Hammer NU Blue Review

So this ball will definitely surprise you in that with how much the balls today hook, this one is smooth and controllable. You can definitely play up the boards and when the pattern breaks down enough you can move inside a bit and let it loose.

This new Hammer NU Blue release is designed to provide a urethane type motion and be compliant with the new PBA rules. (Please note Purple Urethane Hammers are still legal outside of the PBA.) The NU Blue Hammer features the LED core used in the Purple Urethane Hammer (appears core numbers are slightly modified) wrapped by a "not urethane" coverstock finished at 1000 Siaair. I drilled the first NU Blue Hammer with my favorite layout on a Purple Urethane Hammer- 40 x 5 x 10. I keep my Purples at 500 Siaair and I went over this first NU Blue Hammer on the spinner with a 500 Siaair pad. Thus far, all I am going to say is I am VERY IMPRESSED and the NU Blue Hammer strikes a lot. The Purple Urethane Hammer seems a bit earlier and smoother than the NU Blue Hammer. That being said, I did make this observation...not only does the NU Blue Hammer NOT seem sensitive to slight release mistakes but also I noticed that I tripped LOTS of corner pins. I don't know if it just matches up on our THS but I definitely noticed lots of slap 10 strikes which is a great thing to see. I definitely see this ball in play whenever a Purple Urethane would otherwise be used. While not exactly like a Purple Urethane Hammer, the NU Blue Hammer absolutely delivers the slower response urethane type of motion as well as strikes a ton! Just in 2 practice sessions, this ball has already earned a spot in the arsenal! The NU Blue Hammer releases on November 16, 2023- see your local pro shop for more information!

I absolutely love this ball. It rolls just like I wanted it to.I’m a huge fan of urethane balls so to have this “Not urethane” is just remarkable to me. I’m averaging 218 with it after 9 games and that will get better

United States

Thought that ball would hook a little bit more than it does I threw two games with it shot 211 224 I'm a 200 average bowler

I want this great ball in my bag of arsenal , great price made it easier on my decision

Rhode Island , United States

My step son was overjoyed when we got him this ball, his envy was cracked at school during practice and needed a replacement ball and we’re glad we got this on sale!

NY, United States

Got this ball a few days ago. shot a 227. the not urethane cover has a really solid crisp sound when it hits the pins.

I bought one with the pin up and out I was wondering, is that the type of bowl to drill with the pen straight up above the ring finger looking to have the same ball but two different layouts

I find the NU is right between my Purple and Pink Widow Urethane. The ball has a very controlled motion going down lane. Ball is a little more forgiving at the break compared to the purple, but does not have a quick response as the Pink Widow does. Definitely a tournament ball.

The NU Hammer is a nice option for short patterns & and should work on most house shots. It is very smooth and creates a controllable arc to the pocket. I drilled a pin up and a pin down to match my Purples and you do play in a very similar part of the lane. The Purples do pick up sooner, but the NU's are stronger through the pocket. If I'm bowling a Senior PBA event where I formerly threw Purple, I'm throwing the Hammer NU.

My ball had a gash in the balls cover stock. It hasn’t been drilled or thrown.

Ga, United States

The NOT URETHANE by hammer was the answer to the pba banning the purple hammer from their competitions. Even though the purple hammer is still completely legal for usbc competition most bowlers will still benefit by adding the nu to their bag. I threw this and the purple hammer side by side and I can honestly say it’s to close for my skill level to tell you any major difference. If anything I will say I noticed the nu being a little further down lane which gave me more continuation

I bought the NU hammer ball two weeks ago, and my average has gone up 25 pins using this NU ball. I highly recommend this one.

The Purple Hammer has been a benchmark in the world of urethane bowling balls. This ball has dominated the urethane class for years. Because of new rules from the PBA, Hammer had to come up with an alternative to replace the Purple Hammer Urethane ball. Well, Hammer once again has created the next great ball in bowling with the introduction of the Not Urethane (NU) Blue Hammer. The NU Blue Hammer is the first ball from Hammer which creates a urethane-type ball motion using some of the materials found in reactive balls, and to reproduce the Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane ball reaction with a coverstock that absorbed oil for improved performance consistency and hitting power. The NU Blue Hammer does just that! This ball is simply AMAZING! The ball reacts like a reactive ball, with the shape and motion the Purple Hammer gave. This is most certainly a viable replacement for PBA Members seeking to replace the Purple Hammer. I have mine drilled with the pin slightly above my ring finger and it has an amazing ball reaction. Definitely check out the NU Blue Hammer at your local pro shop. The hype is real!!!!

This was a gift for my son for Christmas. He is just getting into bowling and LOVES this ball.

United States

Hammer Bowling Has Come Out With Another Winner. This New Hammer NU Bowling Ball Is Added To A Great Line Of Hammer Balls Over The Last Few Years. Not Only A Great Addition To My Two Favorite Bowling Balls The Original Black Hammer And Purple Urethane The New NU Adds Another Dimension To This Great Group Of Bowling Balls. The Color And Shelf Appeal Of This Beautiful Blue Bowling Ball Really Adds To The Black And Purple Coming Out With A New Brighter Color. As The Purple Hammer Definitely Goes Longer And The Solid Also Has A lot Of Length And Backend Drive Through The Pins This New NU Has A Few More Boards Of Area Then The Other Two. Out Of Box The New NU Is Pretty Aggressive But Very Controllable Through The Mid Lanes And Definitely Still Drives Through The Pins. This New NU Not Being Urethane Has Its Unique Characteristics But Similar Ball Motions To All Of The Urethane Bowling Balls Definitely A Great Ball For Any Tournament Or League Bowler. In All Of My Leagues I See At Least Two Blue NU’s Per Rack This Ball Has Definitely Become Very Popular Amongst All League Bowlers And Definitely Tournament Bowlers. This Ball Is Great For Dry Medium To Light Oil Lane Conditions And Is A Great Ball To Have During Transition When You Want To Stay Further To The Right And Still Play Straight Up The Boards. Make Sure You Go To Your Local Proshop Today And Buy One Of These You Don’t Want To Be The Only One Without One Do You? #Hammer #HammerBowling #NothingHitsLikeAHammer

The new Hammer NU is revolutionary ball. I drilled mine a littler weaker than my purple hammer at 4.5 x 20 . The NU is a little cleaner than the purple with a little more continuation. I found this ball to work the best on medium to dryer lane conditions, especially flatter sport conditions. The NU is very controllable without carrying down oil to the backend like urethane does. It has a awesome color of blue and will be well recognized going down the lane. I would drill the NU just like your purple hammer and you will not be disappointed. You can even use this ball in league play. Very good ball overall.

The NU Blue is as close to the Purple Urethane as you can get without it being actual Urethane. It provides virtually the same motion only I have found it to be not as early as the Purple and more continuous down lane and through the pindeck. I haven't used urethane very much, although I grew up using urethane back in the day. I have used the NU on our house shot (which is as close to a sport shot as I can explain) and I have had more success than most of my other balls. I am anxious to try it on the PBA conditions for a true read.

Hammer time this ball is simply awesome. Great ball I'm thinking of getting another one and have it drill a bit more aggressive .

Best Ball I have when it comes to dry lanes period. Scratch series was 699. From a 576 week ago.

The ball was in great condition when I received it. The ball has helped me produce some high scores.

United States

Ball: NU Blue Hammer Coverstock: Not Urethane Core: LED Factory Finish: 500, 1000 Siaair Micro Pad Layout: 45 x 4 x 35 The NU is a very unique ball. I drilled the NU with the same 4 inch pin up layout as my Purple Hammer. The NU is a bit cleaner than the Purple Hammer which allows it to be more continuous on the back part of the lane. The attribute I like best about the NU is versatility. If I keep my hand up the back of the NU and play straighter on shorter sport patterns, it reacts very similarity to the Purple Hammer (maybe 3 and 2 stronger). The interesting part about the NU is that if I want to get left with a stronger release and circle the lane, it reacts very well. Although I have not used it much in league, I have also witnessed bowlers successfully throwing it on house patterns. Anyone from low ball speed players to high rev rate players will find a place in their bag for the NU. Chris Freeland Average Rev Rate 400 Average Speed 18 mph PAP: 4 1/8 over 3/4 up

This ball was pretty hyped up, but it hasn't hyped me up in quite a few blocks. Quite unpredictable off the spot for slower speeds, but I'm betting I could get another layout and try again. At this point, I'm going to pre-order the 78.

Hammer Nu Blue- (NOT Urethane): This ball out of box hooked like urethane, early and often. It was too much for the burned heads we bowl on. It would get downlane and not finish strong. After adjusting surface, it reacted much better. I took the OOB surface to 3000 grit, and let it lane shine, and it pushes much better. For the out-of-town tournaments i used it in the OOB finish was much better. This ball should ROLL off the end of the pattern, and should not have a big change in direction. Play with the surface on this piece, and you will have a controlled roll of the pattern for many different conditions. This is a must-have for tournament bowlers and for league bowlers to not get in trouble with balls that jump off the back of the oil pattern.

I do not care for this ball at all. It's hard to get a predictable read on and doesn't have much pin reaction on the back end. Other than that, I got the ball in a timely manner and it got here without any defects to the ball.

Tennessee, United States

Hammer NU The Hammer NU is jus as expected very controllable reaction similar to the shape of the Purple Urethane but with a bit more punch downlane. Good piece for sport conditions.

The new blue hammer is close to urethane but not like the purple hammer which makes it a great alternative and reacts well and very controllable to house patterns.

Wife bought this for me for Christmas. Absolutely love the ball reaction. My local bowling center is very hit and miss as far as lane conditions go, but I can use this ball at any time. Never used a Purple Hammer, or any other urethane for that matter, but this ball is perfect for me.

The NU Blue Hammer impressed me with how close it really was to my Purple. It’s cleaner through the front and a few boards more down lane but still allows me to play the lanes very similar to the way I do with urethane. When my purple starts to hook early and plaque I switch over the the Blue and don’t miss a beat.

This ball has an early read and a very strong backend. If you are bowling on a heavier oil pattern, leave the coverstock as is. If you are bowling mainly house patterns and find that it is too much, you can polish this ball and turn it into the envy of your league. If you liked the 2.0, you will love this, as it appears to be the 2.0's big brother.

Love this ball. Did hook like crazy on a dry bowlero lane but after on my normal alley it was about 3in flare. Very happy

Colorado, United States

Picked this up to help my game. Have an arm issue so dropped to 14lb ball. Had it drilled and in my first game with it shot a no tap 300. Great feel coming off my hand and continues down the line I throw. Thank you

United States

I pre-ordered the bowling ball on October 17th. I have a screenshot. I don't have the actual order number but besides the point it is getting very easily chipped on the cover with a few gouges. I'm probably going to need to already get it. Resurfaced pretty annoyed on overall product s great though. Just very soft cover

To put it simply, I love this ball. It's the most controlable ball in my arsenal. It will read early when I want it too, and go straight for spares. It's always in my bag, always!

My other ball is a black widow 2.0 so at this time I'm adjusting to this ball and am pleased at the short amount of time to adjust.

United States

I just purchased this ball because I like urethane but it's not and have increased my average by 6 pins in 3 weeks.

I still haven't had my ball drilled to fit yet, so no picture but I love the Hammer, I have an old one and it is a great ball

TEXAS, United States

This ball is everything I hoped it would be! It responds easily to changing tactics when lane conditions are tricky and it powers through the pins.

Ny, United States

First time using my new ball! Very consistent and scored above my average all 4 games. Off to a great start.

Georgia, United States

Great replacement ball for my Global ChemicalX. Great price for a nice high quality ball.

United States

Haven't drilled it yet to see how it reacts to certain lane conditions, but I love hammers I'm sure it's going to be awesome

United States

I was looking for a ball that wasn't so aggressive on the backend like my other Hammers. Ball has nice consistent, smooth, and predictable arc. Great ball looking forward to throwing a lot more.

United States

I finally purchased this ball. On Oct. 01, 2025, I used this ball and was comfortable using it. My average is 174. I bowled 203, 190, and 213 during senior league. At 75 years old I felt great that day

North Carolina, United States

I purchased this ball to replace my original Blue Hammer urethane that I used for over 20 years which was so dinged up it was barely legal to use. I have bowled 6 games with it so far and it seems to roll just like my old one. Slight curve to the left (I am a right handed bowler). If your house shot has heavy oil in the center of the lane, this ball should work well for you. The new core and resin based coverstock seem to work well so far.

IL, United States

A great kind of ball to have when you are on conditions where resin is too aggressive, and urethane is not quite strong and consistent enough.

Colorado, United States