Bowling World Select 2025 {Bowling Ball Award Winners}

In a year full of exciting releases, the Hammer Black Widow Tour V1 stood above the rest to earn our highest honor: Bowling Ball of the Year. Our staff agreed that it captured what bowlers need most—a motion that’s strong, versatile, and reliable across a wide range of conditions.

What set the Tour V1 apart in our testing was how often it came out of the bag—and stayed in play. It handles transition with ease, provides a predictable read without sacrificing hitting power, and gives bowlers the trust they need in long sets or high-pressure games. For its unmatched blend of performance and versatility, our expert staff voted the Hammer Black Widow Tour V1 as the Bowling World Select: Bowling Ball of the Year 2025.

When it came to solid bowling balls in 2025, our staff agreed the Hammer Special Effect set itself apart. With its HK22-based solid coverstock and dynamic movement, it offered a strong, predictable read that never felt overdone. What impressed us most was how the Special Effect blended power with control—digging in early enough to handle heavier volumes while still finishing with the continuation bowlers expect.

That combination of strength and consistency is what earned it our staff’s vote as the Top Solid Ball of 2025. The Special Effect gave bowlers confidence frame after frame and delivered the kind of reliable motion that makes a solid ball so important in any arsenal. For us, it checked all the boxes a solid should, making it a clear winner in this category.

The Ebonite Game Breaker 5 Pearl took home our staff’s vote as the Top Pearl Ball of 2025, and for good reason. Building on one of the most trusted lines in bowling, the GB5 Pearl delivers the clean length and sharp backend motion that bowlers expect from a pearl, but with the consistency and control that made the Game Breaker name so reliable over the years.

What made the GB5 Pearl stand out to our team was how it balanced energy retention with strong continuation through the pins, giving bowlers that ideal pearl reaction without sacrificing predictability. For versatility, legacy, and performance, the Game Breaker 5 Pearl earned its spot as our Top Pearl Ball Release of 2025.

In a year filled with strong hybrid releases, the Brunswick Hypnotize rose to the top of our staff’s ballots and edged out the Black Widow Tour V1 to claim this award. From the first throws, it impressed our team with its blend of clean length and controlled backend motion, delivering a shape that bowlers can trust across a variety of lane conditions.

What really stood out to us was how the Hypnotize strikes the perfect balance between traction in the oil and continuation through the pins. It’s smooth without being lazy, strong without being over-aggressive, and versatile enough to serve as a reliable benchmark piece in any arsenal. The more we tested it, the more it proved to be a ball we could recommend confidently to bowlers of all styles. 

Simply put, the Hypnotize delivered the complete package, which is why our experts selected it as the Top Hybrid Ball of 2025.

When our team voted on the best entry-level ball of 2025, the Hammer Bubblegum Vibe kept coming up for just the right reasons. It delivers exactly what newer or casual bowlers need: controllability without being overly complicated, a smooth motion that’s forgiving to minor errors, and a price point that doesn’t hurt the budget.

What really impressed us was how approachable the Bubblegum Vibe feels right out of the box. It gives bowlers a reliable way to learn ball reaction and build confidence without needing advanced adjustments.

Because of its balance of performance and value, it earned the unanimous nod from our staff as the Top Entry-Level Ball of 2025.

It’s not often a ball delivers strong performance and a low price tag, but that’s exactly what the Hammer Bubblegum Vibe does. Our staff agreed that no other release in 2025 struck the same balance between affordability and on-lane results, making it the clear choice for Best Value Ball.

The Bubblegum Vibe shows bowlers they don’t have to spend top dollar to get dependable motion and a ball that will hold up game after game. Whether you’re a newer bowler looking for your first performance piece or a seasoned player who wants a budget-friendly option for lighter conditions, this ball checks all the boxes.

Its ability to combine quality with cost savings is also why it took home another honor this year—Top Entry-Level Ball of 2025. Simply put, the Bubblegum Vibe proves that value doesn’t mean compromise.

When it comes to tournament play, bowlers need a ball that can handle a variety of patterns, adjust well to transitions, and still deliver a dependable reaction under pressure. The Hammer Black Widow Tour V1 does all of that and more. Its re-engineered Gas Mask core and hybrid HK22 coverstock provide a motion that’s both powerful and controllable, giving bowlers the confidence to read lanes accurately and make quick adjustments when conditions shift. 

Our staff selected the Tour V1 as the Best Tournament Ball of 2025 because it never feels like too much or too little—it hits the sweet spot tournament bowlers rely on. It’s strong enough to dig in on tougher patterns, yet smooth and stable enough to stay in play across long blocks of games.