Brunswick Meanstreak Brawler Bowling Ball

I purchased a 14 lb. Brawler, and had it drill like my Crossroad, and the results have been outstanding. My ball speed is 15 mph, and I'm left handed. The first set out of the box I shot a 266 game on heavy oil. This week I bowled 700's series at AMF Lanes on two leagues. The ball is stronger than the Crossroad and is user friendly for senior bowlers.

Bowler’s Stats: Right handed 18.5 mph 450 rpm 7 degree tilt 35-45 degree rotation Ball 1 Layout: 50 by 4.5” by 85 No hole Taken to 2000 grit Ball 2 Layout: 50 by 5.5” by 50 No hole OOB Surface Purpose: The original Meanstreak works very well for me on medium volume patterns and patterns ranging from 35’ to 40’ in length. I drilled the original a little stronger than normal to tame the backend reaction. This made the ball really versatile for me (I believe the most versatile ball in my bag). In the Brawlers, I wanted to extend this versatility into the stronger range of my arsenal. Even though I drilled these before the Nationals patterns being released, I knew that the hybrid cover and new core would allow plenty of versatility. The two drillings used I suspect will allow for a wide range of shapes by using surface changes to match up to the patterns. Ball 1 was drilled and scuffed accordingly to promote a smooth continuous reaction in the midlane while Ball 2 was drilled to mirror the layout of the VersaMax that I used at Nationals for all 9 games last year. On the lanes: On my fresh 39’ medium volume (20 mLs) house shot, the Brawlers gave me the arc and reliability I was banking on. I started out with Ball 1 due to the layout and surface promoting straighter angles through the front part of the lane. This Brawler looked best crossing the arrows at 16-17 and being sent out to a breakpoint of 8-9. Despite me roughing up the surface, the Brawler ignored the fronts and gradually read the midlane and backend for a smooth and controllable arc. Brawler #1 is drilled most similar to my original Meanstreak. Although not identical in layouts and surface (Brawler taken to 2000, original at 4000), Brawler #1 was a 3 board move inside with my feet that corresponded to a 2 board move inside with my breakpoint compared to the original Meanstreak. This allowed the scuffed cover to see more oil through the lane whereas the original Meanstreak is a little weaker and loves being flung out to the dry boards. Compared to Brawler #1, Brawler #2 was a 2 board move inside with my feet coupled with a 1 board move outside with my breakpoint. The OOB surface and weaker drilling saved more mojo for the end of the pattern and allowed me to open up my angles more through the front part of the lane. Both Brawlers where extremely cooperative with user errors. Hybrids really give you the best of both worlds in a pearl ball and a solid ball. Send a shot wide into friction and the pearl helps push through the friction while the solid promotes a gradual reaction off the spot (as opposed to overreacting and going through the nose). Pull a shot inside and the solid gives you enough read at the end of the pattern and the pearl gives a little pop at the backend to get the corners out. When I compared Brawler #2 to my identically drilled VersaMax, I found the Brawler to let me stand 2 boards deeper and target 1 board further inside. The shapes of these 2 balls were similar just with Brawler #2 starting up about a foot sooner with slightly less angle. That being said, there’s still plenty of angle in this ball to let me stand left and send it right without the worry of leaving any corners. First time out with this ball I was absolutely sawing out 10 pins from inside of 4th arrow, even with the pin down 2000 grit Brawler! Overall Thoughts: The Meanstreak Brawler is the model benchmark ball. Mid RG cores offer versatility, as do hybrid covers. Put them together and you have a highly versatile ball that is going to prove itself on a variety of conditions from a variety of angles. This is now the first ball (specifically Brawler #2) out of my bag to help me read the reaction shape/strength needed for the condition at hand. For me, it sits exactly in the middle of my arsenal in regards to both overall hook and the shape of the reaction. Also, both of my Brawlers have been useful on combating the over/under of my house shot. I’m exicited for the USBC Nationals patterns to be released to hone in my desired surfaces of these two pieces. As versatile and reliable that these balls are continually proving themselves to be, I have no doubt that they will be my go-to pieces in Reno, and other tournament conditions where consistent midlane reactions are a must. This is a special ball and is one that deserves to be the benchmark ball in your arsenal. I suspect that the Brawler will see the most play of any ball in my arsenal this year and I firmly believe that any style of player has a need for this ball. For 99% of players, this is going to be the ultimate go-to ball when you need a dependable motion and the ability to play across as much of the lane as your game can allow. Good luck and good bowling! Jared Wolf Jonesboro, AR Brunswick Advisory Staff The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.