- Taboo Blue/Silver

First Impressions
Hammer released the Taboo Blue/Silver in September 2011 as an addition to the successful Taboo line. Visually, the ball stands out with a striking color combination of electric blue and silver. At its heart sits the asymmetric Gas Mask core, defined by a 2.50 RG, a high 0.060 differential, and a significant 0.016 intermediate differential. This core is built to spin up quickly and generate a strong imbalance, which should encourage dynamic movement toward the pocket. Wrapped around it is the Grand Theft II Pearl cover. Interestingly, this pearl material does not ship polished — it comes with a heavily sanded surface instead. The factory prep runs in stages: 800 Abranet followed by 1000, 2000, and 3000 Abralon. That surface treatment is meant to keep the ball from sliding uncontrolled through the heads despite the pearl additives, and to get it reading the lane early instead. Pairing a very strong asymmetric core with a sanded pearl cover targets a ball motion that combines pronounced midlane stability with a sharp, aggressive direction change. The numbers suggest a ball that stores enormous energy in the core and dumps it all at once at the breakpoint.
Comparison
Put it next to the original Hammer Taboo with its dull solid cover and you'll see a slightly modified character down the lane. The original Taboo reacts a bit earlier thanks to its strong solid material and produces a more arcing, continuous shape, while the Blue/Silver uses its sanded pearl cover to hold energy marginally longer before making a sharper move at the breakpoint. Bringing in the Storm Phaze II as a cross-brand reference makes the difference between strong asymmetric pearls and established symmetric solids clear. The Phaze II gives you a far smoother and more predictable ball motion, since its symmetric core combined with the dull surface builds extremely steady traction. The Taboo Blue/Silver, by contrast, plays a little more reserved through the heads, then reacts far more explosively and with more angle once it hits friction. Compared to a conventionally polished pearl like the Brunswick Melee Jab, the 3000 Abralon surface gives the Taboo Blue/Silver noticeably more stability in oil. Polished balls tend to lose traction quickly on heavily oiled boards, whereas the Taboo Blue/Silver builds a reliable hook through its rough cover without any risk of skidding out. Its asymmetric dynamics make it an assertive option whenever you need clean angles.
On the Lanes
The Taboo Blue/Silver finds its home on medium to heavy oil volume. The powerful Gas Mask core paired with the sanded surface needs a certain amount of oil in the heads so the ball doesn't burn up its energy too early. If you have a lower rev rate, you'll benefit substantially from the asymmetric build, because the core actively helps drive the hook mechanically and secures the path to the pocket. If you throw the ball fast, the rough cover gives you enough traction to slow it down in the midlane in time. Once the pattern starts to shift and the inevitable transition sets in, though, that strong cover material can turn into a liability. When the heads dry up, the ball tends to grab too early, which leaves it hitting flat at the pin deck and noticeably kills your carry. In those situations you'll almost always need to move to something weaker and smoother. If conditions call for it, you can also change the ball's character by polishing the cover to a high gloss afterward. That extends the skid phase through the front part of the lane dramatically and makes it workable on somewhat drier conditions. Even so, its core purpose remains clear dominance on wet lanes, where it delivers a high degree of traction.