Hello to all HAMMERHEADS!
It has been awhile since I posted on here but since I have thrown the new stuff a few times, I thought posting my thoughts would help provide some insight to you all.
Hammer Arson
I drilled this one with a 4 1/2" Pin placement above the Ring Finger. It was just slightly over the limit on side weight and was pushing finger weight to where I wanted to decrease that as well so a weight hole was put in the slight upper right quadrant of the ball.
First impressions of this ball simply put was that I need a lot more oil than the house I bowl at normally has to offer in order for this ball to be used. This is going to be a great tournament ball for those that need the cover to read earlier through heavier volumes of oil. I am bowling in a tournament this weekend and the lane surface we will be bowling on brings more oil than I have been used to so far this Summer season and this past Winter season.
I believe the Arson is going to shine if this is the case in which I need something to roll through the heads and catch friction sooner. I feel that the Arson brand new out of the box versus a Taboo brand new out of the box, is about 2-3 boards more aggressive and I aboslutely loved the Taboo in the puddle when I encountered it.
Epidemic
This ball is going to look great on the shelves in pro shops and look awesome going down the lane with its full spectrum of colors. I put the MB at 60 degrees and gave it a 4 1/2" Pin placement above the Ring Finger. Had to punch a tiny weight hole in it about 5" over to the right close to my axis with a 3/4" drill bit going no more than 1" deep to get the ball back to spec.
First impressions of this ball are just exactly how super clean through the heads this one is. The backend is definitely noticeable and in my opinion will have the most backend potential to offer out of the three in this series (Plague, Infection). Considering how much it skids, I'm considering taking a 4000 abralon pad to it just to see how it would fair for me. Until then, I'm keeping it OOB until I get a better read and more games on it.
This ball is the longer down lane more angular version of the Infection, and that is even with a weaker drilled Infection versus a stronger drilled Epidemic. I still get a little bit more earlier read with the Infection; however, I get a more cleaner look through the heads with the Epidemic.
Grape Vibe
I've read a lot of posts about the Vibe being one of the most under rated series in a line of bowling balls; however, I do not feel that to be the case anymore. The last few Vibe releases have proven time and again that high performance delivers in a smaller price tag. This Vibe is no different. The Grape is a few feet earlier versus the Midnight but still delivers the proper amount of backend needed to get the job done. This Vibe is for those who feel they may need a stronger piece in the bag in the place that the Midnight Vibe is skidding too long and is too smooth of a finish down lane. Out of all the new ones, this one has not got used as much because of what I have encountered on the lanes thus far.
Blue Hammer
I have to admit, I was extremely excited about this classic being re-born! I have ran into situations where if I moved inside the oil, I could not get a good solid read to the pocket. When I would make the adjustment back to the right, I experienced over reaction through the head pin which would leave a bad result on most occasions. Enter the Blue Hammer! Play the drier part of the THS and get it into the friction quicker and you will see a smooth even roll to the pocket without over reaction. If you put it in the puddle, you will see it read the front of the lane and roll out flat on the backend, which with it being urethane is what it is supposed to do! So I definitely feel confident when everything else in the bag is confusing me, that I will have no problems going to this ball.
Well, I hope everything you've read helps you make a decision as to which Hammer ball will be well suited for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a line or get a hold of me at the information in my signature below. Thank you for reading! Nothing Hits Like A Hammer! God Bless!
-MP-
