https://columbia300.com/products/speed

Pretty interested in this release.  A high end performance hybrid with a really cool color combination (crimson/black/cherry) and a new asymmetric core.  Good to see the Columbia brand still trying to be relevant in a crowded marketplace.

Coverstock:  Formula 1
Core:  Shifter Asymmetric featuring Dynamicore
Surface:  500/1500 Siaair
RG:  2.47
Diff:  .050
Int Diff:  .015

Looks easily forgettable unfortunately. Seems to be a trend with Columbia and Ebonite when trying to keep up with the other brands

I think I'm going to agree with this.
Power Torq and Eruption Pearl are great, the Speed looks rather uninspiring.

Quote from: ignitebowling on February 22, 2022, 04:40:35 PM

Looks easily forgettable unfortunately. Seems to be a trend with Columbia and Ebonite when trying to keep up with the other brands

I think I'm going to agree with this.
Power Torq and Eruption Pearl are great, the Speed looks rather uninspiring.

What makes them uninspiring is that they dont have the marketing backing like Storm/Roto.  Columbia has basically become the modern day Visionary.  You have guys that still swear by the brand yet rarely do you ever see them used on TV.  Since EBI got bought out; Columbia has essentially become the forgotten brand of the 4 with Track a close second.  Hammer and Ebonite still do okay.  Ebonite is more known for the low to mid performance equipment and Hammer the mid to high end balls.  I would rather pass judgment until I actually see it go down the lane.  Could this be a sleeper ball?  Perhaps.  But when Columbia has become the "retro" ball company (Beast, Eruption, and Power Torq), I get why the negative insight.

All the marketing in the world isn't going to make the Speed name or overall look seem better. In terms of the bottom of the barrel for the seven id go with Columbia 7, Ebonite 6, Track 5.

Even before the buyout Columbia and Ebonite weren't great. If it wasn't a Game Breaker it probably wasn't selling. They did great in promoting for the Mission Unknown and the One promotions.

I could see C300 having more success if Brunswick made it their discount brand. Instead their balls end up overlapping with other balls throughout the 7 brands at the same price. Might get some people to switch over from other brands if a C300 ball with similar specs to the competitor's ball they're considering came in at a significantly lower price point. Then there would be the opportunity to fill the rest of their bag with the higher priced Hammer/Brunswick/Radical/DV8 stuff.

Speed looks to be a replacement for the Dynamic Swing which Buddies was unloading for $80 a few weeks back (and yes at that price I could not resist picking one up myself).

Quote from: ignitebowling on February 22, 2022, 07:26:53 PM

All the marketing in the world isn't going to make the Speed name or overall look seem better. In terms of the bottom of the barrel for the seven id go with Columbia 7, Ebonite 6, Track 5.

Even before the buyout Columbia and Ebonite weren't great. If it wasn't a Game Breaker it probably wasn't selling. They did great in promoting for the Mission Unknown and the One promotions.

I could see C300 having more success if Brunswick made it their discount brand. Instead their balls end up overlapping with other balls throughout the 7 brands at the same price. Might get some people to switch over from other brands if a C300 ball with similar specs to the competitor's ball they're considering came in at a significantly lower price point. Then there would be the opportunity to fill the rest of their bag with the higher priced Hammer/Brunswick/Radical/DV8 stuff.

Speed looks to be a replacement for the Dynamic Swing which Buddies was unloading for $80 a few weeks back (and yes at that price I could not resist picking one up myself).

It definitely feels like they should consolidate in some form.

Trying to think of what stands out for Columbia over the somewhat recent years leaves me with the Resurgence, Chaos series, Eruption/Eruption Pro, and now the Power Torq all as great balls.

Maybe try to innovate with what works rather than trying to throw darts to fill an entire lineup for 7 brands. Go with Columbia as a symmetric cored brand like how Track has mainly been asymms with the Kinetics on the low end, Legions/Tactix in the middle, and Paradox/Paragon at the top

Quote from: SVstar34 on February 22, 2022, 09:05:51 PM

It definitely feels like they should consolidate in some form.

Trying to think of what stands out for Columbia over the somewhat recent years leaves me with the Resurgence, Chaos series, Eruption/Eruption Pro, and now the Power Torq all as great balls.

Maybe try to innovate with what works rather than trying to throw darts to fill an entire lineup for 7 brands. Go with Columbia as a symmetric cored brand like how Track has mainly been asymms with the Kinetics on the low end, Legions/Tactix in the middle, and Paradox/Paragon at the top

The Baller was pretty good too.

Seems like the only relevant brands under the Brunswick umbrella are themselves, Hammer, and Radical. DV8 is right there with Columbia 300 in terms of relevance. I think Ebonite and Track are only a smidge above them though.

It wouldn't be a good thing if they go away but something definitely needs to change.

I also believe the Command and Outlooks (especially the pearl) were good as well.  When you come out with balls like the Authority though that have god ugly shelf appeal; it is no wonder people stay away.  If they are going to go nostalgic with a lot of their "new" releases, a line that might get some buzz is the Boss series and maybe even the Cuda.  Kind of the same thing with Track.  They release the Triton Elite but didnt release the pearl which I believe was the more popular of the two back in their days.  To bring some buzz back to that brand, I am thinking along the lines of the Critical Mass and Code Red. 

What gets me about the retro lines, is that is seems like those re-releases are not even some of the most popular lines.  In regards to the Swing series by Columbia; wasnt it the Pure and Full the most popular in that line?  Hammer did a smart thing by bringing back the 3D offset which has generated some buzz and Nick Pate made that ball look really good at the David Small stop.  The biggest issue with Ebonite, is the face of the brand (Tommy Jones) for the past 15 years doesnt hardly use them when he makes a show.  He really seemed to like the Paradox's a few years back and the last show, he used the Paragon and Widow Ghost.  When he shot 300 on TV, it was a Prism and Purple Hammer. 

Thought this was the power torq core?

Is that Dom throwing the Speed on TV???  Looks like it and it rolls quite nicely.  Nice little 279 with just one ten pin.  Strangely enough it doesnt really roll like an asym.  Almost has a Gamebreaker type roll to it with just more continuation through the pins, though it does appear he has a pretty strong layout on it.  Mass bias looks kicked out a bit (c300 logo is way right of his finger holes) while the pin is nowhere to be seen, so possibly pin in the ring finger?  Either way; he is making this ball look good on a pattern where Maldonado really struggled when they bowled against each other.