Storm releases the Modern Marvel as the first hybrid covered bowling ball in the Master line since the Secret Agent. That ball was a combination of resin and particle coverstocks while this ball is the more traditional pearl and solid resin combination. The sanded hybrid coverstock gives this Marvel more hook than the Pearl and more length than the Solid.

This ball gave all three testers their best match up to our heavy test pattern. The added traction from the coverstock allowed all three testers to get the ball further right than usual with the pearl in the cover adding to the back end recovery. As the testing session progressed, Stroker was the first to see the Modern Marvel recovering less at the breakpoint. Tweener and Cranker saw this later during the testing session. We kept the ball at the same surface and made a few one and one board adjustments to the outside. These moves were enough to get the Modern Marvel to catch fresh sections of the back end and got the testers back to pocket.

Moving to the medium test pattern, all three testers saw early hook from the Modern Marvel. The shorter pattern smoothed out the back end but increased the total overall motion. The testers all moved a good five to eight boards inside of where they attacked the oily pattern. Even with this big move, it was hard to get the Modern Marvel to go through the pins correctly. We added a coat of Reacta Shine to all three test balls. With the polished cover, all testers saw increased length and energy stored to go through the pins correctly.

After one shot from the box finish Modern Marvel, the testers saw there was no way to use it on our dry test pattern. We made the same adjustment as on the medium test pattern using Reacta Shine to alter the coverstock. Even with this polish, the Modern Marvel is not the best choice for short, lower volume patterns like our dry test pattern.

Moving to our sport pattern, the Modern Marvel at the box finish performed best for Stroker. The added length from the pearl in the cover pushed it enough before the ball wanted to hook. Stroker could stay square to the lane and stay away from the carrydown. Tweener and Cranker needed to get much further inside and keep it left of the outside boards that play as out of bounds.

Strengths: Storm’s hybrid covers are some of the best on the market today. The coverstock adds versatility to the powerful motion of the weight block.

Weaknesses: Because of the sanded box finish, the Modern Marvel can begin to labor slightly as oil begins to move to the back end. All three testers moved outside to get around the hang spot they created down lane.

Overall Summary: The Modern Marvel is a great opportunity for bowlers looking for a ball that fits between the Marvel and Marvel Pearl. Anyone who hasn’t gotten a chance to use a previous ball with the Centripetal core will find this ball fits nearly anywhere in the product line.