THE STRIKE ZONE / Scott Bailey

November 1997

AMF scores with AMFORCE series

During my time with Ebonite last year, we were commissioned by AMF to create a bowling ball arsenal capable of handling most lane conditions that today’s bowlers see. The result of that project is the AMF AMFORCE series of bowling balls, the first line of equipment specifically designed and numbered to help a bowler accurately predict ball reaction when changing balls.

Each piece in this four-ball series was created with a specific ball reaction in mind, complete with drill pattern suggestions that complement each ball’s natural characteristics. Below is a brief description of each ball and its corresponding reaction characteristics.

The first ball in this line is aptly called the AMFORCE 1, and it is the least-hooking ball of the four. It has a medium RG and low differential core design combined with a mellow reactive coverstock. This ball works very well on late-shift leagues, any condition that has oil breakdown in the heads, or centers that have primarily drier conditions.

The AMFORCE 2 is the lowest RG ball in the series, coupled with a medium differential and a mellow reactive coverstock. This ball works best on fresh conditions with strong back-ends or strong wet/dry lane conditions where breakpoint control is of paramount importance. It will tend to roll early and be less sensitive to friction changes down the lane.

The AMFORCE 3 is the length/flip monster in the line. This ball has the highest RG reading of the four with a medium/high differential. It also utilizes a much more aggressive coverstock than the first two in the line. This ball works best on lanes with head oil breakdown combined with back-end carrydown. Bowlers with softer ball speed or less axis rotation will probably like this ball the best. However, it is important to remember that the less axis rotation you have, the less chance there is for strong back-end reaction. The ball can’t do all the work for you!

Last, but not least, the AMFORCE 4 is the strongest ball in the line. Utilizing a low RG, high differential core design, and an aggressive reactive coverstock, this ball has the most overall hook potential in the line. Should you ever encounter heavy head oil with moderate to heavy carrydown, this ball is the ticket. Since it has a very low RG design with a strong coverstock, I must warn you that this ball is only for the oil. If you use this ball on medium or lighter oil, there is a pretty good chance it will "burn up," using all of its rotational energy too early down the lane. If this happens, it will tend to roll out and have very little back-end reaction, which is not a good thing.

At this point, many of you may be wondering why I chose to highlight this new line from AMF. The reason is simple: It works.

A few years ago, I wrote an article in BOWL Magazine discussing ways for a bowler to create a productive ball arsenal, one that would allow you to compete on most lane conditions and make logical ball choice decisions during competition. I still believe this to be the best way to make equipment purchases. With the vast array of equipment on the market today, a bowler can become easily confused when confronted with a purchase decision.

In my pro shop alone, we display over 80 different models of bowling balls, and there is at least that many more we don’t carry! With all of these options available, choosing the right ball can be next to impossible.

I applaud AMF for creating the AMFORCE line, but it is possible to create this type of arsenal from any of the major manufacturers’ product lines. AMF simply made it easier by numbering the balls.

For those of you who choose to throw Brunswick, Columbia, Ebonite, Faball, or Storm bowling balls, I have listed below comparable four-ball arsenals from each company. I hope this helps you make the right decisions for future ball purchases.

Ball # 1 -- Rhino Pro Copper or Rhino Pro Pearl

Ball # 2 -- Combat Zone or Danger Zone or Quantum Raven

Ball # 3 -- Quantum Sage Tour or Danger Zone 2 or Double Helix

Ball # 4 -- Defense Zone or Speed Zone

Ball # 1 -- Purple Beast or Shadow C or Super Beast

Ball # 2 -- BOSS Titanium or Piranha C Blue

Ball # 3 -- OutRage or Super Cuda C Pearl

Ball # 4 -- Primal Rage or Super Cuda C

Ball # 1 -- Black Panther, Purple Stinger, Blue Wave

Ball # 2 -- Red Wolf, Cougar, Red Wolf Pearl

Ball # 3 -- Shock Wave, Jaguar, Stinger Pearl

Ball # 4 -- WereWolf, Sea Wolf

Ball # 1 -- PC 3, Norm Duke Hammer

Ball # 2 -- PC 2, 3D Offset High Rev

Ball # 3 -- 3D Offset Super Flip, Nova Pearl

Ball # 4 -- 3D Offset High Rev

Ball # 1 -- Tropical Storm, Blue Thunder Pro

Ball # 2 -- Forest Firestorm, Lightning Storm, Meteor Storm

Ball # 3 -- Firestorm, Pacific Storm

Ball # 4 -- Thunder Road, Black Thunder Storm

Ball # 1 -- Sensor C

Ball # 2 -- Blue Triton, Triton Heat

Ball # 3 -- Synergy Green Pearl, Synergy ETS

Ball # 4 -- Synergy Solid, Blue Triton

Ball # 1 -- High RG, Low Differential

Ball # 2 -- Low RG, Forward Roll

Ball # 3 -- High RG, Strong Back-End

Ball # 4 -- Leverage, Strong Back-End