Storm Hy-Road Review
The Storm Hy-Road is bowling's longest-running ball for good reason — unmatched consistency and versatility across all skill levels. Video reviews inside.
what's going on guys welcome back to the channel on today's video we are gonna try to figure out the answer to this question why is this ball still around and wildly available even though it is almost 14 years old so if you guys like this video make sure to hit that like button subscribe hit that notification bell then down below in the description there's going to be a link where you can order anything bowling related including this high road there's also going to be links down below to my patreon as well as my discord and if you like this jersey or any of the jerseys in any of my videos you can go to coolwick.com and
use my promo code napolis10 and that'll get you 10 off your entire order all right so the storm high road was initially released in november of 2008. okay that is almost 14 years that this ball has been around on the market still available still part of the catalog which in bowling terms that is 10 lifetimes some balls get discontinued after eight or nine months and this has been around for 13 going on 14 years but
why what makes this boss so special actually another pretty cool thing about the high road is that it came out in november 2008 i started bowling around june 2008 so right before i first started bowling so this ball is as old as my bowling game okay so let's get into the tech what makes the high road so special well it features the same core that's in every single high road which is the in inverted fe squared technology core which in 15 pounds has an rg of 2.57 which is on the higher end and a max
differential of 0.046 in 15 pounds so 0.046 is kind of like high end of medium and then wrapped around that inverted fe squared core is the r2s hybrid coverstock and that combination of r2s hybrid with this inverted fe squared core is just pure magic on a house shot when this ball first came out it was wildly on tv on tour everyone throw it throwing it now you don't see it as much on tour but on the house shot conditions this ball is a
gem not to be confused with the rotogrip gem so on today's video i'm gonna show you guys on a fresh typical house shot here at samsung which will be on lane two and then on lane one i just got done shooting a video so the ball the the lanes are nice and transitioned and we're going to see how it looks on the fresh and how it looks in that transition and guys if you have never thrown a high road there's i mean 14 years almost there is no excuse so if you guys definitely going to want to add one of the high roads the high road or the pearl but this is the one that started them on
this is a brand new just drilled high road i'll see you guys on the lanes all right first shot with the high road on the fresh house shot here at sam's town so i think i can move a little bit right off that if i want to go a little bit more flush so that's what we're going to do here
and that's why i prefer to stay a little bit light in the pocket than flush so let's get move back left a little bit [Music] all right let's get this one a little bit more right here just to see [Music] [Music] all right so let's get my swing down a little bit be a little bit more aggressive don't baby the ball here
like that big difference come on you know for a ball that has this high of an rg with this shiny of a cover it's pretty smooth on the fresh house shot even here at sam's town where it's incredibly high friction environments so now i'm going to get back onto the lanes and chase it a little bit further left and this combination of the inverted fe squared core with that hybrid r2s cover is just man like i don't even know how to explain it there's a reason like i said
the only reason balls continue to be available on the market is because they continue to sell and because and the only way that they sell is if they're good balls all right let's move a little bit left here we're not going to make giant moves on the fresh because it is the fresh we'll make bigger moves in the transition lane now i gotta throw this high road next to the high road pearl to see
oh i just love that even on the fresh it's not wanting to jump off the friction so let's stay aggressive here and keep making good shots that was a really good shot really tells me that i can stay aggressive all right last shot from this part of lane before i make a big move in here
so i think the biggest reason why this ball looks good on the fresh even though it's shiny with a high rg is the r2s hybrid doesn't make the ball jump off the friction and that's a really big thing because like i typically don't like shiny balls on the fresh because they tend to be a little bit too jumpy in the back part of the lane and ultimately that's why this ball has withstood the test of time is that it's really good on house on the fresh and when you guys see when i get on lane one it's really good in transition as well
so i know i said i wasn't going to make too big of moves but i made a decent size move from the first group to the second group and it looked really good now i'm going to make a big move into the on the fresh on the third zone kind of to be like where i'm going to try to start on that transition lane so i'll see you guys on the lanes all right here we are this is going to be like i said a bigger move and maybe where i'm going to start on that transition lane so let's see how it looks on the fresh
all right so i definitely baby that one so let's try to be a little bit more aggressive here not aggressive but firm [Music] like that i mean and for all these reasons why the high road is just one of the goat balls hook a lot what am i worried for that was money
yeah i don't know why i was so worried about that last shot i went back and looked at it it was money that one on the other hand not money all right let's be better here before i get onto that transition lane missed in so now we're done with the high road on the fresh lane and what surprised me the
most was how good it looked when i went in and started sending it right on the fresh it was strong enough to make the move but not angular so i didn't it didn't like pop down lane and start leaving those crazy nine pins those last two shots i threw weren't that good because i yanked them in a little bit but the ones i got right looked phenomenal so now we're gonna get on to lane one which again is the lane that i just um got done filming on and that's the video that i did with the zen master and the dart code so the lanes should be
nice and transitioned and developed enough for a ball like this high road so let's see how it looks all right first shot on the transition lane here and i know there's going to be some early friction so i got to stay aggressive here okay got gotta move in all right gonna move in a little because like i said it was a little early but definitely want to stay aggressive
wow oh there's a lot of transition on these lanes so let's be let's firm up here before we jump in good shot there we go all right let's stay firm here again before i make that move in all right last shot from here from being a little bit firm and then i'll move in
a little bit and try to soften up to see all right so that was the first group of shots there on the transition blame and i'm definitely experiencing a lot of early friction from the strong balls that were thrown on this lane beforehand and it forced me to be a little bit firm from that part of the lane so what i'm going to try to do is move in into some more fresh oil and kind of glide it through the fronts and hopefully i won't
have to rifle it on this transition lane i still want to be a little bit softer all right moving in here moving my eyes a little bit right even trying to slow hook it here and see all right that was a really good shot so i'd like to just repeat that here
oh inching left here a little bit more see if i can get it to go a little bit more flush [Laughter] all right keep working on this slow roll here but this this looks good
hook a lot oh oh it sure did yeah once i moved in away from that early friction good shot once i moved in away from that early friction it just ball just came to life and it allows me to create those larger angles that some of the stronger balls you just really can't do and i said the combination of that inverted fe squared core which has a high rg 257 o40 something differential with this r2s hybrid cover stock
guys i'm not here to tell you guys if this ball is amazing or terrible or whatever i'm just here to give you guys the facts the fact is that it's been around almost 14 years it looks good on the fresh it looks good on the burn this is like the original house shot killer all right back in the high road further left kind of slow rolling it here get away from that nine pin
all right i can't be afraid to get the ball right from here so that's what we're gonna do here like that so simple if you just do it all right let's see if i can repeat a couple of those last shots because i was probably the best shot i've thrown today all right let's keep going free up that
swing follow through to the sky stay tall strike all right wow the last couple shots have been i'll tell you guys what i'm feeling here in a second good shot i'm just gonna finish off this game here because i really like what i'm feeling in my backswing
something just clicked in my this feels good definitely definitely some progress now we're just uh just going to keep trucking along here till the game is over i think we're in the 9th or 10th now good shot oh my god yeah that was the first shot in the 10th
this is the second shot in the 10th so two more shots no matter what here miss right i wrote don't care all right last shot of the video here let's end on a good note and i'll talk to you guys about what i'm feeling here good shot though i'm i'm happy i'm happy all right so there you have it there is my video explaining
to you guys why the high road has been on the market for almost 14 years and i showed you guys a whole bunch of clips there at the end and what i figured out or not figured out is something that i know but i didn't know how to feel if that makes sense trying to really just free up that swing so that in my in the top i'm not doing this as much anymore trying to stay a little bit more behind it right and then doing that so i kind of just felt what that look i felt it then i looked back on camera
realized that it looked really good and then those that's why i just kept filming because man hopefully i can continue to do that and continue to throw really really good shots so guys thank you so much for joining me in this video by the time you're watching this video my son oliver would have already been born maybe two or three weeks ago so oliver if you're watching i love spending every minute with you so guys again thank you so much click right here to watch my other videos click right here to subscribe until next time
Performance Analysis
Performance Analysis
Testing revealed the Storm Hy-Road performs exceptionally well across both fresh and transition house shot conditions. On fresh oil, independent reviewers observed that despite the ball’s shiny coverstock and higher RG (2.57), the R2S Hybrid coverstock prevented the typical backend jumpiness associated with reactive hybrid covers on fresh lanes. The ball demonstrated strong but controlled hook potential, maintaining a smooth trajectory rather than creating erratic angular motion. Testers noted they could move the ball left into fresh oil areas without fear of violent backend reaction, and the combination of the Inverted FE Squared core with the hybrid cover allowed for larger angle creation that stronger ball designs sometimes limit.
On transition lanes with developed oil patterns from previous throws, the Hy-Road came alive with impressive continuation. Once repositioned away from the heaviest friction areas, the ball showed excellent midlane read and strong backend motion without overreacting. Testing demonstrated that the ball remained controllable even when bowlers softened their approach, making it versatile across different release styles. The data supports why this design has remained in Storm’s catalog for nearly 14 years: it delivers consistent, predictable motion on the most common lane conditions bowlers encounter, particularly on house shots where medium oil and symmetric core characteristics create optimal conditions for this coverstock and core combination.
Who Is This Ball For?
The Hy-Road is ideal for house shot bowlers seeking a reliable, medium-strength option that won’t punish inconsistent release or surface wear on typical recreational patterns. This includes beginner-to-intermediate bowlers who want real ball motion without the violent backend reaction of stronger asymmetric designs, as well as bowlers who prefer reactive hybrid technology’s blend of control and hook potential. The ball’s proven longevity suggests it has broad appeal across skill levels.
This ball is also well-suited for bowlers who throw primarily on fresh house conditions and need equipment that performs consistently without requiring constant adjustments. The $139.95 price point makes it an accessible entry point into quality reactive coverstock technology, and the proven track record means replacement cores and companion pieces (like the Pearl version) remain readily available.
The Pros
- • Legendary reliability with 14+ years of proven performance
- • Exceptional versatility across different lane conditions and bowling styles
- • Outstanding value at $139.95 for the most proven ball in bowling
The Cons
- • Mid-performance specs may not provide enough hook for heavy oil conditions
- • Older technology compared to newer releases with advanced coverstocks
Who Is This Ball For?
The Storm Hy-Road is bowling's longest-running ball for good reason — unmatched consistency and versatility across all skill levels. Video reviews inside.
Technical Specifications
How It Compares
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Luis NapolesVerified Bowler Reviews (70 reviews, 4.9/5 avg)
Bowlers Say
Bowlers praise the Hy-Road as a versatile, benchmark ball that excels across multiple lane conditions with predictable, smooth motion through the front and strong backend reaction. Many cite its exceptional pin carry, drill-friendly nature, and longevity as reasons they own multiple copies, making it ideal for league play and tournaments.
AI summary of 70 verified purchase reviews
Bowlers frequently mention:
Seriously, the best ball ever.. 5+ years in production backs that up.. Very clean through the front part of the lane and very strong but smooth on the back end. I'm on number 3 right now with it..and yes I still throw 1 and 2 with different lay outs...I love this ball...has been part of the equation in all of my tournament wins..
There's a reason Storm is still making a ball 5 to 6 years after if first came out. It's because it's still selling. And there's a reason this one is still selling. It's got excellent ball motion that connects with the bowler. Hyroad gives you the rare combination of power, length, backend, and control that you just don't see that often in the industry. There really isn't much this ball doesn't do well. And there aren't many lane conditions you can't throw this ball on. It's going to be best from game 2/3 to the end of the tournament, but you can definitely throw this ball on the fresh at times as well. Hyroad has an incredible blend of all of the right attributes. I've also drilled a couple of these with different layouts and they always respond as predicted. Don't miss out on this one before it goes away.
This ball is the most predictable and controllable ball i have ever thrown. This is probably the reason i have drilled 4 of them and the ball has been around for 5 years. This ball is so drill friendly that you can put your favorite layout on it or something new and will love it. It also handles surfaces changes better then most balls out there. My favorite drilling for this is a strong 4 1/2 pin below my ring finger with the CG kicked out and a low hole just to get it into a roll and have a smoother motion.
The hyroad...or as I call it Ole Reliable. This is a must have anywhere you go gets through the front part of the lane and just unleashes ok the backend with great continuation through the pins. There's a reason that storm hasn't stopped making this ball. It's just too good The back end motion is so great and the pin carry with this ball is absurd. A little high or trips the for a little light it's smacks around the light mixer. Everyone should have a "ole reliable" in their bag. Stop waiting and get yours now.
There is a reason they have been making this ball for 12 years now. The ball is the greatest of all time. Super versatile across lane conditions. If you need to change the surface finish of the ball it still out performs 99% of the other balls out there.
Showing 1–5 of 28 verified reviews
Frequently Asked Questions
What oil condition is the Storm Hy-Road best for?
Is the Storm Hy-Road good for beginners?
What is the RG and differential of the Storm Hy-Road?
How much does the Storm Hy-Road cost?
What type of bowler should use the Storm Hy-Road?
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