Hammer Raw Hammer Solid and Hybrid Bowling Ball Review

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First Impressions
These Raw Hammers offer something quite different, unique but ultra useful.

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Tamer Elbaga (Lefty)
Style: Tweener
RPM: 375 rpm
PAP: 5 & 3/8 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium/high
Test Equipment: 15 Pounds
Layout: 4 x 30

Sean Jensen (Righty)
Style: Power player
RPM: 475 rpm
PAP: 5 1/2 & 1/4 up
Average Speed: 18.5 mph (at release)
Axis tilt: low
Axis rotation: medium
Test Equipment: 15 Pounds
Layout: 5 x 50

“Keep in mind that coverstock accounts for 70% of ball reaction, but the core creates the dynamic shape of the reaction. Your driller will alter the shape to suit your game.”

Pattern
THS: 40ft, 23ml
Sport: TBD

Specs
The Raw Hammers uses the Raw Hammer Symmetric core inside the Juiced coverstock.

15 pound = RG of 2.537, diff of .038
14 pound = RG of 2.554, diff of .038
Coverstock finish:

Solid: 500, 1500, 3000 Siaair Micro Pad

Hybrid: 500, 1000, 2000 Siaair / Crown Factory Compound

Overall
As I mentioned in my Making video, the Raw Hammers are entry level priced balls intended to be somewhat downstream in your arsenal or new bowlers looking at cheap entry. The solid and Hybrid are different balls but have a very good relationship with each other. Honestly, one of the nicest relationships I’ve seen in a bit.

Let’s start with the Hybrid. First of all, these balls are smooth. The Solid is obviously smoother but the Hybrid is not the clean angular thing you sometimes see from mid late type balls. Yes it is pretty clean. However, it makes a smooth medium strength arc as it rolls to the pocket. It is the type of ball that you can play pretty close to the friction or the cliff on the house. You don’t have to cover tons of boards. It is strong enough to roll when floated in the oil while responsive enough to drive from the friction while you’re in that zone. The smoothness of the core really comes into play to make this a pretty unique option. Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd arrow, I had a pretty good look to be able to test the oil and friction. You can see a very clear limit so it wasn’t far where the ball had no more juice. Right around the 3rd arrow limit, that was pretty much it for the fresh shot. I see this ball as a potential in a few options. For the house bowler, it can be used early and close to the friction to keep your angles closed. For low speed high axis rotation bowlers, I think this could be a tremendous option where their natural roll wants the ball to go sideways and the smoothness of the ball will give them forgiveness. For lefties on tougher sport shots with lower volume, you could take advantage of more direct lines with a ball like this. It’s hard to place this squarely in a category for the arsenal. I think it’s a mid late but a certain type of shape so maybe mid late (-) or specialty. Or if you are all into smooth shapes in general, then mid late is perfect.

Testing this ball 2-handed, it was a breeze to throw. It really bears out how a rev dominant style can take advantage of the smooth more mid arcing type shape. Going through the 4th arrow, it just looked really good and easy. Some shots show off the potential for angularity and that’s always the case when you throw it slow enough with axis rotation. Other shots show the benefit of the more arcing natural shape of the ball and it just slices through the pins so well. As you’ve probably seen, rev dominant styles really benefit from generally smoother shapes because the bowler style itself generates angle. You don’t need angle on top of angle.

Bryan was next and he really saw the same thing. The Raw Hammer Hybrid didn’t surprise at all. You can see the arcing nature while being clean. Sometimes you get lots of angle and over under with clean angular and hence the arcing nature of the Raw Hammers takes that away a bit. Bryan lined up quickly and you can see the arc. At first he saw the smooth arc with the light hit carry. However, he kept seeing it. It was actually quite fun. Instead of the ball creating too much angle and just leaving weak or ring 10s, it arced so it created different entry angle from the same board and therefore created the light or scatter hit. He did move a little further right and saw good hit but if he was a little slow and pushed into the friction, it did go high. It probably has some limited use for Bryan ultimately since we mostly bowl on sport shots but it could be an option on short patterns with its arcing nature.

Final Thoughts: The Raw Hammer Hybrid is going to offer an interesting option for bowlers. A lower end ball that really isn’t flippy, so a legitimate lesser option. That arcing nature of this ball will make it an interesting option for some in the Mid Late category as mentioned, especially those who like smoother motions period. Lefties might find a sneaky good sport shot ball they can manipulate with surface and still keep angles closed. Rev dominant, lower speed bowlers I believe will also benefit hugely on house shots with the Raw Hammer Hybrid. For all those reasons, I think this ball plus it’s inexpensive cost will sell itself.

Now onto the Raw Hammer Solid. Again, it’s in the formula of the IQ Tour, Web Tour, Radical Bonus, It honestly replaces the Web Tour in my mind. It’s much earlier than the Hybrid version but still arcing as you would expect. And it’s not a weak soft arc. It’s a medium strength arc where you almost see a second wind after it has started to make the turn. You can clearly see the trouble I had to work the ball up the house cliff. It’s too early to hit the friction so soon. So to use the friction, I needed to bump in a bit. Not a big deal. It works but it was iffy in the sense that the cover was bleeding some energy so flush to swish, etc. if you’re really just on the edge of where you need to be. Here’s where it gets good. Once I moved a few more boards, that’s when it really comes alive and looks special. Just inside the 2nd arrow to just passed the 3rd arrow the ball just had the perfect balance of mid lane roll and heavy arc to the pocket. I played around with angles and how much friction to the outside I used. The Raw Hammer Black just had a knack for righting itself very effectively. It seemed to really like the 7-8-9 breakpoint. Yes it reached a limit not much further than that and that’s unsurprising. This is still an arcing motion ultimately so trying to cover too many boards doesn’t make sense for this type of ball.

The 2-hand test was interesting. This felt like way more ball than the Raw Hammer Hybrid with a rev-dominant style. I mean way more ball. That’s because how early is was so much more pronounced when it has more time to turn over. So the same spot had no chance to strike. We are talking brooklyns where the hybrid was flush. Then I throw it out to the friction and it dies for a flat 7. Not unsurprisingly, I needed to move about 7 boards with my feet to find the pocket and use as much oil as possible. We are in 5th arrow territory. Maybe righties are used to this but as a lefty, not so much. It’s not impossibly strong or anything but it is plenty strong and angular enough for a rev dominant style to take it a bit upstream.

Bryan was next with the Raw Hammer Black and it also had some interesting nuances to call out based on its makeup. Firstly, he had a great look pointing it in the oil, just inside of the house cliff. Then when he played the 6-7-8, he had good pocket hit but also that same scatter hit as he had with the hybrid. So now he had a look at the pocket both flush and light scatter. Again, because the ball is arcy, it didn’t generate higher angles that more often cause flat corners from behind the headpin. He was able to try different things as well. Move in a touch and float to the friction to get more response. Go more direct, etc. He had a generally above average look.

This ball will have varying uses I believe. I feel like for the higher speed higher rev bowlers, this ball could really be a pure benchmark type ball. Just like folks can use the Web Tour or IQ Tour on anything, that will be the Raw Hammer Black solid. Early enough to blend when the bowlers speed can make up for that and still get that bigger more explosive hit. That’s mid control category for those bowlers. For lower rev matched bowlers, this might wind up in the specialty category where you want control with more closed angles.

Sport Shot
TBD

Final Thoughts
This ball will have varying uses I believe. I feel like for the higher speed higher rev bowlers, this ball could really be a pure benchmark type ball. Just like folks can use the Web Tour or IQ Tour on anything, that will be the Raw Hammer Black solid. Early enough to blend when the bowlers speed can make up for that and still get that bigger more explosive hit. That’s mid control category for those bowlers. For lower rev matched bowlers, this might wind up in the specialty category where you want control with more closed angles.

All that said, the Raw Hammer Black is very cheap entry for a ball that could see a lot of use for the higher speed bowlers on house shots as well as benchmark type for tournament bowlers. And I am always biased to solid black bowling balls so this is a big plus in my book.

Direct Comparison

First off, the Raw Hammer Solid and Hybrid are great compliments. They really are. They shape relationship is clear. These are both arcy balls. Maybe I’m a little biased as a lefty but I enjoy seeing controllable shapes that still hit. Truth be told, who doesn’t. These aren’t balls where I’m trying to hook the whole lane. They both had a clear limit where somewhere just inside the 3rd arrow for me was it. At that point, the arcing nature limited their backend ability to generate enough angle to carry. Both balls have a smooth transition that for me, either allowed a strong roll through the pins or gave the light scatter hit. The big call out for me is that arcing nature meant that it didn’t try to generate big angles so you got scatter hits more often than ring corners coming behind the headpin.

You can see the Solid is clearly earlier rolling. The neat thing is it’s not all arc where it looks like it pukes. It still has giddyup. So the Solid for me plays in the track or a little further in. I can use the friction to the outside but I felt like using 7-8-9 breakpoint was better as there was good energy storage. The Hybrid is obviously cleaner. It still has the arcing nature. Yes again, it’s not puke, just smooth hook. The hybrid can be played in the track or just a bit left for me. So basically, if I want to straddle the house cliff more directly, the hybrid is the better option. If I want to open up just a bit and comfortably get the ball to the spot, the Solid would be the one I chose. There is the potential to start on fresh with the Hybrid and chase in over time. You could stay in it longer. May have to consider if it’s good on fresh or take your lumps until it settles in. You could start with the Solid on fresh and when you have to get too far in to carry, then switch to the Hybrid. These are really good balls on house but to be honest, due to their arcing nature, you’ll be able to use them on medium-lower volume or short sport shots as well.