The new Hammer Hazmat features a brand-new symmetrical core design with a low RG (2.479″) and a high differential (0.055″). This new core is wrapped in the HK22 version of the Semtex Hybrid cover that we’ve seen previously without HK22 on the Dark Legend, Fierce Phobia, and Scorpion. Finished at 500/1000/1500 SiaAir with Factory Compound, the Hazmat provided more angularity than any of these balls, along with easy length and a strong back end motion. It matched up best on the fresh for all of our bowlers on our medium oil test pattern, but it also looked great across the patterns in transition as more friction developed.

Out of our three testers, Stroker liked the Hazmat the most on the fresh medium oil pattern. He could play closer to the friction than the other testers, which gave him plenty of area. He saw hold on shots that were tugged off his hand and recovery on shots that were missed to the outside. He didn’t need to make many moves when he was only using the Hazmat, but when duller balls were also going down the lane and removing more oil, he needed to eventually move his feet closer to the middle of the lane and open his angles more. Stroker had a very good reaction on the dry pattern with the Hazmat. He started on this pattern close to where he ended the session on the medium oil pattern. The shorter length of this pattern and the Hazmat’s strong downlane reaction gave him no trouble getting the ball back to the pocket with his angles more open. If he got a bit too fast with his speed, the ball got to the pocket behind the headpin, and his carry suffered ...