Pre ordered FIRST BLOOD...can not wait, but I must!  Got my shirt, now the ball..

Update...Got it drilled with the pin 1 inch over the ring finger, with the MB about 1" to the right of the thumb.  First the ball does hook as advertised. I have 2 weeks of league on it and I will probably alter the finish to 2000 or 1500 as suggested by Hammer. I bowl on a normal house shoot with the oil at 37'. When the ball enters the dryer boards it does start it's turn to the left. I have left a few corner pins and nines, I believe due to the late reaction (Pin Location) it does come in behind the head pin. I do like the carry I get with it.  The only negative thing at this point, is that if I miss a few boards right, it does not hook more toward the pocket. My Hammer Taboo B/S hooks more when I leak it a little.
I will use it in league and since I'm going to the Nationals the first of May, I will let everyone know how it does on the National pattern. 
A little about me...67 Years young...15 to 15.5 ball speed at the pins and average 205 & 207 in League...averaged 209 last year.
If someone has the hand, I'm sure they could get it to hook alot more than I can.  It is above average ball and I do not think you would be disappointed in it.

I drilled up my First Blood last thursday. This ball is a beauty. I ended up shooting 247,256,203 fot a 706 set. It could of been alot better but I ripped my ring finger open on the sharp edges of the finger holes. I must get them beveled before I bowl next week. I love how this ball easily made it down the lane before making its hard flip to the pocket and continuing through the pin deck. Hammer really hit a homerun on this one.

I attended a First Blood seminar headed up by Jeff Ussery on Friday. 

FWIW-

This core is something special.  It sounds like despite blindly testing numerous cores in various veneers the "gas-mask" core kept dominating the tests.

With the First Blood they put a lot more R&D into the process.  They doubled the amount of cores they tested and even slowed down their polishing machines to 300 RPM from 1000 RPM. Also, less polish is being applied in that process.

Jeff also stated this is a ball motion that they have not tried to create previously.

Jeff really feels this is a fair departure from Hammer's stereotypical reaction type... I think they want to attract bowlers used to what everyone expects from Storm.

The First Blood definitely has A LOT of backend motion from any Hammer ball that I have seen... And I drilled my ball a little weaker to get it down the lanes where I bowl at. For me, the further I moved in the lane throughout the night, the harder the ball turns the corner. Really impressed & I know you guys will too once you try it out!

The First Blood is stronger overall than the Jet Black... Kinda fits in between the Jet Black & Deep Purple Taboo. Hope this helps!

That does help, thank ya Plowboy. Right now I'm going to test the waters with some Seismic equipment, branch out a little, but I see myself getting a First Blood soon, too.

So how are you guys liking this ball??  Lots of hype, then nothing much after that.  I wanna hear more honest opinions. 

Great ball, really clean up front, stores alot for the back. First Blood loves friction, for me I see alot of volume so I had to crack the surface, left it at 2000 with just a light polish, and its crazy good for me now.