- !Q Tour Edition II

First Impressions
The Storm !Q Tour Edition II, released in February 2019 primarily as an international offering (often for the Asian market), is essentially a re-release or special market version of one of the most legendary balls in bowling history: the original !Q Tour (Solid). Visually the ball stays true to its line and comes in the iconic, deep "Midnight Blue" that is instantly recognizable. The coverstock is the proven R2S Solid Reactive formula, which out of the box usually carries a 4000-grit Abralon finish. The heart of the ball is and remains the C3 Centripetal Control Core. This symmetrical core is defined by its unique specs at 15 lbs: a low 2.49 RG produces early, stable rotation, while the extremely low 0.029 differential deliberately limits flare potential. The signature "Apple Crisp" scent rounds out the package. This ball is not a "hook machine" in the sense of massive direction change, but a precision instrument developed to eliminate over-reaction and provide maximum control.
Comparison
Compared directly to the Storm Phaze II, the other big benchmark ball in the Storm lineup, fundamental differences in philosophy emerge. The Phaze II (also solid) has a considerably higher differential (0.051) and a more aggressive shell (TX-16), which makes it flare much more, create more overall hook and dig deeper into the oil. The !Q Tour Edition II, by contrast, stays much calmer; it covers fewer boards and behaves more gently at the breakpoint. Compared to the Storm Hy-Road (hybrid, high RG), the !Q Tour Edition II rolls much earlier and rounder because of its low RG, while the Hy-Road skids longer and reacts more angularly. Against the pearl version, the Storm !Q Tour Emerald (released in the summer of 2019), the Edition II (solid) reads the lane earlier and smooths out the reaction through the midlane, whereas the Emerald gets through the heads cleaner and reacts sharper on dry backends. The !Q Tour Edition II is more stable than a Storm Tropical Surge, but clearly weaker on the backend than a Storm Axiom.
On the Lanes
The Storm !Q Tour Edition II is the ultimate "control ball" and belongs in the bag of every serious tournament player. Its greatest strength is on difficult sport patterns or broken-down house shots where the friction is unpredictable. When high-differential balls react too nervously or jump too hard on contact with the dry ("over-reaction"), the !Q Tour Edition II shines. Thanks to the low differential the ball stays extremely true to its line into the pocket and prevents the dreaded split potential that can result from overly steep entry angles. It is ideal for controlling the pocket on fresh, flat oil patterns or for blending the edge on wet/dry walls (cliffed patterns). It is not suited, however, to very deep oil (heavy oil), since the low flare potential can cause the ball to "swim" in the oil and never develop any pull, nor to extremely dry lanes, where the solid cover could burn up too early. It is the benchmark for control.