Since I won the USBC essay contest, I ran right out and picked up the Pain, since I've had my eye on it. I love the Doom so much, I was sure the Pain would find a space in my bag. Boy, was I right. I've only thrown it in tournament conditions so far, but it's a real winner already. I bowled qualifying with it in the ABT Labor Day tourney in the Chicago area. It looked to be a fairly flat pattern, heavier volume and fairly long. I bowled the fourth squad of the day, so there was a significant amount of transition, in the form of a burnt track area and some carrydown. I stood around 38, and threw the Pain over 15 out to about 7. The ball made a nice, smooth but HARD arc back to the pocket, and demonstrated what I consider the Raw Hammer trademark carry. I started out with a piddly 150 in the first, but I was still trying to fish for a line. When I figured out 15 to 7 was holding up, I started to string em a little in the second for a 197, then continued with a 208 in the third. I have a good amount of cap, so I posted a +54. I have low revs and couldn't DREAM of playing that kind of line with anything else I've had. The Pain just seemed to give me just the right amount of midlane while saving enough to turn the corner hard. It was no skid/snap, that's for sure, but a smooooooth, controllable change of direction. I expect to devastate the house shot with this ball. I'll post a review in a couple of weeks or so, but so far I'd say Hammer has ANOTHER winner with the PAIN!! (p.s. Great looking ball, too, much like the Doom!)
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I'm not a bowler, but I do play one on Ballreviews.
If you don't like Wrigley, you might as well leave the country and join the Taliban.
