CURRENT ARSENAL

DV8 Brutal Nightmare

Layout - Approximately 5 X 4

Surface - 500 abralon

Reaction characteristics - At this finish, the ball reads the midlane fairly quickly, digs in hard, and offers a strong, yet smooth, backend motion.

Conditions: This ball gets most of its use on medium-heavy to heavier patterns or on shorter patterns with flying backends (in order to burn up a bit and tame the down-lane motion).

Brunswick Mastermind

Layout - Approximately 3.5 X 4

Surface - 3000 abralon

Reaction characteristics - Early, strong, and steady.

Conditions: This is my "big ball". It's the strongest ball I have in the bag in terms of its ability to handle oil. I go to the Mastermind when I need something that digs in quickly and gives me traction all the way down the lane.

Brunswick Mastermind Intellect

Layout - Approximately 5.5 X 3.5

Surface - 500 Siaair + Royal Compound

Reaction characteristics - This ball is all about long and strong. The slightly-polished finish allows this ball to clear the heads with ease, and then it makes a big-time move down the lane. If you like watching the ball come off the spot down lane, you're going to LOVE the Intellect!

Conditions: The Intellect is going to be good on most medium to medium-heavy patterns. The issue is going to be taming the backend. If the ball is already flying off of the spot, the Intellect may be a bit too much because it really breaks loose down the lane. I actually think the Intellect is going to be nice when encountering carrydown because it clears the heads very easily, and it really digs in while trying to climb the hill.

Brunswick Mastermind Genius

Layout - Approximately 4 X 4.5

Surface - 3000 abralon

Reaction characteristics - The Mastermind Genius is my benchmark ball. It's the first one I pull out of the bag in order to read the conditions. It's smooth, strong, and controllable from foul line to pin deck.

Conditions: The Genius gets the majority of its use on medium patterns (both in terms of length and oil volume); however, it comes in handy any time I need control and predictability. The beauty of the Genius compared to other benchmark pieces is that I don't have to sacrifice power. This ball hits with the best of them!

Brunswick Melee Jab

Layout - Approximately 3 X 4

Surface - 2000 abralon + High Gloss Polish

Reaction characteristics - The Melee Jab is all about being long and strong. At this surface finish, it clears the heads with ease, gives a slight read late in the midlane, and is strong and smooth all the way through the back end.

Conditions: I find the Jab to be ideal later in blocks as I need to move inside and start opening up my angles; however, the ball is really viable any time you have friction down the lane. I could see using the Jab on just about anything but the extremes in terms of length and volume; it's THAT good!

Brunswick Strike King

Layout - Approximately 3 X 4

Surface - 500 Siaair + Royal Compound

Reaction characteristics - As you would expect from an entry-level piece, the Strike King is very clean through the front part of the lane. The pleasant surprise is off the spot where it is smooth enough to maintain control yet powerful enough to offer much better carry than I usually see from this type of ball.

Conditions: For me, the Strike King is going to be very nice when the lanes really start to break down and I need something that clears the heads but doesn't want to go sideways off the spot. It will also be good on shorter patterns or on mediums with clean backends. Really, the only places I can see the Strike King struggling is on long patterns and/or carrydown, but that's not what it's designed for. Use the Strike King on its intended conditions, and I think you'll love it!

Brunswick T-Zone

Layout - NA

Surface - High Gloss Polish

Reaction characteristics - It's a spare ball. As such, it's going to go straight on all but the shortest and or hooking-est (is that a word?) patterns you'll find.

Conditions: I don't tear the cover off of the ball. As such, the T-Zone is going to serve as my spare ball 99.9% of the time; however, if I should run into a pattern that is extremely short and/or scorched, like all polyester balls, it can serve as a first ball in a pinch. In the meantime, it looks very nice traveling down the lane to cover my single pins!

Brunswick Melee

Layout - Approximately 3 X 4

Surface - 500 + compound + polish

Reaction characteristics - The Melee is smooth, smooth, smooth. It clears the heads without being squirty, and it backends without going sideways. If you need to get a read of the lane, the Melee will give it to you!

Conditions: The Melee gives me control and predictability on just about any pattern I see, but I love it the most when I encounter a pattern with flying backends because it does such a great job of smoothing things out. I know the reviews on this one were mixed, but I'm not sure why. I feel like I can ALWAYS get lined up when I have the Melee in my hands.

Layout - Approximately 3 X 4

Surface - 500/2000

Reaction characteristics - The Cross is a very nice upper end control ball. It gives you that early read you need in oil without going sidways off the spot.

Conditions: The Cross is good on medium to heavier patterns when you need control. Where the Mastermind and Intellect really come flying around the corner, the symetric core on the Cross keeps this ball smooth and even all the way through. If you're bowling on tougher patterns, the Cross is definitely a piece you're going to want in the bag.

Brunswick Melee Cross

Layout - Approximately 5 x 3

Surface - 500 Siaair, Royal Compound

Reaction characteristics - Benchmark

Conditions: The Brute Strength is perfect when the Mastermind Einstein is struggling to get through the pins as I have to get deeper. Compared to the Einstein, which I keep at 1000-grit abralon, the Brute Strength is a couple of feet longer, and it's got a more pronounced moved off the spot. This ball is absolut money when I need to start getting left as the pattern dictates. This is just one of those balls that suits my game perfectly and is tons of fun to throw!

Brunswick Brute Strength

Layout - Approximately 4.5 X 4

Surface - 500, 2000, 4000 Siaair

Reaction characteristics - Smooth and strong

Conditions: For me, the Einstein is the rare asymetrical benchmark ball. I like to keep mine at 1000-grit abralon to help it pick up a bit sooner and blend things out. The more I've used it, the more I've liked the smooth, predictable motion it provides. It wasn't really the reaction I was expecting, but it's one I've really grown to like and depend on when encountering tournament patterns.

Brunswick Mastermind Einstein

Layout - Approximately 3 X 3.5

Surface - 500 Siaair Micro Pad; Royal Compound

Reaction characteristics - Strong and steady

Conditions: When you go into a company's affordable line, you may expect a decrease in performance. Well, that's not how Brunswick rolls (pun slightly intended)! The Soul offers a smooth steady ball motion that is perfect for standard mediums. The ball picks the mid up nicely and offers a strong move off of the spot. I was really delighted to see the motion and hitting power this ball had to offer. I can see tournament bowlers using one of two of these for control, and I could see league bowlers using this is a perfect all-around piece that can be used on just about anything. Well done, Brunswick!

Brunswick Soul

Layout - Approximately 5.5 X 3

Surface - 500 Siaair Micro Pad / Royal Compound / Royal Shine

Reaction characteristics - Clean and flippy

Conditions: I'm not the heaviest-handed player you'll find, so, for me, the Hooligan is a great piece when the fronts begin to go away, but I still need something that turns hard off the spot. Crankers may be able to throw the Hooligan on some fresh, but I have the most fun with it when the fronts begin to go away, and I need something that gets down the lane and really turns over hard. When that condition is present, this ball attracts a lot of attention due to its sick movement and eye-popping colors. This bowling ball is a lot of fun!

DV8 Hooligan

Brunswick Nirvana

Layout - Approximately 4.5 x 2.5

Surface - 500 Siaair, Royal Compound

Reaction characteristics - Early and strong

Conditions: The combination of layout and surface on my Nirvana leave it better suited as a medium-heavy piece than a true oil ball in my hands. Granted, when I took the surface down from the 1500-grit box finish, it did read much earlier. Still, I think it perorms best at box finish when I need a ball that gets through the heads cleaner than my Mastermind Intellect and maybe offers a different shape down the lane.

Roto Grip No Rules

Layout - 4 X 4 X 2

Surface - 2000 grit abralon

Reaction characteristics - Surprising length and backend reaction for a strong, solid asym.

Conditions: This is my go-to option when the lanes are particularly tight. As with most high-end solid asyms, this one needs some oil in order to truly match up. However, I find the No Rules to be more versatile than many other balls in this category. Even with surface, the ball doesn't read at 5 feet and puke the rest of the way like many others do. Additionally, it really gets clean and flippy if you smooth out the surface and/or add some polish to it. Long story short, this is more than enough ba