Drilled my Stellar 45x4x50 (pin in ring finger) with the intention of having a different look as the lanes dry out. I loved the Versamax and the Heroes both rolled well for me so seeing a ball with the Versamax core and a cover between the Heroes was very exciting.
My initial impression was that the Stellar was very clean (especially for a 4" pin) and had more response off the friction than I expected. My look with a little swing was great, but it felt like there was no limit to how deep I could get and still make the corner. I have since taken the surface down to 3000 as I have mostly seen fresh lanes with plenty of head oil and minimal transition.
My best look has been on 44' Titanium - a challenge pattern that at least in our house scores best when I can stay more parallel with my angles. I could stay straighter and firmer with lots of hold to the pocket, but softening up and allowing the ball to recover on the back end resulted in the best carry. We recorded a video ball review on 42' Carbon - our house pattern and this ball was a little too aggressive for me off the back end, although all of the unnecessarily strong entry angle resulted in a great carry percentage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB8lUJzNkx8&t=209s I have thrown the Stellar on some patterns below 40' and just found it to be a bit too sharp for my eye. I prefer smoother, rollier options as the pattern length gets shorter as they provide me with more down lane control although the Stellar did provide me with enough recovery to make it back from what appeared to be out of bounds for other players.
Compared to other balls in my bag, the Stellar is cleaner and sharper than my pin down Melee Jab Midnight Blue. The Jab wants to roll up just a little sooner and tumble more forward, while the Stellar is much more dynamic on the latter half of the lane. I don't really have a favorite between the two - just 2 different shapes for different patterns. In terms of balls currently in my arsenal, the Stellar matches closest to my Glam and will be taking its spot in my tournament bag from here on out.
It has been years since I last threw the Versamax, but I do not recall the Versamax being this responsive to the friction and preferring more parallel angles. The Stellar to my eye reminds me of an updated Hyroad and represents a ball reaction which has been missing in the Brunswick lineup.
I recommend the Stellar to bowlers looking for a ball to switch to for the latter half of their league session or for use on broken down medium to long tournament patterns. This is a ball which will be most suitable for bowlers with a heavier, more forward roll that are wanting to see more length and response off the back end.
