Roto Grip Transformer Bowling Ball

This ball features the new Morth Wing Core with a V-R1 Solid Reactive Coverstock. The core in this ball is very unique in a few ways. First, the designers at SPI gives us a way to actually trace out the "winged" portion of the core for a drilling visual. Second, the wing is closer to the outer shell. So when the ball is drilled, the dynamics change drastically whether you hit the wing or not. Below is a quick drilling summary for a 1-handed thumb bowler like myself. Drill into the wing: Early rounder motion Miss the wing: Later angular backend. Ball: Roto Grip Transformer Weight: 14lbs Dual Angle: 45 x 5 x 30 My first reactions: Holy backend. Since I missed the wing, I knew ball is going to be angular. I was shocked how much it was for a solid. Normally on a fresh THS, I can go up 10 or 15 to 10, but not with this ball. I had to immediately get deeper into the lane. This ball needs oil. For how strong it is, it's clean through the fronts but once it hits the backend, left hard turn. For fresh longer patterns, I can see this being the first ball out of the bag. Pair this with the Gremlin and you have an amazing 1-2 punch.

The Roto Grip Transformer has arrived, in its new HP-5 line. So, I decided to get two of them to see how the new Morph Wing core will provide a difference in ball shape. My pin down layout (4 1/2 x 4 7/8 x 4 1/8) provided a smoother and rounder shape. The thumb is actually through the “wing” of the core, which makes it more smoother and the core a little more stable. With this layout, I can play a more direct line to hit the pocket. My pin up layout (5 x 5 3/8 x 2 3/8), the thumb is drilled into the mass bias, and missing the wing, which creates more torque and downlane motion. With this layout, I can be able to move left and shape the lane from right to left. Both of these balls serve their purposes. And with the 4000 out of box surface, I can be able to add surface if I need more traction in the midlane. These balls were actually fun to throw and I’ve learned more about them every time I threw them! Go get you one… or two like me!

okay, my speed is right around 14mph, I'm a tweener, in between high revs and low revs. This ball fits into a slot for sure. Its drilled pin down, left it out of the box finish. For me it goes a little straighter with some back end for sure. I more had it drilled for those cliffed shots, because it reads the lanes so well. Let me tell you where it fits with what I throw. I can go Roto Grip Rock Star, Rock Star Amped, Transformer, then Storm Next Level. When I see the Transformer reading the lanes early, then I know its time to switch. On my regular league shots, both wood and synthetic lanes, I can start with the Transformer and just keep moving a little left as the night goes on. Thank you Roto Grip!!

Cover: V-R1 Solid Reactive Core: Morph-Wing RG: 2.51 RG. Diff.: 0.051 Finish: 4000 Abralon Roto Grip’s new Transformer is a Solid Asymmetrical piece that is good for Medium-Heavy Volume patterns. PAP is 5 5/16 R 1 3/16 Up. Rev Rate: 400. Speed: 16.5. I drilled this piece with the Pin up between the fingers, CG kicked out 1” from the palm, and 1” Left of the Mass Bias. Drilled over some of the Wing. 5 x 4 x 2 ½. I threw this piece on a Fresh house pattern. Out of Box ball motion started in the mids with a strong backend reaction through the pins. I compared this to the RST Hyperdrive. RST Hyperdrive - I threw the same line as the Transformer and it was a little weaker on the backend. This piece will be good for all types of styles. Check Out the Ball motion Video on my YouTube Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17zvCLYtQF/

Roto Grip kicks off its ’26 campaign with its newest addition, the Transformer! The Transformer is featured as the first HP5 performance ball. This new asymmetrical piece is equipped with the all-new Morph Wing core, along with the V-R1 Solid Reactive Cover Stock, finished at 4000. It has a high flare potential that bowlers will find suitable for medium to heavy lane conditions. The cover stock and core will provide bowlers with the most breakpoint shape and transformable finish to date. I was looking forward to drilling this ball up because the Transformer has something interesting that other balls did not have and that’s the weight block itself. The Morph Wing core affects the drilling layout that bowlers wish to choose from. For example, should you go with a drilling option where the Wing is NOT impacted, you can expect more length and a strong controllable backend motion. Should you choose to drill INTO THE WING, you can expect an earlier response, and a smoother shape down lane (more designed for fresher and medium heavy conditions). I decided to go with a pin up option, avoiding the wing at 50 x 4 5/8 x 35. I tested it a few times on a fresh 42ft house condition and the results were exactly what I was looking for. More length down lane, stronger backend reaction. The 4000 abralon finish kept the ball in check where I didn’t have to adjust my target and feet the majority of league play. The Transformer does tend to have some angular motion should you drill the pin in a certain area. I also tested it on a fresh 44ft tournament condition to try and compare with another bowler throwing a pin down version. As expected, a pin down option would be preferred to roll early and try to open up the transition so you can switch to a pin up option for more length. Adding some surface can also be a good option. All in all, SPI has found new ways for improvement when it comes to innovating technology at its best. Be sure to head out to your local Storm VIP Pro Shop and drill up a Transformer today. You won’t be disappointed as SPI is Transforming the Game!!

Ball Specs: Roto Grip Transformer VR-1 Solid Reactive Asymmetric Morph-Wing Core Finish: 4000 grit Abralon Layout: 4.5 x 4.5 with 1.5 Pin Buffer Bowler Specs: Right Hand. PAP 5” Over 1/2 up Rev Rate 300. Tilt 20. Rotation 50. Speed at release 17 Review: The Roto Grip Transformer packs a lot of technology into a very good ball. The new Morph-Wing Core allows you to change the shape of the Transformers path going down the lane by where you drill the gripping holes. The Transformer has a weight block with a top wing that if left intact gives the ball a more flywheel effect going down the lane. This drilling allows for more back end and angular motion. If you drill into the top wing the result is a smoother roll. I drilled my first one pin up missing the top wing and the ball rolled great. The Transformer also is one of the best hitting balls I have. The 4000-box finish makes the ball very useable on many conditions. I will be drilling my next Transformer pin down hitting the wing to have a smooth option of this ball. I have tried polish on this ball but prefer the box finish with some lane shine. This is a ball you could have three of and they would not overlap with layout and surface changes. So far, I am loving this ball and have scored very well with it. I have also been able to use this ball all three games in league with line and hand adjustments. Summary: The Transformer is a great rolling and hitting ball. The ability to change motion by manipulating the core works well. This is a ball you could have multiples of and not overlap motions. Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yJmlTJ5S_tU Glenn Wendel Storm Pro Shop Staff gwendel@comcast.net www.stormbowling.com

Either way you drill it, you will be happy. Keep the wing or drill out the wing. Controllable or more flip. You won’t be disappointed with this one. This new technology is game changing and going to fill a gap or two in your bag. It’s not a question if you are goin to get one, it’s a question WHICH WAY YOU WILL DRILL IT?

TESTING ENVIRONMENT Type: Lakes Bowl House Shot (After League) BALL: Roto Grip Transformer Coverstock: V-R1 Solid Cover Core: : Morph-Wing Core Finish: 4000 Grit RG: 2.53 (14 Pounds) Differential: 0.053 (14 Pounds) MB/PSA: 0.013 (14 Pounds) ME: Right-Handed Tweener Speed: 14-15 mph Rev Rate: 220 PAP: 5 7/16 Right 1/8 Down The Roto Grip Transformer is a first for Roto Grip where a whole new line was created. This is the first ball to enter the new HP5 line. A lot of technology, time, and marketing had gone into this piece. The info from SPI is as follows: The TRANSFORMER: The Most Tunable Ball on the Market. PERIOD! Meet the TRANSFORMER, the ball that rewrites the rules of performance and tunability. Built for serious bowlers and pro shops looking for the ultimate competitive edge, the TRANSFORMER does not just react, it transforms to meet your exact needs. Core Technology: Morph-Wing™ Core This is not just an asymmetric core; it is a dynamic masterpiece. The proprietary Morph-Wing™ Core is engineered to change drastically when drilled. Unlike traditional asymmetrical cores, displacing mass in the wing section fundamentally alters the core numbers, unlocking a completely new flare pattern and ball motion. Cover Technology: V-R1™ Solid Reactive The power of transformation is paired with the reliable grip of the V-R1™ Solid Reactive coverstock. This Versatile Response material delivers the most balanced and dependable traction to reaction ratio of any of our nano free materials, increasing overall versatility. Performance Synopsis Without a doubt, the TRANSFORMER has the most transformable and tunable hook potential and breakpoint shape on the market today. Its unique core design makes it easy to add a specific motion to any arsenal, instantly giving you a distinct advantage over the competition. Stop adapting to the lanes. Make the lanes adapt to you. Now onto my review portion of this ball. When we drilled this ball up we missed the wing and I threw it on a broken down carrydown lane and to be honest the ball even on that the ball didn’t look very good at all. Good thing that I had Matt there to see what I was seeing and it wasn’t good. We talked about what we saw and he reminded me that I felt the same way about another ball. We decided to hit the cover with 500-2000 and threw it a few days later on the fresh and that was a much different ball reaction than what I saw/had just a few days earlier and we really say what this ball can do. With balls like the Origin EX or Viking I would start right of 20, but this ball being much stronger I was starting at 26 while swinging 15 to 7/8 and it was coming back. I have thrown this ball for a couple of weeks now and for me I find I can only use it for about a game - game and a half. It is definitely the strongest ball in the bag so usually my go to ball down from the Transformer has been the Next Factor and a slight move by 2 boards right and I can stay in the same part of the lane. Thanks for reading, watching, and if you like this or any of the jerseys in my videos just head over to www.IAmBowling.com and use HIRSCH at checkout for 20% off your order. This ball is available on 1/23/26 at Pin Point Pro Shop inside Lakes Bowl in Round Lake, IL or your local STORM VIP Pro Shop! #Storm #SquadRG #GoGlobal #Turbo #DrivenToBowl #PinPointProShop #3GShoes #stormbowling #iambowling #sheridanlanes #Castlelanes #LakesBowl #900global #MasenHirschBowling #teamshimmy #USBC #KenoshaYouthBowling #MatchMakerLive Check out my full ball reaction video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTnK-VYDfXM/

Storm Products continues to innovate and find new ways to advance the sport as the Bowlers’ Company. The Innovation department has kicked off 2026 with a banger. They studied an aspect of precession and its impact on ball motion that has been mostly overlooked in the bowling industry- torque induced precession. I recommend watching the video introducing the Transformer on the Storm website in the SEE WHATS NEW section of the home page that provides a detailed explanation of precession. The short version is that torque induced precession pulls the ball from right to left for a right hander or from left to right for a left hander. The Roto Grip Transformer features the new Morph-Wing Core which is asymmetric and, as the name implies, has wings which allows the ball to enhance torque induced precession or minimize it depending on whether you leave the wings intact or drill holes to remove a portion of the wing. The ball being named Transformer is apropos because you can significantly alter (transform) the ball motion based on the layout. This is especially helpful for no-thumbers because they have one less hole without a thumb hole (the largest and deepest hole punched in the ball) to help change ball dynamics. It’s very important to have the Transformer drilled by a qualified Storm VIP pro shop so it can be properly laid out to take full advantage of what this ball is capable of and to match it to your game and desired ball motion. The numbers tell part of the story- the 15# has an RG on the high side at 2.51, a dif in the medium range at 0.051 and a PSA dif in the sweet spot of 0.015 where there is asymmetry without being so much that the ball would lock up and get forward too quick. The cover is V-R1 (Versatile Response) solid reactive and comes with a 4000 factory finish. This is nano free and is the solid version of the cover on the Gremlin. Based on these core numbers and cover, I’d expect the ball to be medium- solid cover to not be too clean, but high RG so it still pushes through the front and enough dif to have good flare potential to not miss the midlane and have continuation downlane. I drilled mine 4.75 x 4 x 2. By using a 2” pin buffer, the pin is up above my fingers which means I left the wings intact to maximize the torque induced precession. I wanted to take full advantage of what this ball could do, and boy was it impressive. When I first try balls, I move around the lane to see how it responds to the friction as well as to the oil. So I don’t typically strike a lot. But I threw at least 10 in a row right out of the gate standing all over the lane with various launch angles. The most notable was how it rolled through the pins. It just kept driving through pins from all angles. It constantly split the 8-9 or even rolled over the 8 pin. Normally, I’d say where it fits in your bag, but this ball is so tunable it can fit almost anywhere depending on how it’s laid out and the surface prep of the cover. Bottom line, everyone should have at least one Roto Grip Transformer in their bag, but maybe multiple with different layouts.