Bowler Ratings

PatternStTwCr
Oily:NANANA
Medium:7.586
Dry:897
Sport:565

Bowler ratings are from 1 to 10 in order of Stroker (ST), Tweener (TW), Cranker (CR)

General Info

Brand:
Name:Turmoil Pearl
Reviewed:May 2018
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Coverstock Specs
Name:Composite Flip Pearl
Type:Reactive Pearl
Box Finish:500 SiaAir / Crown Factory Compound
Color:Navy / Purple / Yellow
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Core Specs
Name:Turmoil Symmetric
Type:Symmetrical
RG:2.528
Diff:0.042
Int. Diff:0.000

For details on our standard test layouts, please click here.

DV8 releases the Turmoil series as the first of the next wave of bowling ball releases for the summer session. Both new Turmoils use the new Turmoil Symmetric core, which has a higher RG and lower differential than the Freakshow Symmetric core. The Turmoil Pearl uses the Composite Flip Pearl coverstock at a 500 SiaAir with Crown Factory Compound box finish. This pearlized cover and smoother surface gave this Turmoil lots of length for our testers.

The easy length provided by the Turmoil Pearl matched up best for all three testers on our dry oil pattern, with Tweener having the best reaction. His Turmoil Pearl pushed easily to the right off his hand, landing on 20, crossing the third arrow, and getting out to eight downlane. The compounded cover gave him a little hold on shots that were left of target, while still hooking enough at the end of the pattern to get back to the pocket if he got it a little right. Stroker also had a good look, but he just didn’t have as much room for error as Tweener. He was playing farther right, targeting over the second arrow and crossing the dark range finder on the 10 board downlane. He also saw some push on shots that were cut a little short, but he often saw the 6 pin get lazy and fall into the channel when he got his ball too far right. Cranker had a better reaction than he usually does on this pattern, with his Turmoil Pearl getting good length down the lane before it would start to hook. His higher rev rate didn’t give him the hold left of target the other two testers had, but he could get his ball farther right and still maintain his entry angle through the pins. He was actually playing right of Tweener to get his ball farther outside at the breakpoint. He started his ball around 20, crossed 10 at the arrows, and got it out to five downlane. The more shots that went down the lane, the better all three testers’ reactions became. The carrydown that was created started to give them more miss-room to the left, and it also helped blend out this ball’s reaction to the dry. The box finish was best for all three testers on this condition.

The medium pattern was up next, and Tweener once again had the best reaction with the box finish. He was two boards right with his feet and target at the arrows from where he played the dry pattern, but he kept his line a bit tighter on this pattern, only getting it out to nine at the breakpoint. When he made good shots, the Turmoil Pearl allowed him to get his ball going straighter through the front and still strike. Any misses right would slide through the breakpoint and leave a washout with the box finish. Stroker could get to the pocket rather easily with the box finish, setting his ball down on 13, crossing eight at the arrows, and using the five board as his breakpoint downlane. However, his carry percentage was very low. Any miss was magnified because of the polished pearlized cover. If he got a little fast with his speed, his ball wouldn’t pick up the midlane early enough, causing him to leave a lot of flat 10 pins. Cranker really struggled on the fresh with the box finish. He fished around for quite a while before he could get to pocket with any kind of consistency. His ball was landing on 30, crossing 18 at the arrows on its way to 10 at the breakpoint. Any miss to the right or left would cause his Turmoil Pearl to miss the pocket. He and Stroker both took a 2000 SiaAir pad to their balls to remove the factory compound. This surface change was like putting a whole different ball in their hands. With this duller surface, the lane opened up vastly for both testers. Shots that were leaving the 2/10 or bucket with the box finish were now high flush strikes. Stroker went from leaving the corner on nearly every shot to smacking it out shot after shot. Even with the duller surface, Stroker and Cranker both had more length, more angle at the breakpoint, and less total hook than they had with the Turmoil Solid.

The box finish was not the right option for our fresh sport pattern. All three testers removed the compound with a 2000 SiaAir pad to try to give their balls enough hook to get to the pocket on the fresh. Even with the added surface, the Turmoil Solid, along with other balls in the DV8 line, would be better choices to start. This ball at the box finish was best after the front of the lane had blown up from duller-surfaced balls. After the Turmoil Solid started to lose its carry from burning up early as the pattern dried up, the box-finished Turmoil Pearl became a good option.

Performance Ratings

NameValueComments
Torque7
The polished pearlized coverstock on this Turmoil makes it more responsive to the friction than the Turmoil Solid. We saw a strong move off the breakpoint from this ball.
Length17.5
The Composite Flip Pearl with Crown Factory Compound combination gives the Turmoil Pearl lots of easy length. We had no trouble getting this ball down the lane, even when the fronts were torn up after throwing rougher-surfaced balls.
Back End16
We struggled with the downlane reaction on our fresh medium pattern with the box finish. The length created from this ball pushed it so far down the lane before it hooked that it sometimes just ran out of lane before having a chance to get all the way back to the pocket.
Total Hook49
Whiles sharing the same coverstock as the Vandal Strike, the Turmoil Symmetric weight block is not as dynamic as the asymmetrical core in that ball. The Turmoil Pearl will provide more hook than the Alley Cat.

Strengths

The Turmoil Pearl can take the front of the lane totally out of play with the length it creates. This allowed us to play straighter up the outside of the lane on our dry test pattern.

Weaknesses

The length this ball creates can cause chaos at the breakpoint. We struggled getting to the pocket the right way on our fresh medium oil pattern with the box finish.

Overall Summary

The Turmoil Pearl is the ball in the new Turmoil series to go to when the front of the lane is making other balls read too early. We liked the box finish when we saw lots of friction on the lane.

Additional DV8 Turmoil Pearl Resources

Click here to visit DV8's website to read the manufacturer-supplied information on this ball. Also, see below for the manufacturer-produced promotional video for this ball.

Please remember that our reviews are solely based on our own testing and that you may sometimes find differences between our comments and ratings and the manufacturer's claims. Links to these manufacturer resources are provided here strictly for convenience purposes.

The BTM Ball Testing Team

About The BTM Ball Testing Team

The BTM Ball Testing Team is led by Eric Martinez. Our team of three testers has thrown and reviewed hundreds of bowling balls for Bowling This Month. When not testing balls for BTM, Eric owns and operates University Pro Shop in San Antonio, TX and he is an avid competitive bowler. Click here to learn more about how we test and review bowling balls.