900 Global Zen Soul Bowling Ball Review vs Zen Master

The newest addition to the Zen line is here and it’s stronger than ever. After receiving tons of positive reviews on the original Zen and Zen Master bowling ball, 900 Global took the initiative to reintroduce a new Zen bowling ball in a Hybrid formulation.

Why is this bowling ball the best?

The 900 Global Zen Soul has been revived for more lengths and stronger backends. This high-flare, high-performance symmetrical bowling ball is designed for maximum response and plenty of hookability. If an aggressive bowling ball is not your cup of tea, give the Zen Soul a try and you will see that this 900 Global bowling ball is just for you.

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Coverstock

The very first Zen ball from 900 Global was a Pearl reactive bowling ball. Then came the Zen Master which was a Solid reactive bowling ball. So to complete the perfect cycle, the Zen Soul was given a Hybrid reactive coverstock.

This Hybrid form of outer shell S77 Response. Does that mean all three bowling balls have the same formulated coverstock? Well, yeah, but it’s the Hybrid version of that, so do not expect a similar reaction from the Zen Soul bowling ball. For the Zen Soul bowling ball, some modifications took place and the same S77 Response cover is now a Hybrid Reactive cover.

Thanks to these differences in coverstocks, Zen Soul delivers more length. The backend bites and reactions are also astonishing. Zen Soul is also cleaner than Zen Master. If you loved the other two bowling balls even just a little bit, I assure you that you will love the better and greater Zen Soul bowling ball as well.

In terms of ball motion, the 900 Global Zen Soul is very clean through the fronts and reads the lanes fast enough to rev up for hooking. The ball travel, from the fronts, till it hits the pocket is quite predictable. Because of being a hybrid reactive ball, the S77 coverstock makes it a spectacularly strong piece for enhancing performance with needed continuation.

No wonder why this ball got sold out immediately after it was launched. I can say it pretty confidently that,  those who got their hands on this Zen Soul bowling ball are killing it at bowling. If you still don’t have a Hybrid ball in your arsenal yet, dear friends, it’s time.

Factory Finish

So does this ball looks shiny or matte? How much oil is it going to pick up? Well, the reactive Hybrid S77 Response coverstock of the Zen Soul ball is finished at 4000-Grit Abralon which makes its place right between the Zen and Zen Master’s ball finish. Out of the box, this coverstock finish goes nicely with the hybrid coverstock. Because of having the matte appearance, the ball is more suitable in medium to heavy lane conditions.

When you will execute the Zen Soul on the lane, it will read the lane immediately, and move cleanly off any medium to heavy oil pattern, don’t worry, it will respond to the frictions pretty gently. You won’t see anything crazy.

However, after a few games, when the lane breaks down, you will see a drastic change in ball motion and its hooking ability. A broken down lane is not really Zen Soul’s best friend. This is when you will need to change your bowling ball or wait till the lane conditioner is reapplied. And good news! You can customize the ball finish whenever you want according to your choice. If the 4000-Grit Abralon finish feels a bit too matte, you can always bring it down, or if you want it to be more matte, you can sand it up even more.

Core

So what do we have here on the inside? You already know that Zen Soul is a symmetrical bowling ball. Because this ball is just another member of the Zen line, the Zen Soul also features the same high Differential, low RG Meditate Symmetric core that you have previously encountered in the Zen Master and the original Zen bowling ball.

The Mediate core of the Zen Soul features an RG of 2.49″ and a total differential of 0.051″. Yes, it’s just like the other two bowling balls. If you can recall the other Zen ball’s reaction, then you’re probably thinking those balls were too strong. This is where all the changes took place because the core of the Zen Soul is much stronger and designed to provide better ball reactions. 

The come makes the bowling ball read the lane early. When I put it up to test against my Phaze II and Phaze III, it felt like Zen Soul was reading the lane a foot or two earlier. This proved that the ball indeed rolls early, and still manages to keep its energy stored for the perfect hooking motion even the lane begins to break down.

The energy-retaining ability enhances the impacts on the pins, resulting in the bowling pins flying off the lane. Not only the core of the Zen Soul makes the backend reactions crisp but also it delivers you with speedy and controllable hooks at the breakpoint. I love how the Zen Soul rolls down the lane and gives you plenty of lengths for better ball-to-pin reaction. Thanks to the core, for contributing such a flawless overall performance. 

Color

The 900 Global Zen Soul shares a similar color palette to the other two Zen balls. If you’re bad at understanding colors and patterns, you won’t be able to differentiate these three balls just by their looks. Like the other two, Zen Soul also gives a nice 80’s vibe with its beautiful combination of Teal, Fuchsia, and Black. If you’re into bowling balls that have a combination of bright and dark colors, you will love this ball’s unique appearance.

Hook Potential

The combination of low RG (2.49) and high differential (0.051) isn’t new, but it’s not boring either. You have encountered this configuration before in other 900 Global bowling balls. Are those other balls good at hooking? The core configuration and the coverstock formulation complemented each other nicely. So just like the other ball, this is also great at hooking.

If you know the ins and outs of a bowling ball’s functionality then you should know that the Zen Soul bowling ball is great at delivering mid-lane traction as well as length without the loss of energy. As this is a Hybrid bowling ball, you will enjoy the benefit of a controllable backend reaction and the hooking potential.

This ball hooks! When I tried this ball on house patterns, I absolutely adored the way the ball was hooking. It kept everything clean and fresh at the fronts, and just when it reach the mid-lane, it made a nice angular hooking motion and went right through the pockets and crushing them down on its way.

Breakpoint Shape

Okay, so it is established that Zen Soul is gonna give you plenty of hooks throughout the game. But what kind of breakpoint shape you can expect during all the ball hooks? Well, surprise! Surprise! You will see your Zen Soul make some amazing “Strong Midlane and backend” move at the breakpoint.

For bowlers who are trying to get better at hooking, the Zen Soul can be a really good piece to practice with. Unlike the other two bowling balls, Zen Soul provides a better-looking and smoother hooking motion so it is perfect for bowlers to understand where their balls are going. This will help them decide whether they need to aim differently and roll on different boards to hit the pins for maximum damage.

The coverstock of Zen Soul is going to show off its strong recovery at the backends every time you through. However, expect a little bit of change in motion when the pattern starts to break down. And don’t worry, the ball won’t skate through the back part of the lane.

So does this ball open up the lane as the game progress? Yes, it does! It will allow you to move inside or move farther left/right. No matter where you bowl from, Zen Soul is going to promote superior backend reactions every time! Thanks to its efficient power usage and amazing length on medium-heavy oil patterns.

What We Like

• Because this is a Hybrid bowling ball, the mixture of solid and pearl elements is going to give you the aggressiveness of a pearl combined with the reliability of a solid. So you get the benefit of both bowling balls in the Zen Soul bowling ball.

• Paired with the massive and dynamic symmetrical Meditate ore, the Zen Soul by 900 Global is going to present itself as “one of a kind” for its hooking motion and shape. If you have your expectations high, keep them high because this ball from the Zen line will blow your mind!

• To ravage the standing pins at the end of the pattern, you gotta practice with this ball before your big day. As a symmetrical bowling ball, Zen Soul is pretty strong and great at retaining energy. Plus, it has tons of backend bites which I appreciate big time!

• Most advanced players loved bowling with this ball. Whether you’re a stroker, cranker, or tweener, you’re gonna love the overall performance of this bowling ball. Don’t underestimate this ball for being high-performance because it can knock down the pins just like any other pro-performance bowling ball.

What We Don’t Like

• One of the biggest problems we commonly face with a symmetrical bowling ball is that it can’t continue to hook when the lane breaks down. Sadl Jiy, the Zen Soul modifies its motion after there is a little bit of change in the lane patterns. This may not be too good for so many players.

• Keep this bowling ball away from dry lane patterns. Since Zen Soul is recommended for medium-heavy oil patterns only, it would be wise to follow the instruction.

900 Global Zen vs Zen Soul

The 900 Global Zen Soul completes the ideal Zen trio. We now have a Hybrid, a Solid, and a Pearl bowling ball, so whatever suits you best, go for it! Throughout the article, I have specified a few differences between the Zen Soul and the other two bowling balls. So here’s a small summary of the similarities and differences you are gonna find between the OG Zen and Zen Soul.

First, if you put the original Zen bowling ball up against the Zen Soul, you will notice that the Zen Soul provides more length than the Zen ball. The Zen Soul also provides better backend motion and comparatively more hook than the Zen Master. Despite having the same RG and differential as the OG Zen, the Zen Soul has a very different ball reaction. Compared to Zen, the Zen Soul provides more backend recovery that helps you to hit the ball harder.

The bottom line here is that these two balls are siblings but not twins. So it would be smart not to expect similar kinds of reactions from both of these bowling balls. The Zen Soul is distinctive for its special characteristics that you can’t just find in other Zen balls.

Conclusion

Find your ultimate “soulmate” with the Zen Soul bowling ball from 900 Global. The famous Zen line is now complete and better than ever with its Zen Soul bowling ball. This ball will single-handedly make everyone’s jaw drop. For those, who don’t own a hybrid bowling ball yet, the Zen Soul by 900 Global will be a perfect piece. Don’t forget to practice to get the knack for it! You will love how this ball will gradually enhance your bowling performance. So grab this beautiful bowling ball today and good luck!