- Honey Badger Extreme 2024

First Impressions
The 900Global Honey Badger Extreme 2024 (released November 2023) presents itself as a significant step forward within the popular "Badger" line, aiming to fill the gap for responsive asymmetric balls on medium oil volumes. Visually, the ball stands out immediately with its striking Hunter, Orange and Purple color scheme, which makes it easy to see on the lane and allows the rotation of the core to be tracked easily by the naked eye. Inside works the proven Grapnel 2.0 Asymmetric Core. This core is characterized by a 2.54 RG (at 15 lbs) and a 0.048 differential, complemented by an intermediate differential of 0.012. These numbers already indicate that the ball is designed to get through the heads very cleanly and save its energy for the backend. The biggest technical change compared to direct predecessors such as the Honey Badger Revival lies in the coverstock. 900Global uses the S77M Pearl Reactive coverstock blend here. While older models often relied on the S74R blend, the S77M variant should offer a somewhat more modern chemical composition that reacts better to the thicker oils common today without losing the characteristic length. The "M" in the designation points to a modified molecular structure that should provide a balanced mix of skid and snap. Out of the box, the ball comes with a 1500 grit polished finish, which underlines the intent: maximum length through the heads and an aggressive reaction to friction at the end of the pattern.
Comparison Within the 900Global family, the Honey Badger Extreme 2024 positions itself as a more aggressive but still controllable alternative to older pearl asymmetrics. Compared to the *Honey Badger Revival* (which used an S70 hybrid coverstock), the Extreme 2024 offers even more length thanks to the pure pearl surface (S77M) and the polish. It reads the lane later than the Revival, but generates a sharper entry angle into the pocket. Against stronger asymmetric balls from the Storm/Roto Grip/900Global family, such as the *Eternity from 900Global* or the *Attention Star from Roto Grip*, the Honey Badger Extreme 2024 is clearly weaker in oil. It is not a ball for fresh, heavy oil, since it lacks the coarse surface texture for that. An interesting comparison can be drawn to the *Storm Revenant* or *Spectre* (discontinued). While those balls often use symmetric cores, the Honey Badger brings a more defined change of direction at the breakpoint through its asymmetry (Grapnel 2.0). The low intermediate differential of 0.012 keeps the ball from standing up as early as a *Reality*; instead, it uses the asymmetry primarily to speed up the transition into the hook phase as soon as it hits dry boards. Compared to balls from other manufacturers, such as a *Black Widow Pearl from Hammer*, the Honey Badger should have a somewhat higher RG, which lets it glide even more willingly through the front boards before it starts its motion. It therefore occupies the niche of a skid-flip monster for situations in which stronger balls lose energy too early.
On the Lanes The ideal scenario for the Honey Badger Extreme 2024 is medium to medium-dry lane conditions. It is a classic transition ball. When the heads lose oil over the course of a league night or a tournament and friction increases, this often forces bowlers to move further left (for right-handers) and play bigger angles. This is exactly where the Honey Badger should show its strengths. Thanks to the high RG value, it largely ignores early friction in the front part of the lane and stores its rotational energy for the backend. Once it reaches the end of the oil pattern, the combination of the Grapnel 2.0 core and the S77M pearl surface produces a drastic change of direction. This snap is necessary to still generate enough carry from deep angles and keep the pins flat. For high-rev players, the ball offers the length needed to avoid burning up before it reaches the pocket. If you have a lower rev rate or higher ball speed, you'll benefit instead from the support of the asymmetric core, which helps the ball turn over at the right moment even when you generate less hand rotation yourself. Keep in mind, though, that the ball could be too slippery on very fresh or long oil patterns (over 43 feet), producing an over/under reaction. Its domain is the broken-down house shot or sport pattern with defined, clean backends. If you're looking for a ball that gets around the corner when everything else rolls too early, this is a fitting tool.