Bowling is undisputedly one of the world’s most favorite indoor sports. Just the rush of striking 10 pins with a ball that weighs up to 16 pounds spikes the adrenaline.
While the ball itself has evolved from wood and rubber to polyester resin, picking the right bowling ball makes all the difference to the players and their game.
Several manufacturing companies have launched and continue to launch bowling balls for every bowler’s needs. Be it bowling balls for kids or bowling balls for two-finger bowlers, there are balls available for all ages, lane conditions, and skill levels.
Bowling has seen hundreds of balls being thrown in the lanes and some of them stood out as fan favorites. Whether it is because of their performance, shelf-life, reliability, or slide control, some balls made it to the hall of fame for bowling fanatics of all ages.
In this article, I bring you 5 of the best bowling balls of all time. Read on!
Contents
At A Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Bowling Balls of All Time
If you’re in a hurry, you can jump straight into our top picks (these are the bowling balls that most people buy).
- Hammer Black Widow Legend Bowling Ball Top Pick
- Storm Paradigm Bowling Ball Runner-up
- Brunswick Vintage Inferno Bowling Ball Runner-up
Top 5 Best Bowling Balls of All Time – Our Reviews:
1. Hammer Black Widow Legend Bowling Ball
Whether it is for a professional league or recreational session, Black Widow Legend is considered the best choice. Hammer soon became a leader in the production of bowling balls, thanks to Black Widow.
The hook that Black Widow provides is exceptional. Also, the drive and slide controls are great.
This is one of the most successful balls of all-time and the first ball to ever be designed with a hybrid coverstock.
Infused with carbon fiber as the outer core, Black Widow offers great strength. Its inner core, meanwhile, is made with Gas Mask and Flex-Resin enabling the ball to be ultra tough on smashes.
Available in 12-16 pounds range, Black Widow provides superior backend motions and continuations. This ball also has a classy rotation, best suited for medium-heavy oil lane patterns.
The Red/Black color makes the ball an eye-popping one, true to its legendary status. While it is a little more expensive than usual, Black Widow sure is worth every penny.
Pros
- Strong backend motions and continuation
- Strength and toughness
- Exceptional performance
- Outstanding slide controls
Cons
- Not suitable for beginners
- A little expensive
- Only suitable for medium-heavy oil lane patterns
2. Storm Paradigm Bowling Ball
Storm’s Paradigm is known to help bowlers level up their game.
Best suited for medium-heavy oil lanes, Paradigm ruled the lanes as a fan favorite. This versatile ball was made with then latest EOX Pearl Reactive Technology coverstock.
Paradigm is a highly reliable ball that offers stunning performance and consistent friction. There’s also the RAD+ core which results in an incredible spin.
Paradigm is still considered to be the best ball ever made for its unparalleled backend reactions. Even the entry and exit angles that this ball provides take the player’s game to the next level.
Plus, the Silver/Gold/Purple color shades do make Paradigm a one good-looking, attractive ball.
Pros
- Superior backend reactions
- Reliability
- Exceptional performance
- Offers consistent friction
Cons
- Only suitable for medium-heavy oil lane patterns
3. Brunswick Vintage Inferno Bowling Ball
When conditions on the lane are tough, Vintage Inferno is the best pick to strengthen your game. Its low RG along with the Activator 2.0 Aggressive Reactive-Resin coverstock gives the player an edge by bringing out some strong strikes.
Best suited for medium-heavy oil lanes, Vintage Inferno promises a high track flare with low RG. Packed with 500 Siaair/Crown Factory Compound finish polish, this ball absorbs oil nicely and glides with ease on well-oiled lanes.
Vintage Inferno is a Smoke/Fire Pearl colored ball that brings a classic yet powerful performance to the lanes.
Pros
- Stunning gliding motions
- High track flare and low RG
- Absorbs oils well and is great in friction
- Good-looking ball
Cons
- Only suitable for medium-heavy oil lane patterns
- Not suitable for spinning/curvy actions
4. 900 Global Break-Out Bowling Ball
Global Break-Out from 900’s Global series comes packed with a strong hook and mid-lane game. Best suited for medium-heavier oil lane patterns, Break-Oot offers outstanding control that bowlers are sure to love.
This benchmark ball from 900 comes with Original S70 Reactive cover and Break Asymmetric core, features bring out some strong angular backend motions.
While it comes with an angular motion at the break point, the ball overall offers a clean glide through the front lane.
This Blue/Purple ball not only looks good but also performs really well on almost all oil conditions.
Pros
- Excellent skid/flip motions
- Strong mid-lane and total hook
- Great down-lane reactions
- Good angular backend motions
- Suitable for wide varieties of lane conditions
- Strong continuous motions
Cons
- Drier-lanes gliding is not too smooth
5. Ebonite Cyclone Bowling Ball
Ebonite’s Cyclone ball is well known to offer the best possible lane-contact and great hook to bowlers.
Ebonite launched this ball from as low as 10lbs, making it a great option for beginners as well. This versatile ball is suitable for both casual plays and professional games.
Cyclone’s Red/Orange color gives the ball a fiery, lava-like look making it stand out in crowds and resulting in stunning visuals as it strikes the pins with great force.
Pros
- Visually delightful strikes
- Durable design
- Outstanding performance
- Pocket-friendly
Cons:
- Only suitable for medium-heavy oil lane patterns
- Not suitable for spinning/curvy actions
Conclusion
While the latest balls from fairly newer companies are ruling the market, it is hard for any bowling fan to forget any of these legendary balls. They were reliable, performed excellently, and saved the day when things got tough in competitions.
I bet many out there still carry at least one of these balls in their bowling bags and continue to strike the pins and score some good points. If you do get a chance to lay your hands on any of these balls, you better bag them and add them to your bowling arsenal.