- Beast Blue Red Black

First Impressions
The Columbia 300 Beast Blue Red Black shows up in an eye-catching three-color design with blue, red and black elements. Columbia is reintroducing the Beast line with a light-bulb-shaped Beast core that resembles the original Beast. With a 2.54 RG at 15 pounds and a 0.033 differential, this is a higher-RG, low-differential configuration. The Bend-It Hybrid Reactive cover is finished with 500 Siaair/Crown Factory Compound/Crown Factory Polish. This Beast core comes with Columbia's patent-pending Hypershock technology.
Comparison
This new version uses the Bend-it Pearl cover, the strongest surface ever used on a Beast. The ball reads the midlane fairly strongly for a polished ball with a higher-RG configuration. Compared to other Columbia 300 entry-level options, the Beast positions itself as a versatile addition with a characteristic skid-flip reaction. This cover was originally used on high-performance balls such as the Swerve line and the Tyrants before being applied for the first time to a ball in the low to medium performance class. The ball doesn't over-react when it hits friction, and shows a continuous reaction without overreacting to dry sections of the lane.
On the Lanes
This ball was designed to deliver a skid-flip reaction on lightly oiled lanes. The Beast fits medium oil patterns best. Its 500/2000 Abralon surface with Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish gets through the heads with ease. The ball works especially well when the lanes break down and you have to move your angles inside, or when the lanes are hooking a lot at the beginning of a set. Depending on the lane conditions, this type of ball lets you get back to the basics and play a straight line thanks to the skid-flip reaction and the Bend-It cover. Columbia 300 has been revered for decades as a market leader in outstanding entry-level options, and the Beast was a great addition to the Columbia 300 line. The combination of a higher-RG configuration and a low differential should deliver longer skid with a moderate arc.