Storm IQ Tour Sapphire Review

one of the best iqs by farrr, i’ve drilled 6 of the iqs over the last 10 years and this is on the top 3 along with the og !Q and the Super Son!Q for me. it has the smooth controllable shape the iq series is famous for and i can use this on fresh and burn when needed

Storm iQ Tour Sapphire Tech specs: C3 Centripetal core with R2S pearl coverstock with Storm Power Edge factory finish. Layout: 4 x 4 x 1 ½ My Specs: Rev rate 420’s, ball speed 15.3 to 15.8 mph off the hand, axis tilt of 16 degrees and axis rotation of 70 degrees, PAP is 3 13/16th up 1/8th. Tested on Pro-lane and HPL lane surfaces on a 41ft medium volume house pattern and 43ft heavier volume house pattern. My take on the iQ Tour Sapphire: A precious gem has been added to the iQ Tour line from Storm. The iQ Tour Sapphire adds to the growing legacy of the iQ Tour series. When I do Storm Matchmaker events regionally, one of the most asked questions is: “When are you getting a pearl iQ Tour back?”. Well, the wait is now over! I have been fortunate enough to be a staff member long enough to have used the whole line of iQ Tours in my bowling career.The Sapphire to me fits into the mix as a first ball out of the bag at a center I bowl and work at part time that has older HPL surface with a demanding house pattern, In the past, the first ball out has been a wide variety of choices over the past few years since the Roto Grip Hyped Hybrid was discontinued a few years ago. Never really settled on a certain piece to be “the BALL” first out of the bag there at Colony Park Lanes. The Sapphire rolls a little longer and stronger than then the Emerald, but not as long and angular as the Ruby or the good old OG “Goldie”, but tended to hyper skid at times. The Sapphire blends the wet/dry house condition there from the start of the match and even through the break down of the pattern goes on, since there is not much play on the left side of the pattern there, the pattern is collapsed inward a little on the left side, but I still can stay in the iQ Tour Sapphire for most of the 3 to 4 games I bowl there in league and practice time.Surprisingly, the iQ Tour Sapphire did very well for me at ABC North Lanes where the house pattern has a little more length and volume along with Pro-Lane panels, the Sapphire is a nice follow up behind my trusty Roto Grip Rockstar when the Rockstar is not creating enough carry because it is burning up in the front to middle of the pattern. The iQ Tour Sapphire will be a versatile ball for many players out there and the legacy of the iQ Tour series lives on with the iQ Tour Sapphire. Thanks to my partners and sponsors: Storm Products Inc. Roto Grip Coolwick Apparel Vise Inserts Bowlers’ Supply ABC North Pro Shop Upcoming Storm Matchmakers I will be coordinating in the Mid-Atlantic area: 8/22 - MJK Pro Shop - Knob Hill Country Club Lanes 8/23 - Tony Rado’s Pro Shop - Laurel Lanes 9/12 - Duff’s Pro Shop - Spins of Pittsburgh 9/13 - ABC North Pro Shop - ABC North Lanes 9/27 - Kegler’s Pro Shop - Strike Zone Alleys 10/10 - Earl Bowl Pro Shop - Earl Lanes in Earlington, PA

The !Q Tour Sapphire has been a great ball for me with the 4.5 × 4 × 2 layout. It gets through the front of the lane really clean and gives me a smooth, predictable motion that's easy to trust. It's become one of my favorite balls when I need control without giving up hitting power.

The Storm IQ Tour Sapphire is a great addition to the IQ line and gives me that smooth, controllable IQ shape I’m looking for when I need something cleaner through the front part of the lane. My 14lb Sapphire has an RG of 2.54 and a differential of .034. I drilled mine 40 x 4.5 x 50, which gives me a nice combination of control and continuation down lane. I got to throw the Sapphire for the first time on a lower-volume house shot that already had about five games bowled on it, and I was really impressed with what I saw. With the lanes already starting to transition, the Sapphire got through the front part of the lane very clean and gave me a smooth, predictable move off the spot. It never felt like it wanted to jump when it saw friction, but it still had plenty of continuation through the pins. That first look showed me exactly where I think this ball is going to fit in my bag. When the stronger equipment starts reading the lane too early or I need something cleaner without giving up control down lane, the Sapphire should be a great option. That classic IQ control and predictability is definitely there. It's a ball I feel like I can trust when I need to keep the breakpoint in front of me and control the friction. And of course, being a Storm ball, we have to mention the scent — Blueberry! Really impressed with my first look at the IQ Tour Sapphire, and I’m looking forward to putting a lot more games on it. Michael Grimm Storm Amateur Staff

The Storm !Q Tour Sapphire with the 5-4.5-2.5 VLS layout gives you a clean, controlled look through the fronts with a smooth but responsive move off the breakpoint. On a transitioned house shot, this should be money once the fronts start to go, letting you move left and open your angles without the ball reading too early. The lower-flare, symmetric core keeps the reaction predictable, while the pearl cover helps it retain energy and continue through the pins. Overall, I’d see this as a go-to transition ball for you, especially when your stronger equipment starts burning up or hooking too soon.

The Storm !Q Tour Sapphire is a fantastic addition to the legendary !Q Tour family, offering the same smooth and predictable control that bowlers have come to love while adding more length and responsiveness through the front of the lane. Featuring the iconic C³ Centripetal Control Core paired with the R2S Pearl Reactive coverstock and Power Edge finish, the Sapphire gets through the front cleanly before making a smooth, controlled move off the breakpoint. This makes it an extremely versatile option for light to medium oil, especially when the lanes begin to transition and you need a ball that can create some shape without becoming overly aggressive. The Sapphire is easy to read, doesn't overreact to friction, and still provides plenty of continuation through the pins. Overall, if you're looking for a dependable benchmark-style ball with a little more length and downlane motion than the traditional !Q Tour, the !Q Tour Sapphire is an excellent choice and a ball that can fit into a wide variety of bowling arsenals.

TESTING ENVIRONMENT Length:43 Volume: Med-High Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS BALL INFO AND TESTER DATA Cover: R2S Pearl Finish: Power Edge Core: C³ Centripetal Control RG: 2.49 (15) Diff: 0.029 (15) LAYOUT: Pin over Ring 5 X 5 X 2 VLS ME: Right-Handed Tweener Speed: 12-13 mph Rev Rate: 315 Axis Tilt: 14° Axis Rotation: 74° PAP: 5 1/8 R 7/8 Up REVIEW The Pearl IQ Tour is back. This one is a beautiful blue sapphire. Featuring the legendary combo of c3 core and r2s pearl that has made the previous releases a staple in so many bags the IQ Tour Sapphire is running it back! I tested the sapphire on our house pattern after a squad of seniors had bowled. I loved my goldy and my ruby so I was fully expecting to love the sapphire and it didn't' disappoint. The legendary motion of the tour core with its early revving low flaring ways was still there. It never gets old having the ball that starts where you want it to and continues its motion better than any other ball. I did feel that the sapphire may have been just a touch cleaner and quicker for me than the ruby. This was also the comparison I felt between the ruby and the goldy. The ball is great in transition and exceptional on conditions that make other balls shape poorly Lonnie Pemberton Storm Pro Shop Staff Vise Pro Shop Staff Revolutions Pro Shop

My son really loved it. He just joined a no wiling league and this will be his 5th ball

CA, United States

The !Q Sapphire gives me that classic !Q control with a cleaner and more responsive shape downlane. It gets through the fronts easily, reads the midlane without burning up, and gives me a strong but predictable move off the spot. I really like it when the lanes start to transition and I need something that will create a little more shape without getting too jumpy off the friction. It's an incredibly versatile piece that gives me the control I expect from the !Q line with plenty of continuation through the pins.

Came pretty much exactly as described. Ball looks very good rolling down the lane

OH, United States

One thing I’ve always found with the IQ Tour line is that no two IQ Tour Pearl balls seem to roll exactly the same, and the Sapphire is no exception. For this review, I tested the ball on a typical house shot using Glide oil. Fresh On the fresh, the IQ Tour Sapphire struggled to create enough recovery for me. When I tried to take it to the outside part of the lane, the ball simply didn’t have enough downlane response to make it back to the pocket, resulting in shots missing the headpin to the right. That reaction is not necessarily a surprise. The IQ Tour Sapphire is designed to excel in medium-to-light oil and transition. Transition: This is where the IQ Tour Sapphire really started to shine. I used the Wicked Gremlin for several games to create some friction and open up the lane. Once I made the move into the IQ Tour Sapphire, the difference was immediately noticeable. The combination of length, control, and hitting power was exactly what I look for from an IQ Tour Pearl. The Sapphire cleared the front part of the lane easily without jumping off the spot, while still providing enough continuation to drive through the pins. Throughout testing, the ball remained predictable and controllable. It never wanted to read the lane too early, and I always felt like I knew what the ball was going to do. Overall For higher-friction bowling centers, the IQ Tour Sapphire can easily find a place in your arsenal. With houses that have a heavier house shot, this ball needs to be benched. Get to games 3/4 and this ball will shine like a diamond....or in this case a Sapphire! Layout: 45 x 4 3/4 x 20

Easy review to write here. Thankful to see this one released as my Ruby had just cracked weeks just prior. Copy and paste ball reaction here. Loved the Ruby for it’s control and stronger R2S reaction. This one is the successor to the Ruby throne.

Just because it's been done before doesn't mean that it isn't needed! The IQ Tour Sapphire gives us that tradition shiny IQ shape that is so desperately needed on broken-down lane conditions. When you need a ball that gets through the fronts effortlessly and saves a ton of energy for a strong backend reaction, the Sapphire is what you need. I wouldn't quite label it is a “skid-flip” ball, though it does get close to being one. For me, it lands perfectly underneath equipment such as the Gremlin Tour-X or the Hyped up, when I need more length & backend than those two balls provide.

Storm !Q Sapphire Ball Specs: C3 Centripetal Control Sym Core, R2s Pearl Reactive cover with Power Edge factory finish, Med-Low Flare, Sapphire color with a Blueberry fragrance Sapphire is the birthstone for September, but here at Storm, we believe in giving you outstanding ball reaction to celebrate all year long. There’s no better way to do that than with another stunning addition to the !Q Tour series, a ball that's sure to turn heads while leaving your competition feeling blue. Powered by the iconic C Centripetal Control Core, the !Q Tour Sapphire delivers the smooth, predictable benchmark motion bowlers have trusted for years. This time, however, the proven R2S Pearl Reactive coverstock and Power Edge finish provide added length through the front of the lane, creating a cleaner look without sacrificing the control that defines the series. When you need a benchmark reaction that gets farther down the lane before making its move, the !Q Tour Sapphire is ready. It offers the familiar feel that made the !Q Tour a favorite, now with the extra length needed to stay ahead as conditions begin to transition. My Specs: Speed: (13-16 mph), Approx Rev Rt: (280-320), PAP: 4.25 x .5 up, Tilt: 10 deg Layout: 5x5x3 REVIEW: I loved both the Emerald and the Ruby so I knew I was gonna want the Sapphire, and I was not wrong! Like its predecessors the Sapphire gets through the head oil with ease, that R2S cover is as clean as they come, but the main difference here is the Power Edge finish on the Sapphire. With the Power Edge the Sapphire seems to be smoother than both the Emerald and Ruby, but more responsive once it sees friction leaving plenty of punch at the pocket. Originally, I thought this was going to be a transition to burn piece, however, I have been able to play the Sapphire from the start of the night and never came off of it on most centers I have rolled it on so far, covering three different lane beds (Pro-Lane, SPL & HPL). All three centers lay down a medium volume pattern for house so I have not yet seen this roll on heavier patterns yet, in which case I would think this would be more of that transition to burn ball. This will be my American Express ball, when going out to roll, I will never leave home without it! Be sure to visit your local Storm VIP Pro-Shop and pick one up today, you will not be disappointed. #stormnation #3GShoes