The origins of Ebonite Bowling date all the way back to the turn of the 20th Century! In the time period from 1905 to 1907, a chemist in Upper Newton Falls, Massachusetts developed a formula for a hardened rubber that could be used to improve bowling balls!
Several decades later in the late 1960s, Ebonite International used that chemist’s hard work to begin manufacturing bowling balls in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
In just over 50 years of business, Ebonite International became one of the most popular bowling ball brands in the United States. The allure of an Ebonite bowling ball was and always has been simple — they’re high-quality in construction and always keep the wants and needs of serious bowlers as a top priority.
Although Ebonite International officially closed its doors in 2019 after selling the company’s intellectual property to Brunswick, the Brunswick brand continues to keep the Ebonite brand going.
And that’s lucky for a customer like you! If you’re in the market to shop for a new strike or spare ball, Ebonite bowling balls remain one of the best options in the sport.
Rather than leaving you to search for Ebonite deals on you’re own, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 9 Ebonite Bowling Balls For 2021. We’ve even included handy links for you to buy a ball and get straight to shipping it your way!
Let’s start our countdown with #9!
The 9 Best Ebonite Bowling Balls For 2021
9) Ebonite Game Breaker 3 Pearl Bowling Ball
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To be honest, the Ebonite Game Breaker 3 Pearl Bowling Ball is much better than the #9 slot on our list. The only reason why we’ve ranked it here is that the next installment of the Game Breaker series is higher up our list. If you want to go with a proven commodity that balances easy length and a wild backend reaction, the Ebonite Game Breaker 3 Pearl is a hard-hitting classic you should definitely consider.
Specs
Color: Red/Purple
Core: Enhanced V2(Symmetric)
Coverstock: GB 12.7 Pearl (Pearl Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500 / 1000 Abralon Polished, Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.048
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium
Pros
- This ball attacks medium oil conditions with glee, staying long and hitting strong.
- The Enhanced V2 symmetric core is one of the most popular cores going today.
- This ball explodes into the pins with a backend reaction that’ll leave plenty of jaws dropped.
Cons
- The pearlized coverstock cuts into this ball’s angularity just a bit.
- The next installment after this improves on this ball’s formula. You might want to consider the Game Changer 4.
8) Ebonite Maxim Captain Planet Bowling Ball
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The Ebonite Maxim Captain Planet Bowling Ball is one of the prettiest spare balls you’re going to find in the market. It’s a low-cost polyester ball that stays straights, hits well, and looks beautiful popping up on the ball return. If you’re in the market for a smooth finisher that’ll make you look good over and over, go with the Ebonite Maxim Captain Planet. You won’t be disappointed.
Specs
Color: Light Blue/Blue/White/Black
Core: Bullet (Symmetric)
Coverstock: Polyester
Factory Finish: Crown Factory Polish
Recommended Lane Condition: Dry
Pros
- If you’re looking for a spare option that shoots straight and hits with intent, this is it.
- The patterning on this ball is simply eye-popping.
- This is the lowest-priced ball on our countdown by far!
Cons
- This is a spare ball. It’s not meant for heavy oil hooks and all that jazz.
- Polyester bowling balls aren’t known for their durability.
7) Ebonite Destiny Solid Magenta Bowling Ball
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If you’re not as interested in angularity as you are a buttery, powerful hook, the Ebonite Destiny Solid is a versatile ball worth your time. Regardless of oil conditions, this ball delivers a consistent roll for bowlers of all types and skill levels. This ball doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It simply attacks the pins with brazen hitting power, punching to the back wall with no regrets.
Specs
Color: Magenta
Core: Cyclone Torque (Symmetric)
Coverstock: GB 11.2 Solid (Solid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/1000/3000 Abralon
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.053
Flare potential: Medium
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium
Pros
- This is the kind of mid-performance ball that’s made for beginners, intermediates, and experts alike.
- The Ebonite Destiny Solid keeps its track and forgives off-throws quite often.
- This ball’s sneaky hitting power will do serious damage for strikes galore.
Cons
- If you’re looking for a ball that’s made for complex angles and oil patterns, this might not be it.
- When the oil gets too deep, this ball gets submerged sometimes.
6) Ebonite Futura Bowling Ball
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A strong hook monster with impressive continuation through the pins, the Ebonite Futura Bowling Ball is a medium-oil masterclass. The new Futura HD core is indebted to the Game Breaker series and its run of high-impact symmetric cores. And coupled with the GSV-1 Hybrid reactive coverstock, the Futura HD core ups the ball motion quotient to unreal heights. This ball jumps and jukes, simply crushing pins in its wake.
Specs
Color: Purple/Silver/Black
Core: Futura HD (Symmetric)
Coverstock: GSV-1 Hybrid (Hybrid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/2000 Abralon
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.053
Flare potential: Medium
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy
Pros
- If you want to add crazy ball motion to your bag, the Ebonite Futura can do just that.
- For those who dig the Game Breaker series, this one will feel quite familiar.
- This ball turns medium-heavy oil conditions into fantastic energy retention unleashed towards the back wall.
Cons
- Keep this ball off the dry. It’ll jump and twist and skip uncontrollably.
- It might be too twitchy for those looking for consistent ball motion
5) Ebonite Vortex V2 Bowling Ball
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A limited-run masterpiece of back-end aggression, the Ebonite Vortex V2 Bowling Ball turns heavy oil into liquid explosives to and through the pins. The real star here is the TRIMAX19 Reactive coverstock — a glorious hybrid reactive update of Ebonite’s original Trimax Reactive Coverstock. That coverstock was known as the most aggressive in their catalog. This coverstock and this ball ups the ante even further for the modern game.
Specs
Color: Blue/Black
Core: Modified V2 (Symmetric)
Coverstock: TRIMAX19 Reactive (Hybrid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/1000 Abralon
RG: 2.47
Differential: 0.047
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy, Heavy
Pros
- For pure reactivity, this ball’s coverstock is near the top of the Ebonite list.
- The update of the original Trimax Reactive Coverstock is a thing of beauty.
- The Modified V2 symmetric core promises length and extra hitting power.
Cons
- This ball is not made for dry lanes. It needs plenty of oil to reach its full potential.
- The aggressive coverstock might too much for some.
4) Ebonite Game Breaker 4 Bowling Ball
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The latest edition of Ebonite’s revolutionary Game Breaker bowling ball series, the Ebonite Game Breaker 4 rips through the slick stuff to create some unreal backend fireworks. Coupling a new solid reactive coverstock with the fan-favorite Enhanced V2 symmetric core, the Ebonite Game Breaker 4 holds strong in the middle of the lane before crushing the pins from a variety of angles.
Specs
Color: Red/Dark Red
Core: Enhanced V2 (Symmetric)
Coverstock: GB 12.0 Solid (Solid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/1500 Siaair Micro Pad
RG: 2.48
Differential: 0.048
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy
Pros
- This is a fantastic next chapter in the story of the Game Breaker series.
- Backend reactivity is a real plus with this ball.
- The mid-lane control you can take with the Game Breaker 4 will be extremely helpful for those looking to nail down their hooks.
Cons
- Dry oil conditions can mute this ball’s efficacy considerably.
- This ball doesn’t blend wet and dry quite as well as we’d want it to.
3) Ebonite Omni Bowling Ball
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One of the first balls released under the Ebonite banner after the company’s acquisition by Brunswick, the Ebonite Omni Bowling Ball does the company’s legacy proud. The introduction of the Omni asymmetric core tracks you back towards the pocket and helps you recover in the most stressful of game situations. And with the addition of Brunswick’s DynamiCore technology, you get trademark hitting power and lane length to boot!
Specs
Color: Blue/Black
Core: Omni (Asymmetric)
Coverstock: GSV 2.0 (Solid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/2000 Siaair Micro Pad
RG: 2.501
Differential: 0.050
Flare potential: High
Recommended Lane Condition: Heavy
Pros
- The new Omni core and DynamiCore outer core balances recovery with trademark oomph through the pins.
- This ball’s flare potential is at or near the top of this countdown.
- For Brunswick’s first foray into the Ebonite world, this ball is a home run!
Cons
- The less oil on the lanes, the less this ball seems to do for you.
- The Omni asymmetric core is not made for intermediate and uninitiated bowlers.
2) Ebonite Matrix Solid Bowling Ball
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If you want top-tier access to early and powerful action in the deepest of oil, go with the Ebonite Matrix Solid Bowling Ball. The name is quite apropos — the Ebonite Matrix Solid seems to defy physics and gravity! With the news of the closure of the Ebonite International plant in Kentucky, we worried that one of our favorite bowling ball series would be no more. This glorious updated take on the old Ebonite Matrix has us breathing much easier.
Specs
Color: Purple/Lime/Black
Core: Matrix Reload (Asymmetric)
Coverstock: GB 12.7 Solid (Solid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 500/2000 Abralon
RG: 2.53
Differential: 0.049
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy
Pros
- The original Ebonite Matrix was a crowd favorite. The Ebonite Matrix Solid lives up to its predecessor and does even more!
- This ball gets angular early and allows you to approach the pocket from a variety of different perspectives.
- The hitting power is fantastic, as is the energy retention.
Cons
- This ball can be kinda hard to find sometimes. If you get a crack on it, get to shopping and shipping!
- The Ebonite Matrix Solid can get a little inconsistent with lane condition breakdown.
1) Ebonite Choice Bowling Ball
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Are you ready to get intensely angular in medium-heavy and heavy oil lane conditions? The Ebonite Bowling Choice Bowling Ball isn’t just one of our favorite items for deep-oil hooks. It’s our favorite Ebonite bowling ball going right now! This ball digs hard into the middle of the lane for traction, changing directions on a whim for some fantastic crashes through the pins.
Specs
Color: Red/Black/White
Core: Mod-1 Asymmetric (Asymmetric)
Coverstock: GSV-1 Hybrid Extra (Hybrid Reactive)
Factory Finish: 2000 Grit Abralon (Polished)
RG: 2.49
Differential: 0.054
Flare potential: High
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Heavy
Pros
- This ball kills pins with no remorse. It’s the definition of a heavy-hitter.
- The Mod-1 Asymmetric core twists and turns this ball in medium-heavy oil for crazy pin approaches.
- The Ebonite Choice digs hard into the deep stuff and keeps you on the lane and on track.
Cons
- It might be too angular and too explosive for intermediate bowlers.
- Dry stuff tends to mute this ball’s overall hitting potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ebonite a good bowling ball?
Yes! Ebonite balls are a great choice, no matter what your skill level! Whether it’s a polyester ball perfect for a beginner, or a high-performance bowling ball ready to take on the world, Ebonite has a ball for every player and all oil conditions. Just look up the reviews of the bowling balls on this list. Bowlers all over the world trust Ebonite to deliver the goods. They also make some of the best bowling bags and bowling shoes on the market!
No matter what style of bowler you are, there’s an Ebonite ball in your price range.
What is the hardest-hitting bowling ball for Ebonite?
Our pick for the hardest-hitting Ebonite bowling ball is our pick for the best Ebonite bowling ball. The Ebonite Choice Bowling Ball turns oil into fiery backend crashes through the pins. This ball goes sideways on normal medium-heavy lane conditions and bursts with hitting power that’s simply unmatched in the Ebonite oeuvre.
What is the most expensive bowling ball for Ebonite?
Out of all the balls on our list, the Ebonite Omni Bowling Ball is the most expensive of the bunch. That’s not to say that it’s an exorbitant investment destined to drain your bank account. In fact, it can be had for under $150! Ebonite’s mid and high-performance bowling balls are made with customer service as a top priority. That means cost-effective, powerful balls that get the job done without costing you an arm and a leg.
Closing Thoughts On Ebonite Balls
The history of the Ebonite brand says it all. The company may have changed hands, but Ebonite remains one of the most beloved bowling ball manufacturers in the world. And, for good reason! No matter which Ebonite ball you choose to purchase on our list, you’re not just shopping for any old ball. You’re putting a real game-changer in your cart — a trusted ball from one of the most trusted brands in the bowling equipment industry.
