Radical Torpedo Direct Hit Bowling Ball Review

The Radical Torpedo Direct Hit is a unique offering to the market for the spring of 2025. This ball shares the very aggressive low RG and high flare potential Torpedo Asymmetric core shape with the Torpedo. It also uses a pearl coverstock like the Torpedo, but instead of an aggressive HK22C formulation, it uses a Low Friction Reactive coverstock. A similar cover was previously used by Radical’s sister company Hammer on their Axe spare balls. The Low Friction Reactive cover is harder than most traditional resin covers, keeping it from creating as much traction. The Torpedo Direct Hit comes highly polished out of the box, with a 2000 SiaAir, Factory Compound, and Factory Polish finish that makes it very glossy and provides tons of length. We needed to be very direct to the pocket with this ball, as it didn’t have the downlane recovery to get back to the pocket on our patterns if we got too open with our angles. Bowlers on older surfaces and on drier conditions will have this ball in play much more than those on fresher conditions or on newer, lower-friction lane surfaces.

Stroker

Stroker found the dry test pattern to give him the best reaction to the pocket with the Torpedo Direct Hit. The shorter distance of this pattern, combined with his ability to be so direct to the pocket, allowed the ball to drive hard through the pins on the fresh. Rather than making a dramatic move at the end of the pattern, the Torpedo Direct Hit instead made a smooth arc-shaped motion with a small move to the pocket. His slower ball speed was a benefit with this ball, giving it time to turn over. He made sure to wipe the surface down with a shammy after each shot to