Choosing a Ball - The Guide to Bowling Ball Brands

[Toon]

We all have our preferred brands...well most of us do. It changes all the time as our game changes. Of course most see it as subjective and many don't really care what they buy, they see the layout as a more important factor.

Every ball is different, and no 2 are the same...apparently, but I think many brands have characteristics in all their gear.

I have started this thread in the hope it may become a sticky for new bowlers and new members to the Totalbowling Community to assist them with picking the right ball for the condition and style of their shot.

In my head, I think 3 different categories of opinions would benefit this thread.

1. Give your view of what brand you bowl with and why you choose to bowl with it.

2. Your style, and what you look for in a ball to get the best reaction and performance.

3. The most recent ball that has impressed you and why?


I hope this thread will flourish and I hope that the experienced bowlers can share their experience and knowledge to the newcomers and rising bowlers here.


For me,

1. I am currently using AMF balls and purchasing some Global 900 gear shortly.
I choose AMF because I find the reaction on the lane really smooth and predictable. They are not overly aggressive in the backend and when I do make an error and miss my mark, that I don't suffer drastic consequences that I would if I used highly aggressive gear.

2. I am tweener, or a Medium Rev bowler. I generate I fair amount of power and accuracy but I would say I rely on my accuracy alot more than my power. When I am buying a new ball for any condition. A must for me, is a ball that has good length as I don't have a very high ball speed and I prefer to roll down the line so aggressive coverstocks don't mix well for me.

3. Even though it's a few years old. I recently bought an AMF Heist Pearl. It is by far the best ball I have owned. It has a good length and a moderately strong backend motion. Very controllable and predictable for Medium Oil conditions. For me, the ultimate League ball and benchmark ball.

Hope everyone enjoys this thread and keeps it going.

 

[John_Velo]

G'Day,

1:I recently started buying MoRich gear.

The main reason it is not main stream. It's what my wife calls the John Factor. Nothing more than that. Common is not always the best in my eyes, while the storm gear may smell ok, they taste bad.

I also love the after sales support you receive from MoRich-Mo Pinel.

Send them your spec, a video of your shot and they will advise the best layout and surface for what you want the ball to do.

2: bowling specs are:

Axis Tilt approx 15*
Axis Rotation varied 50* to 70* depending on the line I am trying to shoot.
So 55* is the actual average Rotation removing the high and low reading from my videos.
PAP 5 x 1/2up
Approx 280-300RPM @18.3MPH of your hand.

3: I have recently purchased three new balls, Morich HookR, DestroyR and a Craze. All three are impressive in their own right and are laid out to give a different look but to work together as a trio.

Now it is up to me to make them work. The ME piece being the bigger failure point of all equipment.

 

[baggers89]

1) I currently bowl with a Columbia 300. I originally chose this ball because that was the only ball the pro shop had, and in any event, it worked quite well for me.
2) My style is currently straight line. However, I bought my first reactive ball today, so I'm going to be learning to hook over the next few weeks/months.
3) I bowl with a White Dot, and today I bought a Freeze Hybrid. The White Dot has gotten me some impressive games for my ability. I've only bowled four games with the Freeze Hybrid, and seeing as I'm only starting to learn to hook, they're not worth mentioning

 

[BigDaz]

Good idea for a thread ,hopefully some of the more prestigious guys put thier 2 cents up. We'll see i spose.

1. I try not to follow the crowd too much, which is why when i picked a brand i picked STORM, we're talkin 10 years ago btw. The balls looked great and i mostly saw people throwing the Ebonite/Columbia/Hammer stuff at the time. But over time STORM became the brand the followers follow. Not putting a bad word out about Storm, actually i dont think a ball has let me down yet (The fitting AND drilling people have given me has but!!) I now throw a mix of Storm and Seismic, and will mostly be following Seismic from here on out. Same reasons, the gear looks great, its different and it performs great.

2. Specs are 18mph(29kph) Rev rate-250-270. Rotation-60º. Tilt-7º. and when i buy a ball i buy it to do what it wants to do, and drill it appropriatly. I've learned recently that early rolling and Arcing layouts are bad for me. Theres a time/condition when that combo will work, but mostly doesnt agree with me. I like my balls to clear the heads and start to pick up late in the mid lane, Pearl stuff gives me the look i want, but on some conditions can be too skid/snappy.

3. Seismic Raging Bull Charged. I wrote a bit of a review on this peice about 3 weeks ago, can be found in the ball review section of this Forum, can get more details there.

 

[nev25]

Wondering has any one any comments on Jet balls

 

[Toon]

In the US, they are getting quite good reviews. I find Mid range gear just as good as "High Performance" in most brands. The general comments I have read are that the Jet balls are similar to Roto Grip Mid Range.

Most of the reviews are positive.

 

[magpi17]

1. I am currently in the process of building a Seismic arsenal, the reason being that Ebonite my other favourite has always worked for me but their range over the last 3 or 4 years didn't suit so I tried Storm and the only ball that suited me there was the Nano (they would suit everyone), Have a Roto Grip Mutant Cell it died very quickly and a Roto Grenade Love it. But I like the down lane action I get from Seismic similar to the older Ebonites and they don't get jumpy when drilled for the use I have for them.
2. My Specs are, 17Mph off my hand, about 250 Revs, Tilt 13*, rotation 70* PAP 4 1/2 over by 5/8 up. I currently use the Duel Angle method of drilling and as per Mo my angles are 55*x4x35* asymmetrical and 60 x31/4 x 30 Symetrical. This drill gives me a pretty good look at the moment.
3. My Raging Bull solid is my go to ball at the moment on Synthetic Sports patterns and my Ebonite Game Plan is my Taree friction weapon, both have a midlane roll and my normal shot with the raging gives an easy 10 board roll, the Ebonite gets pretty strong by the end of the night but doesnt get to jumpy.

Now to get my on Lane skills up and my ambition is to make a cut this year.

 

[jason_doust]

I go through quite a few balls. (It's a pitfall of having a pro shop.) I can honestly say I have no favourite brand any more. I've been impressed by gear from a lot of companies. The AMF balls are poured under license by 900 Global, who make very good gear. They also pour Lane#1 and Radical, who I am very impressed with. My current tournament kits looks like this and I shuffle them around:

Primary Kit

• 900 Global Hook! - Great when there's friction
• Radical Slant Hybrid - Great when you need some controlled pop
• Radical Times Up - Great smooth rolling piece
• Storm Virtual Gravity Nano - BYO friction! (And that's polished!)
• Roto Grip Super Cell - BYO Bounce! Super heavy rolling ball. Nicknamed "the carry-all!"
• Motiv QZ-2 - Great arcing ball when the Hook! won't hook - extremely versatile ball
• Storm Hy-Road - A little touchy, but awesome when it's on.
• Columbia Momentum Swing # 2 - I have a couple of these set up for different scenarios - extremely versatile ball
• Ebonite Maxim - Most important ball in the bag - spare ball! Don't leave home without it.

Secondary Choices - More condition specific

• Roto Grip Mutant Cell - the king of inside 25 board on the long. Serious angularity and impact.
• Lane#1 Pink Panther - Needs friction, but hits like a truck. - Touchy like the Hy-Road. Would be more versatile with more surface, but would sit right on top of Mo Swing # 2 then.
• 900 Global Bank - Strong midlane and backend - amazing hit. Needs dependable, but not crazy friction, where it strikes a ton. Condition specific, but worth taking along if I think I'm going to see it's stuff.
• Motiv RX -1 Orange - Fresh Short Oil specialist
• Columbia Momentum Swing # 1 - Medium Oil specialist
• Motiv GT-1 - Very adaptable with hand positions - Super for going really straight with heavy roll, can hook a lot on Gobi Desert house shots (6" pin to PAP drilling)
• Track 300C - Super rolly piece - great for smooth early motion. (3½" Pin to PAP)

And there's others too... (Yes, I know. It's out of control...)

Manufacturers have predominant characteristics, but they also make a wide array of products, so it's tough to say for example "All Motiv balls roll heavy." Most do, but an RX-1 Silver doesn't, depending on the player. Again "All Storm balls go long and snap." Is another popular misconception. Throw a VG Nano and you'll see a lot if hook straight away!

Never underestimate what surface changes can do too. There are balls in my arsenal that went from OK to amazing with the right surface.