We had the chance to try the Motiv Rogue Blade in our THS and we found that this is a versatile piece that will benefit numerous bowlers of various styles.

There is probably nothing new that we can say about the Sigma core, one of the most popular cores that Motiv has ever produced... That is why Motiv decided to bring back this core first with the Forza SS and now with the Rogue Blade.

The Rogue Blade is one of those balls that you always need in your bag regardless if you are a league bowler or a competitive bowler. It is a pearl, but it is not as clean and angular as most of the pearlized balls like the Hydra that is cleaner and with a faster response to friction.

The Rogue Blade has a strong midlane read and a strong, but controllable backend motion. For me this ball fits into the category of a “house shot killer”. It blends the pattern quite nicely, is not too jumpy when it hits the friction and is not too clean to miss the breakpoint in case you miss inside your mark. In terms of how it fits with the rest of the Motiv lineup, the Rogue Blade is cleaner and more angular than the Forza SS and smoother and more predictable than the Lethal Paranoia. Overall they have similar hook potential, they just provide a different shape on the lane.

I was able to play in my comfort zone with the Rogue Blade throughout the whole session. I started laying out the ball around second arrow and having the 5th board as my breakpoint. The Rogue Blade provided a smooth, predictable shape with a strong and continuous downlane motion. I was able to play up the boards too and I had a great reaction as well.

The Rogue Blade is not as smooth and predictable as a solid but it also has a strong backend motion as pearlized ball without being too angular. It gives you a great balance of both worlds.

This ball will be a great option on everything but the extremes. On patterns with a higher volume of oil, you can always adjust the surface or go with a stronger ball, while on patterns with a lower volume of oil you can ball down to something like the Venom Shock Pearl if you want to keep the same shape.

Overall, the Rogue Blade is a versatile ball that will fit into a lot of different bowling styles. This is one of those balls that will be helpful in a variety of different conditions and a ball that will always find a spot in your bag. Motiv did the right thing bringing the Sigma core back.

Thank you for watching!

Thanks fella. How does it compare to the Villain ?

Thanks fella. How does it compare to the Villain ?

The Villain is stronger than the Rogue Blade. For me it is about 3-5 ft earlier and smoother when it hits the friction. The Rogue Blade has more pop downlane and more length without being too angular. I feel that the Blade can work as a good step down from the Villain to get more length and more shape down the lane once the Villain becomes too much ball or loses too much energy.