The Brunswick Rhino is perhaps one of the most prevalent and instantly recognizable balls throughout the global bowling community. A staple in both the collections of committed players and on the racks of public lanes everywhere, the Rhino’s image is firmly ingrained in the minds of hobbyists and pros alike—and with good reason.
The Brunswick Rhino is a versatile ball that is suitable for beginners, but even seasoned players also find themselves returning to it time and time again.
In this review, we’re going to look at exactly why that is, as well as weigh up the ball’s specs and performance so you can make an educated judgment as to whether the Rhino’s right choice for you.
Contents
Aesthetics
On a superficial level, the Brunswick Rhino isn’t too hard on the eyes at all. Sporting a full variety of visually appealing color schemes and swirl patterns ranging from psychedelic purples to the fiery and furious reds to understated and calming blues and greens, you can cop the design that best reflects you.
It features a striking and tasteful inlay with the iconic Rhino logo defiantly displayed across the center. The indentation is also strong enough to withstand any erosion from repeated use.
Build and Design
Coverstock
The Rhino is fitted with a durable coverstock that can sustain plenty of punishment on the lanes while absorbing oil and powering through friction. It has a low differential rating that lets it glide through most oil patterns, making it great for those straight shots.
The coverstock is an R-16 reactive pearl with a Royal Compound/Royal Shine/500 SiaAir finish. This allows the ball to glide smoothly across moderate to dry lanes.
Core
The Rhino is fitted with a light symmetrical bulb core which gives it a great deal of pin action and hooking potential. It also helps the ball build up a considerable amount of momentum.
This makes for a multifaceted performance that can serve bowlers looking for either a good degree of precision for landing spares or the spin needed for sweeping strikes.
Weight
The ball weighs 15 lbs., a moderate and accessible weight that’ll suit most players. It also makes it just heavy enough to make a smooth connection to the lane without bouncing or deviating from its course.
This mid-range weight offers the ball that extra degree of punch to allow players of all strengths to generate some serious power behind their throws and execute great bowling shots. If you’re looking to cause some chaos among the pins, you could do a lot worse.
Advantages
Great performance on medium to light oil conditions
The Brunswick Rhino excels on medium to light oil lane conditions. The coverstock offers a good amount of absorption to help the ball glide over even the dryest of conditions. This makes it a good option for trips to the local alley where you can’t necessarily predict or plan for the oil levels.
Consistent trajectory
Users have been pleased with the ball’s trajectory, as it moves down the lane with consistency, hooking at the right times or maintaining a straight path when needed.
Good hook potential
The Rhino hooks impressively well too. With the right technique, the ball generates a solid amount of lateral spin, great for a smooth, continuous arc.
Multiple drill patterns
With the Rhino, you’ve got a lot of options in terms of drill patterns too.
When drilled at an off-kilter angle, you can adjust your spin accordingly for a wider or shallower curve trajectory. Going with a symmetrical drill pattern can optimize your control—perfect for straight rolls.
Users claim that having the Rhino drilled to fit your hand and fingers really lets you get the best out of your technique, too.
Reactive coverstock
The R-16 coverstock is reactive enough to gather some good backend motion on dry lanes while picking up some serious speeds. This serves to aid you in your hooking power and precision shots.
Beginner-friendly bowling ball
The Brunswick Rhino is regarded as a good, versatile option for beginner bowlers looking to graduate from house balls because of its reactive resin coverstock and robust performance according to all bowling forms and play styles.
Disadvantages
Not good on heavy oil conditions
Whilst the Rhino is often commended for its performance on light oil patterns, its Achilles heel is undoubtedly heavier oil patterns, where it often struggles to maintain a consistent path, losing reactivity and sliding off course.
This could prove problematic on lanes on where oil has been freshly applied—you’re best waiting until some of that grease has been absorbed.
Fails at angular hooks
Additionally, where it succeeds at hooking, up to a point, and certainly excels at straight shots for securing spares, it falls short when attempting sharp, angular hooks towards the end of its path.
This could make for a less than satisfactory performance for players wanting to prompt some chaos at the breakpoint.
Wrap Up
The Brunswick Rhino is hailed as the go-to for beginners who are fresh to the game, intermediates looking to swot up their skills, and veterans who want a balanced ball for a range of conditions.
That’s totally not a surprise—the Rhino is a balanced and versatile product that can deliver results for a range of play styles and experience levels.
While it may not satisfy the needs of bowlers looking to execute those late, sharp hooks, you can still nail smooth, gradual curves and generate some reasonable hooking power. Most notably, this Brunswick ball’s capacity for precision and aggression is second to none.
While it’s not recommended that you try anything too fancy with the Rhino on freshly oiled lanes, the ball fares better than most on choppy, uneven oil patterns, making it a great option for racking up points later in the game.