What is Your Favorite Bowling Ball of All-Time?

[The Mayor]

Everyone has a favorite bowling ball. The one you can turn to when you're struggling to give you the best shot at success.

This is an easy one for me. The Brunswick Speed Zone. I've had 5 of them in my time bowling. I still have one. I also still have a Speed Zone Blue Vapor. I can throw this ball on any condition and have a shot to score. I know exactly what it's going to do and it hits like no other ball I've ever thrown.

Honorable mentions: Storm T-Road Solid, Storm Secret Agent, Storm Black Thunder, Brunswick Attitude III, Columbia Complete Chaos, Ebonite Puma, Storm Prodigy, Hammer Black Widow Solid, Columbia Surge.

So what's your favorite ball ever?

[Stormed1]

For me it was a Ballistik Kryptonite or my Storm Tour Power. Of my current arsenal it would either be my Long Shot or my Double Clutch Pearl

[jmartin27407]

Ahhh I had complete forgot about the Tour Power. What a great bowling ball! I would have the say the Storm Lightning Flash was definitely one of my favorites. I am really hoping this new Tropical Breeze gives a similar motion.

[Drano]

hands-down the Hy-Road, balls just amazing

[kev3inp]

I loved my Absolute Inferno. Still have it, just too heavy for me now.

[mhrinko]

My Storm Fast was the best ball I had. Great pin reaction!

[Kokomo Kid]

Claiming that size does matter, AMF added a little extra girth to this classic (http://bowlinghistory.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/dick-weber-all-pro-ball-1967/)

[SpearMaster3000]

That sounds wrong in so many ways. I like the 10 Pin Balls. They're huge and the different color choice's are great.

[DanielMareina]

The original Virtual Gravity is the best ball I ever got out of the box. Although, due to it's coverstock, it did wear down after a couple hundred games. The best ball I owned for longevity is the Storm Hy-Road. I got over 300 games out of it, and it still holds an essential spot in my arsenal. Down right predictable, strong, smooth, and carries well.

[Bowl823]

Ok I'm showing my age here but the Black Hammer was my favorite ever. Then came reactive balls and the Purple Rhino was one ball I'd love to have had 4 of.
In the modern era I'd say the Virtual Gravity and Virtual energy (I have 2 drilled the same one at 2000 and one polished).
900 global equipment is more prevelent in my bags now.
Oh man that was like way too many for a favorite ever question huh?

[broncofan27]

Don't really have a favorite yet as I am just getting into the game but i am really enjoying my track 607A

[Trex]

My favorite Ball right now is my old Brunswick Proactive Azure. This is because all of my new equipment just simply was not getting the job done!! Monday night I decided to take my old Brunswick Proactive Azure, and it was a good choice because I shot a 736 series with it. Not luck because I practice every day and my new equipment simply could not handle the longer oil pattern that the bowling center has been using recently. So now I know...when nothing else will hook due to the oil pattern being heavy and long, I will bring out my old trusty Brunswick Proactive Azure!!

[tracy]

showing your age bowl823 would be the LT48 and i used one.lol

[ken74012]

I love my red mission. I just bought a 250K and first set out and I went 716 so that looks very promising.
The arsenal I have are:
14 red mission
15 red mission
15 250K
14 world beater
15 virtual gravity
15 hammer sting

[BallBuster]

The Columbia 300 Messenger Titanium is by far my favorite ever. Despite having to have the thumb hole filled and re-drilled 3 times, I have bowled all 3 of perfect games with it. That ball may be retired but I will be using it until the day it cracks!

[The Mayor]

The Columbia 300 Messenger Titanium is by far my favorite ever. Despite having to have the thumb hole filled and re-drilled 3 times, I have bowled all 3 of perfect games with it. That ball may be retired but I will be using it until the day it cracks!

Definitely one of the best balls of all-time. I think they ran somewhere around $129.99 drilled in pro shops in my area. So this ball definitely was the best bang for your buck ever.

[BallBuster]

Definitely one of the best balls of all-time. I think they ran somewhere around $129.99 drilled in pro shops in my area. So this ball definitely was the best bang for your buck ever.

I love that Messenger but for a while I've been trying to find something else that is just as powerful or more for a reasonable price. It seems like there are so few "mid-priced" good balls. Either they're entry level balls or high performance/high priced balls. My pro shop was offering a Roto Grip Critical Theory for only 174.00 drilled out the door, but for me that's still a lot of money.

[JerseyJim]

Ebonite Grey Wolf - I threw my only 300 with it, and had more strings of 7 or more strikes with that ball. At that time it matched up to me, and most of the lane conditions that I bowled on. The conditions were pretty tough during the period that I used it. I think when I threw that 300, there were only 8 thrown that season. The lanes that I bowl at average 40+ per season now.

[got_a_300]

Yep showing my age here too but I remember the old LT48 balls but
does anyone else here remember the old brand called Manhattan Rubber
ball that was my very first ball that I ever owned back in the 80's.


My most favorite balls from back when I bowled in the 90's were my

1. Teal Rhino PRO had all of my 300 games with that ball during league and open bowling
2. Ebonite Turbo had several 299 games with it during league and open bowling also
3. The Black Hammer had many, many, many, 279's and 289's with it and it was the first ball
I ever had that was drilled Axis Weight.

of my currant arsenal since I have started back bowling it would have
to be my go to ball the first one out of the bag.


1. Ebonite Evolve
2. then my Roto Grip Nomad Pearl
3. and then lastly my DV8 Hell Raiser

most nights I have to leave the Roto Grip Pearl and the DV8 in the bag and
just use the Evolve and my plastic T Zone spare ball.

[TCDale]

My favorite of all time is Brunswick Black Beauty, from the 60's to 80's. The newer ball wasnt as good as my father's Black Beauty.
Plus my other three favorites are the Brunswick Mineralite, Storm HyRoad, and the Ebonite Urethane Galaxie 700. The Ebonite ball wasn't drilled for me but I never got it replugged and drilled to my fingertip specs, but someone else's. I regret that, but, I like those four balls I have. Another was a plastic Columbia 300 in blue that I bowled my highest game ever in league in the early 80's 238 before handicap.

I don't have a lot of balls in my arsenal or history, but, I really love the old Brunswick hard rubber product, and if I could find another Black Beauty, I would almost buy on the spot. :) I am STILL getting used to the HyRoad, and I still have issues with it not doing what I want, but, then again this is the first ball with the correct specs for me and fingertip grip. I almost bought a Hammer long time ago, and I still regret it. lol

[mikejones]

Favorite ball hands down was the Brunswick MVP Walter Ray Williams Jr. Called that ball old reliable and had for about 8 years before the cracking around the fingers got too bad for plug to fix anymore. Great ball. Another one from that series was the Mike Aulby. First ball I ever drilled for myself. Ended up going 15 in a row with it right out of the box.

[The Mayor]

Ebonite Grey Wolf - I threw my only 300 with it, and had more strings of 7 or more strikes with that ball. At that time it matched up to me, and most of the lane conditions that I bowled on. The conditions were pretty tough during the period that I used it. I think when I threw that 300, there were only 8 thrown that season. The lanes that I bowl at average 40+ per season now.

Oh man did I love that ball! I got it for 1 dollar at a thrift store when I was about 15. That was the hardest hitting ball I've ever thrown and it had the most predictable reaction and strongest midlane from a pearl ball I've ever seen. I have back to back 290's in league with that ball. Wish I never got rid of it!!

[JerseyJim]

Oh man did I love that ball! I got it for 1 dollar at a thrift store when I was about 15. That was the hardest hitting ball I've ever thrown and it had the most predictable reaction and strongest midlane from a pearl ball I've ever seen. I have back to back 290's in league with that ball. Wish I never got rid of it!!

I'm thinking of bringing it out of retirement. I have never found a ball that I like quite as much as it. Maybe I'll bring it to practice to see how it reacts.

[ebonitemissiontyler445]

I like the ebonite mission x and the cyclone those are my favs:D

[fix_2_0]

I lide the pearl cell roto grip- best hook and scores i have ever earned. I sold it, and now regret it to this day.

[Special_K]

i just got the hammer taboo blue/silver for christmas and its amazing, down part is after i got that ball then came out with hammer taboo jet black ball but for now blue/silver will have to do

[madapples]

My favorite line was EL Nino line from storm. The El Nino Wrath being my favorite.

[Special_K]

ill sell it back to you for 60

[rmndlws]

My two favorites would have to be my Ebonite Savage (first 300 game with this ball) and my 900 Global Creature Pearl. The Savage has now died (cracked over the summer...not sure how/why) and the Creature Pearl has about 600 games on it and really needs to be replaced. I wish they were both easily accessible as I would add new ones to my bag ASAP!

Honorable mention to my new 300T. I have only bowled about 30 games with it but it is starting to move in to the Savage territory for me for consistency and pocket power. The only drawback to the 300T so far has been the large amount of 9 pins that I leave.

[T-road2011]

my favorite ball Storm T-Road

[WaltMisser]

Brunswick Black Beauty & Blue or Purple Faball Urethane Hammers. I still throw the Blue & Purple Hammers!

[WaltMisser]

Brunswick Black Beauty - still throw ocassionally.

Faball Blue Hammer - still in use.

Faball Purple Hammer - still in use.

[briar_fan]

This is a toss up between my dull purple Hammer from the early 90s or my Storm Virtual Energy now. I have a Hy-Road that I like also...I am not sure if I really have ONE favorite ball....LOL