Top 5 Latest High-Performance Bowling Balls of September, 2026
Bowling.com Pro Staff Posted: September 8, 2026
Last Updated: September 8, 2026
Quick Article Summary: September look at five current high-performance balls you can buy today. The Equinox Hybrid leads the list. Who each one is for, what the oil night looks like, and a side-by-side on oil, hook, length, cover, and core.
Need more info on bowling balls? Search all of our bowling ball articles above.
It's time for a new top 5 list, updated for September. September’s newest ball is the Storm Equinox Hybrid. It shipped on the 4th, and it’s the ball that belongs at the top of this list: a high-performance hybrid you can start with and stay with when a typical house shot starts to change.
The other four are familiar. They're August releases that are still going strong. Two solids for heavy oil. Two pearls for length and finish. So we've got some variety in this top new balls list.
| Storm Equinox Hybrid | Motiv Jackal Ghost V2 | Brunswick Combat Solid | Radical Evil Eye Pearl | DV8 Intense Collision | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil | Medium | Heavy | Heavy | Medium to heavy | Medium to heavy |
| Hook | High | High | High | High | Medium-high |
| Length | Middle | Middle | Early | Middle | Late |
| Coverstock | A2S hybrid | Leverage HFS solid | HK22C² Alpha Premier solid | HK22C pearl | HK22C² Havoc pearl |
| Core type | Asymmetrical (Solarion A.I.) | Asymmetrical (Predator V2) | Asymmetrical (Rampart) | Symmetrical (Evil Eye) | Asymmetrical (Collision) |
1. Storm Equinox Hybrid
Release Date: September 4, 2026
Shop the Equinox Hybrid
You know the feeling. Game one, the pearl big ball skates and leaves a flat 10. You switch to the sanded solid, but it starts to jump left in the fifth frame. That’s the hole this ball is built for.
Same Solarion A.I. asymmetric core as the rest of the Equinox line. New A2S hybrid cover at a Power Edge finish. Medium oil. Middle length. High hook. It reads sooner than the original Equinox pearl and stays calmer than the Equinox Solid once the pair opens up. Testers keep calling it a rounded skid-flip, not a hockey-stick.
If you bowl most of your games on a typical house shot and your current high-performance ball is either too clean on the fresh or too strong by the middle of game two, this is the one to put in your hand first. Skip it if you need a max-hook solid for fresh heavy volume, or if you bought the Equinox line specifically for that sharp left turn at the breakpoint.
| Color | Nebula/Flare/Void |
|---|---|
| Core | Solarion A.I. Core (14-16#) |
| Coverstock | A2S Hybrid Reactive |
| Finish | Power Edge |
| RG | 2.48 (based on 15# ball) |
| Differential | 0.054 (based on 15# ball) |
| Mass Bias Diff | 0.018 (15#) |
| Length | Middle |
| Hook Potential | High |
| Recommended Lane Condition | Medium |
| Fragrance | Orange Creamsicle |
| SKU | STBBMVXY |
| Product ID | 17217 |
| Brand | Storm |
| Category | Bowling Balls |
| Ball Performance | High-Performance Balls |
| Release Date | September 2026 |
2. Motiv Jackal Ghost V2
Release Date: August 12, 2026
Shop the Jackal Ghost V2
The original Ghost lasted almost a decade because it did one job well. It rolled early, stayed on an arc, and didn’t die at the pins. Motiv left the Predator V2 core alone and changed the cover: Leverage HFS solid at a 3000 sanded finish.
That grit is the useful detail. This isn't a 500-grit oil monster that stands up at 40 feet. It still reads the mid-lane on a heavy pair, then keeps driving through the deck. Speed-dominant bowlers get help they can’t create with a polished pearl. Higher-rev players get an early roll that doesn’t quit the first time the pattern starts to move.
Throw it when the house is fresh and oily, or when a sport shot is long enough that your other balls skate. Leave it in the bag on a burnt house shot. That cover will use up a dry backend.
| Color | Dark Purple/Purple/Black Solid |
|---|---|
| Coverstock | Leverage High Friction Solid (HFS) Reactive |
| Core | Predator V2 |
| Finish | 3000 Grit Laser Scan Sanded |
| Reaction | Strong mid-lane motion with continuation through pins |
| Hook Potential | High |
| Length | Middle |
| Recommended Lane Condition | Heavy Oil |
| RG | 2.47 (15# ball) |
| Differential | 0.054 (15# ball) |
| Mass Bias Diff | 0.015 (15# ball) |
| SKU | TLMTVBJKGV2 |
| Product ID | 17081 |
| Brand | Motiv |
| Category | Bowling Balls |
| Ball Performance | High-Performance Balls |
| Release Date | August 2026 |
3. Brunswick Combat Solid
Release Date: August 13, 2026
Shop the Combat Solid
Brunswick called this their biggest hook since the Mesmerize, and the box finish backs that up. Same Rampart asymmetric core as the rest of the Combat line. New HK22C² Alpha Premier solid cover at 500/1500. It's good for heavy oil and gives you early length. and high hook.
Where the Ghost rolls and stays in an arc, the Combat wants to change direction sooner. That’s what you need if your current big ball gets to the breakpoint still standing up. Speed-dominant players should look here first. Higher-rev players can still throw it, but they’ll be standing left earlier than they would with the Ghost.
Leave the box surface alone on the fresh. If the pair is already used, a 2000 pad or a light polish is the first adjustment, not a different ball.
| Color | Navy/Blue/Slate/Purple |
|---|---|
| Core | Rampart (14-16#) |
| Core Type | Asymmetrical |
| Finish | 500, 1500 Siaair Micro Pad |
| RG | 2.502 (15#) |
| Differential | 0.051 (15#) |
| Mass Bias Diff | 0.019 (15#) |
| Hook Potential | High |
| Length | Early |
| Recommended Lane Condition | Heavy Oil |
| Warranty | 2-Year Limited Manufacturers Warranty |
| Coverstock | HK22C² - Alpha Premier Solid Reactive |
| SKU | BRU60108683 |
| Product ID | 17019 |
| Brand | Brunswick |
| Category | Bowling Balls |
| Ball Performance | High-Performance Balls |
| Release Date | August 2026 |
4. Radical Evil Eye Pearl
Release Date: August 13, 2026
Shop the Evil Eye Pearl
The original Evil Eye was the sanded solid. This one is the same Super Symmetrical Evil Eye core with an HK22C pearl cover at a polished finish. Medium to heavy oil, with middle length, and high hook, with the shape showing up later than the two solids.
Pearl is the point. It clears the fronts, stores energy, and makes a sharper move off the spot than the solid Evil Eye. Rev-dominant players who like to swing it will like that flip. Lower-rev and speed-dominant players can still use it (the core gives a driller a lot of room to tame the motion) but this is not the ball you buy to chew oil in the mid-lane.
If you already throw the solid Evil Eye, this is a great complement. If you don’t, it’s a standalone piece for the part of the night when the fronts start to hook and you still want angle.
| Color | Magenta/Smoke/Teal |
|---|---|
| Core | Evil Eye Symmetric (14-16#) |
| Coverstock | HK22C Pearl Reactive |
| Finish | 500, 1000, 1500, Siaair/Factory Compound |
| Hook Potential | High |
| Length | Middle |
| RG | 2.495 (15#) |
| Differential | 0.046 (15#) |
| Recommended Lane Condition | Medium to heavy oil |
| Manufacturer's Warranty | Two years from purchase date |
| SKU | RB60108679 |
| Product ID | 17023 |
| Brand | Radical |
| Category | Bowling Balls |
| Ball Performance | High-Performance Balls |
| Release Date | August 2026 |
5. DV8 Intense Collision
Release Date: August 13, 2026
Shop the Intense Collision
DV8 put the Collision asymmetric core under an HK22C² Havoc pearl cover and finished it polished. It's good for medium to heavy oil and it'll give you late length, with hook in the medium-high range, enough to finish, but not as much total bite as the Combat.
The useful word on this ball is continuous. It gets down the lane, reads, and drives. It doesn't snap and stand up the way some pearls do when the backends hook up. That’s why it works as a step-down when your strongest solid starts picking up too early, or as a first high-performance pearl if you want power without a violent breakpoint.
Speed-dominant and balanced players get the most out of the stored energy. High-rev players on a tight house shot may still have to play deeper than they want. Watch the 5-pin. A good look rolls through the rack. A ball that dumps at the pins used itself up.
| Color | Black/Slate/Pink |
|---|---|
| Core | Collision (14-16#) |
| Core Type | Asymmetrical |
| Finish | 500, 1000, 1500 Siaair/Factory Compound |
| Hook Potential | 325 (medium - high) |
| Reaction | Length with strong backend |
| Length | Late |
| RG | 2.462 (15# ball) |
| Diff | 0.052 (15# ball) |
| Mass Bias Diff | 0.019 (15# ball) |
| Recommended Lane Condition | Medium to heavy oil |
| Manufacturer's Warranty | Two years from purchase date |
| Coverstock | HK22C² - Havoc Pearl Reactive |
| SKU | DV60108687 |
| Product ID | 17021 |
| Brand | DV8 |
| Category | Bowling Balls |
| Ball Performance | High-Performance Balls |
| Release Date | August 2026 |
How to pick among the five
Start with the oil, then the shape.
- Medium house shot, and you want one ball that can cover game one and still be usable after the pair opens: Equinox Hybrid.
- Heavy oil and you need the ball to roll early and stay in an arc: Ghost V2.
- Heavy oil and you need the ball to turn sooner: Combat Solid.
- Medium to heavy oil and you want length plus a defined flip: Evil Eye Pearl.
- Medium to heavy oil and you want length plus a continuous finish: Intense Collision.
You don’t need all five. Two solids that both eat oil will fight each other. Two pearls that both want length will fight each other. The Hybrid and one later pearl will cover more typical league nights than two balls with the same job. Don't see the ball to fit your game above? Check out all our top selling high performance balls below.
Latest Bowling Balls Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the top 5 latest high-performance bowling balls for September 2026?
A: The list is led by the Storm Equinox Hybrid, which shipped September 4. The other four are still-strong August releases: Motiv Jackal Ghost V2, Brunswick Combat Solid, Radical Evil Eye Pearl, and DV8 Intense Collision. Together they cover medium house shots, heavy oil, and later pearl motion.Q: Which of these balls is best for a typical house shot?
A: The Storm Equinox Hybrid. It is built for medium oil and the common league night where a pearl skates in game one and a sanded solid jumps left by game two. It reads sooner than the original Equinox pearl and stays calmer than the Equinox Solid once the pair opens up.Q: Which balls are best for heavy oil?
A: The Motiv Jackal Ghost V2 and Brunswick Combat Solid. The Ghost V2 rolls early and stays in a continuous arc. The Combat Solid turns sooner and is Brunswick’s biggest hook since the Mesmerize. Leave both in the bag on burnt or light house shots.Q: What is the difference between the Evil Eye Pearl and the Intense Collision?
A: Both are pearls for medium to heavy oil, but the shapes differ. The Radical Evil Eye Pearl clears the fronts and makes a sharper flip off the spot. The DV8 Intense Collision is later and more continuous. It drives through the pins instead of snapping and standing up.Q: Do I need all five of these balls?
A: No. Two solids that both eat oil will fight each other, and two pearls that both want length will fight each other. A better typical league bag is the Equinox Hybrid plus one later pearl, or one heavy-oil solid plus one cleaner piece.More Recent Bowling Balls Articles
Heavy Oil Showdown: Jackal Ghost V2 vs Combat Solid vs Wicked Gremlin
Heavy oil is simple until it's not. Either the ball never picks up and you push the pocket all night, or it grabs at 35 feet and you're already walking left in the fourth frame. August dropped three new solids aimed at that problem — Motiv's Jackal Ghost V2, Brunswick's Combat Solid, and Roto Grip's Wicked Gremlin — and they're not three versions of the same ball. One rolls early and stays in an arc. One bites sooner and turns harder. One has more length than the other two and keeps driving instead of snapping. We lined up how they hook, who each one actually fits, and which shape your bag is missing.
Read ArticleStorm Equinox Hybrid Ball Review: The Balanced Equinox You Can Stay With When the Lanes Start to Change
You know the night. Game one, the pearl big ball skates and leaves a flat 10. You switch to the sanded solid, strike twice, then watch it jump left in the fifth frame. The Storm Equinox Hybrid is the piece built for that gap: same Solarion core as the rest of the Equinox line, with an A2S Hybrid cover that reads the midlane sooner than the pearl and stays calmer than the solid once the pair opens up. If your league shot is a typical medium house pattern and your current high-performance ball is either too clean on the fresh or too strong by the middle of game two, this is the Equinox worth putting in your hand first. Pre-order the Storm Equinox Hybrid at Bowling.com. It ships September 4.
Read Article
