- Boogie Key Lime

First Impressions
Released in 1991, the AMF Boogie Key Lime is a prominent member of the colorful Boogie series, with which AMF shook up the recreational market of the early '90s. Visually, the ball stands out thanks to its namesake bright green color (Key Lime), which fit the neon trend of the era perfectly. Technically, it's a classic polyester ball (plastic), designed for maximum durability and a straight roll. Inside sits a traditional 3-piece pancake weight block. This construction results in a high RG and a minimal differential, which suppresses any flare potential. The surface comes polished to a high gloss out of the box, keeping friction on the lane as low as possible and ensuring maximum length without any change of direction.
Comparison
Within AMF's 1991 lineup, the Boogie Key Lime is the exact functional opposite of the performance models of the day such as the AMF Black Ninja or the AMF Sumo. While those balls were built to generate massive hook, the Boogie Key Lime was built to avoid any curve at all. Compared to the Columbia 300 White Dot or the Brunswick Viz-A-Ball, the motion characteristics are nearly identical. All of these balls use the inertia of the pancake core and the smoothness of the polyester shell to neutralize the lane conditions. The difference lies purely in the distinctive aesthetics of the Boogie line, which aimed to position the bowling ball as a fashion accessory for the casual player.
On the Lanes
The AMF Boogie Key Lime is the ideal tool for precise spare shooting. Its polyester cover ignores even the driest sections of the lane, which makes it the perfect choice for corner pins, where an unwanted hook from your strike ball often leads to missed shots. For beginners it's an excellent first ball of their own for learning the fundamentals of a straight release, since it doesn't punish technical mistakes in the release with uncontrolled hooking. On extremely dry lanes ("the desert") it can be used for the strike shot in a pinch, though with no dynamic core you'll have to hit the pocket very precisely to get enough carry.