Roto Grip Rockstar Amped Bowling Ball Review

Roto Grip’s Rockstar Amped is the second release in the Rockstar line. While our review balls of the original Rockstar were very condition-specific, several of our testers drilled new ones and had success with different layouts and surface adjustments. All comparisons in this review to the original Rockstar are based on the performance of our review balls. The Rockstar Amped uses the same Rocker + AI core design as the solid-covered original, but this release features the polished NanoStar Pearl coverstock. Compared to the original, the Rockstar Amped was cleaner through the front without being overly angular when it hit the dry. This type of reaction made the Rockstar Amped much better on the typical house shot than the Rockstar, while being more controllable than balls like the Gremlin and RST Hyperdrive Pearl on flatter conditions.

Cranker

Cranker really liked the motion on the fresh medium oil pattern from the Rockstar Amped. The ball revved up quickly off his hand, but the polished coverstock kept it from picking up too early. The motion off the spot was strong, but not as angular as the polished asymmetrical balls in the Roto Grip line. He played farther left than with the Rockstar because of the added downlane recovery. He wasn’t as far left as he played this pattern with the Gremlin, as the Rockstar Amped wasn’t quite as strong in the oil and wasn’t as angular when it encountered the friction. This reaction made it very easy for him to stay all over the pocket as the oil started to break down. If the pattern started showing signs of an over/under reaction from lots of surface going up the track area or from carrydown caused by lower-flaring balls, the motion from the Rockstar Amped helped blend it out.