BallReviews

Reviews => Hammer => Topic started by: BallReviews-scodaddy21 on December 08, 2017, 05:05:13 PM

Title: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: BallReviews-scodaddy21 on December 08, 2017, 05:05:13 PM
Hammer, as Faball, was the leader in the bowling industry for urethane technology in the 1980's. Hammer is taking that technology and merging it with the iconic Black Widow bowling ball line. The Hammer Black Widow Urethane takes the successful Gas Mask core and wraps it with a urethane coverstock. This combination offers the hook of the Black Widow with the predictability and consistency of urethane. This bowling ball is Carbon Fiber Infused! Carbon fiber is one of the toughest materials on earth. Hammer decided to add this material to the inner core of this ball for added strength and durability allowing them to offer an incredible 3 year warranty.

Color: Black
Core: Gas Mask
Coverstock: Urethane
Finish: 360/500/500 Abralon
Reaction: Strong Mid-lane
RG: 2.50**
Differential: 0.058**
** RG and Diff are based off of 15 lb. balls
Recommended Lane Condition: Medium Oil
FCC Rating: Total- 22.75, Finish- 10, Core- 8.75, Cover- 4
Title: Re: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: nord on December 10, 2017, 08:36:36 PM

I would like to share my own review of this ball.

The Short Review: Wow, wow, wow, wow!!!

The Long Review:

I am a low rev, low ball speed, Full Roller. I have zero tilt and a 90 degree axis rotation. I have tried a lot of balls over the years and never really found one that perfectly suited my style. Because of the way I roll the ball, I have been kinda stuck in the middle of where I want to be. Balls that provide the control that I need usually do not have carry power for me and ones that have the carry power usually do not provide  control. As a result my average stays about the same, in the 170’s.

I have always thought the early and heavy rolling Gas Mask core would be the perfect core for a urethane ball. In my opinion and the opinion of others, urethane is about early roll and hook set. Many modern urethane balls have very high RGs and low Diffs, the opposite of the way I think a urethane ball should be designed. But when I heard that Hammer was finally putting the Gas Mask core in a urethane ball, it was like my wish had come true.

I purchased the Black Widow Urethane and had it drilled to maximize its abilities. I used the Aggressive Full Roller layout with balance hole for Asymmetric cores. I have attached a photo of the layout on my ball.

I tested the Widow at Kearny Mesa Bowl which uses Brunswick Pro Anvilane surface and the Big Ben oil pattern. Basically a pretty slippery surface that historically for me never allows any urethane ball to be used as none have the traction necessary to grip through that heavy volume. Only one urethane ball has ever been able to roll on these lanes for me and that is Visionary’s Midnight Scorcher Particle Urethane ball. Of course the Scorcher will hook in any volume of oil, but I mention it only because I did not expect the Widow Urethane to have a hope on these lanes.

I tried to get lined up with the Widow and was surprised right off that it actually was getting into a roll. After some experimentation I finally settled with right foot on 12 ½ targeting 9 ½ at the arrows. This allowed the Widow to ride the oil line half in and out. I then rolled my first game. The result was stunning. I could not believe my eyes. The Widow simply could not overreact and yet it hit like a runaway train! I was able to simply roll the ball and it would hold the line and then gently arc into the pins and crush them like no ball I have ever used before. I had two open frames but still rolled a 221! Remember I am a 170 average bowler and 200 games are rare for me.

The Black Widow Urethane is about full control of the target line. For me it was magical, truly magical. I could just play down and in and the ball would go exactly where I rolled it with not even a hint of over/under or late overreaction messing my shot up. Had I finally found the ball that was made for me? It seemed that way. If I made a bad shot then the ball did exactly what I expected. But here is the amazing part, this urethane ball gave me margin for error. I could miss right a couple of boards and be ok and miss inside a board or two and be ok. So I essentially had a 5 board target area with a urethane ball!

If I missed right the ball would hook and set and crush the pocket high flush.
If I missed inside the ball would sit and hit high flush and crush the rack.
If I hit a tad light the six pin snapped the 10 out every single time.
If I hit real light all the pins were thrown at the 7 pin and once again a strike.
Only really, really bad shots left trouble.

The other remarkable thing I could not believe was the oil handling ability of this ball. These lanes were flooded this day and the Widow was soaked to the bone with oil, slick and black. Yet, it did not blunt the power or reaction of the ball. It kept hitting for 5 straight games and I never moved a millimeter from my target line or with my feet.

Finally I got exhausted from practice and left on a real high. You know that high I speak of, the high that comes from bowling at a new level. That is how the Black Widow Urethane made me feel. It made me a better bowler, it taught me how to be smooth and roll the ball and be rewarded for accuracy.

The following Monday I took the Widow to my doubles league at Parkway bowl. They put down less volume than Kearny and do not have the Pro Anvilane surface, so I was worried the Widow would be too strong. But in warm up I stood in the same place with the same target I had used at Kearny and guess what? Same exact reaction! During play it was clear the magic I experienced in practice at Kearny was still working on the Parkway house shot. The result of that night was a new high series for me, a 630! Remember I am a 170 average bowler, yet that night I rolled a 221, a 189 and a 225. On the final 225 game I opened in both the 9th and 10th frames due to missing spares.
If I had not missed those spares…
And once again I did not have to move a millimeter through the whole set with either feet or target.

The Widow flares a ton (even for a low rev bowler like myself) as you can see from the attached photo showing the flare lines during my doubles session at Parkway.

So that is my real long review of the Hammer Black Widow Urethane ball which I believe is a ball that should be put on a pedestal and worshiped, it is that good. It is so powerful and controlled. It is the most amazing ball I have ever used.
I still can’t understand how this ball does what it does.

Below is a link to the video of my review session with my new Black Widow Urethane.
Pay close attention to my misses that still strike and the different flavors of strikes the Black Widow Urethane produces:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqArAVIvtx0
Title: Re: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: Bo.Wler on December 17, 2017, 03:04:28 AM
LANE CONDITION

Length:

Volume:

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):


COMMENTS

Likes:

Dislikes:


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

Your.layout is different then mine,  and your average is a little higher then mine. Bit my first impression of the ball was similar. I wanted something stronger then the ebonite wear wolf  Plastic ball I been using the last almost 3 months.
Like you I have a slower speed or revs and I found over the last year I was not getting what I wanted from the reactive Resin. Not that I wasn't bowling well with that old plastic ball of mine 548 2 weeks ago with a 213 to finish the series.

But I wanted something stronger then plastic at least for the first 2 games.even though I can work that plastic ball well enough to Make my buddy with a much higher average then me. Have several WTF? Moments I can tell the plastic ball will not carry as well if my timing is off just a little Or I miss my target half a board or less left of my intended target.

Anyway so far anyway the blackwidow urathane appears to be doing what I hoped it would for me.
Title: Re: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: qball on January 07, 2018, 09:39:52 AM
BALL WEIGHT: 15   
REV RATE: 450
BALL SPEED: 17.5
DUAL ANGLE LAYOUT: 70 x 4.5 x 40
PATTERN: Scorpion and Great Wall   
PATTERN TYPE: PBA and Modified House
BALL SURFACE: 500 sanded
COMMENTS:
All I can say Is WOW!! Best Urethane made to date!!! It comes with the Legendary Gas Mask core wrapped around Hammer’s 100% Urethane. This ball has great midlane read with a lot of hook for urethane. I have been able to throw this a large number of patterns and it always performs GREAT!! This is a must to have in anyones tournament bag, I found this to pick up the mids early than OG Black Hammer and have about 2-3 more boards of Hook than OG Purple urethane.

Check out the video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fboqMuBlKQY
Title: Re: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: jkaseehammer on February 10, 2018, 01:12:44 PM
LANE CONDITION

Length:35 ft and 41 ft

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):Beijing and THS


I'm loving this ball!! I used a pin up (65 x 5 x 35) layout on this ball. I'm a bowler that has a higher ball speed so the last two urethanes, while rolling great on burn or very short patterns, would struggle to make a turn when I would move into the oil. This ball lets me get in more and and I don't lose motion or carry. For me, this ball reads the mid lanes like my black urethane does but hooks 3 or so more boards than my purple. This ball can be used on a fresh house shot!


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
Title: Re: Black Widow Urethane
Post by: MikeRomero on February 24, 2020, 11:01:06 AM
LANE CONDITION

The Hammer Black Widow Urethane has the hit power of your reactive resin bowling ball! The Gas Mask Core allows some versatility with this bowling with the high flare potential. It has great midlane read and the hook a bowler is looking for! In my opinion, this ball is ideal for bowlers with high ball speeds where the Purple and Black Urethane does not have a stronger backend motion. However, this ball is still very clean and continous, what you expect from a urethane ball and a great compliment to the Purple Urethane. 

Length: 39'

Volume: 22

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Modified THS


COMMENTS

Likes: Very Strong but Continuous in the backend! Reads midlane perfectly!

Dislikes:


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS