In this video I’m back on the lanes with Barks, and we’re testing the brand new Purple Pearl Urethane 78D from Hammer — aka the Purple Hammer that’s built to fit the newer 78 hardness rules (PBA Tour, USBC Open Championships, and tournaments like that). Even though it looks like the classic Purple on the outside, it’s a different animal: harder 78D cover and the new Super LED core. The coolest part is Hammer using a unique weight block per weight so the numbers stay stable across 14/15/16, which is huge because older urethanes could vary a lot by weight. I threw it on the 36-foot Pegasus challenge pattern and compared it directly to my purple pin Purple Hammer (the “cheat code”), the Black Hammer 78D, and the Storm Concept (strong reactive cover, weak core). On this pattern, the purple pin Purple hooked about two boards more than the new 78D and was a bit more continuous, while the 78D Purple was smoother and rolled more forward off the end of the pattern. The Concept was the strongest and most continuous (about three boards more than the Purple 78D), and the Black 78D got further downlane and was a touch sharper — better when the fronts start to go. If you want a tournament-legal Purple look with a step-down, smoother shape, this one bridges a really useful gap.