Quite simple, which is simply the greatest?

[Toon]

With all this talk of balls having such impacts of high scores yada yada yada.

Though I agree with reactives being the cause of alot of high scores as opposed to the old urethanes.

However, I dont think the newer balls are harder hitting, there has been alot of balls in the past that have been simply phenomenal.

So...what is the greatest ball of all time?

I'll get started with my list of the best balls ever made

In no particular order

1. Brunswick Inferno - Simply the best coverstock/core combination ever
2. Hammer 4D Offset - Hitting power of this thing was just awesome
3. Columbia 300 CUDA/C - Nuff said
4. Brunswick Phantom - First ball with an assymetric core ..I think.
5. Storm X Factor Deuce - When I was younger everybody was trying to get their hands on one of these.

 

[Easy Tiger]

Ebonite black V2 Sanded.

Would have to be one of the best balls ever..

 

[skippy]

Track Exception 5.0 This ball was simply amazing...very versatile and a fantastic carry percentage. It was the first ball i ever considered purchasing a second one of.

Cheers
Trotts

 

[the mothership]

Storm T-Road Pearl, I've been lucky enough to find one brand new on the net

 

[bluey]

The original Blue Hammer, everyone had one of these and still useful today on the right condition. I think it was one of Cara's favourites.

 

[lovey]

Brunswick LT48 was a sensational bowling ball.
Cheers Lovey

 

[bowlrig]

Old...black U-Dot, most consistent ball I've had......and it lasted for years.

A while ago...Roto Grip Outlaw.... a horrible brown ball that was one of the hardest hitting balls I had seen at the time.

New....Lane 1 - Boomerang....one weird ball that works on a huge range of conditions.

Rob

 

[Toon]

Keep em coming.

Another addition.

Ebonite Nitro

 

[Ash]

While I did love my Storm X-Factor Duece (sitting in my garage in my ball Display)

I think the Storm Triple X-Factor was deffinately my favourite of all time.

Stupidly left it on my garage floor and the case cracked all the way around, I very nearly shed a tear when I saw it...

 

[Jasonguru]

Based on the thread and not necessarily my personal opinions.

The balls I believe that have been the greatest in the game are, in no particular order:

Brunswick LT48
The original Angle
The original Powder Blue Hammer
Black Rhino
Brunswick Phantom
In recent times probably the Storm Virtual Gravity

My personal favourites:

Columbia U2
Wine U-Dot
AMF Cobra
Powder Blue and Red Hammers
The Excalibur (this was the original reactive ball, first ever made i am pretty sure)
Absolute Inferno & Brunswick Strike Zone (threw my 1st 300 with this ball)

 

[jockey]

I have to restrict my choices to those that I have had personal experience with:

Black U-dot
Original Red Hammer (still have one that has only had about 15 games bowled with it)
Blue Hammer
Red Reactive Hammer
Vicious Strike Hammer

For surface hardness I would have to go with the Grey Angle.

 

[Buzzer]

Gold Rhino hands down best ball i've ever had

 

[Fitzy]

Personally I really liked the Track Equation II. Great ball for Track to go out on!

 

[cranky dave]

Any of the old Hammers. Personally the Black Hammer did it for me...

 

[Deano]

Well ive got a few.

Urethane: Blue Nail
Old Reactives: AMF Ninja Fury, Columbia Red Pulse and Purple Beast.
New Stuff: Columbia World Beater, Resurgance, Momentum Swing.

But my favorite of all time is my Forest Green Quantum. Unreal ball and is still going.

Deano

 

[jason_doust]

Phantoms were symmetric, but quite high diff. Amazing balls. Won Festival City Cup with one of those. The JPF Axe was the original asymmetric core. I still have two. 15lb and 16lb. Now THEY were something!

The Ebonite Nitro was fantastic. I bowled 300 with one, drilled 2 more and shot 300 using both of them, one on each lane. The black Turbo was a very big ball for it's time too. But for me, the Nitro is the ball. So clean through the front, so strong in the back and it hit very hard.

Then there were the hammers. Real hammers that came by colour. They were all good balls. I'd forgotten about the nail. The ultimate dry lane ball.

And every single one of these greats is a dry lane ball today. Such is the clout of the bowling ball industry.

 

[C.Carney]

My top 5 and this is only balls i have used myself

1. Columbia 300 Cuda/C
2. Hammer Black Widow
3. Columbia 300 Pulse
4. Track Phenom
5. Brunswick Teal Rhino PRO

 

[pr2010]

Hmmm cast back to the dark ole days

Angle plus
Gold Angle
wine u dot - would love to get hold of another
Lt 48 rock- loved the smell of that ball getting drilled and i guessing the whole darn bowl did lol
Teal Gyro pro- still hitting well

 

[mickyd213]

My most favourite ball would have to be the Brunswick Black rhino followed by the black pearl rhino. In recent times I would say the Brunswick fury pearl and motiv QZ1... ( the purple one)

 

[Tiger]

My three all time favourites were:
Ebonite Magnum 10 - Can remember banking that off the half-board at Moonah and getting it back to the pocket about 18 years ago *cue "Glory Days"*. Had two of them, shot 300's with both.
Ebonite Nitro R2 - Most versatile ball I've ever used, to this day. Still hit well after more than 2,000 games with it.
Hammer Diesel Particle - This thing was devastating, I remember the first month I had it I shot 820-something for 3 with it. Bowled a hell of a lot of good games with it and found it very versatile.

All three were fantastic pieces of gear for me back in the day.
Also I threw a pearlised Track Flare about 15 years ago, on the right condition, it was a truly merciless piece, just found it to be one of those balls that used to either hook 7 kilometres or not at all.
Ebonite Gyro I was another excellent ball too.