so, 2 balls to pair with a Hy-Road from the storm family.

Not quite 2 balls "below" the hy-road; but I think the essential storm ball is an IQ.  especially the IQ Tour Solid. 

A 3rd ball; I would consider the Hustle, pick your favorite of the current lineup. 

if the IQ Tour Solid is more ball than you want to consider; the Hyped series has been great for a teammate of mine; the hyped solid is one of his staples and the hybrid also gets used a lot.

"Below" the HyRoad?  If you want to build an SPI 3 ball arsenal, both my recommendations would be above the HyRoad.  I don't think you really need anything below it, but if you do, I guess it would be a HyRoad Pearl.  Maybe a Tropical Surge. 

The HyRoad is a great benchmark and has proven to be versatile for more than 13 years.  I honestly would take a slightly different approach and look to have 1 ball below and 1 above the HyRoad.  This way, you have versatility in case you run into heavier patterns and still have something to handle lighter conditions. 

I would look at a Phase II as a great step up from the Hy-Road.  It will handle heavier patterns OOB.  But if you add surface, it can handle even heavier volumes.

Below the HyRoad, the Hustle series is a great choice and you get a ton of performance.  The Hustle USA offers good backend motion and can be used on some volume with surface changes.  As mentioned above, the Hustle Wine is a step down from there.  You could look at the 900 Global Burner Solid or Pearl as another option that's comparable to the Hustles.

Altogether, I would go Phase II > HyRoad > Hustle or Burner.  That will give you a complete 3 ball arsenal to handle almost anything you run into.

Would the Hustle Wine be anywhere similar to the Hammer Raw?

Quote from: thedjs on February 24, 2023, 10:41:05 AM

Would the Hustle Wine be anywhere similar to the Hammer Raw?

It would be most similar to the Raw Hammer Blue/Silver/White or the Purple/Pink/Silver.  The Raw Hammer will have a slightly higher differential in the core but the numbers are very similar.

The Raw Hammer Orange/Black is a hybrid and the shape will be closer to the Hustle USA/HyRoad.  The Black Raw Hammer will be even smoother thanks to the solid cover.  Versions of the Juiced cover were found on the Bad Ass and Bad Intentions balls which were strong symmetrical options back in the mid-2010's. 

Thanks so much.  One more question, would the Raw Hybrid be a good fit just below the Storm Hy Road?

It would be a step down but the main difference is going to be the cores.  I believe the Hyroads diff is higher so you will see a little more pop than the Raw Hammer.  Have to remember that the Hyroad has been out for almost 15 years now.  So from a strength perspective, it is not as strong as it was when it was first released.  House patterns are now typically 2-4 feet longer than they were when it was released.  The RHH is going to be a little weaker on the backend.  If need be you could alter the surfaces to help create a little more separation between the two.

I sent another message but looks like it didn't go through.  Thanks a lot for the info.  May not need another ball after all.