- Shock & Awe

First Impressions
The Morich Shock & Awe from March 2005 presents itself as an asymmetric bowling ball developed specifically for extreme angles and a pronounced backend reaction. Visually, the ball stands out with its color combination of Blue and Salmon Pearl, which the polished factory finish makes even more eye-catching. Beneath the surface works the asymmetric Vanguard core, equipped with what is called a Lower Torque Cap. This modification of the core is the heart of the design and should deliver sudden direction changes at the breakpoint. The specs back up this aggressive approach: with a 2.533 RG, the ball sits in the medium to higher range, meaning it travels through the heads very easily and with plenty of energy without going into roll too early. The 0.048 differential guarantees a high degree of track flare, while the asymmetric intermediate differential of 0.022 makes the ball react strongly to friction. This dynamic core is combined with the Performance Pearl Reactive cover. This surface comes highly polished out of the box and is designed to store energy as long as possible. Together with the core concept, the result is classic skid-flip ball motion. The ball glides effortlessly through the front part of the lane and releases all of its rotational energy in a very sharp and abrupt hook toward the pocket. The combination of medium RG and a strong asymmetric engine makes the Morich Shock & Awe a highly reactive tool aimed at maximizing entry angle and achieving the best possible carry.
Comparison Viewed both historically and in modern terms, the Morich Shock & Awe compares very well with other asymmetric pearl balls designed for maximum length and a sharp change of direction. Taking the Storm AstroPhysiX as a reference, clear parallels in the basic concept emerge. Both balls use a polished pearl cover in combination with a strong asymmetric core to get through the heads extremely clean and react aggressively to friction at the end of the oil pattern. Thanks to modern cover technology, the Storm AstroPhysiX may act somewhat more consistently through the transition and in dealing with carrydown, but in its day the Morich Shock & Awe was an absolute pioneer for exactly this kind of extremely angular ball motion. Compared to a symmetric benchmark ball like the Storm Phaze II, the fundamental difference in philosophy becomes very clear. While the Storm Phaze II, with its matte surface and symmetric core, is designed for an early, steady and easily readable arc, the Morich Shock & Awe offers the exact opposite. It nearly ignores the front boards entirely and saves its power for the last section of the lane. In direct comparison, this makes it considerably more angular and more dependent on a dry backend. When the Storm Phaze II starts losing energy too early in the front part of the lane or entering the pocket flat, the profile of the Morich Shock & Awe provides the length and late hook needed to bring the entry angle back up to the desired maximum.
On the Lanes The ideal application range of the Morich Shock & Awe is on medium oil conditions as well as on broken-down lanes where the front part has already lost oil. Because of its polished cover and medium RG, this ball needs a certain amount of oil in the heads so it doesn't find friction too early. At the same time, it calls for a clean, dry backend so the asymmetric core can fully unleash its hook potential. If you have a low to medium rev rate, this ball offers valuable help in generating the entry angle into the pocket that you may not be able to create on your own. Strokers and tweeners can use the ball very well to play the outside boards and find a defined breakpoint. If you have a very high rev rate or slower ball speed, you'll need to exercise some caution with this model, since the aggressive change of direction at the end of the lane can be hard to control when the ball gets into transition too early. In such cases the skid-flip behavior tends to send the ball past the target. Adjusting the surface with a light sanding can help smooth out the reaction and make the ball more predictable for wetter conditions or more sensitive oil distributions. In general, however, the Morich Shock & Awe shines precisely when the lanes dry up over the course of a tournament or league session and you have to play deep from the inside across the middle boards to send the ball out to the dry edge, from where it returns to the pocket with enormous power and produces excellent carry.