BallReviews
Equipment Boards => Hammer => Topic started by: sags on November 25, 2013, 09:46:46 AM
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Ok here we go guy's, first drop to #14 this year due to arm problems. So anyway went with DV8 had a madness, endless, and mutiny, also threw in a desert hook from global. Well not many of the DV8 work for me so I'm going back to my roots and Hammer. Ordered a Absolute curve, and a cobalt vibe. will get rid of the madness and the endless for sure, kinda like the mutiny but what ball would take it place in the line up on med to med/light for a old school tweener with 16 or so mph? don't need anything for oil as we don't see any to start with and now with me throwing #14 I seem to be turning the ball more. Would the low flare be good in this slot or what been away for a while so need help thanks
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For me that ball is the Arson Low Flare ( Drilled strong). I'm not sure on reactions (especially for your game) but the Arson hybrid could be an option as well as maybe the new Amp up.
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Low flare would do it, all the advice I got early on from a few staffers was to drill it on the stronger side, especially with the OBB finish.
Instaed of my normal 5" pin-pap, I think I went 4.25"
At 500 dull with clean n sheen over it (basically a 1000 grit matte polish added to it)
its very predictable and continuous.
If you knock the shine off of it, it will be noticeably stronger - but still maintains the continuous and predictable shape.
Dont be afraid to adjust the surface on this ball, it does very well with different grits
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Thanks guy's know this is a ??? you see on here all the time but it just sometimes needs to be asked LOL Will go with a low flare next as their is no one in the small center we bowl at throwing Hammer so can't watch the reaction of the balls, so its a guessing game on my part.
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In the same boat, except I need something under the Low Flare. :-\
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Under the low flare would be one of the "freeze" pieces, if drilled properly
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In the same boat, except I need something under the Low Flare. :-\
Sounds like you are determined to stay with the Hammer family. I don't think they make a piece that you're looking for, currently. You'd probably have to go back in time and pick up one of the Blade series balls or maybe even a Razyr drilled strong with altered surface prep. Or even an original Nail, maybe.
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In the same boat, except I need something under the Low Flare. :-\
Sounds like you are determined to stay with the Hammer family. I don't think they make a piece that you're looking for, currently. You'd probably have to go back in time and pick up one of the Blade series balls or maybe even a Razyr drilled strong with altered surface prep. Or even an original Nail, maybe.
I'm not opposed to other brands, just hoped to stay in the Hammer line if I could.
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Low flare is the weakest piece Hammer offers at the moment.
New releases are due after xmas, do not know exactly when and if they will have something that fits your request
A longer pin - pap drill and possibly taking the surface prep up to 1000 or 2000 + the clean n sheen might just work
How much weaker are you looking for?
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Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.
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Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.
Hmm.. if the lanes get burned up that much, then you may be looking at the wrong surface material for the ball. If a Nail Smoke & Fire, or Spike doesn't handle it, you may want to look at urethane. Blue Hammer at say, 600 to 800? It certainly wouldn't burn up its energy on the lane, but if the lanes get that dry, will give you the look you may be trying to find.
BL.
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Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.
Hmm.. if the lanes get burned up that much, then you may be looking at the wrong surface material for the ball. If a Nail Smoke & Fire, or Spike doesn't handle it, you may want to look at urethane. Blue Hammer at say, 600 to 800? It certainly wouldn't burn up its energy on the lane, but if the lanes get that dry, will give you the look you may be trying to find.
BL.
Yeah thats kind of what I'm trying to find out really, if one of those could be an option or do I need to try something else. Not opposed to anything at this point, just trying to get idea of what may work.
Like I said the ALF OOB is perfect for a medium shot for me, its just in the house I'm in atm I may not see all that much oil some days other days its fine I can throw the ALF all day long just making moves in. Just need something for those days when I throw it and I know its going to be too much ball.
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Armour, I'm drilling a cobalt to go below the absolute but after the cobalt I will drill up a shout!!. Had one before I had to drop weight and loved it on the burn and any drier shot there was. So smooth and no flip just a easy move to the pocket just a thought for you.
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Drill a blue hammer urethane for a ball below your low flare.
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Drill a blue hammer urethane for a ball below your low flare.
Yeah its what I was thinking about doing, always wanted a Urethane anyways.
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Drill a blue hammer urethane for a ball below your low flare.
Yeah its what I was thinking about doing, always wanted a Urethane anyways.
Here is what I would suggest, and someone who knows more about the finish, correct me if I'm wrong.
Definitely go with the new Blue Hammer, or if you have the money, time, and patience to look for one, find a good condition Fab Blue Hammer.
IIRC (and again, correct me if I'm wrong), the Fab Blues were at either 600 or 800 grit Abralon for the OOB finish, whereas the Blue Pearl Hammer was at roughly 1000 to 1500 with a pearlized coverstock.
The New Blue Hammer is at 800/1000/2000/4000, so it will be a lot smoother, and probably somewhere between the Red and Red Pearl Hammer if you were to compare them (dullest to most polished of the original line was Burgundy - Blue - Purple - Black - Red - Red Pearl - Blue Pearl - Pink).
So taking the New one down to 600 or 800 grit should put it close to the original Blue, which will definitely be under the ALF. If you want anything underneath that, you could either play with the surface of the Blue Hammer...
Or drill up a really strong Taboo Spare or True Blood. So you do have a couple of options to fit underneath your ALF.
BL.
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Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.
I have an ALF drilled with a 2" pin-pap and job finish. I need a fair amount of oil with it or it will leave a lot of 10 pins. Not a ball that can go very deep either, won't turn the corner. But I wanted something very smooth and predictable. May polish it up at some point.
I also have a new Blue urethane. Its drilled pin up, which I think was a mistake. Its very over/ under. Surface is at 2000 right now. Thinking of plugging and redrilling it with a stronger drilling and knocking the surface down. Maybe it will be better.
Right now in my bag has been a pin up Cherry Vibe (really flies on the back end), ALF and an old polished Fab Red Hammer. The Red Hammer gets the most use. Really does well for me. Also have a Burgundy, two Purples and a Blue Pearl.
Ive found most of the low performance reactives are just too strong anymore.
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Basically right now I need something for when the pattern starts to burn out or is fairly light. For me the ALF at OOB is a medium/benchmark and its great for that, but if I hit the lanes and I'm already starting deep to keep it right ( even after some hand and wrist adjustments) I just don't have anything to drop down too.
I have an ALF drilled with a 2" pin-pap and job finish. I need a fair amount of oil with it or it will leave a lot of 10 pins. Not a ball that can go very deep either, won't turn the corner. But I wanted something very smooth and predictable. May polish it up at some point.
I also have a new Blue urethane. Its drilled pin up, which I think was a mistake. Its very over/ under. Surface is at 2000 right now. Thinking of plugging and redrilling it with a stronger drilling and knocking the surface down. Maybe it will be better.
Right now in my bag has been a pin up Cherry Vibe (really flies on the back end), ALF and an old polished Fab Red Hammer. The Red Hammer gets the most use. Really does well for me. Also have a Burgundy, two Purples and a Blue Pearl.
Ive found most of the low performance reactives are just too strong anymore.
Yeah that seems to be what I've noticed as well. Seems a lot of the balls they have for light patterns turn out to be more for medium/medium-light once people get to throwing them.
At this point I'll probably go with the Blue Hammer, although I might just go with a True Blood so I have a spare ball as well. Always had decent luck throwing between first and second arrow with a plastic ball :)
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I did have a taboo spare for my league last year on old wood lanes with very little oil. That ball has crazy good carry.
Shot 803 with it. Scuffed it by hand with 4k.
there were 6 or 7 of them by the end of league then.
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Yeah I used to throw an old Ace Supreme that was scuffed a bit, damn thing carried pretty decent most of the time. Honestly was probably the best feeling ball I've ever thrown off my hand, just always hated using it because it felt like I was wasting the money I spent on my more expensive stuff ::)
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Yeah I used to throw an old Ace Supreme that was scuffed a bit, damn thing carried pretty decent most of the time. Honestly was probably the best feeling ball I've ever thrown off my hand, just always hated using it because it felt like I was wasting the money I spent on my more expensive stuff ::)
I know how you feel. I have a ton of stuff that I can't use except at Nationals. Track 811C/T, 718A, Black Widow Bite, Onyx Vibe etc….pretty much all my reactive stuff just sits now. In my bag is the ALF, Cherry Vibe, Red Fab Hammer along with a Roto Grip Grenade. The one I use the most is the old Red Hammer (which I just bought last year). Should have my Burgundy back this week. Looking forward to that!
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I use the arson low flare in the first game only.....after the first game I leave a lot of 7 pins (a left handers nightmare).....in the second and third game I use a cobalt vibe....in the event that the lanes make a mistake and put a little extra oil on the lane I go with the trap.....this is very rare in amf centers