This ball is the next best thing since slice bread.  I am not one to hype bowling balls, but this thing has got teeth!  This ball hooks and returns like no Ebonite ball I have ever seen.  Imagine the V2 sanded with massive backend hook.  Put some polish on it and you can wheel this ball from anywhere.  If there is one ball you need for hook, look no further.  I travel the world to bowl tournaments and this will be one I am sure to have in my bag.  If you have any questions feel free to email me.
Dino Castillo
Team USA

XCEL’s by Ebonite,are a duo of balls that provide a very STRONG ball at the top price tag. The Killer Instinct’s had a tendency for the core to spin up fast but in a manner that visually appeared to forward roll at the backend. This issue is certainly solved with the XCEL duo. The core spins up fast and the hooking motion of the ball is stronger and continuous. The new Bomber coverstock also provides a cleaner path through the front part of the lane in both the particle and the pearl version of the XCEL.  This allows for stronger and more consistent hooking motion down the lane.

I have drilled one of each, both with the same layout pin at 5 inches from my PAP and the bomb 4 inches from my PAP in a hook /set position. Both balls started out with pins 2-3 inches out and around 3 top weight. My PAP is 5 ¼ by 3/8 down and the pins were both 2 ½  above the midline. Both balls required a balance hole at the PAP. My first experience with the XCEL’s were on a tight pair of lanes in late shift league on Proanvillane and an E pattern PBA condition on HPL synthetic’s. I was able to use the pearl XCEL in the late shift league pattern where I used an identical layout on a Killer Instinct sanded prior. The pearl XCEL reaction was like WOW. I truly underestimated the reaction of this ball all night even though from the same spot on the lane it motored back to split the 8-9 from the same spot the Killer Instinct sanded was leaving buckets, KI pearl left washout and the Game Time hit the 3 pin in the face. All of the other balls mentioned have the same layout as the XCEL’s.

The PBA tournament was similar experience. This particular tournament was on E pattern the shortest length but was playing very tough due to carry down.  I for some reason didn’t trust myself to use the new pieces and was en route for a quick trip home, after 2 games was -60 and was on pace for a 140 3rd game, then I switched to the pearl XCEL and it opened up what seemed to be the whole lane outside of 10 board. This reaction just was amazing, E pattern has always been labeled the easiest one but I couldn’t get my pieces to turn the corner well enough to strike on the pattern. I finished the 3rd game with 6 strikes for 195 the shot 760 for the next 3 and was literally not making well executed shots, it was all ball reaction. The next morning I decided to try out ONLY the new pieces and had slightly polished up the particle XCEL to use on the fresh condition and compare the two balls. The particle XCEL performed just a bit better as the lanes carried down a bit more and it was just so strong and continuous. If only my shot making had matched my ball reaction I would have done some damage.

Since that time the XCEL’s are the first pieces out of the bag.

 I can say that these two balls, the XCEL particle and the XCEL pearl truly are the best balls to come from Ebonite in a long time, and may well rival or replace the Vortex series as the trademark ball. Any and all Ebonite fans please drill either or both of these with your favorite layout and you will be happy. And for those who have not been Ebonite fans try the XCEL and they will make a believer out of you.

Jim Lewis
Ebonite PBA Regional Staff

I started bowling again about 7 montha ago after a little over 6 years off. Had a violet hook quantum get damaged at a center so they let me get this to replace it. nice. I love this ball. Want this to combat a pretty crappy 3rd shift league on sundays (2 adult youth leagues before us) Had only 1 previous 700 series in 10 years and now have 2 in the 2 months I've had the xcel. Only think I can say bad is that it doesn't hook as much as my morich weapon.

Well i got this ball for christmas when i first used it i wasnt impressed didnt hook too much not really what i was looking for, so i got it redrilled, and man did this ball hook it came back strong and scorched the racks, but after about 20 games the ball was starting to die. Now this ball doesnt hook. it was good while it lasted, great for the oily conditions.

Ebonite X-cel Particle:

Ball Specs
The ball being drilled was a 3” pin out with 3.00 oz top weight.
Drilling: Pin 4" from PAP and Mb 5" from PAP (approximately 60 degrees) pin is Above Ring finger, 3" above grip midline. Weight Hole 2" past my pap.

Bowler Information:
Track diameter is 10 1/2.
PAP is measured at 5 1/4 over and 3/8" up.
Average ball speed (foul line to head pin) is 17 mph.
Axis rotation is typically 90 degrees
Initial rev rate is typically 300 rpm, "Tweener"
Lane Condition and Pattern: Village Bowl in Memonomee Falls WI. Wood Lanes Oiled to 40 feet, semi-clean backends. Bowlero Lanes. HPL 9000 Panel. Oily up front, semi clean backends, carry down issues all year.

REVIEW:
This ball definately did not like the wood like center. Tended to spin up quick , hook early and does not make the turn on the back ends. On the HPL Panel, the ball reacted well, again, it spins up quick, it makes you look like you have 3-4 more revs on the ball. But if the ball encounters carrydown, it tends to lay off. I love the predictable roll, but it does not have the big boomming backends I was expecting. This would be a great ball for that freshly stripped backend shot where all if your other equipment is snapping to hard. Great ball for the spinner type of release because of it's earlier breakpoint and roll rate. Ebonite needs to improve the backend on this ball to make it a winner.


Compared to my other Balls:
Big Bully. The X-cel spins up quicker than the Big Bully, the Big Bully has more backend. Both I consider a smoother arching ball. The Big Bully out hooks the X-cel by 3-4 boards on the same pattern.

Thanks for reading my review.