Storm NeXt Factor Bowling Ball

*Storm Next Factor Review** **Specs:** 340 RPM • 16.5 MPH • 14 lb The Storm Next Factor has been a very strong and reliable piece in my bag. With my 340 RPM and 16.5 mph ball speed, this ball gives me a great balance of mid-lane read and strong continuation through the pins. What stands out the most is how easily the Next Factor picks up in the mid-lane without feeling lazy or over-reading early. It clears the front of the lane well, then makes a smooth but powerful move off the breakpoint. The reaction is strong and predictable, which gives me confidence when the lanes have more oil or when I need something that won’t miss the spot. The carry has been excellent for me. Light hits mix well, and flush shots drive hard through the pins without deflecting. Compared to weaker symmetrical balls, the Next Factor gives me more overall hook and better control when the pattern is tighter or longer. Overall, the Storm Next Factor is a great option for medium-heavy to heavy oil conditions. It’s especially good for bowlers with similar speed and rev rates who want a controllable yet strong benchmark-plus ball. This ball has definitely earned a permanent spot in my arsenal.

I’m a right-handed, “experienced” bowler (the kind with more joint tape than wrist snap), medium revs, medium speed, rolling on a 42' medium-light oil pattern at a high-friction house. In other words, if the lanes hook when you look at them funny, that’s where I bowl. The Storm Next Factor has been a pleasant surprise. On this pattern, it clears the heads cleanly without that “oh no, it’s checking at the arrows” feeling. Even on our high-friction surface, it doesn’t jump sideways—just a smooth, readable motion that lets me stay out of trouble. The ball picks up in the midlane nicely and makes a controlled, confident move downlane rather than an overcaffeinated one. What I really appreciate is the predictability. As an older bowler, I don’t need fireworks; I need something that listens. The Next Factor gives me a smooth arc instead of a snap, which helps keep the pocket in play when my timing is a little… vintage. Miss a touch right? It recovers. Tug it in? It doesn’t punish me like I stole its lunch money. Carry has been solid, especially when I keep my speed matched to my rev rate. Light mixers stay low and kick out corners, and I’m seeing fewer of those “great shot, wrong decade” flat tens. Bottom line: On a 42' medium-light pattern in a high-friction house, the Storm Next Factor is a dependable, smooth-rolling option for medium-rev, medium-speed bowlers who prefer control over chaos. It’s strong enough to score, calm enough to trust, and forgiving enough to make me feel younger—at least until I bend down to pick it up. ?

Ball Specs: Storm Next Factor Coverstock: R3S™ Power Edge Pearl Reactive Core: RAD-TQ™ (Asymmetrical) Color: Midnight Review: To be honest, we were a little skeptical for this bowling ball release. Bringing back old roots and mixing with new technology sometimes doesn’t knock it out of the park like you think it will. This bowling ball however brings a new shape to the SPI lineup that has been missing. Not to mention, darker colored bowling balls do seem to have that smoother, more versatile appeal in our opinion which is why you see them so much if you watch a lot of professional bowling on BowlTV. We drilled this ball with our normal layout: tweener, 350-375 revs, 16.5mph, layout of choice is 4x4x2 (pin is above bridge). Comparing this bowling ball to another new pearl bowling ball in the SPI lineup, the Phaze II pearl, you can see many differences. First, the Next Factor is night and day cleaner through the fronts and mids. The Phaze II Pearl picks up considerably sooner and has less shape at the end of the lane. To be honest, the next factor isn’t something we would open with. It just doesn’t blend the fresh well. This ball really shines in the later games, once the fronts start to go and you need something to clear that front, beat up part of the lane. This is a great ball after something like an Equinox solid where you can still transition to opening up your angles and get it to that hook spot, and yes, this ball will come back. If you want something clean, angular, and that hits like a truck. This is your ball. Kyle, Joel, & Dean Johnson SPI Pro Shop Staff Members kyle@parklanes.net joel@parklanes.net dean@parklanes.net www.stormbowling.com #StormNation #GoGlobal #SquadRG

The Next Factor is Storm’s latest ball release that continues its legacy of innovation by perfecting a shape that’s built for the challenges of today’s bowling. As a fan favorite of throwing a few of the legendary X-Factor series back in the early 2000s (X-Factor, Deuce, Triple XXX, Triple Xtreme, and the Ace), I was very looking forward to this release. The Next Factor features the new and upgraded RAD-TQ weight block found in the original X Factor, blended with the R3S Pearl Reactive cover stock. This new asymmetrical piece rolls unlike any other ball found in the Storm, Roto Grip, and 900 Global Line. Very clean through the fronts, creating a backend angular shape one would desire for striking results. Ball layout: 70 x 5 3/8 x 40. Testing it at my home center of Hudson Lanes and Games league pattern (42ft), the Next Factor was quite unique with its ball motion whether I started throwing it on the fresh or working the transition later in the game. To start, I tested the straighter lines up 10 and saw a lot more length and little recovery in the back part of the lane. The Next Factor blends so well on the fresh but can be over/under at times depending on how much oil is laid down for you. Once the transition started to open up, this is where the ball is considered to be favored. Moving right with my feet, I was able to get more length and control and didn’t see no overreaction as the Next Factor blended so well into the friction. When it comes to throwing a higher RG ball on dry lane conditions, the Next Factor would fit perfectly into that category. Overall, I am pleased with the ball motion the Next Factor can create and would make a great transitional ball for those dry/medium lane conditions. Be sure to drill one up at your local Storm VIP Pro Shop today! Thomas Coco (Storm Staffer) #stormnation

Storm Next Factor Bowling Ball Right-handed 300 RPM 15.5 mph ball speed**: SPI discription: The Storm Next Factor revives one of Storm’s most iconic reaction shapes from the classic X-Factor line, but updated with modern materials and design intentions. It features a **RAD-TQ asymmetrical core** meant to store energy and unleash a strong backend, paired with a **R3S pearl reactive coverstock** that sits between the familiar R2S and TX-16 in terms of traction and response. Here is what I see so far after 8 games: 1. Clean through fronts — great for my speed so the ball doesn’t over-read early friction. 2. Strong, angular backend — helps create good corner pin hits and carry. 3. Excellent transitional ball — shines when other balls start hooking too early. 4. Opens angles nicely — lets me move inside without losing reactions. Too clean on heavy/medium oil for me, especially on very fresh THS. I did not start hooking early enough. * **Needs some friction** If the lanes are *very* dry, you may need a surface tweak (e.g., light sand or slower finish) to help it read earlier. Not a “plug-and-play” every-condition ball, it's more specialized for higher friction conditions or broken down league and longer tournament formats that require optimum continuation than early read. **In my hands, the Storm Next Factor is a reliable transition ball bettween my Ember and IQ Tour Ruby. Clean through the fronts, smooth midlane read, and angular backend finish like a updated UC2 motion, especially if you’re looking for dependable motion and carry late in blocks. Hurry and visit your Local VIP Proshop today #Stormnation

The Next Factor features numbers that do not exist in any ball on the market today which in and of itself makes it intriguing. Then, I think back to 2002 when the original X Factor came out and how it was the leading edge of technology and down lane motion and I could not wait to drill the Next Factor. It has the asymmetrical RAD-TQ core, an upgraded version of the Radial Accelerating Disk core. The RG is very high (2.56 in the 15#) and the dif is high as well (0.051 in 15#). The PSA is 0.017 in the 15#. The RAD-TQ core in the Next Factor is wrapped in the R3S pearl which is a pearl reactive cover that fits between the weaker R2S (on Summit Ascent and IQ balls) and the stronger TX-16 (on Phaze 2 and Ion Pro Solid). What this means is the ball clears the front easily because of the pearl and the high RG. But because of the asymmetry and strength of the core, it won’t miss the midlane. Then, the dif kicks in down lane creating a controlled, angular motion into the pocket. I’ve heard the Next Factor described as an asym HyRoad. I amazingly never threw a HyRoad, but the cover on the Next Factor is stronger than the HyRoad and HyRoad 40 covers and Next Factor is asym, so I would think it’s noticeably stronger. I’ve also heard the Next Factor compared to a Virtual Energy Black Out (VEBO) which I have thrown and is one of my favorite balls. I would say that is a closer comparison, but the Next Factor goes longer because of the higher RG and also has a stronger back end motion. I drilled my Next Factor 4.75 x 4 x 2. As I stated at the start of this review, there really is no comparison for the Next Factor. It is truly 1 of 1. If you are looking for something different in your lower to middle bags, you should consider getting the Next Factor.

Our team in Utah decided to give us a throwback with one of the newest additions to the Premier Line.. the Next Factor. If you remember watching PBA shows or if you drilled Storm balls in the early 2000’s, you might remember the X-Factor. That ball was known for it’s extremely clean cover with a ‘flip’ motion down-lane. The Next Factor has been designed to replicate that motion, and after drilling one, it feels like the wizards in Utah nailed it. I drilled it a little stronger with the pin above my ring finger and the mass bias next to my thumb. This equates to 4.5 x 4 x 2. I lightly scratched the surface with a 3000 pad and this ball rolls awesome. Also, I’ve always been a fan of the darker-colored bowling balls due to their smoother and more predictable motion. The Next Factor is dark blue and has excellent shelf appeal. I can see players with lower rev rates who like to keep their angles tighter love the Next Factor because of how clean it is. On the flip side, the guys with higher rev rates will love it because they can shape the lane so well and have a ball to go to once their Phaze II Pearl and Equinox Solid have done their jobs. If you need a cleaner, asymmetric ball in your bag that flies through the front and has an extremely quick response time, the Next Factor should be the ‘next’ ball you drill! #StormNation

The Storm Next Factor features the RAD-TQ weight block, wrapped in R3S Pearl Reactive coverstock finished with Power Edge. At 15 pounds the RG is a high 2.56 with a differential of .051 and an intermediate differential of .017. This ball is unlike anything in the current Storm, Roto Grip, or 900 Global line. The combination of cover and core pushes this ball far down the lane before it even starts to try and pick up and then unleashes the trademark skid/flip backend reaction that Storm bowling balls are known for. The Next Factor will probably not be the first ball out of the bag, but it has a place in the bag. It is a niche ball, but it fills a need that no other ball can. I can play straight on medium patterns with this ball, and it provides a great backend motion from the track area and outside. This ball also comes in handy when I need something to clear the fronts with larger launch angles and still has plenty of backend motion to cover a lot of boards.

Layout: 2 3/4 x 6 x 2 Surface: Power Edge Rev Rate: 470 Tilt: 17* The brand-new Next Factor brings back some nostalgia as basically a remake of the original X-Factor bowling ball. The new RAD-TQ core was used here which is an upgraded version of the original RAD Core from the X-Factor. This brings a slightly lower RG and differential value in 15lbs than the X-Factor. The core is combined with the R3S pearl coverstock that has a medium strength that sits between the R2S and TX-16 pearl coverstocks. I went with a stronger drilling on this ball because I generally don't get along with high RG bowling balls as they tend to go way too long for me because of my style. The 2 3/4" pin to pap will strengthen the differential which will help the ball slow down faster for me. I was able to try this ball on my typical 44ft house shot. What I saw was on the Next Factor was that I was able to play up the lane on the fresh due to the cleaner core and cover combination. I saw a lot of length and pretty good angular continuation for what the ball is. The reaction wasn't too angular so I was able to play well on the fresh. I was able to play around 12 to 7 on the fresh condition. The ball mostly blended the dry pretty well and the strength of the core allowed it to read the oil well if I missed in. I firmly believe that my typical 4 1/2 x 4 x 2 drilling would not be great on the fresh. As the lanes started to break down in the front and I had to move left, I saw some additional length which was trouble for the corner pins from time to time. If I got the ball to the friction faster, I saw the backend I had on the fresh. The Next Factor did do a really good job of blending the lanes out overall. It is definitely a unique reaction in the SPI Lineup that can be very useful. As lane surfaces get worse and lane oil dries up faster, it is imperative to use a higher rg bowling ball. This Next Factor will fill this gap. I recommend this ball for bowlers who may have slower ball speeds and need help getting the ball down the lane on lower oil volumes and higher friction lane surfaces, bowlers who want an asymmetrical version of the Hyroad Pearl and bowlers who tend to use higher rg bowling balls in general who are looking for something similar that is stronger. Designed for a transition ball, it can be used, however, on the fresh if the layout is strong enough to get the ball to slow down.

The Storm Next Factor features the R3S Pearl coverstock paired with the RAD-TQ core, creating a ball that is extremely clean through the front part of the lane and very angular on the backend. With my 4 × 4 × 2 layout, this ball clears the heads with ease and saves a lot of energy for a sharp, strong move downlane. This ball really shines when lane volume is lower and the lanes begin to transition. As the oil breaks down, the Next Factor provides excellent length and a quick response to friction, making it a great option when stronger balls start to hook too early. It also works very well as a burn ball, allowing you to stay aggressive without losing control. Overall, the Storm Next Factor is a great choice for bowlers looking for a super clean, super angular reaction when the lanes dry out. It fits perfectly in the bag for late-league games or tournament transition.