Motiv bowling balls: the US brand that's hard to find in Malaysia

An independent in a two-giant market

Most ball brands now belong to Storm or Brunswick. Motiv doesn't. According to its own history, it launched in 2006–07 after a customer moved production overseas. Its team chose to bring ball making back to Muskegon, Michigan, and start a new brand. Today, the company is based at Spring Lake, Michigan, and its high-performance balls are still made in the US.

Its best-known player is EJ Tackett. In 2025 he won his fourth PBA Player of the Year title, and his third in a row, while throwing Motiv. That kind of result keeps the brand near the top of tour ball counts.

A lineup sorted by oil

Here's where Motiv differs from most rivals. Instead of grouping balls only by price, its site groups them by the amount of oil they suit. That makes it easy to see which ball fits a pattern. In October 2026, the site showed:

As a rule of thumb, Jackal and Raptor are the heavy-oil lines. Venom and Evoke sit at the lighter end. If you want to know what "heavy" means in practice, our guide to oil patterns explains it with Malaysian house shots in mind.

The technology names you'll see

• Power Band: a patent-pending dense outer band added to a core. Motiv says it lets engineers tune RG and differential without a full new core, and can make a symmetric core act more like an asymmetric one.
• Duramax: an additive that Motiv says helps the cover finish last longer.
• NeoMark: graphics built into the cover itself rather than painted on, which Motiv says improves durability.

These are the maker's own claims, so treat them as a guide to design intent rather than proof of better scores.

Buying Motiv bowling balls from Malaysia

Since there's no confirmed local channel, think through these points first:

1. Ask locally. Some pro shops can special-order brands outside their usual group. It costs nothing to ask.
2. Count the full cost. A ball weighs up to 7 kg (16 lb), so shipping is expensive. Import tax may apply too, so check with the customs department.
3. Plan the drilling. You'll pay a local driller, and outside balls may not get free drilling. Learn the options in our drilling layouts guide.
4. Check approval. For sanctioned events, make sure the model is on the USBC approved ball list.

Is it worth the effort?

For most Malaysian bowlers, no. Storm and Brunswick-group balls cover the same ground, come with local drilling, and are easy to replace. However, if you travel for tournaments, or you've thrown a Motiv abroad and loved it, importing one can make sense. Compare the alternatives on our bowling ball brands page and find a driller through our pro shop directory.