We tested this ball in our house shot pattern (41' ft) and the first thing we noticed is that this ball is stronger than we thought.

The Forge Fire has a strong midlane read and a strong but controllable backend motion. This ball features the same Detonator core first used on the original Forge and the Infusion Hybrid coverstock. This combination results in a versatile piece that can be used on different parts of the lane.

For me this ball fits into the category of a “house shot killer”. It is not early and smooth as the Forge and it is not a skid-flip ball like the RipCord.

The Forge Fire blends the pattern quite nicely. It has a fast response to friction without being too angular 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 Forge Fire is cleaner and more angular than the Forge and smoother and more predictable than the Villain Scorn or the RipCord.

I was able to play close to my comfort zone with the Forge Fire throughout the whole session. I started laying out the ball outside third arrow and having the 7th board as my breakpoint. The Forge Fire provided a smooth, predictable shape with a strong and continuous downlane motion.

I noticed how forgiving this ball is on this pattern. When I missed outside the Forge Fire offered a lot of recovery, when I missed inside the ball had enough length to never go sideways and had enough traction in the oil to not miss the breakpoint.

I compared the Forge Fire with the Forge. The Forge is earlier, smoother and it has a slower response to friction than the Forge Fire. Overall they have similar hook potential, they just provide a different shape on the lane.

This ball will be a great option on everything but the extremes. On patterns with a higher volume of oil, the Forge Fire will be a great ball to use once you have created a friction spot and balls like the Trident Abyss or the Forge are too much ball or when you want to open up your angles. On a house shot pattern, the Forge Fire had a great reaction playing from different parts of the lane. It can be used on fresh playing straighter angles and it also can be used during the transition when you want to jump in and create more shape downlane.

The Forge Fire has a unique shape that will be helpful to a wide variety of bowlers. We feel that this ball is best suited for medium and heavy oil conditions.

Overall, the Forge Fire 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 wide variety of conditions and a ball that can be used as a benchmark ball on medium and heavy oil patterns. The Forge Fire will complement the Forge perfectly and it is a great step-down from balls like the Golden Jackal.

Thank you for watching and please let us know what you think!