How would you rate the 4 ebonite bowling ball brands (Columbia, Ebonite, Hammer, and Track) 1 to 4 (1-being the best and 4-the worst) when comparing them based on best overall brand (timing of new ball releases, ball performance, current line up, etc....)? I saw a post similar to this a while back and wanted to see if any of your views or thoughts have changed now since time has passed and newer equipment has been released.

How would you rate the 4 ebonite bowling ball brands (Columbia, Ebonite, Hammer, and Track) 1 to 4 (1-being the best and 4-the worst) when comparing them based on best overall brand (timing of new ball releases, ball performance, current line up, etc....)? I saw a post similar to this a while back and wanted to see if any of your views or thoughts have changed now since time has passed and newer equipment has been released.

I'm in Central Va.  The 3 proshops that are within a reasonable distance all push Hammer.  So we see a lot of Hammer around here.  In particular, two of the better bowlers in the area shot a lot of big scores with the Epidemic when it was first released, and then it looked like 1/4 of all the bowlers in our area had them, and a lot of honor scores were shot with them.  Since then, there have been a lot of Hammer duds, with perhaps the First Blood having some limited success.  Both the Purple and Jet Black Taboo's seemed to be really condition specific.  The Jet Black's always seemed to be very smooth, but were not hyped up that way.  I may have seen one or two Arson's, but they weren't popular around here.

Me on the other hand have thrown all of the 4 EbI brands.  My personal preference has been 1. Track, 2. Ebonite, 3. Columbia and 4. Hammer.  I have had good luck with a lot of Track and Ebonite equipment, and even when Ebonite was a "dirty word" back in the mid 90's, I had good luck with a lot of their stuff.  Perhaps Ebonite has done better with their mid priced and lower lines as the Gamebreaker and Cyclone were in my opinion, very good balls for the money.

As a PBA member, Hammer rarely offers their equipment either at a discount or at all,  while Track offers discounted prices.  So personally I am a lot more likely to throw Track because of that very reason.  The 300 and 400 series balls have been very popular with the rev heavy people in our area, as they give a controlled movement on drier lanes.

There are VERY FEW Columbia 300 balls being thrown in our area.  And honestly, every one I have seen has given the bowlers using them terrible ball reaction.  It probably is just some isolated cases, but if I was purely to judge on when people around me are throwing, I wouldn't buy a Columbia 300 ball.  I saw someone throw the Crazy Antics last night, and in my opinion, it is one of the top 5 ugliest balls I have ever seen, and in almost 20 years of bowling I have seen my share of ugly bowling balls.  It looks like a big Creamsicle.  So perhaps if you like Creamsicle sticks ....

I have tried 3 different Hammer pieces, and didn't have much success with any of them ... with the Black Widow Pearl being the best of the 3 (and that was obviously a while back)  Maybe I am missing out on some of their better stuff, but I would pick them far behind the other three (and would certainly be the exception in my region)   

So for me 1-Track, 2-Ebonite, 3-Columbia, 4-Hammer

But I would say based on popularity in my area it is:

1-Hammer, 2-Track, 3-Ebonite, 4-Columbia


I won't throw in any gratuitous remarks about other manufacturers, as the OP didn't ask about any other brands.

dr3w - interesting comments on not having good reaction with the Hammer line.
I switched away from Track because of the very same reason.
loved the 505t & 715t equipment, both earlier rolling very predictable.
A few tweaks in my grip layout & pressure changed my game a bit.
My local pro shop operator who is a gold coach and experienced driller suggested a few pieces to fit my new game.
have a few of each, columbia, hammer, ebonite and tried to keep the 2-505t, but they just dont match up the way they did for me previously.
Also interesting is the discount available to you for 1 of the EBI brands, but not the others...

I think tha the EBI companies can offer discounts if they want.  Almost evert Track ball is discounted.  Most Columbia balls are offered.  Ebonite used to offer a lot of stuff, but have slowed down recently.  Hammer hasn't offered anything in a while.

I've heard the argument that Hammer wants to cater to the brick and mortar shops.  There have been rumors of PBA guys buying the discounted equipment and selling it off.  With a maximum of 2 Balls per member, it seems like a weak argument.    Even when Hammer did offer discounts they were for $5 to $10 cheaper than you can get online, and they wouldn't guarantee specs (pin out distance).  So for $5 more, I would rather get the specs I prefer from an online store, so I can more easily get the layout I want.

Sorry if I have diverged from the Original Topic.

I do like the way the Pivot reacts . . but Ebonite has a long way to go to overcome the hole they've dug themselves into. 

And northface, I actually wasn't backpedaling, lol those reasons are all exactly why I would rather quit than throw Ebonite, I just didn't get into detail to begin with. 

the cyclone is alot of ball for the price, so im not surprised it sells well
im not a ebonite loyalist by any means, but ebonite does sell well in other areas besides yours obviously.
I bet if you tried a pivot and gave it an honest opinion on the condition it is designed for you wouldnt be so dead set against the brand, their equipment is not poor.
poorly marketed, poor colors, possibly, but performance wise, not even close to poor

My perception from the bowling scene in Central Arizona:

1. Columbia
2. Hammer
3. Ebonite
4. Track

Okay, I was only referring to the PBA discounts they offer to PBA members.  I'm sure each brand has its own reward program for brick and mortar proshops.  I remember years ago seeing hammer boxes with stickers that stated "buy X Balls, get One free".  Not sure if Buddies or other online shops get discounts.  But obviously Buddies shows video reviews, so perhaps they get free equipment or other perks for that.

Hammer has more of a rewards program.  They have hammer stickers on all the ball boxes, and my boss takes care of it so I don't know what kind of a deal they get, but there are different color stickers depending on the level or price of the ball, and if you get so many and send them in, Hammer will send you free balls, or give you discounts or something.  There's a discount, they just do it on the back side instead of up front. 

Quote from: dR3w on January 01, 2014, 01:33:44 PM

Quote from: Dave81644 on January 01, 2014, 10:46:38 AM

dr3w - interesting comments on not having good reaction with the Hammer line.
I switched away from Track because of the very same reason.
loved the 505t & 715t equipment, both earlier rolling very predictable.
A few tweaks in my grip layout & pressure changed my game a bit.
My local pro shop operator who is a gold coach and experienced driller suggested a few pieces to fit my new game.
have a few of each, columbia, hammer, ebonite and tried to keep the 2-505t, but they just dont match up the way they did for me previously.
Also interesting is the discount available to you for 1 of the EBI brands, but not the others...

I think tha the EBI companies can offer discounts if they want.  Almost evert Track ball is discounted.  Most Columbia balls are offered.  Ebonite used to offer a lot of stuff, but have slowed down recently.  Hammer hasn't offered anything in a while.

I've heard the argument that Hammer wants to cater to the brick and mortar shops.  There have been rumors of PBA guys buying the discounted equipment and selling it off.  With a maximum of 2 Balls per member, it seems like a weak argument.    Even when Hammer did offer discounts they were for $5 to $10 cheaper than you can get online, and they wouldn't guarantee specs (pin out distance).  So for $5 more, I would rather get the specs I prefer from an online store, so I can more easily get the layout I want.

Sorry if I have diverged from the Original Topic.

If I am not mistaken, Hammer Sticker Program is going away and the Absolute Hook is last ball to have stickers. Not sure when they have to be redeemed by, by sucks because it was a plus for me to sell Hammer balls. Think I ended up with 6-8 balls from program.

I do like the way the Pivot reacts . . but Ebonite has a long way to go to overcome the hole they've dug themselves into. 

I agree. and it's a sad state, especially seeing how proud of a brand they are, and have been successful over the past 20something years. I just don't know happened. I know the industry has its ebbs and flows, but they definitely did get caught unaware, especially with the fracturing that happened and other companies cropping up (Visionary, Motiv, Radical, Seismic, DV8, etc.). It's like their thinking is still back in the mid-late 90s when there were only six major brands around.


And right now, the Pivot is the only reason I'm still looking at Ebonite gear. I'd love to demo it, but the closest demo days is in Minnesota, and there is only 1 EBI staffer in the area without having to make a 3 hour drive in any direction, and he's with Track. So the chance of there being a demo day in the Norcal area is slim to none.

I hadn't heard about that, that's disappointing.  I wonder if it's because it was costing them too much, or because most shop owners didn't take the time to redeem them.  Won't change anything for us though, my owner bowled at KU with Hammer's brand manager, so we'll continue to support them regardless of the sticker program. 

Quote from: Perfect Approach Pro Shop on January 02, 2014, 11:12:34 AM

If I am not mistaken, Hammer Sticker Program is going away and the Absolute Hook is last ball to have stickers. Not sure when they have to be redeemed by, by sucks because it was a plus for me to sell Hammer balls. Think I ended up with 6-8 balls from program.

Interesting. didn't know about either the program or Ussery bowling at Kansas. Wish I had known earlier about the program.

BL.