SWAG Black Dragon Bowling Ball

The Dragon is a big, asymmetrical ball that complements the Judge very well. Quite a bit cleaner through the heads, the Dragon makes a very quick and strong direction change when it finds friction. Despite that, though, the Dragon does not overly jack knife and still retains a controllable shape with strong backend continuation through the pins. Similar to the Judge, it is a very versatile ball for how strong it is, but definitely has a slight decrease in board coverage and strength in the cover, making it a great piece for rev dominant players. The Dragon comes out of box at 1500 sanded, for a relatively smooth motion. However, if you really want to see this ball come to life, hitting it with higher grit or polish and giving it a bit of shine really leans into the shape complements. Hitting it with lower grit sanding will smooth it further to start, but as it lane shines, it will stabilize and settle into a very solid 2-ball slot.

Since my last review, I've dropped to 14 lbs, and my 14 was drilled a bit differently: 50 x 4 1/4 x 30 It's a pretty remarkable difference from the 50x5x30. As expected with the shorter PAP in the 14 lb, the ball has an earlier break point, and for me that has worked MUCH better with my tendency to be more speed dominant. It rolls consistently, and gives that predictable reaction we all love.

Rev Rate: 475 Speed: 18.5 Drilled: 55x4 1/2x40 I am astonished at how continuous this ball is off the end of the pattern. Most Asym solids lose their motion as the night goes on for me, but not the Dragon. The deeper i get the better it gets, without losing any drive through the pins. If you are looking for a bowling ball for heavier oil conditions that is going to read the midlane and get through to the end of the pattern without using too much energy the Dragon is for you. Not only will this ball be in my bag for league night, but you can bet it will be in the tournament bag at all stops.

I was expecting this ball to be one of the super strong balls that would dig early and be very forward down lane, but I’m definitely surprised. This ball digs but still is a more rounded shape and gets through the pins super well! Definitely more of a benchmark type of asym but will be more versatile for many conditions!

PAP - 4 3/4” right, 1/2” up DAS - 50 x 5 x 30 Right-handed I threw on a typical house shot, medium oil, about 42”. I’m more speed dominant, throwing about 15.5mph, with a medium rev rate. I typically play down-and-in, targeting between 5 and 15, depending on lane condition. The ball read earlier than I had expected given it was a fresh shot and the ball was drilled to go longer for me relative to my rev rate and speed. As long as I kept my speed in-check, threw over 10, the ball just walked into the pocket. It rolled in a smooth arc for me, not angular, although it finished with a nice bite right before it hit the pins. Given how early it read for me and the drilling pattern, it seems that for me, this ball would be best for heavier oil. If you had more revs, this ball should be very adaptable to playing deeper, and give you a smooth, controllable, predictable motion to the pins.

If you are looking for that big flare and big hook ball, then look no longer. Critics said Swag could not get a ball to compete on the heavy sport conditions, but this one exceeds exceptions. This new Era of Swag Bowling should not be overlooked.

I was absolutely amazed by the reaction I got out of the Black Dragon the first time it went down the lane. If your looking for a heavy oil control ball, this is the ball for you! When the oil is fresh, it works extremely well playing with tighter angles but the best thing about this ball is the coverstock and core come together to give you a ball that will allow you to move left as the oil begins to transition. The motion it creates on the lane is very predictable and the shape it creates at the breakpoing is very strong and continuous. On a medium volume house shot, I was immediately playing around 3rd arrow and I was easily able to follow the transition left. On a heavier volume house shot, I was able to play tighter angles to start and this ball had no issue churning through the soup. Moving left after the shot opened up was easy with how well this ball sees the mid-lane and reacts at the end of the pattern. What are you waiting for? Get your Black Dragon today and soar above the competition!

The SWAG Bowling Black Dragon is in the Superior Performance Line with a Scorch Solid cover and asymmetric core. It has a 2.53 RG / .050 Diff and is 1500 grit sanded out of box. I drilled this ball 55/4/35 with a PAP of 5 over 7/8 up. This ball was able to play smaller angles on the lane and did not over react in the backend. It read the mid lane well, and hit the pins hard. I was also able to play deeper on the lane (25-30) and swing the ball out and it recovered. A very predictable and versatile ball. The logo is fierce and colors fit the Dragon well.

First and foremost, if you're only willing to try/buy a certain brand or company, regardless of if they have actually given you a dime or even know your name, then this isn't the review for you. However if you're curious about any bowling ball, brand specification be damned, and open minded to what might be out there, then buckle up because this ball is an eye opener! As a HUGE fan of the SWAG Big Bro line, I was anxiously looking forward to the Black Dragon. I have loved how the Dominance core has rolled for me in the past and looked forward to what this new ball would do, with the core now being named the Dragon core. The new coverstock was the only real concern I had, seeing as how this was one of the first attempts from the new ownership to relaunch the brand in their identity. Would the coverstock match the core well? Too strong/weak? I was cautiously anxious to find out and the very first roll answered way more questions than I expected! First things first, I drilled the ball pin above my bridge, 60* x 5" x 30*, which is what I had previously used on almost all of my Big Bro balls, the Assemble being the only exception. My trios league has a challenge shot with medium conditions, so I started practice with the Dragon to see what it would do from my normal starting spot: feet on 24, crossing 16 at the arrows out to 7 at the break point. Now I've thrown a ton of new balls over the years. Some started out lazy at first until I got lined up and got them broken in and some I took to liking fairly quickly. I immediately fell IN LOVE with the Dragon! First pitch was a loud and powerful 10 in the pit! I wasn't even warmed up yet! What really caught my attention was how smooth and predictable this ball was. Just roll it off your hand and go sit down. Strong midlane read, doesn't burn up, no matter how far left I had to go. Noticably left fewer corner pins, which are more than rampant in this house. Even so, when I did leave one, a minor adjustment got me back to the path of letting this ball roar! First impressions have me in a honeymoon phase I hope never ends. Time will tell of course but I am about 7 games in with it now and it keeps flexing it's muscle. Had to bowl on senior league burn followed by open bowlers last night because the lane machine was broken. I finished the night striking out with my feet on 38, crossing the arrows around 27 out to the 7 board and just watching the ball destroy rack after rack. I was not ready for the night to end and kept replaying how easy it was to repeat shots in a part of the lane I typically don't play much on my drive home. I am absolutely in love with this ball and I cannot recommend it enough. If you want something with a strong midlane, consistent reaction and predictable shape from anywhere on the lane, you cannot go wrong with this ball. I SO want a hybrid and a pearl now.