1995
Winner
Columbia 300 Cuda/C
Honorable mentions
Best for dry conditions (moderate back end): Ebonite Turbo C
Best for dry conditions (back end flip): AMF Legacy C
Best for wet left/dry right (wet/dry): Track Sensor II Plus
Best for heavy oil (pure hook): AMF RPM Formula 4
Best urethane: Faball Red Razor
1996
Winners
Solid: Storm Thunderstorm
Pearl: Ebonite Grey Wolf
Runners-up
Solid: Brunswick Danger Zone and Faball 3D
Pearl: Track Synergy ETS and Columbia 300 After Shock Pearl
1997
Overall winners
Solid: Faball 3D Offset
Pearl: AMF Bull Whip
Category winners
Solid—power category: Faball 3D Offset
Solid—control category: Brunswick Quantum Raven
Pearl—power category: Track Triton Heat
Pearl—control category: AMF Bull Whip
Mid-price category: Brunswick LT-48 Gold and Storm Meteor Storm (tie)
1998
Overall winners
Solid: Brunswick Pro Zone (Azure)
Pearl: Track Triton Elite Pearl
Category winners
Power solid: Brunswick Pro Zone (Azure)
Control solid: Storm Sky Bolt
Power pearl: Track Triton Elite Pearl
Control pearl: Storm Thunder Road Pearl
Mid-price: AMF Slam
1999
BTM’s annual “Ball of the Year” competition was discontinued after the 1998 season. It returned in 2002 as the BTM “Reader’s Choice Awards.”
2001 (Reader’s Choice Awards)
High-end balls
Reactive solids: Ebonite Dominator
Reactive pearls: Storm Trauma
Particle solids: Ebonite APEX
Particle pearls: Storm Trauma Recovery
Mid-priced balls
Reactive solids: Storm Trauma E/R
Reactive pearls: Columbia Messenger Ti Pearl
Particle solids: Ebonite Predator
Particle pearls: Ebonite Vortex Afterburner
Low-priced balls
Overall winner: Ebonite Tornado Blue/Violet Sparkle
Most versatile ball
Overall winners: Columbia Messenger Ti Pearl and Track Heat 2 (tie)
2002 (Reader’s Choice Awards)
High-end balls
Reactive solids: Storm Shock Trauma
Reactive pearls: Storm X-Factor
Particle solids: Track The Freak
Particle pearls: Track Freak Out
Mid-priced balls
Reactive solids: Roto Grip Silver Streak
Reactive pearls: Brunswick Monster SmashR
Particle solids: Brunswick Swamp Monster
Particle pearls: Storm Eraser Blaze
Low-priced balls
Reactive solids: Hammer Blade
Reactive pearls: Brunswick Power Groove Reactive
Particle solids: Columbia 300 Spirit
Most versatile ball
Overall winner: Storm X-Factor