Anyone got the skinny on any new ball releases scheduled for next season?

Brunswick has two new ones coming out at the Bowl Expo next month, the copperhead and another one a zone I think.

Visionary released the Gladiator solid and pearl.

Storm has three that cgeorg posted on his pba pattern thread:

Absolute Domination: http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/ball.asp?ballid=281

Fired Up II: http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/ball.asp?ballid=280

Mighty Shift: http://www.stormbowling.com/products/balls/ball.asp?ballid=279

Ebonite usually has a ton of balls at the Expo, but that is all I have heard of so far.

The rumor mill has these companies releasing these balls:

Brunswick : Copperhead and Swarm
Ebonite: NVD (NV Series)
Roto-Grip: Strike-Cell (released some time in June/July)
Track: Up-Rising
and the aforementioned Storm balls

I think the "Strike Cell" is an international ball already available overseas. It looks like a polished up version of the "Cell". Maybe Roto-Grip will release it stateside this summer.

I wonder if Columbia and Hammer have anything comming out. I heard Hammer is discontinuing the Pain and Toxic. So maybe there comming out with replacements for those balls.

They said somewhere on another forum that they're (Roto-Grip) is having a contest for the Strike Cell. Hammer is coming out with something called the Hazard?

http://www.youtube.com/group/rotogrip is Cell Video Contest

I can't wait to see Wes throwing the Cell and the Strike Cell next year.

Looks like Ebonite Bringing back "The One". Also introducing "Playmaker" that uses same cover stock as "The One"

Some info i found out on New Ball Releases:

Brunswick:
Copperhead and Swarm (no release date stated)

Columbia 300:
Momentum Swing July 15
Arch Rival June 17
Noise July 15

Ebonite:
NVD Aug 1
Playmaker June 1
The One June 1 (re-released)

Hammer:
BW Venom July 15
Hammer Pyscho Raw June 17th
Razyr (no release date)
Emerald Vibe

Legend and Master(All will be Released in July):
Dynamic Core
Juice
Kingpin
Black Pearl Reacitve

Track:
Knetic Pearl July 15
Trantrum June 17
Uprising July 1

Having recently returned from Korea, it sounds like some of the ball releases mentioned were available in Asian markets and are being brought State-side. The Storm Absolute Domination is one of those. Incidentally, I was really amazed at the level of dominance Storm has in the Korean market. The Storm brand is HUGE over there. The Strike Cell sounds like something I saw in Asia as well because every Cell I saw in Korean pro shops was polished OOB. Anxious to see what all is released!

Here's a link to the Strike Cell straight from the Roto-Grip website.

http://www.rotogrip.com/products/balls/ball.asp?ballid=77

Here in Thailand, Brunswick is the predominant ball supplier followed by Ebonite then others. Brunswick supplies a large selection of international balls every year along with the most popular stateside balls, however I haven't seen the Twisted Fury as yet. Among them, they even sell a polished Fury; this may be available in the states also, but I'm not sure.

The Fury evolution was Fury, the Fury Pearl, and the Twisted

There is also the little known Fury Pearl Tour Edition that the coverstock is suppose to be slightly different for drier lanes than the normal Pearl. The TE is polished unlike the regular Pearl and has a yellow or orange pin while the Pearl has a white pin.

I saw my ball driller at the Pro Shop this weekend, and she indicated that a polished, or pearl version of the Cell was rumored to be on the way for the new season.

The Strike Cell is coming out in the summer in the States and right now it's only an overseas ball. It's a polished pearl reacitve I belive.

It polish 1500 stated on Roto-Grip web site for the Strike Cell

Taken from another forum:

The upcoming releases are the Grand Illusion & Golden Globe. No pearl Cell.
--------------------
Roger Noordhoek
Vice President
Business Development
Roto-Grip, Inc.
www.rotogrip.com

Storm Dimension for June 24th, and the Brunswick swarm and copperhead are both out now (at least, they were in my local Pro Shop)

in case anyone wanted to know.

i know it's july 1 also.

twisted fury solid coming july 28 it says or maybe sooner. cant wait to see that one either. i love my twisted so i mite be investing in it to see what its like.

also got the smash zone coming .--->
the Smash Zone integrates a pearlized version of Brunswick's exciting EnMotion™coverstock with an updated version of the original Inferno™core and a high gloss polish finish.

Roto-Grip is coming out with the Grand Illusion in Aug.

"Big Nasty" Mallott has been throwing the Grand Illusion in the Team Shootout shows, and it looks like a very nice step down in total hook from the Cell.

I have seen the arch rival and the playmaker at the shop this past weekend. I saw Tommy Jones throw the NVD on tv. Rhino Page was throwing the Dimension and it looked very strong, possibly the strongest ball there.

You sure that was the NVD tommy was throwing? It looked like the playmaker to me...

True, he has been using the Playmaker but on the longer fresher patterns he has been rolling the NVD. Watching all the new releases rolling down the lane has probably been the most fun part of watching those shows.

yup the Dimension did look good i saw the shows today. but i still want to see this smash zone

I have been seeing advertising for the copperhead and the swarm for longer than any of the others, but I still haven't seen them, and there has been several Brunswick staffers on the show, this makes me wonder if they are still having quality control issues at the Mexico plant.

I think I saw Parker B using a Swarm on the allstar shoot out.

We sold one Copperhead but have not really gotten any feedback on it yet. It looks cool sitting on the shelf. :-)

The Ultra Zone is fairly new and everyone that's bought one or brought it in for drilling has really liked it.

The anticipated release around here is the Black Widow Venom. Supposed to come out next week.

Erin

Just a heads up - according to BTM, the Venom is the weakest of the line. Billed as "more length, more backend" and only delivers on the first. Similar backend to the pearl, I think.

As you know, the Twisted Fury is made in Mexico. I removed the thumbslug and filled in the wormhole using Devcon Epoxy putty - the stuff that looks like a tootsie roll where you slice off what you need and roll it up until it the colors merge. I felt like a dentist filling in a tooth while packing in the putty with a bamboo chopstick. After it hardened(5 minutes) I sanded the excess and except for a change in color where the hole was, you wouldn't know there was ever a wormhole. I have an appointment on Saturday to have my driller install a new thumbslug.

Its too bad that Brunswick moved thier manufacturing operation to Mexico, pulling out of Michigan. I know ,..cheap labor and all, but what do you sacrifice to save some money. Brunswick did not have any quality issues when they made the balls in the states as far as I know. The Pro Shop owner where I bowl at says he has trouble even getting Brunswick balls. There is usually a long wait, according to him. If the alleged quality and availability issues are true, it could ultimatly hurt the company in the long. run.

Make them in Michigan again. There are alot of folks here desperate for work. It won't happen, but it would be nice.

When I ran an operation that moved manufacturing to Mexico, we went from a "Zero Defects" program to one that accepted 30% defects. Our customer base told us this was a noticeable difference.

Labor is just like any other commodity, you get what you pay for.

At the time I bought my Twisted Fury, I didn't know the Big B had gone NAFTA on us. Would have been good to know at the time. Good ball, but probably would have gone the Gravity Shift route had I known that.

The thing I hate the most is how Brunswick was advertising the copperhead and swarm as new high performance line, when in fact all they are is replacements for the Rampage and Wizard, YAWN, talk about not worth the hype or the wait, at least that explains why they haven't been used on tv.

i had no idea . i would've probly not bought it if i knew that >:( would have bought me a lane #1 buzz bomb or may be a banger hole ponder.

Isn't Banger out of business?

Personally, I wouldn't believe a whole lot of what people say about the Black Widow line. I like the Black Widow Solid the best, it still works for me. The Pearl looks to me to be the strongest in the group (at least stats wise), and in my opinion the Bite looks to be the weakest. So I really don't know what to believe about the Venom. I know around here (where there are very dry lanes) the Rayzr is the much anticipated ball at least by bowlers that don't have access to the oilier lanes here in San Diego.

dont know much about banger. my Pro Shop wouldnt even talk about the company because of just the name alone. his boss want let him talk about'em , but i still see some places on the net still have them in stock. so i'm not sure if they are. i know that i'm hearing about a ball by Columbia 300 called the noise thats suppose to be one the best this year. mike went to a convention this week and he said that it was the best one he threw while he was there.

Demo, I really don't understand the Black Widow line. Many here use the Black Widow with success. If I remember correctly, Silent Mike is its biggest advocate. But, when the Bite came out, it was supposed to be better on oil, hence the name. I almost bought one, but I usually wait til I know someone who is rolling one and get their reaction before I buy. And, they all told me the Bite isn't what it was advertised to be on oil. It's a medium oil ball at best.

I see the Black widow and the Lane Masters Sting as very similar balls. The difference is the coverstock on the Sting which requires less maintenance.

My thoughts on a new ball. I have been back to the game, now 4 years, and 11 balls, 2 pair of shoes, and 3 bags. Three Coaches, hours of practice, 5-6 leagues a year, many tournaments and Nationals each year, and I finally have NO desire to get a new ball.

I am going to put the money and time into me, through training, and practice. My equipment works. It is me who has to learn to use it to its utmost.

BTW, I still have my original towel. It's time to wash it.

I was happy with all my equipement and didnt think of getting any new balls. Until i left the Wrath Dead Flush at the center on accident. When i came back it was gone and no where to be found. So ended up getting Vibe to replace it for dry lanes.


Dennis you finally gonna wash that towel for reals now?

Maybe, I've only used one side. The other side is still good.

I have the BW Bite, the ball was a monster when I first got it in January. Several high 600's and a few 700 series later the ball seems to have rolled out. I maintain the heck out of the ball, keeping it clean, removing oil and resurfacing. It comes back,..but nowhere near what it used to be. Its a very HIGH maintenance ball, true of all high end ball nowadays I guess.

I have been researching some balls and the Lanemaster balls are intrigueing to me because of the quality of materials they use. Thier balls are harder and supposed to last longer, with less maintenance. I think they cost a little more though, but I am considering the Sting, and the Buzz. I have not seen any if those balls around here, so I have not had a first hand look at them. Other those two, I have a little interst in the Cell and the Ebonite Game Breaker. But I think the Cell may be too much ball where I bowl.

If my resurgence dies i probably replace it with Lane Master maybe Terminator or Black Pearl

I think you would be pretty happy with that decision Brandon.