BALL REVIEW: TOXIC
LAYOUT: PIN next to ring(4.5" from pap) CG near grip center, no balance hole.
COVER: OOB polished, 4000 grit no polish
LANE CONDITIONS: THS walled up, Various Tough Lane Patterns.
BOWLERS STATS: SEE PROFILE

GENERAL

HOOK:  The TOXIC hooks a lot in the back end.  In box condition this ball has tremendous length and back end flip.    The TOXIC hooks a few boards more than the DOOM.  It's all in the back end.  With the cover change to 4000 grit abralon and no polish the TOXIC still had great length but with a little bit of a mid-lane read and a huge back end flip.

CARRYDOWN:  The TOXIC doesn't work well on carrydown.  Even with the cover change it still was not good on carrydown.  I don't know of any pearl reactive ball that works well on carrydown.  

CONTROL:  On a walled up house pattern that has a lot of miss area the TOXIC works well.  On the tough patterns this ball is not good.  It's too strong at the break point to control and is a nightmare.  The DOOM smokes this ball on tough patterns.

HIT:  Yes this ball has plenty of power at the pins.  It does carry pretty good on the right condition.

I have used the TOXIC on several different patterns.  On your typical walled up house pattern this ball performs well.  It will come back from anywhere if it finds dry boards.  The back end move is very strong.  It responds to friction big time.

On the tough patterns in my league the TOXIC didn't do well.  It's too sensitive to the dry boards down lane.  Then when the transition starts this ball is a nightmare.  It slides on the hint of carrydown and grabs at the first sign of dry.  It's hard to hit the pocket two times in a row with this ball on tough patterns.  Now on the same conditions the DOOM is money!  Ten times more controllable than the TOXIC.


I prefer bowling balls that are strong but have some sort of control to them.  I bowl on tough patterns every week so having some control from the bowling ball is important.  With this being said, i'm disappointed in the TOXIC.  I thought this ball would be a little stronger version of the DOOM but have that RAW HAMMER control.  I was wrong!  This ball is not in the same ball park as the DOOM.  The TOXIC has more length than the DOOM.  It also has more of a flip reaction than the DOOM.  Both balls can handle the same amounts of oil.  The TOXIC hooks more overall.  The DOOM carries better(my opinion).  The DOOM has a decent mid-lane read and is ten times more controllable than the TOXIC.  

Hammer should have put a particle cover on this ball.  





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HAMMER NO MERCY is Un-freaking real!  Using this ball is like cheating!

Edited on 2/28/2007 4:34 PM

Edited on 2/28/2007 4:35 PM

Edited on 2/28/2007 6:42 PM