I have only had a chance to throw the Storm INTENSE three times — two practice sessions and a tournament, all on house shots — but since it was released on Friday and people have been asking about the ball, I wanted to get a basic review up.

I will be updating this as I get to use my INTENSE more, but my initial reaction is very favorable.

The asymmetrical INTENSE features the RS3 pearl coverstock and the latest version of the RAD (Radial Accelerating Disk) core that debuted in the X-FACTOR and most recently has been used in the CODE series.

The R3S has a measurably higher porosity than the beloved R2S that has been used in so many balls. Storm says the increased porosity means it reads the lane slightly sooner than Reactor or R2S and smooths out the overall reaction: "Blending out lane transition is one of R3S’s best features." 

The INTENSE version of the RAD is is called the RAD-E and here is what Storm says about it: “The ‘E’ stands for ENERGY as the elongated ellipses near the pin increase the separation of mass as well as the potential energy of this dynamic beast.”

That's pretty technical but the bottom line is that it means it's stronger! 

The drilling on my INTENSE copies one of my all-time favorite balls, a MARVEL-S I still have in my arsenal. With my PAP of 4 over and 5/8 up the numbers are 4 3/4 pin-PAP, 4 5/8 pin-MB and 4 1/2 pin buffer. It has a small hole on the VAL to get it static legal. I hit the 1,500-grit shiny cover with a 4,000 pad to take the gloss off, and have not had a chance to try other surfaces yet.

With the cover and core upgrade from the CODE series, I expected the INTENSE to be a bit stronger than the CODE RED and CODE BLACK and that’s exactly what it is for me.

I would put it at about 2-3 boards stronger when compared to the CODEs on a wet-dry house shot on Brunswick synthetics.

I also compared it to my NO RULES PEARL and would put the INTENSE as perhaps a tad stronger, but mainly different in motion: where my NO RULES PEARL make a hockey stick-like quick and sharp move when it turns and then continues into the pocket, the INTENSE makes a much smoother, "rolly" continuous arc.

One is not better than the other — they just are different motions that work better on different conditions. For my moderate speed and rev rate, the INTENSE motion is easier to control, but the NO RULES PEARL is incredible for me at times to the point that it makes me shake my head in wonder.

With its smoother motion, I would say the INTENSE should be a good choice for more bowlers than the NO RULES PEARL because it probably will have uses on more conditions.

I could even see the INTENSE being a good benchmark ball for some bowlers.

On the synthetic house shot, I was able to get it into the oil with the INTENSE and not have it squirt due to its smoother, “rolly” nature, and when I circled it out to the dry and back it didn’t jump right away and go high.

In a tournament on wood lanes, I could have used the INTENSE but it was a tad strong and not quite my best choice, as I instead chose an old Roto Grip UNHINGED.

But in the many practice balls I threw with it, it again showed a controllable smooth motion that should keep it in my bag everywhere I go.    

I can’t think of any bowler that wouldn’t be able to use the INTENSE, and I wouldn’t say it would be better or worse for any particular style.

The INTENSE just seems like a great medium, controllable asymmetrical that would fit in anyone’s bag.