Ball NPS Score: 100.00
- Coverstock: Activator Solid
- Color: Black / Yellow
- Hardness: 76-78
- Factory Finish: 2,000 Siaair Micro Pad
- Weight Block: Rocket - Two-component Symmetrical Core (14-16# only, 12 and 13 # have a generic core)
- RG max: 2.539
- RG min: 2.496
- RG diff: 0.043
- Average RG: 3.5 of 10
- Hook Potential: 160 (Scale 10-175)
- Length: 100 (Scale 25-235)
- Typical Breakpoint Shape: 80 Angular (Scale Smooth Arc 10-Angular 100)
- Flare Potential: 0.043 High (Scale Low 0.00-High 0.060)
- Recommended Lane Condition: Medium-Oily
- Description: The Diamondback is the first ball with Activator Solid coverstock available at the Advanced Performance price point. The original Activator coverstock used on the Diamondback is a proven formula that provides strong downlane recovery, longevity of ball reaction, and unprecedented durability with superior resistance to cracking. The Diamondback uses the proven Brunswick multi-sided Rocket™ core system, providing a low RG core that when combined with the original Activator coverstock produces a ball reaction that is unmatched at the Advanced Performance price point. Clean through the front with an aggressive move at the breakpoint, the Diamondback gives amazing bang for the buck. There isn’t another ball in this class that’s even close. With its 2,000 Siaair Micro Pad finish, the Diamondback will provide good length with a strong continuous backend reaction that matches up on medium to oily lane conditions for a wide range of bowling styles.

Ball Review: Diamondback
Date: 11/04/09

Bowler Information:

Initial ball Speed: 16.5 - 17 mph
Tilt: 10 Degrees
Axis Rotation: 30 Degrees
Rev Rate: 300-340 RPMs

Coverstock - Activator Solid
RG min - 2.496”
Differential - .043”

Drill Specs:
Pin to PAP - 4.5”
Degree From VAL: 25"
Vertical Pin Orientation: UP
Drill Angle - 65"


Surface:

4000 Siaair Micropad

The Diamondback is a new reaction shape for Brunswick in the Advance Performance line. If you are looking for a reactive solid with plenty of hook at the breakpoint, look no further! This ball takes a solid read of the midlane and then explodes into the pocket with an amount of angularity I have never seen in a Solid Symmetrical Ball from the great folks at Big B. Activator Solid is known as a smooth continuous reading solid formula, however, when pared with the Rocket Core it seems to become quite a bit more angular. Don't get me wrong, it's no C System 2.5 or Wild Thing as far as response time goes, but it is definitely more angular than past Brunswick solid releases in the Advanced Performance line. In fact, the ball had too much recovery in its out of box 2000 Siaair Micropad finish for our 40 food moderate to heavy volume house pattern, so I decided to take it down to 4000 so I wouldn't have to play so far in the middle of the lane. When compared to my similarly drilled 2000 grit Rattler, the Diamondback is 3 and 1 stronger with more angularity at the 4000 grit finish. From a pro shop operators perspective, it also compares very capably with other manufacturer's solid balls that tend to have faster response times than that of Brunswick and seems to possibly have more hook. In summary, this ball continues to improve on proven technology by providing a little bit of that new Brunswick angularity. If your looking for top tier performance at an affordable price look no further...The Diamondback is all of that and more!
--------------------
Chris Garrett
Upstate Pro Shop
Greenville, SC - 1-866-490-9980
Upstateproshop@charter.net

PBA Member
Brunswick Advisory Staff
Vise Regional Staff

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Brunswick Corporation.

Ball: Brunswick Diamondback

Layout:

Pin 5” from PAP, below ring finger
CG ¾” below and ¾” to right of grip center
No XH

Initial Surface Preparation:

Box finish

Purpose:

To fill the benchmark spot in the tournament bag.  I have a couple of Copperheads that I’ve been using as bench pieces, and while they’ve served me reasonably well in this role, I’ve been looking for something that not only could be used to read a lane, but would also be strong enough to stay with as the condition transitions.  I’ve also tried a Rattler in this spot, but I’ve been hoping to find something that would handle more oil.

Why this ball?

The solid Activator cover on the Diamondback has proven to be versatile, and I’ve always gotten consistent reactions from the lower-RG Rocket core.  Also, for whatever reason, I’ve always had better luck with benchmark balls that have had solid covers.

Observations:

The first time I threw the Diamondback was at a center with five-year-old Pro Anvilane, in a second-shift league.  The pair we drew that night has been playing tighter than the other pairs in the league, and getting the right midlane read has been tricky.  However, the Diamondback handled this condition extremely well, blending out the lane from front to back and side to side.  It read the oil without squirting, and from the dry, it made a defined move to the pocket without jerking or over-bouncing.  We did encounter quite a bit of transition during the set, but I was able to follow the oil line inward without losing recovery.  I didn’t seem to have the same inside limitation that I’ve experienced with the Copperhead, as the ball continued to finish strong and kick the corners as I moved in.

I’ve also used the Diamondback at a center with HPL in front and older wood in back, on a fresh house condition.  The Diamondback read the friction in such a way that I could get my feet further left, allowing me to hook around the push, and keeping me further away from the burn in front.  I did have to make several lateral moves over the course of the set, but I was able to do so without losing my angle to the pocket.

Conclusions:

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the Diamondback.  With the Snake line (as with the BVP line before it), the stronger pieces have been more even in nature, while the angular balls have been weaker overall.  So you could imagine how pleased I was the first time I got the Diamondback wide of target, and saw the way that it came roaring back to the pocket.

It’s hard for me to draw a comparison between the Diamondback and other recent Brunswick releases.  It’s not quite like the Ultimate Inferno remake, because the Diamondback doesn’t need to get all the way to the dry in order to make a defined turn down lane.  It’s also not quite like a scuffed Rattler, because the move that the Diamondback makes at the break is noticeably stronger.  The Diamondback definitely gives me a look that I don’t have in the bag right now, and that I haven’t seen in the mid-price line in quite a while.

NOTE:  The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.
--------------------
Ray Salas
Brunswick Amateur Staff
http://www.brunswickbowling.com

Brunswick Diamondback
15lbs
3” pin
2.3 top

Layout:
Rico
OOB surface (2000)

Bower stats:
19 +/- mph
300-325 rpm
PAP:  4.75” right

Purpose:
To be the ball that will read the midlane the most out of my equipment for medium patterns. The reason for using the Rico layout is that, for me personally, it gives more a little more of a hook-set look than a just a smooth continuous roll and I can only imagine that it’s due to my amount of axis tilt and rotation.

On the lanes:
On our fresh 39’ THS, this ball made the wall even easier to play than what it was to begin with. My best look came from throwing it with a speed of about 19 and a normal amount of hand with a laydown of 15 out to about 8 at the breakpoint. The Diamondback stood up relatively quickly but it didn’t come with a lot of energy loss. It still had more than enough power to hit the pocket with some serious authority. At the same speed and rev rate, my polished Wild Thing with the pin above the bridge required a 4 board move to the outside and the same breakpoint at 8 to match up. Even from deep inside, the Diamondback still cornered with ease, but the angle just wasn’t there for me to get the 10 out every single time.

On the 50uL per board Viper, the best look I had with this ball was up the twig around the 2 board and I was able to also pull it a tad and still get away with it. The Diamondback showed the same strength in the midlane and the same excellent carry. The same Wild Thing as mentioned above was able to play down the 5-6 board area. Once the twig burnt up a little I was able to play a small bank shot off the 1-2 board from a laydown of about 5 and still had more success with this than with any other ball or line.

Overall:
To put it mildly, I think this ball is the one of the best solid symmetrical balls that I’ve ever had in my hands. The midlane read is exactly what I was looking for in order for that extra bit of forgiveness. I think the layout that I chose was spot on and I think that if you are ever planning on using a Rico pattern on a symmetric ball, that the Diamondback would be the ball to use due to the ball’s ability to enhance the midlane.

--------------------
Brunswick Advisory Staff

Jared Wolf
Jonesboro, AR
www.bowlingchat.net

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

This ball is a MUST have for anyone out there that is in need of a bowling ball that can get through a heavier volume of oil and not lose energy down lane.

My Diamondback (out of the box finish), has a 2" pin which is drilled under the bridge of my fingers with the cg kicked out and a hole beside the thumb. It compliments my Maxx zone very well and I can go between the two when necessary. The Maxx zone is still a favorite of mine, but knowing I now have a ball I can go too when that one is not hitting so well is a bonus.

This ball has a very smooth motion for me and is very predictable down lane. I trust it to pick up an earlier roll and still continue through the pins without losing any energy. A MUST addition to your arsenal.  
--------------------
Stefanie Nation

Bowler Info:
375 RPM
16.5 MPH at the pins
PAP 4 5/8 x 1/8 ꜛ

Ball: Diamond Back   

Layout:  35° x 4 ¼ x 30°  x-hole is Gradient Line P3

Initial Surface Preparation: 2,000 Siaair Micro Pad  

Lane surfaces tested on: HPL 9000 and Pro-anvilane

Observations: Super fast rev rate, clean through the front, firm breakpoint.

Conclusions: This quickly became the first ball out of my bag. Very good for reading lanes and has enough hook to handle oily lanes without over reacting to the dry boards. I found this ball to be a great compliment to the python. The python is longer and sharper while the diamond back is earlier and a little smoother. I love how Brunswick has made all theses new balls compliment other ones in the same line. You can create an arsenal that covers almost every condition without having the same reaction like you get in some brands.

As with any ball, proper matching of the bowler, ball, layout and coverstock are crucial to success. Make sure you find a well educated pro shop technician to drill your next ball and your scores will increase immediately.

*The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Bowling & Billiards Corporation

Gregg Helms
USBC Silver Certified Coach
Brunswick Pro Shop Staff
Striking Results Pro Shop
"A Fitting Place for Bowlers"
Raleigh, Cary & Erwin, NC

Ball Name - Diamondback

Bowler Specs

Right Handed
Tweener
15 MPH
4000 Siaair Surface

Description - The Diamondback replaces and upgrades the Copperhead.  By adding Activator coverstock along with the proven Rocket core, this combination will provide a stronger, earlier rolling addition to this line.

Drilling - I drilled this ball 4 x 2 with a small weight hole on the axis.

Reaction - FOR ME, this is the earliest rolling ball that I have in my bag.  This ball rolls earlier than my Siege and C System 3.5.  Even when smoothed out, I just cant keep it on the lane.  I will be using this ball only while playing on longer patterns or on heavy carrydown.

Overall - If you want a very early rolling ball, you would be wise to take a long look at the Diamondback.  I will drill another one weaker with the pin over the fingers to take advantage of the stronger coverstock in the near future.

Thanks to Billy O, new product rep Brian Bever, and all the good folks at Brunswick.
--------------------
Roger Harley, Jr
IBPSIA Certified
USBC Certified Coach
Brunswick Advisory Staff

***The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Bowling & Billards Corporation***

I am very pleased with the way that the diamondback rolls for me. This ball was the only ball that I would throw for months. It was so predictable off the spot and let you know when you needed to make a move. You could watch the ball motion and determine when and where it would hook and put yourself in that zone and get comfortable and not worry about this ball over reacting. I love to watch the ball go sideways off the end of the pattern but I've gotten really use to watching certain balls smooth out and this is one of my favorites. If your looking for a stronger midlane ball with a predictable back end arc then this is your ball.
--------------------
Brunswick Staff Member
Turbo Staff Member

Rich Jerome Jr
Baltimore MD