Storm Bionic Bowling Ball

The Bionic is a great addition for anyone looking to add a new symmetrical option to their bag. I was pleasantly surprised by how much power this ball creates, especially for a smoother shaped piece. I drilled mine 5 x 3 x 2 (PAP 5 right, 1 ¼ up) and first tested it on a burnt up house shot. Even on that transition, it blended the lane well and gave me confidence that it would still get back to the pocket. Having thrown the original Ion Pro, I can see similarities, but the Bionic rolls smoother and more controlled down lane. I’m excited to see how it performs in league and tournaments!

Storm has launched its new Tournament Collection- balls intended for tournament conditions, balls that will thrive on those flatter, more demanding tournament patterns. In the Collection is a new ball in the Ion series which perfectly fills a gap in that line. I love the Ion Max (as many bowlers do) because the cover was very strong, which made it slow response, yet a big core which allowed it to continue down lane. So the Ion Max is great on high volume and fresh patterns. But when Ion Max is too early and runs out of gas, there is a pretty big gap to the next ball (in the Ion series that would be the Ion Pro Solid which I find is best shiny, so it’s still pretty clean). Enter the Bionic. First, it is the same NRG cover from the Ion Max, but it’s hybrid (4000 abralon factory finish) instead of solid, so that gets the Bionic to push easier through the front part of the lane. Next, Storm took the Element Max A.I. core from the Ion Max and modified it to be symmetrical, but kept the RG the exact same (2.47 for 15#). The new core is Torsion A.I. and because it’s symmetrical, there is a slower change of direction in the midlane keeping it on line longer. The dif is between the Ion Max and the Ion Pro Solid at (0.050 for 15#) which still has plenty of engine to get it to continue on the back end. As we have already seen on the PBA tour, the Bionic helped Brandon Bonta shoot 300 and win his first title and then Patrick Dombrowski win his first title, a major at the US Open. The Bionic is a must have in your bag and fits as a stronger symmetrical that fills that gap between the big asyms and the medium balls in your arsenal. I drilled mine 5 x 5 x 2 (5” pin to PAP, up 2” from the vertical axis line (VAL)).

The Storm Bionic is the newest addition to the ongoing Tournament Series collection. This symmetrical hybrid is featured with the Torsion AI Core, along with the NRG Hybrid Reactive Cover Stock, and finished with 4000-grit with a medium-high flare potential. This ball feels like a game changer, engineering the performance of the Ion Max and creating a symmetrical shape for more versatility for all styles. Ball layout: 70 x 5 3/8 x 40. My first impressions throwing the Bionic on a 42ft league pattern was… wow for a symmetrical hybrid, this ball is strong! Super clean through the front part of the lane, and a very smooth response to the back part of the lane. What I like about the Bionic is it gives you more room to play without rolling early, even in the friction. For a versatile ball, the Bionic would fit perfectly in your tournament arsenal when it comes to bowling on those demanding medium-heavy lane conditions. It just has that super clean look, along with predictable ball motion down lane. I consider the Bionic would fit right in the middle of my bag in between an Ion Max and Ion Pro Solid. I feel Storm has hit a home run with this ball and could be an early candidate for ball of the year. If you are looking to add a benchmark/versatile ball into your bag, the Bionic is the ball for you! Be sure to drill one up today at your local Storm VIP Pro Shop, you won’t be disappointed!!

Layout: 75 x 4 x 40 PAP: 1" Up, 3.5" Over Speed: 14 mph Rev Rate: ~330 rpm Style: Right-Handed Tweener Lane Condition: 40' House Shot Lane Surface: Synthetic with built-in friction I drilled the Storm Bionic with a 75 x 4 x 40 dual-angle layout and tested it on a typical 40-foot house shot on synthetic lanes that have some built-in friction. With my specs (14 mph ball speed and around 330 revs), the Bionic gives me a very readable and predictable motion. The ball gets through the front part of the lane clean while still picking up a strong midlane read. As it exits the pattern, it makes a smooth but continuous move off the spot rather than a sharp flip. On my center’s synthetic lanes, the ball creates a strong arc that blends the wet/dry well and continues nicely through the pins. For my game, the Bionic fits well as a benchmark-style piece for league. I can start near the track area early and migrate inside as the lanes transition while keeping a consistent shape. Bowlers with medium speed and rev rates looking for a controllable motion on house conditions should match up well with this ball. Overall, the Storm Bionic offers a strong, predictable reaction with great continuation, making it a solid option for league bowlers who want a reliable ball to handle typical house shots.

The Bionic is SPI’s latest addition to the Ion line. The Bionic featured the Torsion AI core wrapped in NRG Hybrid. The Bionic builds perfectly off the rest of the Ion line, providing a higher traction cover/core combo without impeding on the strength of the Ion Max. The Bionic for me has been the perfect ball to go to after my Vengeance starts seeing the front part of the lane too early but my window isn’t large enough to go to my Ion Pros. The Bionic is now available from any Storm VIP Pro Shop! Review Video: https://youtu.be/QvLcW41C7M8?si=v7PC5-B3F4_n7jT4

Layout: 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 Surface: 4000 Rev Rate: 470 Tilt: 13* The new Bionic is the symmetrical hybrid version of the popular Ion Max. It utilizes the new Torsion A.I core and paired with the NRG Hybrid coverstock. My first impression about this ball before I threw it was that it would be too early rolling and not very consistent with the NRG coverstock. I was completely wrong! I tested this on my typical 43ft house pattern. I tried throwing it on the fresh up around the 10 board and I proceeded to miss the head pin left on my first shot. I knew this one had some teeth in it but not the early kind. It got through the front with ease and stored so much energy for the backend. As I continued to throw this ball, I could tell it had ample continuation to it. I moved into 20 with my feet and tried to throw it to 5 down lane. Again, too much continuation and hook on the backend. This told me it was going to be a better transition ball. As I threw a full game and some transition occurred, I was still able to move left and see the Bionic still come around the corner fairly easy. At the end of my testing, I was able to get to 35 with my feet and throwing it to around 7 down lane and the ball STILL KEPT COMING! It was really impressive to watch. This is one of those balls that will give you that hook on a wide variety of oil conditions. From medium to heavier oil, I don't feel this will have any issue hooking appropriately. I think this will be great for a wide variety of bowler styles as well. Its great continuation will make this ball a staple in many people's bag. Compared to the phaze 2, I saw a little more length and a stronger backend continuous motion. it is not as early and smooth as the Ion Max as well. I wouldn't call this Bionic a benchmark per say but it is a ball that will be great as a first or second transition ball especially as the lanes get more wet/dry. I can see this ball being great for the tournament bowler also. I am planning on bringing this ball as part of my nationals arsenal because it is that versatile!

The Storm Bionic is a strong symmetric hybrid ball whose core is based upon the asymmetric Ion series. The result is a ball that reads the back of the pattern in the right place and explodes on the backend of the lane. This might be the strongest last 15 feet of any symmetric ball I've ever thrown. If you're looking for a ball that gives you all the backend power you'll ever need, but also gives you a decent amount of length and won't hook early unless the lanes are starting to get toasted, this is the ball you want to look at. Check out my YouTube review of the Bionic here: https://youtu.be/-VZ4Pl9jkuQ Jeff Piroozshad Storm & Turbo Grips Staff

About Me PAP. 4 3/4 right 1 3/8 up Ball speed 17 MPH Rev-rate 450 Layout 60 x 5 x 30 Pattern House Shot The Bionic has very cool shelf appeal! The Bionic gives me that little extra length I need when the asymmetrical balls wont allow me to get through the heads later in league play. On fresh I can still open the lanes up a bit but the ball can be a little speed sensitive to start. I can play multiple angles with ease. And just focus on making quality shots. The Bionic gives that iconic Storm shape everybody loves to see down lane! I highly recommend this ball to many bowlers as this will be one of those eye grabbing pin hopping balls. This is a must have for every Bowler! Very fun ball to throw great job STORM! Storm Staffer Go Get It!!!!!!!

Dual Angle: 55 x 4 1/2 x 25 Storm Vector: 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 1 3/4 The Storm Bionic features the NRG™ Hybrid cover stock wrapped around the Torsion™ A.I. Core. This ball looks good, smells good, and rolls GOOD. This ball is much stronger than I anticipated but what do you expect from the little brother of the Ion Max. This ball really gets into a heavy roll and just crushes the pins.

Drilling pattern: 4 3/8” pin to PAP with a 2 5/8” pin buffer. PAP: 4.5 over x 1 up. Pin position: Above and slightly right of my bridge. I’ve personally been looking for a suitable ZEN SOUL replacement for a couple of years and I think I may have finally found it. The STORM BIONIC provides everything the ZEN SOUL did, with just a little more aggression. The cover stock seems to be a touch stronger but still has the same great down lane motion. I used this ball on both a THS as well as the 2025 USBC OC pattern and the conclusion was the same. The ball has enough teeth to dig in the oil, but the core retains enough energy to make a very strong motion down lane. This ball fits perfectly when there is some carry down and you need to start opening your angles and playing through the oil in the middle of the lane. I see this ball being very usable for all bowlers and being a staple in my tournament arsenal for the foreseeable future. Brent Ritchie SPI Pro Shop Staff Member