The Hooligan Taunt joins the Hooligan in the DV8 line as a bridge between the entry-level Outcasts and the mid-price Dudes/Divas. The new Taunt has a really sharp looking orange and blue pearl class 5G cover with the same med-high rg/med-low diff core from the original Hooligan. I drilled it 65 by 4 by 40.
Throwing both Hooligans side-by-side, I found the Hooligan Taunt to start a little sooner than the Hooligan, most likely due to the OOB compound. I played it about 2 boards left and 2 boards left with my feet and target. The shape of the Taunt was smoother and more controlled, and better for harder patterns or wet/dry conditions. The red/yellow Hooligan is longer with more angle off of friction, so that one is better suited for broken-down, lighter volume lanes.
The Hooligan Taunt is not made for high volumes of oil. For me, it went back into the back rather quickly. On a lesser volume house pattern, I was able to hug the oil line right down second arrow. Controlling the wet/dry is the biggest benefit of this ball.
On a 39' sport pattern, the backend was very crisp to start. I pulled out the Hooligan Taunt and that was the right move. The backend move is smoother, so the whippy lane pattern was tamed by the new Taunt. As the night went on, I didn't really have to change balls. One of the things I've noticed over the years is that smooth and predictable balls don't force you to make big adjustments.
The Hooligan Taunt is the best option for medium to light oil when control is needed. Senior, rev-dominant, or speed-heavy players will find a lot of use for this one, while a lot of players will use for wet/dry lanes and crisp backends. It is a ball that every serious bowler might not use a lot, but will be ecstatic that they have it when they do.
