After completely being burned by another company's blind box, I was hesitant to try any other blind box. I paid the extra $10 and it was worth it. I was looking for a strong symmetrical pearl and got the new Super Cuda! While I was hoping for something a bit stronger, there is really not a lot of strong symmetrical pearls on the market. I'm not mad at it at all and will definitely try it again. Maybe a true blind without the note next time. Thanks!
Very well made bag. Compact but has plenty of room for shoes and some gear. Great size for carry on. Very durable material, great color choices also. I own three of these bags. They are functional and hold up well.
Size runs just a bit larger than the Dexters I have. Good width and just a tad longer than the Dexter brand. Looks to be a solid, well made shoe. The interchangeable sole and heel on the slide shoe work well. Really nice that they include several soles and several heels to choose from. The #10 slide sole and the middle heel work really well for me. I need to slide a bit. I do drag my right toe sometimes when posting shots and the right shoe does not grab the lane like some other brands I have had. I own three pairs of bowling shoes and these are already my favorite after one use. Great out of the box.
Brunswick Ethos Solid
Awesome Ball, may not be one I would of bought for myself but somehow this just works
I started bowling in February in a beginner house league. This tool has been the biggest improvement in my game. I have gone from a 123 average to a 152 average.
So it's safe to say I'm kinda hooked on buying surprise balls! You want a killer deal and like surprises? Don't even hesitate. You've seen what people are getting, what are you waiting for?
Great ball strong backend blows up the pocket, and carries light
Hits as well.
This was my first ball. It didn't hook hardly at all and didn't hit all that hard, but it did teach me a lot. It's a gorgeous ball, too. It looked like a fireball going downlane.
I bought this for my 10 year old granddaughter as her first ball. I figured that it would just go straight but I was wrong. She gets a ton of hook out of it. It's a good starter ball.
My wife has struggled to line up with her older spare balls. She decided to try an Axe after I purchased one. Her scores have skyrocketed! What really surprised me is how much she can hook this one if she wants to. She can even strike with it.
Excellent dry lane ball. It's designed for playing straighter. I haven't had much need for it yet. Perhaps I will next summer.
I'll be honest. I absolutely HATED this ball out of box with a 25x5x25 layout on it. I hated it so much that I put it back in the box and tossed it in the closet for a few months. It kept gnawing at me that I had spent so much money on this ball and wasn't using it. I finally got it back out and tried it again. I still hated it. Out of desperation I decided to take the finish up to 3000 grit. It instantly became a COMPLETELY different ball! Suddenly it was easy to hit the pocket and very controllable. It's loud when it hits the pins and they disappear instantly. It went from my most disappointing ball to one of my absolute favorites! I should probably buy a couple more before I can't get them.
I wasn't sure if I would appreciate a ball for dryer conditions since I was used to stronger pieces. I was completely floored when this smacked the pins just as hard as many of my bigger balls. 202 right out of the box for a 150 average bowler. This one is extremely easy to play on the dryer edges and is aggressive enough to still reach the pocket with authority.
Hammer Effect 14 lbs
30x4 5/8x70
PAP 4 5/8 Left 1 up
My PSO didn't think that I could handle this one with a pin up layout. I think he's wrong. I would have loved to see what it could do at full strength. It took me several times of changing the surface to find one that would work with my play style. The motion is pretty tame and boring, but the ball still has plenty of strength to send pins flying. I'm going ahead and giving it 5 stars because I can imagine its full potential. I have had dozens of 200+ games with this one. My pin up Effect Tour is awesome at least, but now after several surface adjustments, this one is really showing potential.
Excellent was a ball that I started using right away. Radical no doubt solid. Fit in my arsenal just right.
Ebonite seriously makes really good equipment, but like usual, they tend to go under the radar.
My wife loves the color purple, and her bag is full of it. The moment she saw this one, she had to have it. They say that purple balls just strike more, and maybe they are onto something with that.
This one is fairly smooth through the fronts, but kicks in a hockey stick motion when it meets the friction! It's been a fantastic asym to add to her arsenal, which includes the Emerge Pearl, Hater Pearl, and Zen Gold Label. She also uses the IQ Tour Edition and Archetype Solid, but her purple balls see the lanes the most.
I've always worn brand B when it came to bowling shoes. I had no idea that bowling shoes could actually come with support and cushioning until I decided to give these a try!
These came in black and red in a left-handed pair, which is what I purchased.
The huge differences between these and the other brand that I always used before are not only the support and comfort but also the quality and design. I had a lot of foot, shin, and knee injuries in the other brand. I also tripped numerous times on the poorly designed toe of that brand, which sticks out beyond the shoe. These Dexter shoes are much more like real sneakers than anything else I have worn.
The boa system is also awesome, and very easy to use. I was intimidated by them at first, but actually they are very easy to adjust and really work well.
The only negative that I have about these shoes is that they don't come with any additional soles or heels. The shoes are the only thing in the box. That's probably why they cost a lot less, too. But, the #8 sole that they came with is working well enough so far.
If you are considering between brand B or brand D, go with D every time!
The positives about this shoe:
- unique look
- lots of extra slides included
The negatives:
- no support or cushioning
- easy to trip on the toe
- feels cheap for the cost
For transparency, I won a choice of Brunswick shoes on a podcast. I chose these, not understanding anything about bowling shoes. My previous Brunswick pair were well over a decade old.
I immediately didn't like the laces and replaced them with a quick lacing type rather than regular laces. The thing that I dislike the most is how flat they feel inside. It's like cheap shoes that have no support or cushioning inside. The other thing I don't like is that the sole of the toes stick out beyond the shoe creating a big trip hazard. I have tripped up the stairs at the alley numerous times. I've also injured my ankle, shin, and knee in these.
Though I have enjoyed the looks, a year of wearing these was torture. I finally decided to go with another long-running, well-known brand and, even though they don't come with any extras unfortunately, they have been a million times better. In this case, going with brand D over B is definitely a grade above the rest. Plus the pro boa system on my other brand of shoes is way better than the laces on these. And they were $50+ less than if I had purchased these.
Reaction to my speed and rev rate has helped me raise my average since purchase
I purchased the personalized selection along with the mystery ball and ended up getting a DV8 Severe Collision. Got to throw it shortly after it got delivered and man I love this ball. They filled the strong/sharp spot in my bag perfectly. I will definitely order again in the future
Very nice bag; fit both bowling balls, the shoe compartment is huge!
Haven’t actually tried yet. Tried on fits well and comfortable. Shoes seem a bit heavier than my current shoes. Will know more when actually get to use.
I really thought that this would be a chalky feeling ball when I first read the stats. Instead, it's surprisingly smooth. Don't let that fool you though. It's very strong and the sound when it hits the pins is a very loud music to my ears. This is definitely a first out of the bag for any house or sport shot where there is oil for it to play in. I can see myself making plenty of memories with this one. If you have revs (I'm jealous!) then this one will really shine.
