Roto Grip Transformer Bowling Ball

The Roto Grip Transformer has been one of the most interesting additions to my bag because of how adaptable it feels compared to other solids out there. The Morph-Wing Core and V-R1 Solid Reactive coverstock combo gives it a very strong, controllable read on medium to medium-heavy oil, but what really stands out for me is how much you can tune its reaction based on layout. You can choose between cleaner, more angular looks and heavier, earlier hook out of the same ball just by changing how it’s drilled, making it feel like two balls in one. Compared to other strong solids like the Hyperdrive, the Transformer hits a sweet spot: it’s not as “one-shape-fits-all” as a traditional solid, but that tunability means I can use it earlier in blocks or when the lanes start opening up and I want to stay aggressive without losing control. The backend motion feels strong but predictable, and on fresh patterns it gives me confidence I won’t get stuck or burn up too quick. Go to your local SPI proshop to get yours today!

This hall is a great addition to my arsenal! I normally will start out with the equinox solid or this hall depending on the lane conditions. It is very easy to control and doesn’t do the random flare that some balls do these days. Hits nice and through the ins! Definitely a great addition to my collection.

Roto Grip Transformer Coverstock: V-R1™ Solid Reactive 4000 grit Core: Morph-Wing™ (Asymmetrical) Color: Indigo/Violet/Slate Review: There was a LOT of information on this release so we hope you didn’t get lost in the sauce because this ball is definitely a game changer for SPI. This is the first intentional shaped core with special drilling designed to change the dynamics of how the ball will react on the lanes. Our style: tweener, 350-375 revs, 16.5mph, layout of choice is 4x4x2 (pin is above bridge). The big question is leave the wing or take the wing out? This really depends on what kind of shape you want. If an earlier, smoother motion throughout the lane is warranted, then you will likely drill out the wing. If you want a later, more continuous look through the pins, then you will likely want to leave the wing. This ball with the wing drilled out rolls a lot like a Gem. Big engine that is very forward rolling. You can really manipulate the shape and blend patterns well. This ball with the wing in is very different and continuous. Like an Origin or Equinox that is slightly more continuous. You really can tell the difference when that wing flips and that weight block drives through the pins. This is a really cool release and we hope that people aren’t scared by the amount of information put out. Kyle, Joel, & Dean Johnson SPI Pro Shop Staff Members kyle@parklanes.net joel@parklanes.net dean@parklanes.net www.stormbowling.com #StormNation #GoGlobal #SquadRG

TESTING ENVIRONMENT Length:45 Volume: Med- High Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS COMMENTS Core: Morph-Wing Core Cover: V-R1 Solid Reactive Finish: 4000-grit Abralon RG: 2.51 (15) Diff: 0.051 (15) PSA: 0.015 (15) ME: Right-Handed Tweener Speed: 12-13 mph Rev Rate: 315 Axis Tilt: 14° Axis Rotation: 74° PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up Ball Layout: Pin Over Bridge 5 1/4 X 5 1/4 X 2 VLS The long teased new innovation from SPI is here in the form of the new Roto Grip Transformer. To add more motion they developed the new Morph-Wing Core which gives you a greater ability to attune the motion of your ball to what you need by making the drilling a more drastic contributor. They wrapped the Morph-Wing core in a cleanish cover. V-R1 Solid Reactive comes at 4k out of box which allows for a good variance of cover prep as well. The first ever ball in the HP5 category is definitely something we haven't seen before. I tested the Transformer on our house pattern after a session of seniors has bowling league. This usually mimics 2nd game transition in a normal league pretty well for me. I started out a little closer to the friction. The motion seemed pretty smooth down-lane, but I really felt like they were more speed sensitive than I was expecting and shots that I failed to keep the speed up on the ball would over-finish pretty drastically. It was a little confusing given what the ball looked like it was doing to the eye. As I nudged inward on the lane I started seeing more forgiveness. Definitely wasn't what I had expected from a ball with this much intermediate diff. When I went back and watch the information video I figured out why the motion that I was seeing wasn't translating to what I expected in terms of how the ball went through the pins. Where I was seeing the end of the progression caused by the ball flaring, the ball wasn't stopping like other balls I had seen. This is caused by the Torque induced progression that continues past that point. This is what created more movement after I observed the initial progression end. This made the ball very continuous and really let it cover boards more than I expected. It's the best of both worlds where the ball gives you predictable and reliable mid-lane read and continuation through the pins. Even more than any previous releases. See my full video review at: https://youtu.be/F3R3yai-prg?si=Ibyw2ySiMCBmzqY6 Lonnie Pemberton Storm Pro Shop Staff Vise Pro Shop Staff Revolutions Pro Shop Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@Revstormaz

This ball is really good! I am a collegiate bowler who bowls on a variation of oil patterns. Both long and short, heavy and light, as well as house shots! When normal big asym solids begin to burn up this one keeps hooking! It is a high end piece that still has plenty of energy to go through the pins the right way to get the corner pins out. This ball hooks a lot AND is very continuous! I drilled mine 5 x 4.5 x 2 which ended up missing the wing and was a pin up layout.The Roto Grip Transformer is a highly versatile asymmetric solid reactive bowling ball designed for medium to heavy oil conditions, and what truly sets it apart is its innovative Morph-Wing™ core, which allows the ball’s motion to noticeably change based on drilling layout, effectively giving bowlers multiple reactions from a single piece; paired with the V-R1™ Solid Reactive coverstock at a 4000-grit Abralon finish, the Transformer offers a strong but controllable midlane read while still retaining enough energy to drive hard through the pins, making it equally effective as a smoother, earlier-rolling control ball with pin-down layouts or a more angular, responsive option with pin-up layouts; on the lanes it reads the midlane confidently without burning up, blends wet/dry well, and provides a heavy-rolling continuation that excels on fresh conditions and during transition, which makes it a strong benchmark-plus option for competitive league and tournament players; overall, the Transformer is ideal for bowlers who value adjustability, surface tuning, and layout versatility, as it can comfortably fill multiple slots in an arsenal while delivering the strong, predictable motion Roto Grip is known for.

The Roto Grip Transformer features the Morph-Wing core with an RG of 2.51, a strong differential of 0.051, and a PSA of 0.015. Wrapped in the V-R1 Solid coverstock, this ball offers a great blend of mid-lane read and continuation through the pins. I drilled mine 4.5 x 6.5 x 4.25, and the versatility really stands out. The Transformer provides a smooth, readable motion up front with noticeable pop down lane, making it reliable without being lazy at the breakpoint. One of the biggest strengths of this ball is the Morph-Wing core design. By drilling into or out of the wing, you unlock endless layout options to fine-tune ball motion. Pair that with surface adjustments, and the Transformer can be tailored to match a wide range of styles, lane conditions, and transitions. This ball easily fits as a benchmark or number-one ball in your bag, but it’s just as effective as a second or third option once lanes start to change. Overall, the Roto Grip Transformer delivers controllability, versatility, and strong continuation—making it a valuable piece for competitive bowlers at any level.

**Roto Grip Transformer – Ball Review (Right-Handed)** As a right-handed bowler throwing it about **14.5 mph** with a **330 rev rate**, I tested the Roto Grip Transformer on a **42-foot house shot** with **strong back-ends**—the kind that politely waits until the end of the lane and then snaps like it’s late for dinner. The Transformer lives up to its name by being very adaptable without trying to do *too much*. Through the heads, it’s clean and predictable, which is a big plus on a house shot where you don’t want the ball burning up early. In the midlane, it reads smoothly and sets up a strong but controllable move downlane. On these strong back-ends, the shape was more **strong arc than hockey stick**, which gave me confidence to stay aggressive without worrying about the ball jumping through the nose. Misses right had enough recovery, and misses in didn’t punish me as harshly as my scorecard usually does. What impressed me most was how **forgiving and readable** the Transformer felt. With my speed and rev rate, it blended the wet/dry really well and made transition manageable. It’s not the ball you grab when you want to open the lane and send it to the parking lot—but when you need control, continuation, and a predictable look, this thing shows up and clocks in early. **Best Use:** * Medium oil / typical house shots * Bowlers looking for control with a strong backend motion * Transition ball when stronger solids start checking too early **Bottom Line:** The Roto Grip Transformer is that reliable teammate who doesn’t demand attention but quietly does their job every frame. Professional, predictable, and just flashy enough to remind you why you brought it—kind of like a well-timed strike shot… minus the bragging.

The TRANSFORMER: The Most Tunable Ball on the Market. PERIOD! This ball can be drastically changed based on the drilling you choose. In my case, I was looking for something just slightly quicker compared to my Storm Equinox Solid. After talking with Bill Keener and Cassidy Schaub at The Armory Pro Shop & Supply, they decided on a layout that would put my thumb hole in the wing of the core. As always, I believe I got exactly what I was looking for! Get yours today at The Armory Pro Shop & Supply and let them know what you’re looking for! Layouts used Equinox Solid: 2 1/2 x 4 3/8 x 2 1/8 Transformer: 3 x 5 3/4 x 2 7/8 #armoryproshop #stormnation

Layouts: 4 1/2 x 4 x 2 1/4 and 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 4 1/2 Surface: 4000 Abralon Rev Rate: 470 Tilt: 13* The brand-new Transformer brings new technology to the Storm Products lineup as it incorporates a brand-new core and coverstock. The core is the brand-new Morph-Wing core where the differential can be altered different than usual based on if you drill through the wing of the core or not. It is paired with the new V-R1 solid coverstock which is the predecessor to the pearl version found on the Gremlin. A drilling through the wing increases differential which mimics a lower weight hole when those were allowed. This is different for traditional pin down bowling balls without a weight hole. Traditional pin down drillings reduce differential and often make the ball significantly smoother and flare less. The Transformer pin down drilling increases differential and makes the flare actually increase instead of decrease when drilled through the wing. I was able to drill both a pin up and pin down ball to show the differences between drilling through the wing and not. The box 4000 abralon surface is on both balls and pin to pap distance is relatively the same. I tried both of these layouts on my typical 43ft House Pattern. The pin up ball was actually cleaner than I expected for a solid coverstock ball. Missing the wing leaves most of the integrity of the core intact allowing the ball to be performed as designed. On the fresh, I saw a decent amount of length and a very continuous backend. For the fresh, this was not that ideal as it forced me to be more left to right than the pattern wants me to be. The down lane shape didn't blend out the pattern as much as I thought neither. As the lanes broke down and I had to move more left to right with my feet, the ball got in its wheelhouse. The continuation allowed me to open the lane up without the fear of the ball rolling out. The ideal part of the lane for me with this ball was playing around 14 at the arrows to 5-8 down lane. Further right wanted to hook too much overall and further left was a little too clean and smooth which made sense. For a deeper line on the lane, a surface change to 2000 grit would be more ideal. The pin down ball saw a large difference in the front part of the lane with the wing drilled through. It started to hook significantly earlier and was still continuous but smoother than the pin up one. One the fresh, it was easier to use but saw a little over/under with its strength in the front part of the lane. Even at 4000 abralon, the ball didn't get through the front as easily as the pin up. I was able to play straighter than the pin up on the fresh being around 11 to 6. The smoother motion blended the lane out a little better when I was a little more left. What I was pretty surprised about was when I moved further left. The ball actually still continued pretty hard down lane even when I got into 25 with my feet. This is a sign of really good ball motion for me. I was pleasantly surprised how good the ball was for so long on the lane. The hardest part of this layout was the ball through the front part of the lane. My center does not use much volume, so it is difficult to use much stronger balls. My overall impression of the Transformer is that both layouts continue well. I see myself using the pin up drilling more often as it is cleaner overall. I think the pin down one can be more utilized on heavier oil patterns or when the lanes are very challenging. It does a good job of blending the lanes if the ball gets through the front. I can recommend this ball for many styles due to its drilling versatility. Pin down for strength and smoothness and pin up for length and more flip. It can be used from the fresh to transition for most styles. This could be a very good piece for most balls. Adam Chase Storm Staff

Transformer is cleaner through the fronts than most big asyms and super continuous from what I see so far. I can see myself using this ball for a good period of time on medium to heavier volumes. As I move left, the ball keeps going. It does not bail or lose energy through the pins. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17y3g1QT4j/