The Obsession Tour uses a modified version of the Obsession core that gives it a lower differential than the original Obsession. While the last “Tour” release from Hammer was the very popular symmetrical Web Tour Edition, the Obsession Tour uses an asymmetrical design wrapped in an updated coverstock. The TourV2 Solid cover is stronger than the original TourV1 Solid cover, and it comes out of the box sanded at 500/1000 SiaAir, enhancing its ability to handle oil while smoothing out the breakpoint. This made the Obsession Tour useful across all of our test patterns, with its best performance for each tester coming on the heavy oil pattern.

Cranker had the most room for error with the Obsession Tour on the heavy test pattern. It gave him hook in the middle of the pattern while blending out the reaction at the breakpoint, even when he caught it a little bit too much at the bottom of the swing. On the fresh, he had a similar amount of total hook between the Obsession and Obsession Tour, but with different shapes. The Tour picked up earlier and was more forward at the breakpoint, but he was covering the same amount of boards. In transition, he could make small moves farther left when he saw his ball start getting a little high in the pocket. When the pattern got cliffed and balls like the Web MB and Black Widow 2.0 had over/under reaction, the Obsession Tour continued to be smooth and predictable. By the end ...