OK, history lesson time. Gather round, kiddos.
Once upon a time, AMF came out with the Clutch and Clutch pearl. Clutch was F55, 2.56 .044 with .008 intermediate diff. So basically, the cores in the Honey Badgers up until now (HB, Claw, Teal) have been juiced up Clutches.
The Clutch Solid was a surprise, because no one could believe that a ball with F55 could hook as much as it did.
The Clutch Pearl then came out, but it wasn't just a Clutch with a pearl cover on it. F62 pearl, 2.53 .051 .011 intermediate diff. This was stupid good. The stronger cover and core made for a pearl that wasn't go long and left turn, but could get back from anywhere. Easy to read, went thru the pins great, could rely on it. Heck, I still have my original (from 09) and have a nib.
So what we've done is taken the Clutch weightblock, made it work with several covers, and now we're taking it to the next level. More tires, more engine, more everything, but that same great shape.
As far as what you might see, if they've nailed the cover core combo, you're going to see a pearl that won't squirt like the Money and Honey may due to stronger everything, and the solid... Well, that's going to be a monster. Seriously. It's not going to be as rolly as the MBT, but it's going to corner harder than the Claw.
If your previous Badgers have a tough time seeing the midlane, it's time to get Extreme.
And yes, I agree with you tkk, this release was a shock to me. And as a former PSO, I get the saturation of the market and how pro shops have a problem keeping up. Addressing those issues is above my pay grade, but we just keep trying to find what will make the people happy.
