- Axiom Tour

First Impressions
The Storm Axiom Tour takes the lead as the strongest hook in Storm's Master series and makes an impression right away with its striking design in Sky Blue, Navy and Slate. The ball uses the Orbital Core with a 2.48 RG at 15 pounds and a 0.050 differential, wrapped in the NeX (Nano Extreme) solid coverstock with a 3000 Abralon surface. The NeX cover is considered Storm's earliest-reacting surface to date and represents a clear step forward from the proven NRG system. The Orbital Core is characterized by a notably low RG axis that harmonizes perfectly with the early midlane reaction of the NeX system.
Comparison
Compared directly to the Storm Phaze II, the Orbital Core shows a slightly lower RG and a marginally smaller differential than the Velocity Core. The decisive difference, however, comes from the surface — the new NeX system proves to be considerably more aggressive than the TX-16 cover of the Phaze II. With the identical 3000 Abralon factory prep, this new surface handles oil even better than the established NRG and R2S covers. The ball motion closely resembles a symmetrical Roto Grip UFO with comparable ball reaction. The backend reaction should be stronger than that of the Super Soniq and possibly a bit more intense than the Storm Phaze II as well.
On the Lanes
This ball was developed specifically for heavy oil conditions and needs enough oil volume in the heads to store energy for the pins. On heavy oil patterns it shows its strengths most clearly — the 3000 surface allows for extremely good traction in the midlane and creates a stronger change of direction on a clean backend. As a strong ball it reacts proportionally to friction and rarely surprises with unexpected reactions. If you play with lower ball speed or a high rev rate you should be careful, since this ball is definitely not considered universally usable. Especially on fresh sport and challenge patterns with high oil volume it should impress with its smoothness and control combined with a backend roll, though it delivers consistently solid scores rather than record results. For house and league conditions it works well on medium to heavy oil and offers a strong midlane reaction for an arcing hook to the pocket.