Next on tap, the midpriced offerings
Let me first say that Hammer has the best value in the midpriced series of any company on the market. For one, they do not use the previous generation's coverstocks or weaker coverstocks on strong cores(this causes alot of over under from the core fighting the cover, due to the core wanting to migrate to its PSA, but the coverstock being too weak to read in oil). They use the classic and proven Hammer core, just alot denser with the Ebonite Flip cap up top(or in some cases, sans the cap). The coverstocks on these are beautiful and strong! Yet with such a predictable core they are very responsible to drilling changes and can give you a different look with many different drillings.
Saw Blade
-Drilling: Pin under ring, C.G stacked.
This uses a pearlized version of the Cut-Throat cover from the Real Deal. This coverstock is very strong and shows it's power on the core in the Saw Blade. I find that in the blade series you ger a predicatable midlane motion out of the balls with control, but the ones with the flip cap give that control in the midlane yet turn the corner very hard on the backend. The strength of this cover exaggerrates everything about the original Blade Reactive. Same strong midlane read with a HARD HARD arc on the backend. Overall it gets similar length to the Blade Reactive, but you'll be 6 boards left with your feet since it is a good 6-8 more boards aggressive on the backend. This is one ball where I could strike from standing 18 and playing 10-4 at the breakpoint, or I could move anywhere left(even as far as 35), give it more hand and watch it torque up on the backend for some awesome messengers and bonecrushing strikes. The Saw Blade just keeps on coming back and with this low price tag it could definately be most people's most aggressive ball in their bag. Strength Wise, it's not too far off from the Real Deal, it's just more user friendly and compatible to a typical house shot.
Switch Blade
-2 Drillings (#1) pin under ring, C.G stacked by thumb, (#2) Pin over ring, C.G 1/2 inch above the midline
The First Switchblade I wasn't really impressed by. It gave a ton of length but was alot weaker on the backend than I expected. It gave a similar look of a V2 Clean, but where it shines is where and how you play the dry. I was able to move into the extremely dry part of the lane with the pin under ring drilling and scribe a controllable arc with it. As the lanes carried down, this one wanted to washout and miss the breakpoint, but the more dry you play with it, the better it rolls. I had alot of fun playing the 2 board with this ball.
On the second drilling with the pin over the ring finger, The ball gave similar length with the box finish, but was about 3-4 more boards aggressive and sharper in transition out of the dry. This is my second favorite hammer in the bag next to the Deal. I was able to play many angles with this ball and get predictability. With a gloss this high I expected alot of over-under especially with a pin high drilling, but I found none. I'm completely in love with this ball and it truely hits like a ton. With all of these hammers, they finish so much better than any other brand I've thrown. They keep the pins low and back which is what you want, but if you draw a sharp enough angle with them...LOOKOUT! a flying messenger comes across the deck as added insurance to take out anything in it's path.
Pure Hammer
-Power in Disguise
Drilling: Label Shift, 2 1/2 x 4
This ball reminds me the one quiet kid everyone went to school with. He never looked flashy, and didn't quite blend in with any crowd. He just stayed to himself and had a plain and boring appearance, but if pushed the wrong way, the beast came out of him like the Hulk and he went berzerk! This ball is suprisingly strong. I know I didn't see it coming. It ignores the heads and midlane(a little too much for my taste, I didn't really like how I didn't get a read in the midlane), but when it found dry in the backend it jerked up like a madman and finished STRONG. Very Strong, and it hit like a madman. IT's very similar to a Track Magic or V2 Dry the way it acts up front, but the backend is so decivingly strong that it's quite suprising. I don't know how well it can handle a fresh condition as the lanes were pretty broken down when I got around to using it, but it seemed to not be carrydown sensitive at all. When it made it's move, it made it strong and all the oil in the backend didn't stop it's path to the hole. This seems like a great transition ball, or something to use when you need a true roll, or everything else it either too early or too over under. It's a niche piece and not alot of people are going to be throwing this, but having it in your bag will definately bail you out of alot of situations when you're comepletely lost in the transition.
That's it for the mini reviews. The Videos are coming soon!
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-DP3
Edited on 12/24/2004 2:00 PM
