The Virtual Energy Blackout brings back Storm’s famed Shape-Lock HD core design for the first time since the Gravity Evolve. This ball uses the ReX Pearl coverstock that is finished with Reacta Gloss like the Fate. These elements allow the new Virtual Energy Blackout to be extremely angular at the breakpoint with a very strong back end motion. This ball fills the gap in the Premier Line for a more angular pearl ball after the Infinite PhysiX was discontinued. The Virtual Energy Blackout was fantastic in our testing, and it provided easy length without skipping past the breakpoint, allowing each of our bowlers to see a big downlane recovery with a predictable reaction.

Cranker really liked the motion of the Virtual Energy Blackout on our fresh medium oil pattern. This ball did everything he liked about the Dark Code and Infinite PhysiX, but it did it even better. The Virtual Energy Blackout seemed to dig into the midlane better than the Dark Code, while also being more angular for him than the Dark Code, Absolute, and Infinite PhysiX. It was very easy for him to move his laydown point farther left as the pattern broke down without ever seeing the ball want to quit downlane. The box finish was excellent for him, and he didn’t make any surface changes the entire time he was bowling on this condition. Cranker had the best reaction out of the three bowlers on the heavy oil pattern. He could either tighten his angles through the front using his normal speed, or ...