Pearl offers an intriguing, aggressive update to the beloved original Storm Match Pearl. Our Storm Match Up Pearl review will look at this high-performance bowling ball from every angle, giving you a panoramic view of Storm’s newest offering before making a potential purchase decision.
Is the Storm Match Up Pearl’s increased aggressiveness an overall strength or a weakness? How does the Storm Match Up Pearl stack up with its crowd-favorite predecessor? Dive into our in-depth Storm Match Up Pearl bowling ball review for the answer to these questions and much more!
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Overview
The Storm Match Up Pearl lives up to the majority of the original Match Pearl’s strengths, but ups the ante when it comes to total hook and overall flare potential. With the help of a revamped Stinger 2.0 symmetrical core, the Storm Match Up Pearl offers a wider variety of pin entry angles than its predecessor.
Furthermore, the Storm Match Up Pearl is much more dynamic when it comes to pin carry and impressive pin trajectories. That’s extremely impressive considering the Storm Match Up Pearl’s inexpensive price point. There are very few budget-conscious bowling balls out there which come close to creating pin impact fireworks on the level of the Match Up Pearl.
While the Storm Match Up Pearl can get lost in longer and heavier oil patterns, it operates at peak reactivity in both depleted and medium oil conditions. The pearlized cover stock gets submerged easily in fresh conditions, so keep the Storm Match Up Pearl bagged until conditions are ideal for it.
Those looking for impressive lane length with a consistently powerful backend reaction won’t be disappointed with the Storm Match Up Pearl. While this is a very strong ball, it’s not so strong as to be unwieldy. Once you get the Storm Match Up Pearl slotted in, you’re going to love its breakpoint angularity and the overall increase in pin carry which comes with it.
Features, Specs & Materials
FEATURES:
The Storm Match Up Pearl’s Reactor Pearl Reactive cover stock has been a proven commodity on previous Storm pearlized releases. It’s an extremely durable cover stock which stores energy efficaciously for some powerful breakpoint theatrics and a booming backend reaction.
The updated Stinger 2.0 symmetrical core on the Storm Match Up Pearl makes this ball more hook heavy and offers much more flare potential than the cover stock on the original Storm Match Pearl. This makes for an aggressive ball which can cause damage from virtually any angle.
The ball’s 1500 Grit Polished box finish makes it an ideal pick-up-and-play high-performance bowling ball for medium and shorter oil patterns. You may need to resurface the ball when the conditions verge on medium-heavy.
SPECS:
Color: Black, Orange, Silver
Core: Stinger 2.0 (Symmetrical)
Coverstock: Reactor Pearl Reactive
Finish: 1500 Grit Polished
RG: 2.57
Differential: 0.035
Flare potential: Moderate to Strong
Recommended Lane Condition: Dry, Medium
MATERIALS
Overall length of play life is the calling card of the extremely durable Reactor Pearl Reactive cover stock. Some pearlized cover stocks are a bit too vulnerable not to get burnt up by extremely dry lane conditions. That’s not the case with the Reactor Pearl Reactive cover stock. This cover stock can take a major beating!
The fired ceramic constitution of the new Stinger 2.0 core is perfectly calibrated for balancing solid lane length and powerful total hook. It also hits extremely hard and has a lot of extra tricks up its sleeve for higher-rev bowlers.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages:
Some complained of the original Match Pearl’s penchant for a heavy over/under and its lack of continuation through the pins. Storm corrected those issues and then some with the introduction of the Storm Match Up Pearl. This ball is very consistent for being so aggressive, hammering through the pins hard all the way to the back wall.
If you need a hook-heavy, flaring beast for dry lane conditions and shorter oil patterns, you’ve got a friend in the Storm Match Up Pearl. This ball offers an extremely distinct and sharp reaction to dry oil patterns which can be hard to find in the majority of pearlized high-performance bowling ball releases. This ball can turn a little bit of oil into a lot of gold.
The Storm Match Up Pearl also offers a very distinct breakpoint reaction which leads into an extremely impressive backend reaction. This ball doesn’t expend a lot of energy early, saving it for the last third of the lane and some amazing pin trajectories. Once you get the Storm Match Up Pearl slotted into the pocket, you won’t be disappointed.
The other main selling point of the Storm Match Up Pearl is that it’s a fantastic change-of-pace ball when oil patterns break down. If you’re in a league or are prone to some marathon stays at the bowling lanes, the Storm Match Up Pearl can function as a good strike ball or a great secondary strike ball once lane conditions start to deteriorate.
Disadvantages:
Medium-heavy and heavy oil patterns are going to give the Storm Match Up Pearl fits. The ball gets gummed up and submerged in such conditions, losing a ton of its lane length and sharpness at the back end. You’re going to want a primary strike ball for fresh conditions if they are on the heavier side. Otherwise, you’re not going to get much right out of the gate.
While the performance of the Storm Match Up Pearl is undoubtedly great for its price point, it may not be strong enough for some lower-rev bowlers who need added oomph to their shots. This ball’s aggressiveness may be too tempered and too nuanced for such bowlers to really let loose and open up their angles.
Our Thoughts
The Storm Match Up Pearl is less an update of the original Match Pearl and more of a distinct evolution of Storm’s former hit bowling ball. The added aggressiveness and back-end fireworks make the Storm Match Up Pearl a fantastic budget-conscious investment for those who were fond of the original.
In fact, it’s a great investment for anyone who wants a strong pearl reactive bowling ball which doesn’t overdo it when the chips are down.
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Overall Score: 7.5 out of 10
