- Spike Black/Blue

First Impressions
The Hammer Spike Black/Blue hit the market in June 2014 as a dynamic extension of the Spike series and shows up in a classic black-and-blue look. At the heart of this bowling ball works the symmetrical Widow Nasty core, which is characterized by a relatively high 2.56 RG and a very strong 0.054 differential. These specific numbers define a weight distribution that mechanically starts to rotate late, but then builds up enormous flare potential. This core is wrapped in the GTR III Pearl coverstock, a reactive pearl shell developed specifically for high sensitivity on dry boards. Out of the box, the surface is first scuffed with 500 and 1000 Abralon and then polished to a high gloss with a heavy coat of Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. This extremely smooth preparation should let the ball glide through the heads with no resistance at all and avoid losing energy early. A structural peculiarity of this generation is also the integration of carbon fibers in the outer core area, which should increase physical durability and mechanical energy transfer at the pin deck. The direct interplay of a late-rotating symmetrical core and a polished pearl cover targets a classic skid-flip ball motion, in which the ball skids straight for a long time and then turns sharply toward the pocket at the breakpoint.
Comparison Placed directly next to the original Hammer Spike, the Black/Blue shows substantially more length in the front third of the lane and a clearly more explosive end reaction, since the smooth pearl shell only responds on massive contact with friction. Compared with the Hammer Spike Black/Gold released a year later, which uses a hybrid cover, the Black/Blue works noticeably more angular and more aggressive at the breakpoint, while the hybrid version offers a somewhat more controlled, more arcing reaction. Bringing in an established benchmark ball from another brand such as the Storm Phaze II, the enormous differences in ballistic philosophy become obvious. With its dull solid shell and lower RG, the Storm Phaze II digs into the oil extremely early, which creates steady and predictable traction over the whole lane. The Hammer Spike Black/Blue, by contrast, behaves completely passively in oil and almost entirely ignores the wet boards in order to save its power for the backend. Against weaker polished balls like the Brunswick Rhino, the Spike Black/Blue shows considerably stronger stand-up dynamics and a clearly sharper hook thanks to its extremely high differential, as soon as it reaches the dry part of the lane.
On the Lanes The ideal application range for the Hammer Spike Black/Blue is clearly lanes with medium to low oil volume as well as heavily played conditions. The physical construction of high RG and a high-gloss polished cover makes it a perfect choice when the boards in the heads have already dried up and balls with rough surfaces would grab far too early and waste their power in the process. As soon as the unavoidable transition sets in over the course of a tournament and the oil pattern gets carried down, this ball lets you move your line deep inside and use extremely wide angles. The clean skid phase makes sure the rotational energy is preserved deep in the core and released abruptly only late, which is essential for excellent carry at the pin deck. If you throw at somewhat lower ball speeds, you'll benefit greatly from the natural length, since the ball does not unintentionally go into the hook early. On freshly oiled or extremely wet patterns, however, the ball reaches its limits, because the polished pearl shell finds hardly any hold in dense oil and the ball slides past the breakpoint, which leads to weak, deflected hits. It is therefore an absolute specialist for late, angular reactions on dried-up lanes.