- Phaze 4

First Impressions
The Storm Phaze 4, released in February 2022, continues one of the most successful product lines in modern bowling history. Visually it comes in an unusual color combination of Root Beer, Slate and Carmine, accompanied by the characteristic "Root Beer Float" scent. Technically, the ball combines two proven components: the fast-revving Velocity Core, which with a 2.48 RG and a 0.051 differential (at 15 lbs) also drives the Phaze II, and the legendary R2S Pearl Reactive coverstock. This cover, known from the AstroPhysiX and the Hy-Road Pearl, comes out of the box with a 1500-grit polished finish. This combination signals maximum length and an extremely quick reaction to dry boards.
Comparison Compared directly to the Storm Phaze II (solid), the Phaze 4 acts as the perfect counterpart. Where the Phaze II reads early and smooths out the lane, the Phaze 4 nearly ignores the first 40 feet and then makes an explosive change of direction at the breakpoint. Compared to the Storm Phaze III (R3S Hybrid), the Phaze 4 uses the slightly weaker R2S cover, which makes it even cleaner through the heads and lets it store even more energy for the backend. It reacts sharper than a Storm Spectre, which came out at the same time, and offers considerably more core dynamics (flare) than a Storm Hy-Road, even though both use similar covers.
On the Lanes The Phaze 4 is the ultimate ball for medium oil conditions and typical house shots. Its strength is the skid-snap motion. It's the ideal choice once the lane has broken down and you're forced to move left and open up the angle. Thanks to the clean R2S cover it gets through burned-up heads effortlessly, while the Velocity core makes sure it revs up at the right moment and sweeps through the pins. It's less suited to fresh, heavy oil, where it would slide too far, but unbeatable when the job is to open up the lane horizontally and kick out corner pins with a lot of entry angle.