Bowling Ball Reviews, Brunswick, Digitrax Analysis, General

Brunswick Soul and Soul Mate Bowling Ball Review

Soulandcore

SoulSpecs

Soul
45x4x65

SoulMateandCore

SoulMateSpecs

85x4.5x30
85×4.5×30

First Impressions
If you were only going to have two balls in your bag and your bowling in a typical league most often, you would probably need nothing else besides the Brunswick Soul and Soul Mate.

Our Testers:
Brandon Hinderer is a PBA Member as well as Brunswick and Vise Staffer.
Power Player: 450 rpm
PAP: 5 3/8 & 7/8 up
Axis tilt: 10-15 degrees
Axis rotation: >45 degrees

Thanks to Jeffrey Smith of Pure It Pro Shop, Lebanon, PA.
Thanks to Limerick Bowl in Limerick, PA.

Keep in mind that coverstock accounts for 70% of ball reaction, but the core creates the dynamic shape of the reaction. Your driller will alter the shape to suit your game.

Test Patterns:
41ft THS, 12:1, 24ml
House: Limerick Bowl, Limerick, PA

Thanks to Jeffrey Smith of Pure It Pro Shop in Lebanon, PA, our partner for ball reviews.

Value Soul = 9/10; Soul Mate = 8.5/10
The Soul and Soul Mate are very affordable pieces and offer a good amount of usability as a pair.

Specs
The Brunswick Soul and Soul Mate both use the same Soul Medium RG core. Specs are 2.54 RG and .041 diff. As the name implies, medium RG with a medium/low diff. The Soul’s overstock is CPTv2 – Control Reactive. The Soul Mate uses the CPTv2 Flip Reactive which is a pearl coverstock. Finish is 500 Siaair Micro Pad; Royal Compound for the Soul and the Soul Mate is the same but adds Royal Shine on top.

Overall Soul = 9/10; Soul Mate = 8/10
The Soul is a smooth and relatively strong ball. Although it is at an entry level price, it is deceptively strong and usable. With the Royal Compound it offers a clean look but it offers a nice smooth read in the midlane with good backend strength. Most of its perceived strength comes from its midlane control. That’s what really allows it to be used by many people on many light-medium to medium-heavy conditions.
The Soul Mate is of course the step down with its pearlized coverstock. It rolls a bit differently in terms of overall shape with the way cleaner look through the heads and mids. It offers more flip on the backend as well lending to more stored energy. It tended to be a little more over/under which is to be expected. It can be used in later games but you have to take care with the backend motion being relatively strong.
All this should be taken relative to your bowling style. Brandon has a higher rev rate and higher speed. Therefore he will see more motion generally than lower rev bowlers. If you have lower revs, you will see less right to left motion.

Highlights
Big picture, the new Soul and Soul Mate are a nice tandem and are good enough to stand alone for most house bowlers. The Soul can be used on tougher patterns as well but just speaking more to what most of us deal with week in and week out, these will work very well. I’m sure Brunswick wanted to release good balls but maybe these are too good for this price point??