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This new one from the Brunswick brand is a combination of both brand new core and cover designs headlined by the fact that its the first ball poured with 4 different colors? Yes, that’s a strange headline, especially considering how cool the new huntsman core is when paired with this HK22 cohesion pearl cover, but we’re not Hammer’s marketing team.
For the layout, I went with a 5.5x3.5x3.5 2LS Layout which is a bit of a different layout for me. The hope was to see a strong move off the spot downlane from the Effect, and to not temper the out of box performance. This is a higher risk type of layout, but also increases the chances of it having a great shape when it’s matched up.
AND ON THE LANES… I got pretty much everything I could have asked for. The effect from Hammer is strong in the midlane and sharp off the spot. It balances those two characteristics well to line the ball up to the pocket well and split the 8-9 often. It does everything I want to see out of a pearl asym, both on the positive and negative side.
But my favorite part about throwing this one from Hammer is how effective it was in the heart of the lane. Many times, bowling balls like this fly past the spot when you miss it in oil, but not the Effect. There was no doubt the entire time I was throwing it that I could simply fire it off my hand, and it was going to hook no matter where it ended up downlane. Being able to keep my swing loose and fast like that really helps me roll it well, and is a very welcomed trait out of this new one from Hammer.
On the list of potential downsides, you’ve heard me say is before, but with this much power comes great responsibility. The effect takes the premier performance spot in hammer’s lineup for a reason. You have to know how to use this much power to see the ideal results out of it. Because of how strong it is in the midlane, there’s a huge chance of leaving corner pins if you’re not matched up, and the pop off the spot increases the risk of splitting tremendously.
But when you are matched up with it, pairing it with a Scorpion low flare and a Hazmat would make for a deadly set of 3 options. The scorpion would be a great option to control the lane early, and the Hazmat is probably the best ball on the market at opening the lane up and covering huge angles. Then the Effect fits right in-between the two and can do all your heavy lifting for you as the lanes dry out and you chase the look to the inside part of the lane.
Looking at our crossbrand comparisons, I first took a peek at the Crimson Jackal and here you can see how it is just a bit less aggressive in the midlane when compared to the Effect. I still really enjoy the shape I see out of this one from Motiv, but it is notably smoother overall where the three phases of ball motion are much more noticable out of the effect. Lower ball speed players will gravitate more towards the Jackal, whereas those with higher ball speed should look towards the Effect.
Then I took a look at the Attention Star from Roto Grip and here I see a lot of overlap between it and the Hammer Effect. I do see the Attention Star more easily blend out the hook phase when headed to the pocket, but the overall strength and general shapes of this one and the effect are pretty similar. Its hard to imagine a scenario where the Attention Star is good and the Effect isn’t just as good as this one from Roto Grip.
But with that, here’s my recommendations on types of bowlers that I think would match up well with the Hammer Effect. The first is players with high tilt. This piece is so strong in the midlane that those players will really appreciate how it will slow down for them to create angle. Most often these players struggle with shiny pieces being too clean, but I don’t see that being an issue with the Effect.
The second recommendation is for high ball speed players. I said it before that if I fired this one off my hand, the shape was great. So, if your M.O is getting the ball to the pins quickly, the Effect should be strong enough to still do the work for you. The core will get it to slow down, the cover will create the angle necessary to strike, and all you’ll have to do as a speed dominant player is hit your mark.
Thank you to Weston Lanes for allowing us to film this video: www.westonlanes.com
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00:00 - The Hammer Effect
00:52 - And On The Lanes...
02:45 - Crossbrand Comparisons
03:36 - Recommendations