- Rhodman

First Impressions
Released in April 2017, the Hammer Rhodman is more than just another high-performance ball; it was designed as a tribute to the late Fred Rhodman, a legend of the brand. Visually, the ball comes in a bold mix of black, blue and orange solid. Technically, Hammer goes back to the extremely successful symmetrical Spheroid core that already dominated the Bad Intentions series. At 15 pounds, this core features a very low RG of 2.48 and a solid 0.048 differential. That centripetal mass produces an extremely early revving and stable rotation through the midlane. For the cover, Hammer chose the Juiced Maxx Solid Reactive shell. This chemical formulation is laid out more aggressively than the covers of the previous models using the same core. Out of the box the ball comes with a 2000 grit Abralon finish, giving it a dull, tacky texture that signals traction in oil immediately.
Comparison Compared directly to the Hammer Bad Intentions, which also used the Spheroid core, the Rhodman shows noticeably more overall hook. That is primarily due to the Juiced Maxx Solid surface, which chemically creates more friction in oil than the older Juiced variants. While the Bad Intentions was often considered very controllable, the Rhodman offers more bite in the midlane. Bringing in a competitor like the Storm Phaze II, also a symmetrical solid ball for heavier oil, the Rhodman behaves very similarly: both balls read the lane early and provide a smooth, continuous arc. The Rhodman often seems a touch earlier into the roll phase, which gives it a slight edge in stability on very fresh oil. Compared to the Hammer Scandal (with the asymmetrical Scandal core), the Rhodman offers somewhat less total hook, but its symmetrical core makes it considerably more predictable and less prone to over/under reactions at the breakpoint.
On the Lanes The Hammer Rhodman is the epitome of a benchmark ball for medium to heavy oil conditions. Thanks to the low RG and the rough 2000 surface, it is the ideal choice as the first ball out of the bag to read the oil pattern. It smooths out the edges of wet/dry conditions by not sliding through the heads and not jumping too aggressively at the breakpoint. Its strength is control: it rolls heavy and continuous into the pocket, which maximizes carry even on less than perfect hits. If you throw the ball fast, it is an excellent fit, since it slows down early enough to transfer energy into the pins. Rev-dominant players appreciate the fact that the symmetrical core keeps the ball controllable even with a lot of hand in it. Once the lane dries up substantially and the heads burn up, however, the Rhodman will start to burn energy too early and hit flat; at that point a switch to a polished pearl ball like the Hammer Gauntlet Fury is advisable.