Brunswick Ultimate Inferno Bowling Ball

Brunswick's Ultimate Inferno

The hallmark of a good Reactive coverstock bowling ball is the ability to push a steady outside arc through the oily start of the lane, recover in the midlane and still have enough bite to hook when it hits the dry back end and really punch through the pins. And as always, good looks don't hurt either. Based on these criteria, Brunswick Bowling may have created the most reactive bowling ball in history with their Ultimate Inferno bowling ball. Shelled with Brunswick's revolutionary new Activator Coverstock, the Ultimate Inferno is made for heavy oil lane conditions. With a dull 800-grit wet sand surface finish, it claims to rev easily through the freshest house oil and still check up in time to smash the pocket.

Sounds good on paper, but how well does it hook? Like a boomerang. We tested a fifteen-pound ball drilled with the pin below and just right of the ring finger (right handed) and the center of gravity a bit out to the right. Several times I thought that I'd over extended it and it was too far gone, only to have it come back like a bad check and recover like no ball I've ever seen. The best part is that there's little to no power loss in the curve; the pins catch practically every bit of energy that you put into your swing. The Ultimate Inferno handles like a dream and also happens to be quite easy on the eyes. With the contrasting fire red and ice blue markings along with the trademark Inferno blaze emblem, the Ultimate Inferno will turn as many heads as it does pins.

The bottom line is if you're looking for the most responsive Reactive available, or you're looking to make the jump from Particle coverstocks to Reactive, then Brunswick's Ultimate Inferno belongs in your bag. Available in weights ranging from 11 to 16 pounds, for about two hundred dollars you can pick one up at your local pro shop or one of the dealers listed at BrunswickBowling.com.