- Total Shock & Awe

First Impressions
The Morich Total Shock & Awe, released in June 2005, presents itself as an extremely assertive asymmetric bowling ball designed specifically for high oil volume and demanding lane conditions. Visually it shows up in a striking Burgundy Marble, which takes on a very dull, tacky texture thanks to the extremely coarse 400 matte finish. The coverstock is the so-called C4 Enhanced Solid Reactive material, developed for maximum traction in heavily oiled areas. Inside works the asymmetric Vanguard core, equipped with a Dense Lower Torque Cap. This modification to the core design should actively promote sudden, strong direction changes at the breakpoint. The specs underline this ball's uncompromising character: a low 2.509 RG makes the core start rotating very early in the heads and move quickly into a stable roll. Combined with a massive 0.054 differential and an asymmetric intermediate differential of 0.025, the result is enormous flare potential. This powerful setup forces the ball to dig deep into the oil and build a very sweeping hook motion before it turns toward the pocket with plenty of energy.
Comparison Looked at analytically and compared directly with other models, the Morich Total Shock & Awe shows its particular profile. Bring in a modern, frequently used benchmark ball like the Storm Phaze II and the conceptual differences become immediately clear. Where the Storm Phaze II, with its symmetric core and finer surface texture, is built for a very steady, predictable, arcing reaction, the Morich Total Shock & Awe behaves far more dominantly and aggressively. Despite the extremely coarse solid cover, the strong asymmetric core of the Total Shock & Awe creates a considerably more angular direction change at the end of the oil pattern. Compared instead with contemporary high-performance heavy-oil balls such as the Storm Gem, it becomes apparent that the Morich Total Shock & Awe was an early pioneer of this specific heavyweight category. Both balls grab extremely early in the heads and absolutely require large amounts of oil so they don't give up their energy to the lane prematurely. Because of its aggressive core geometry, however, the Morich Total Shock & Awe tends to respond to friction somewhat more abruptly, whereas modern cover technologies often make the transition from oil into the dry area a bit smoother and more forgiving.
On the Lanes The ideal application for the Morich Total Shock & Awe is unquestionably fresh, very heavily oiled lane conditions or long oil patterns. When there are large amounts of oil on the inside boards, the dull 400 surface provides the friction needed to keep the ball from sliding uncontrollably past the breakpoint. If you throw the ball fast or have a lower to medium rev rate, this ball is an indispensable tool for generating a reliable hook and an optimal entry angle into the pocket even under adverse, slick conditions. As soon as the lanes dry up over the course of a game and the transition sets in noticeably, though, this uncompromising concept reveals its natural limits. If the heads offer too little oil, the ball starts reading far too early, burns up its rotational energy prematurely and loses the crucial carry at the end of the lane. In those situations the ball motion tends to flatten out, resulting in weak hits or missing the ideal line entirely. If you naturally have a very high rev rate, you'll need to be especially strategic with this model. You'll often be forced to play very deep lines and put the ball squarely into the heaviest oil to avoid an uncontrollable overreaction. Ultimately this ball is an absolute specialty weapon for extremely oily conditions, one whose combination of early roll and powerful backend should unleash brutal hitting power as long as the necessary oil volume is on the lane.