Since the 1970's I have probably thrown 85 bowling balls. Half of which I received free, or used.

My favorites:
AMF
Columbia 300
Faball
Track
Ebonite
Storm
Roto Grip

Good, but not great: (I probably did not own enough of them)

Brunswick
Visionary

Horrid:

Carmen Salvino Incorporated. He just had to have his own company...they were duds.

Star Trak. Poor quality control. Poor Urethane. Lots of unmarked blem's and second's got into the marketplace. You never knew what was under the label.

It is too hard to rate them, the criteria is too widely varied. There are too many different ways to categorize them. Hook, performance, durability, etc...

  Currently, A.M.F. (900Global poured) is my weapon of choice. I like Phil's philosophy of making equipment by relying on time tested combinations for reliable performance while still pushing the envelope with new innovations at the other end, making for a company that doesn't release much junk, just balls that work well in conjunction with each other. If it doesn't work/fit, it doesn't get released.

 Visionary is on the scale with them as well. They research many options before releasing a new product to make sure it fits into their existing lineup without "wasting" a new release. Very durable with great performance characteristics as well from the family that brought you the original Faball HAMMERS.


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Good transactions list in my profile

 [THIS SPACE FOR RENT]

Awesome/Best:
Track- Machine line were one of my favorites
Ebonite


Good/Very Good:
Storm
Columbia
Motiv- GT1 is great, hope the QZ1 is just as good.

Alright:
Roto-Grip- Liked the Quest alot, hated the Cell.

Bad/Suck:
Hammer- Cannot match-up with their stuff

Best to worst:
Visionary-Small company but ball lines have great choices-Ogres
Brunswick-Great cover stock (mid line) but moved sob-Nemesis,Rampage
Storm-Xfactor was great, most balls too jumpy off dry for me
Ebonite-Matched up well to some of their stuff-Tiger good,Big One bad
Columbia-Didn''t match up well at all except white dot
Track-Particle DEATH! 50 games max.- Arsenal Aggressive Particle
Lane 1- No Match at all-Pearl Uranium Buzzsaw
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"We are all one"
Visionary test staff member

Edited on 12/27/2009 9:38 AM

I've tried a little of everything over the years and have enjoyed them all. I've owned and thrown a lot of Brunswick as of late.(including a lot of there overseas stuff and the Revolution series) I also really like my Track/Columbia pre buy out equipment.

I think some people just match up a little better with some things then others. Some companies go through runs of great equipment, then ok stuff then back to really good stuff. I really enjoy getting to try it all. Its usually just a ball here or there that I may not like or get the reaction I was looking for but may have great success with everything else.

It also helps I buy online and drill my own equipment. Makes it a lot more affordable then going through a pro shop.(for me)
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" men lie, women lie, numbers don't "

1 through 10 10 being the worst 1 the best
1 Hammer
2 ebonite
3 track
4 columbia
5 visionary
6 storm
7 roto grip
8 900global/amf
9 morich
10 the worst of all the companies brunswick
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Hammer90
Nothing Hits Like a Hammer

Best I've Thrown ( and current ): Roto-Grip, just really matches up well in my hand, I had an epic a few years ago and it was just ok, but I tried them again with the Cell series and I love their whole current line now.

Close second, Storm, had some real good looks a couple seasons ago and even up to this season, but then the equipment started getting very over/under for me, combo of balls/drillings, and me just getting better in my physical game, but I still have a Dimension, and like it for tourneys.

Close behind Storm: Hammer. I threw basically the whole raw series up until the Burn came out and liked them all a bunch, still have a toxic and Doom here at home just in case I ever want to throw them in Summer league or something. Had 3 Widows, a Widow Pearl, they were decent THS balls for me, and Maybe my favorite Hammer was my Blue Vibe, I miss it.

Middle stuff that I neither loved nor hated, Big B ( I have had several, just ok for me ), Ebonite ( loved the one, my favorite ball of juniors, but outside of that, not much impressed me ), Lane 1 ( I actually had like 6 throughout juniors and liked them on the old wood, but when we went to brand new synthetics, couldn't get any carry at all, but good balls IMO ), L/LM ( only had a Sting and Sure Strike, I actually really liked them both, but my Sting got chewed up by the lane machine 2nd game I had it, and at the time I was transitioning into Storm, so never had any more. )

Honestly can't say I have hated anything I have thrown, i have seemed to have a decent look on almost anything I have owned depending on the oil of course. Only ball I could never really get a look out of was my Tornado, got it for when they went to real crap, and only used it when everything else hooked, but just couldn't get any look out of it even on super dry lanes, I have a neptune now and I just pick the speed up as needed, heck of a lot more ball than the Tornado.

Sorry for the Depth, but I wanted to be thorough.


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Brett Pro Staff is "Loaded" with Incentives.

TIDWAP... Assemble!!!

My most successful companies.....

The Faball Hammers...Blue, Black and Red Pearls all gave me the hook and hit that I needed while I was in college and could not make the U-Dots and Angles work for me.

The Faball 3-D OffSet High Rev, Crimson Sledgehammer and Jackhammers....quality first generation reactives. Just excellent pieces. The Blade series was one of the best available at the time.

AZO....their first couple of balls were great....the Armageddon solid and pearl were great. I was one of the few who liked the Fatman as well.

Ebonite....Tidalwave Wipeout Sparkle...one of my favorites ever....Playmaker is a quality piece today (just wish it held the reaction for more than 35 games). Not much else good to say here.

Ebo-Hammer....The midrange and low end Hammer balls are still some of the best on teh planet...Doom, Anger, Burn, Psycho, Onyx Vibe, Emerald Vibe....just awesome.

Brunswick....not their biggest fan but I have thrown some of their pills very well...Danger Zone, Punisher, Blast Zone, Black Phantom, Diamondback. The new releases are showing a lot of promise...(C-System, Diamondback, WildCard)

MoRich....loved my Ravage and I still have my Pioneer...perhaps the new releases will bring MoRich back into mainstream since they are not super-critical to drillings as the balls ahve been in the past.


However, hands down, my favorite comapnies....

Lane #1....have had tremendous personal success with their equipment, the key here is to get the right ball (pin and top wt) and have a guy drill it who knows the balls AND your game.

900 Global/AMF....yes I lump them together due to the way their lines complement each other. They have a solid benchmark ball (Lunatic), heavy oil balls (Bounty Hunter and MegaFriction), lighter condition balls (Hype and Link) and a great group of medium condition balls (BHP,Breakpoints,Clutch,Sideways).

Storm...shot my only 300 with an X-Factor, higher series with an El Nino X-it, loved my Firepower, Too Hot was a great ball, but the Eraser was my go to ball.



Of all the ball companies out there I think Storm (and their sister company RotoGrip) has done their homework and has become the easiest ball company to sell. They have shelf appeal, perform well and have enough variety in their lines to cover every conceivable lane condition. Their success on the PBA Tour hasn't hurt their "sell-a-bility" either.

The Top 5 in my mind right now (based on personal experience and sales):

1. Storm/RotoGrip
2. Lane 1
3. AMF/ 900 Global
4. Brunswick
5. Hammer
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Doug Sterner
Doug's Pro Shop
Owego, NY
http://dougsproshop@aol.com
www.dougsproshop.net
Lane 1 Buzzsaw...The Official Power Tool Of Bowling
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