In the SURE LOCK, that core is wrapped with a brand new GI-17 (Game Improvement) Solid Reactive coverstock.  This is the third iteration of the GI coverstock from storm.  The GI-15 hybrid was on the LOCK.  The GI-16 solid was on the ALPHA CRUX.   This new cover on this dynamic core produces what the reviewers at Bowling This Month describe as the “biggest hooking ball to date in the Storm line.”  As such, if you want to use this ball effectively – particularly at its 2000 abralon box finish – you better darn well be bowling on some volume!  Specs on mine produce a strong layout: Pin to PAP = 4.5; Mass Bias to PAP = 5; Pin Buffer = 2.

 I have literally rolled mine down the lane in only one practice session on a freshly applied STL house shot in a bowling center with Brunswick pro-anvilane synthetics.  The first part of the practice session for about 10 minutes I played around 17-18 board at the arrows (lay down point at around 20-board) doing testing comparisons between the Roto Grip DARE DEVIL TRICK and the DISTURBED.  The second part of the practice session for about 10 minutes I played around 14-16 board at the arrows (with laydown point at around 18) doing testing comparisons between the Storm TORRENT and the ROCKET SHIP.  I mention that only to provide an idea of the amount of traffic that had been applied to the pattern by the time I started testing the SURE LOCK.

 Beginning where I was with the DARE DEVIL TRICK and moving left shot by shot, I never stopped going high and finally hit the pocket until I got to about 22-board at the arrows (with laydown point around 35).  That’s how darn strong the SURE LOCK is!  I tested it by comparison to the original LOCK and my NO RULES.  The SURE LOCK was 5 boards with my feet and 3 boards with the ball stronger than the LOCK and 6-7 boards with my feet and 3 boards with the ball stronger than the NO RULES.  The SURE LOCK for me produced an earlier reading yet stronger back end motion than the LOCK.  It was not as early reading for me as the NO RULES, but very much stronger off the spot on the back.  The NO RULES for me is a very smooth arcing ball for as overall strong as it is.

 Given that I am only bowling league right now and on STL house shots at that, my SURE LOCK will likely see little to no action until my venture again this summer into the PBA50 tour’s Midwest swing if one of my three stops involves a very heavy volume, long pattern.  In order for it to be usable at all around town, I would have to polish it pretty heavily and I just don’t want to do that when I have plenty of other options that make more sense.

 If you are looking for mega “big ball,” asymmetrical ball motion for very heavy-volume long lane condition and nothing else in your arsenal is providing you enough motion or power, I cannot imagine a SURE LOCK not being enough.  If I was bowling the predictably heavy volume, wide and long patterned IB Open this year the SURE LOCK would be the first thing out of the bag!