Best balls of 2017

The past year has been a wild one in the bowling industry. There were tons — and I mean tons — of great bowling balls released this year; more than I can remember in recent memory, honestly.

And from all companies.

This really was a great year for every brand. So, in turn, this was a great year to be a bowler.

Now, obviously, I’m not going to talk about every single release from this year, as that would take quite a few days. But what I am going to do, and I think it’ll be fun, is go over some of the best balls released in 2017.

Storm Code Red:

This ball has been a personal favorite since its inception. For my money, the single best big pearl ball I have thrown in many, many years. To me, it is one of the most usable asymmetric balls on the market, and I’m able to use it a lot more and a lot longer than I can other big, strong balls. This was a home run from Storm.

Roto Grip Daredevil Trick and Danger:

I have said this before and I’ll say it again: the Daredevil line is the best value in bowling. Period. And both of these balls are no exception. The line provides something for everyone, and though these two balls share some core and cover similarities, their differences and variety are what make this line so special.

Brunswick Inferno:

I loved this ball. And, truly, I look forward to Brunswick’s vintage releases every year. Brunswick is a historically important brand and I think it is wise of them to play on that with these releases. With every vintage release, the nostalgia and performance is there. I can’t wait to see what they do in 2018.

Ebonite Affinity:

There is nothing else quite like this ball on the market. The motion this ball offers is very unique and very special. It’s remarkably clean while maintaining a smooth, continuous backend motion. When I’m able to throw this ball late, I feel like I may never miss. I’m confident that I could throw a ten bagger with this ball at any moment. And that’s a great feeling to have.

Hammer Black Widow Urethane/Roto Grip Hot Cell:

I put these two together because they’re a variation/take on virtually the same concept. And both, in my opinion, offer an awesome option to any competitive bowler. But, honestly, the real reason I put these on here wasn’t just for performance or sales, but, rather, the importance the balls have had/will have on the industry. Some friends and I have talked about this concept for years, wondering who the first would be to do it. And finally it happened. And I haven’t been disappointed by either ball yet. Can’t wait to see where this concept goes in the future.

Track Mako:

Of all the big, high end, solid asymmetrical balls released this year, the Track Mako was my personal favorite. If you didn’t throw one, you missed out. This ball just reads the lane right. And it doesn’t bail or lose energy the way a lot of these big balls tend to do. Track nailed it out of the park with this release.

Storm Hyroad Nano:

This is a new ball, obviously, so I haven’t had as much time to spend with it as I have some of the others on this list, but, thus far, I have not been disappointed; this ball has been incredible. Incredibly strong in the midlane, without losing energy before it gets to the pins. I have drilled these for several people now and they’ve all been thoroughly impressed. I think this might end up being in the line for quite some time.

Dynothane Vendetta:

This ball came out at the very beginning of the year, and I’m sure it is a shock to most of you, but the Vendetta by Dynothane has been a sleeper ball for me. I know many of you are probably a bit — if not a lot — hesitant and skeptical about this ball/brand, as they’ve been relatively quiet over the years, but this re-release of a classic has been incredible. All I can say is #BallMotion.