Post by: admin on December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM
16# 15# 14# 13# 12#
RG DIFF RG DIFF RG DIFF RG DIFF RG DIFF
2.51 .049 2.50 .060 2.49 .057 2.53 .055 2.60 .039
Post by: CDubb on June 30, 2006, 01:56:06 AM
Lightly polished out of the box.
I am a right handed tweener, with medium speed and revs, a high tracker with medium axis tilt (PAP 5 3/4 over, .5 up)
I wanted a ball that I could play inside with recovery and hit on medium to oily league patterns. Man did I ever get what I asked for. I had had success in the past with the gas mask core in the Big Deal, but nothing like this!
This ball flat out burns on the back end, which is saying a lot for me! This was on a freshly oiled league christmas tree pattern, on this shot, the ball should illegal! I played 20 to 10, with unreal recovery and carry.
Caveat: I took this ball to my summer sport league (44 ft, flat pattern), which magnifies any errors that I make, and while it was playable, would have probably worked better with the box surface. Recovery was spotty off the oil and into the dry and none existent up the boards.
While I have long been a fan of Ebonite (and Hammonite!) balls, their solid reactive covers have not proved to have any real longevity, let's see how this one does.
Overall, a fantastic league ball to open up the lanes.
--------------------
CDubb
Post by: CHILLX on July 11, 2006, 04:46:42 PM
Threw this ball on a carry down pair from the night before (league shot, which is oily on the outsides, hook pretty early in the middle), anyway when I was drilling this ball I out the slug in and went to cut it down and my guide slipped on the ball and gauged it a little around the thumb hole, but I was able to sand the area down a little and its not that noticeable since the slug is also black.
Anyway the ball reads the midlane really good and stores its energy till the back end of the lane. I was standing left foot of center throwing over 12 and hitting out around 8 to 7 and the bowl this arcs back to the pocket. Its weird though its doesn't really role out like an arcy ball would. And hits like a steal truck, and that was on a carrydown shot. I throw my SR300 right after that and that ball just went straight as my plastic ball. I think Hammer may have there version of the ONE, I just hope it will last longer than the One as far as games go. Anyway see you Hammer reps at the Ace Mitchell trade show and thanks Brian Graham for the advise on the drill pattern.
--------------------
Clarke Hill
King Pin Pro Shop
****2nd Annual King Pin Scratch tournament in January***
1st place $5,000.00 guaranteed
Post by: thegame on July 14, 2006, 02:37:18 AM
View my league scores at:
http://www.allbowling.com/journal/myleague.php?leagueid=1008
Post by: Jorge300 on July 20, 2006, 10:25:10 AM
Currently bowling on PBA Regional pattern #2 in my summer league, only 36 feet of oil. The track area and inside have a lot grip and hard to get a ball down the lane, the outsides (where you are supposed to play) have some oil and most of the league is having trouble getting the ball back from there.
I have rolled this ball 2 weeks now on this pattern and I am very impressed. For me it doesn't snap at the backend, but has a very pronounced arcing motion, similar to a particle ball only stronger. I have been playing up the outside trying a 8-5 line and it gets through the head oil very well, picks up a read in the midlane and continues strong through the pins. While others are struggling to bring it back from out here, the Widow makes a strong turn everytime.
I think this ball is real winner from Hammer/Ebonite. I harken back to the days of the old Black Hammer. I find this ball to be a very good medium oil ball for me at the moment. Others have said with some surface adjustments it could be good heavy oil ball. I think that might be true for someone with a little lower ball speed then myself. This ball reads the midlanes very well and just trucks to the pins. Even playing out in the heavier oil, have left a few stone 9's and 4-9's the last two weeks. We have one more week on this pattern then are switching to the USBC tournament shot. I will try to post a review after a couple of weeks on that pattern to see how the Widow handles it.
Overall I give it a 9 out of 10, only reason not a 10 is after having some issues with other Ebonite equipment(Big One), I want to see how the coverstock holds up over time.
--------------------
Jorge300
"Ray, next time someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!!"
Post by: RAWfoRENOSIRP on July 26, 2006, 03:08:06 AM
Post by: jimwoosh on August 06, 2006, 01:50:40 AM
Drilled my widow all purpose layout 2
pin below ring finger..cg cicked out 3/8th no weight hole mass bias 75 degrees.
this ball is way too strong and violent on the back.need a ton of head oil and carrydown..stripped back ends with no carrydown ball hooks way too much.sport shot 45 feet heavy oil...ball goes too long and recovers but if you miss a couple boards either way...you pay the price...normally a fan of hammer ...this one though not for me..as advertised long and strong.....but way too strong...maybe some surface would even it out but i threw out of box and 4000 abralon and this ball motors....
Post by: Wallshot on August 18, 2006, 03:35:36 AM
The lanes were kind of weird tonight causing a friend trying out a newly drilled Radical Inferno to give up after 2 games. The heads were o.k. but midlane was a bit crispy and the backends were spotty. This resulted in a lot of over/under. The BW performed well given the circumstances.
I'd describe it's movement as arcular. It clears the heads smoothly, begins it's strong arcing motion at midlane and continues until the last few feet where all of a sudden it becomes angular and smashes the pocket. This reaction really surprised me! It was like it turned on it's afterburners just when you thought it might die out! I left a lot of ringing 10's and a couple fast 7's, but consistently scored in the 220's to 240's.
All in all considering this was not an ideal condition I'm very excited about what the BW might do on a fresh house shot and flatter tournament conditions. Needless to say, it's behavior was different, unexpected, and all good!
Because of the offset mb this drilling resulted in a half ounce of negative weight. I'm really tempted to buy a second one and drill it with the pin above and slightly to the right of the ring with the mb at about 60 degrees for a really strong reaction.
This is a serious piece of equipment that lives up to the hype.
Post by: theoshkid on August 22, 2006, 11:09:22 PM
Post by: musicman11 on August 26, 2006, 02:51:39 AM
Post by: scoobnz on September 05, 2006, 06:06:58 PM
Post by: rmm300 on September 14, 2006, 01:41:49 PM
Post by: trav2 on September 19, 2006, 08:14:04 PM
Post by: midnightride42 on September 20, 2006, 08:55:31 AM
Post by: jpage on September 20, 2006, 04:06:11 PM
Absolutely a phenomenal ball. Has a ball motion which I have never had in my arsenal before; much like a hockey stick rather than a banana or smooth arc. Goes long with a nice read in the midlanes and non-stop backend continuation. I have played this ball on a variety of conditions and only if it's a total flood can I not get this ball to recover back to the hole. On longer, heavier patterns, the ball does slip past the breakpoint, but I believe this is more due to the drilling than the ball itself. Can't say enough about how hard this ball hits. I have yet to have a bad outing in a tournament with this ball and even shot 300 this week in league with it. Great ball Hammer, keep it up!!
Post by: anotherwindup on September 22, 2006, 11:55:46 AM
Wow, what more can be said about this ball.......
I have now drilled 3 of these.
I have drilled that many because I had not experienced the "Black Widow" reaction quite yet. That is, until last night.
1st widow- 5.5" pin to PAP, 45* layout, with axis hole on MY axis. HMB is 2.5" right of Thumb. This ball flared SO much that is crossed over my axis point, and hole. I shined the ball and it did the same. Conclusion: This 45* layout was WAY TOO strong for me.
2nd widow- 5.5" pin to PAP, 90* layout, no hole. HMB is just left of thumb. TURD. Ball flared little and read the mids early, with no backend snap.
3rd Widow- 5.5" pin to PAP, 60* layout, no Hole, HMB 1" Right of thumb hole.
WOW!! This ball is unlike any ball I have EVER thrown in my over 20+ years of bowling experience. This ball is SO clean through the front, and just explodes on the back. I was playing 15 to 3 on a house pattern that I was throwing a VIBE on the week previous. The ball just doesn't read the front part of the lane, and stores all of the energy for the "move". I had 6 lanes of league stopping to watch my every shot.
This ball is flat incredible. I had a former Nat'l touring Ebonite staffer tell me that he wished that ball was in the E line, because they just don't have a ball motion like that. He compared it to a V2 Sanded on STEROIDS.
THANKS BG!!
--------------------
Jason Jenkins
'05-'06 Hammer Amateur Staff
'06-'07 Hammer Amateur Staff
"Nothing HITS like a Hammer"
http://www.hammerbowling.com/hammertalk/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Post by: Sir Hooks Alot 86 on September 22, 2006, 04:21:20 PM
pin - 2.75 in
right handed layout - pin below middle finger with cg just right of center grip. hmb is between 45 and 75 degrees.
Ball has amazingly smooth and consistent backend. I bowl on a shorter house pattern so i had to polish the ball up with ultimate black magic particle and resin ball polish. Even though it shines like a new penny ball is still even arcing rather than skid snap. Gets down lane and once it sarts up it doesn't stop.
Simply amazing!
--------------------
Mike Jones
KES Systems
Ball Driller
Post by: loose5682 on September 27, 2006, 04:06:55 PM
Drilled pin under ring, MB right of thumb (pretty much a 4 1/2 x 4 1/2, pin about 2" above midline) no weighthole, dropped the cover to 1000 grit before drilling
----------------
------o-o-------
--------p-------
----------------
---------c------
----------------
----------------
-------O--------
----------------
----------m-----
----------------
This is essentially a strong benchmark-type reaction for me, this ball does get through the heads rather well, it's not ultra-clean through the fronts like a polished ball/pearl, but it doesn't exactly hook at your toes either. The pin down/1000 grit surface helps the ball check in the mids real nicely, and the strong-ish MB position helps the ball finish nicely through the backend, not exactly a flip, but definitely a hard arc. This ball is good on the fresh, but when the heads start to go, that leads to...
-Black Widow #2-
Drilled pin over and right of ring, MB right of thumb (possibly close to a 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 also, but with the pin about 3" above midline), small deep weighthole on midline 4.5" from center of grip, OOB surface
---------p------
------o-o-------
----------------
----------------
----------c----x
----------------
----------------
-------O--------
----------------
----------m-----
----------------
This ball offers a seemless transition from the first Black Widow, this second one is longer (due to the higher placement of the pin from my midline and the 4000 grit OOB finish) and a little flippier on the backend (due to again the higher pin placement, the surface, and the weighthole), but since it is a solid reactive, there are no signs of squirt when used on the right condition (obviously NOT heavier oil). The pop at the backend definitely helps me stay inside and make the corner when my pin down 1000 grit Widow burns too early.
As i've said above, this is a SEEMLESS transition from Black Widow #1 to Black Widow #2, I have more room right on medium conditions with Black Widow #2, but Black Widow #1 is better on heavier conditions. I can see drilling up two more of these if needed, one stronger with the pin closer to PAP and MB closer to VAL to get a rollier, earlier move with less on the backend, and one weaker with the pin above bridge, MB swung, and polished.
Post by: NotgNivoc on October 02, 2006, 05:38:33 PM
As far as what I've had done with mine... I have it turning early, turning weak, OOB coverstock. I have found that I was able to play(on THP) the track/outside track area(11-6 board) with ease. I'm a low track cranker with a very smooth stroke.
To give you an idea of exactly how much the ball has helped me though, I've went from a struggling 200 average, to a solid 220.
Post by: ssh2 on October 05, 2006, 11:21:49 AM
Pin is above my ring finger, CG kicked 2 inches from the center of grip, MB is just under 2 inches from my thumb and then 5 minutes in the luster king, x-hole is 5 inches over on my PAP. It really didn't matter how I threw it as I knew it was going to hit the pocket and then it was up to the pins from there. Out of 3 games, missed the pocket 1 time and that was the 4 pin the first game although it should've tripped the 4. The rest of the night was just 10 pin's. I missed the transition second game and shot at 10 pins for 6 frames. The last game was nothing but splitting the 8-9 with the ball for 9 shots and then a nice 10 stopped a nice series.
All and all it's a good ball. Compared to my One, it's 5 boards weaker and doesn't fire up as quick in the mids. The One is drilled simular but the x-hole on the one is higher due to a short pin and where we put the CG on it.
Post by: conspirator300 on October 14, 2006, 02:15:08 AM
Right Handed
250-400 RPMs
PAP-4 3/4" over and 1/2" up.
Speed-Average about 17.5 on a normal day.
Drilled 5" x 5" (not exact). Pin above bridge and mb kiced exactly 1 1/2" right from center of thumb hole.
Pic if your interested: http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3296847
THS:
This ball definitely does what it was said to do. It backends. With the higer pin and longer pin distance the ball really gets down the lane. I was skeptical at first since I didn't believe a reactive solid would go that long.. but it really does. For me the ball revs up very nice in the midlane (Hard to see that though.. needed a piece of tape to really see), and then when it hits the backend it flies left and hits/carries very well.
In a little more oil the ball will smoothen out and work nicely. I thought at first the ball wouls skid on heavier oil, but with the helo of the midlane roll it still can be used in a good amount of oil.
On carrydown it acts like there is none. It bits through the backend unbelieveably.. even better than alot of particle balls I have thrown!
Sport Shot:
Medium Length JOG shot.. somewhat different but close
When throwing down the OOB.. as said before with all the oil it becomes really smooth. When playing inside it ended up hooking a little early as they broke down.. even moving left didn't help. I had to move right and feed it to the oil a little bit to get the ball to work.. so probably not the best ball to throw in the drier part of the SS.
Overall:
This ball is all it is meant to be. It revs up a good amount while saving all that energy to the backend.. it's the kind of ball I have been looking for. The ball hit's very well.. and like Hammer is saying with the NO Mercy.. The Widow should also be layed out with a simple layout unless your looking for an exact reaction. I was told my Doug Kent at a Ball Expo in Allentown, PA that anyone should put at least a 5" pin and a MB placement around the thumb. Anything drilled strong sucked since that wasn't what that ball was meant for!
Good luck guys.. I definitly think this is going to be a good contender for Ball of the Year!
-Chris
p.s. I hope this is better than the one above.. I couldn't let that be the only one here, lol.
--------------------
Brunswick and Hammer.. the best of the best.
Penn State University
Post by: pgpelton on October 30, 2006, 10:55:55 AM
Pin Length - 4.5 inches
Ball Weight - 15 pounds
DRILL PATTERN
Pin to PAP - 3.5 - 4 inches (sorry no Armadillo for Layout)
CG to PAP - about 1"
X Hole (if needed) - 5.5 inches thru cg on VAL
MB Location - 45 degrees
BOWLER STYLE
Rev Rate - unsure
Ball Speed - 17.5 mph
PAP/Track - 4 7/8 - 1/8 up
SURFACE PREPARATION
Grit - 2000 Abralon
Type (Matte, Polish, Sanded) - Matte
LANE CONDITION #1
Length - 41 feet synthetics
Volume - unsure
Type (Wall, Xmas Tree, Sport) - wall at 7 (I was told this)
BALL REACTION
Length - 45 feet
Back End - a ton
Overall Hook - a ton
Midlane Read - smooth
Breakpoint Shape - Skid / snap
COMMENTS
Carry - Light hits and flush. Doesn't like high hits
Likes - Overall on synthetic THS, this is a monster. I can see why this ball is getting such great reviews. I was able to play anywhere on the lane.
Dislikes - Don't pull a shot unless there's a large puddle in the middle of the lane.
LANE CONDITION #2
Length - 41 feet Old Wood Lanes
Volume - unsure
Type (Wall, Xmas Tree, Sport) - flat pattern
BALL REACTION
Length - 45 feet
Back End - Smooth off the breakpoint
Overall Hook - medium
Midlane Read - smooth
Breakpoint Shape - Skid / arc
COMMENTS
Carry - Light hits and flush. Doesn't like high hits.
Likes - Overall on the old woods lanes of this house, this ball is consistent witha good midlane read and a smooth backend.With my normal shot (17.5 mph), I was able to play 1st arrow straight up and get a nice finish. If I wanted to slow my speed down (15 mph), I was able to move deeper inside and play a 5-8 board swing.
Dislikes - At this house on this condition, the bal is very speed sensitive.
Overall it is a welcome addition into my bag this year. I will be getting another and drilling it with a different layout.
Post by: Moose on October 31, 2006, 07:05:17 PM
Post by: DynoLess Daddy on November 01, 2006, 10:59:11 PM
....o
..O O
cg
...O
mb
I did the unthinkable. I readjusted the BW to 1000 wet sand and then polished to 2000 degree. The control with raw power was evident. After watching this from week to week. I made the right decision to alter surface to control 40 ft. House. 256, 255 before having to change to my babies.
Steve Z. (Ebonite) did not lie when he said watch the length and the return....
--------------------
DYNOTHANE STAFF
VISE AMATEUR STAFF
USBC BRONZE CERTIFIED
Dynodaddy@earthlink.net
www.dynothane.com
DYNOTHANE PRO SHOP of the SOUTHWEST
Ft. Bliss Pro Shop
915.568.7974
Ft. Bliss Bowling Center
915.568.6272
Post by: DynoLess Daddy on November 04, 2006, 02:06:26 AM
The widow provided a stronger reaction than expected. It also needs some oil man! Decided to take it out to a short oil house and got on the next shift. I had to put it away or play the lone thumber for more tilt. Suprisingly with cover modification it made the mid lane but WOW on the comeback. Stronger and more angular.....
More to come!
--------------------
DYNOTHANE STAFF
VISE AMATEUR STAFF
USBC BRONZE CERTIFIED
Dynodaddy@earthlink.net
www.dynothane.com
DYNOTHANE PRO SHOP of the SOUTHWEST
Ft. Bliss Pro Shop
915.568.7974
Ft. Bliss Bowling Center
915.568.6272
Post by: NotgNivoc on November 07, 2006, 05:55:39 AM
It is most unfortunate that I must be the one to say this, but this ball is a VERY high maintanence ball. In order to keep your area huge (and trust me, you really can get HUGE area with this ball) you have to soak/bake/thoroughly clean this ball at least once a week. Failure to do so will result in the ball sliding so long to the point that the ball never truly flips. So if you feel like your ball has lost it's carrying power, you know what to do. (It takes about 300 games or so to see it happen, but happen it will)
(I'm not accusing you of doing it but..)
*Don't, FOR ANY REASON, use acetone on this coverstock. For some reason doing so will cause this ball to never hook again*
Post by: THEICEMAN on November 08, 2006, 01:23:15 PM
I was looking for a ball that I could get back left and let it wheel without worrying about hang if I got a pinch wide or over aggresive. With the Black Widow what I've seen after the first night was it allows just that. I throw around 16 to 17 mph with a fairly good rev rate with 15lb equipment. On this ball we went with the pin below the bridge and kicked out the CG about 1-1/2 inches off the midline. It's a monster and there needs to be a healthy puddle in the middle or this ball will go left...FAST. I ended up standing 43 and trowing about 18 with the mentality of throwing it as hard as I could and still maintain balance at the line. One thing I noticed right away if I got it a pinch in, instead of getting enough push and likely leaving 10's as with my other equipment it flushes up and is more apt to leave a 4 or 9 pin.
But basically with the thought of trying to throw it past the pocket there is no limit to how far this ball recovers from the right and hits hard. Only shot 650 but fell off the last game. Normally when the ball wants to turn up a bit earlier I give it a bit more air time at the line and project my target down lane a few feet farther. Since I've had to mellow things down to get stuff to face up better I couldn't get that down last night. Well see how it goes tonight but I may actually have to hit the 4000 Abralon with a pinch of polish to tame this beast down a bit. I know we had oil last night as the other right hander on my team said he was about 4 boards right of normal. Ancious to see it on a bit flatter pattern.
theiceman
Post by: Mike Austin on November 09, 2006, 02:23:05 AM
Used this ball on PBA Regional Pattern 5 in the box finish. 250, 250 first two games, had more back end than my Infinite One, with only slightly less total hook. This ball really hits a ton. I got some over/under reaction as the lanes broke down really fast, but I don't blame this on the ball.
Since then, I hit this ball with Brunswick Rough Buff so that I could throw it in league. The only league I am bowling this year is late, but on Brunswick Synthetics. Shot 689 this first week and didn't really bowl well. Hit the ball with 1000 grit Abralon to knock off some shine. Sooo Money!! No tap 900 for 753. Kept my target down the lane to keep my hand motion soft, and I had so much area. The ball really has some recovery from the dry, even more when you hit it hard with your hand motion.
This ball is so very versatile. Shiny can be used for medium, dull can be used for heavy oil. Any style bowler will like this ball. Adjust the surface to suit the lane condition and go throw strikes. I may drill another and keep it dull, would like to try one with the pin up above my fingers also. Hope this helps ya.... Enjoy the Black Widow, really nice ball!!!!!
--------------------
Mike Austin's Precision Pro Shop
Houston, TX
Driller to many "Stars" and Tony Melendez too!
"So Many Balls, only ONE drill press!!"
Chuck Norris is the only person to ever count to infinity..........twice!
Post by: Freakin10pin on November 17, 2006, 09:08:29 AM
I worked with the surface and found 2000 abralon to be the best.
The ball is all backend .. no mid-lane at all. If the ball begins to hook in the mid-lane then put it away since it will only be a matter of time till you pay.
I like the ball very much..great weapon on the wet/dry house shots. Not good from outside angles. If skip/flip is your game you will like the ball very much.
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Post by: Angelfire on November 24, 2006, 11:56:20 PM
The layout is 3 1/2"- 4" pin drilled stacked with MB below the thumbhole. Still at OOB finished.
I got this after trading my Action Packed since I needed a ball that I could fit with my Action Max for fresh med/heavy conditions or carrydown encounters. What I didn't realize was how well this ball can handle in different types of lane conditions.
The first one I tried it on was fresh med/heavy with fresh backends and this ball carrys well. I played the 18 board to 12 board at breakpoint. I do get a good amount of length in the oil and instead of a skid/snap, I got a more smooth hook in the pocket. I found it wierd at first but still kept the pins low once it hit the pocket. Only took about 5-7 games before I had to switch balls. Average d around 205 with it after 6 games.
The second type was medium oil with dry outside boards around the 12 to 10 board. This is where the snap happens, and a hard one at that. Same target at 18 board but kept the breakpoint at about 10 to 8 board. Once it hits dry, it turns hard left and doesn't even stop. But speed and accuracy did play a factor in it so I couldn't slow down too much or overhook on my ball speed. Otherwise, it'll just go past the pocket and leave some 3,10 or 4,6,10 splits. Only did two games and got 244 and 265.
And finally used it on my league tonight and the lanes where heavily oiled with carrydown for bowlers practicing on it prior to league. Had to wait til the last game since it didn't have much backend to it due to the oil. This time, I played a bit more out and in with it at the 12-10 board for my target and breakpoint. But once the last game came, this ball shined and got through the heads well. I had to put more revs into it to get it through the carrydown and it did well and got me a 234 with it.
So, I'm going to say this is a very good ball, more than I expected and I hope that I could try a Black Widow pearl if Hammer does decide to make one.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-buAfZHIjDs
--------------------
Get You Some!
http://www.youtube.com/user/retribution76
Post by: jman69 on December 06, 2006, 12:22:55 PM
I am a cranker with high revs and about 19 mph of ball speed and this ball is perfect for my style
Post by: robbinsdalepro on December 06, 2006, 04:00:16 PM
VISE AMATEUR STAFFER
Post by: Murf622 on December 12, 2006, 03:16:18 PM
Post by: Monster Stitch on December 23, 2006, 04:02:35 PM
15.03lbs
2-1/4 top
3 to 4 inch pin
Layout:
Pin 5-5/16 from PAP
MB 3-5/8 from PAP
Small X-hole is 5-1/2 from Center of Span
http://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=blkwidowok7.jpg
The Black Widow is an awesome ball. I have to say it's Hammer's premeire ball
today. With the particular layout i have i get a skid snap reaction. On most of the patterns i have bowled on, having the ball polished worked the best. Out of the box finished which was 4000 Abralon rolled ok but seem to burn up fast. I had more of an arc reaction compared to skid snap.
Condition:
AMF Synthetic
38ft Crown Shot
7 to 7 oil, outside dry
I played anywhere from 8 and out to the gutter and the Blk Widow went long and set up nice every time. I was using more of an up the back release instead of tilt because it would seem to bite early and bounce or just go straight if i stayed in the oil all the way down. I had a few messengers which were nice to see. When the lanes started to breakdown i could either increasemy speed or move in a little to get more skid through the heads.
With this particular layout, when there is carry down or heavier up front i need to alter the surface. I plan on either getting another Widow with an earlier layout or maybe get a HZ. Overall, Hammer has made another excellent ball.
Thanks to Brian Graham for the layout suggestions and advice.
Post by: Wadney on December 24, 2006, 07:41:09 PM
Post by: terplife03 on December 27, 2006, 01:28:19 AM
Post by: CoachLefty on December 27, 2006, 01:38:14 PM
Heavy Oil: My house is flat oiled to 40 and fairly heavy all around. Playing 8-5 with normal hand.
ball is super clean through heads and has a ton of recovery. Snaps hard in the back and is suprisingly controlable.
Medium Oil: Same pattern now second shift. A Move inside was needed to control the midlane. After second game another move was needed, ball grabbing early.
Light oil: Same pattern now third shift. Not sure if arm is tired or oil is disappearing this quckly. throw shot move, throw shot move, repeat. I know that this ball is not for burnt heads but what the hell its new.
age and treachery always overcome youth and skill.
lefty
Post by: 7 SPLIT 10 on January 01, 2007, 05:31:13 PM
--------------------
Wow, Brad, I wish I could bowl like you.- Matt Holmes
Post by: crusher267658 on January 07, 2007, 09:36:30 PM
--------------------
High Game: 278 (Doom Raw Hammer) 12/2/06
High Series: 705 (Doom Raw Hammer) 12/2/06
My Current Arsenal,
Hammer Black Widow
Doom Raw Hammer
Ebonite V2 Strong/R
Tropical Storm
Photos Of Balls I Have Used In The Past 2 Years.
http://s99.photobucket.com/albums/l290/crusher267658/My%20Bowling%20Balls/
Post by: rizal289 on January 11, 2007, 08:11:46 PM
Managed a 1343 in a 6 game series.
Post by: chuckyd on January 13, 2007, 05:45:17 PM
Post by: Aloarjr810 on January 19, 2007, 04:14:23 PM
Ball Weight-16#
Pin Length-2 3/4"
Drill Pattern
Layout #01-
60˚ layout Pin placement is 5" from the PAP,located below the ring
finger. Mass Bias placement is 3.25" right of the centerline, below and
to the right of the thumb hole. It's similar to the #2 (All Purpose)
drilling on the Black Widow drilling sheet. No X hole.
Layout #02-
75˚ layout Pin placement is 3.25" from the PAP,located above and right
of the ring finger. Mass Bias placement is 1.25" right of the
centerline, below and to the right of the thumb hole. It's similar to
the #4 (Smooth Arc) drilling on the Black Widow drilling sheet. No X
hole.
Bowler Style
RH, Medium Rev's, High Track, speed 17-18 mph.
PAP is 5 7/8' x 5/8"up using standard grip layout.
Surface prep.
O.O.B. 4000 Abralon, Also 500 Abralon.
Lane condition
Brunswick Pro Anvil lanes
41' Pattern (Fresh)
Mendes Synthetics
THS Pattern (not fresh but some oil still in middle)
Ball with Layout #01 Review
This was the wrong layout for me on the Black Widow. With my high track
this drilling caused me to track over the finger and thumb hole
regardless to how I released it. This happened to me once before with a
MoRich Labyrinth and a similar drilling on it. All most no reaction with
the ball on wet or dry condition. Very little flare about 1"-2". Like
the Labyrinth this ball needs to be drilled with allot of regard for the
pin safe zones if you have a high track! Follow the drilling sheet.
Ball with Layout #02 Review
Now this layout is a vast improvement all around! The ball no longer
tracks over the finger and thumb holes. The track area has moved to
about 1"+ away from the the holes. The amount of flare has increased
also to around 4". The balls reaction for me has been a strong arc to a
banana shape depending on condition. With strong continuation thru the
pins and good deflection. Lane play was- Feet at 20-24 playing zones 1 &
2 around the breakpoint. The Black widow fits in between my Track Emb
(Emb is a Particle earlier movement , but less hook) and my Nitro/R2 (
which has more length and not as strong looking as the widow).
Opinion
I agree with the rest this is a great ball and if used on higher oil
patterns, it needs more surface than the O.O.B. finish. I think this a
great Tweeners & strokers ball and they would get the best use of it.
Also maintain the ball surface grit and Clean it after each set. I would
recommend a good deep cleaner something like Clean-n-Dull or Hook-it.
This is to help the life of the ball.
Post by: DrBob806 on February 01, 2007, 11:07:04 AM
My Wednesday night league puts out quite a bit of oil, and I've been hit-or-miss this year. I've used my Strike Zone (15 out to 5)which has been the most successful for me, and my old Storm Eraser (down & in, outside 5). Last night, I felt I had more area to play with than my Strike Zone. I cannot believe the recovery the BW had, and the carry is phenomenal. I was not expecting this ball to be stronger than my Strike Zone, but it definitely is out of the box.
After reading other reviews on here, I wasn't expecting such a violent move on the backend. I'll continue to roll it and see how it holds up.
Post by: istrike300 on February 03, 2007, 12:55:41 PM
This is very smooth but strong. Very predictable through the mids with a pin crushing curve on the back.
WORD OF CAUTION.....this ball MUST be cleaned regularly. If not cleaned, it will shine up and lose it's hook.
--------------------
istrike300
Nothing hits like a Hammer!
Post by: house23 on February 07, 2007, 11:12:05 AM
Post by: Lightning1 on February 12, 2007, 11:05:25 AM
I am a fairly low average (on this board) 146. Only been bowling for 6 months...Bowl in a Saturday night league with burnt out oil patterns. Due to the drier conditions, I also use a Vibe Blue. Picked up my BW and I see what I had been missing.
I am a tweener - 15-16mph and medium revs..
I use this ball in OOB surface while the lanes have a bit of oil on them
Basically, I feel really comfortable with this ball throwing from 20 out to 8 and see a nice hard break into the pocket. I will move 1 board about every 2 frames (feet and target) through the second game and see that the ball reacts really well...to the adjustments as the lanes dry out. It goes long and breaks hard, which is what I needed and was missing with the Vibe. Into the 3rd and 4th games, I move back to the Vibe Blue (which I also use for my spare ball) and it makes a really good combo for those medium to dry lane conditions. Overall, my BW is about 10-15 boards stronger, depending on my consistancy...
My average over my last 20 games with the Widow has been a 168 and my high game finally went over 200 (212) so I am extremely happy with this ball.
I have a 4.5" pin drilled somewhat between Layouts 1 and 3 and find that slight adjustments in speed can reduce the angularity of the break when I need it
Thanks to all who posted here for the high recommendation of the Widow....I love it....even though I am scared to death of spiders....LOL
Post by: Deejay319 on February 12, 2007, 11:43:56 AM
This one sure does. It is a great ball for medium oil. Need to bend the ball to hit the pocket. I'm a lefty, average last year was 200. Too much ball to play outside.
It is the hottest selling ball at our lanes and worth it.
Post by: essexbear on February 12, 2007, 09:27:43 PM
Although not a great cranker have found that The Black Widow needs a lot of work to be put into the ball on Synthetic lanes but a great wooden lane ball.
Ball was drilled aggressive - Stacked Leverage.
Post by: Brandon2369 on February 14, 2007, 08:53:46 AM
EXCELLENT JOB ON THIS ONE GUYS!
Post by: phoenixheat on February 16, 2007, 07:43:00 PM
Post by: tdxnorm on February 26, 2007, 10:17:31 PM
I picked up my BW on Saturday and used it for the 1st time on Sunday in a tournament. 233, 300, 244. This has got to be one of the best balls I have ever thrown. The ball is drilled with the recommended layout #1. I have a higher rev rate and avg between 15 and 16 MPH.
The ball reads the lane very well whether playing an inside or outside line.
This ball shreds the pins from any entry angle.
If you are looking for a ball that hits like a tank, check out the Widow.
Post by: Stembage on February 27, 2007, 12:16:58 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
series = 563
game = 243
Arsenal - black widow , vibe blue , white dot
Post by: tomyo10 on February 27, 2007, 09:24:48 PM
Well, used the Black Widow last week for the first time. Boy this thing hooks.
I don't know the specifics of the layout, other than he left the cover alone (4000), and he didn't want to add a hole to slow it up.
I don't need a lot of help in turning the ball, so I was wondering if I made a mistake.
I realized I could't put too much hand or loft it too much out on the alley, or this ball is not controllable. Shot 209 the first game with 3 big holes, and 208 the second game. I then realized I needed to give that a rest. I pulled out my Freak-a-zoid and shot 252.
I really don't like messing with different balls during the night. But I wanted this ball to be different from the FAZ. So, I had the pro shop guy polish the out-of-box 4000 grit finish. What a difference!
Shot 235, 280 (stubborn 2nd frame 10 pin), and 235 (got lazy a few shots) for a 747.
This ball is now a keeper. I could probably play this ball anywhere with some speed differences. Standing as far left as I can go, tossing it over 15-17 with some speed and it just hangs there 'till the end, then explodes.
Great Ball!
Post by: lanstrong on March 12, 2007, 09:14:26 PM
I really could care less about static weights. I relate everything to Pin CG and PAP. A balance hole to me is only for legal bowling purposes.
To me what is important is that the ball feels good in and off my hand.
This ball picks up nicely on med to med heavy oil 4000 abralon surface(OB) As the lanes dry out it is the only ball I can use with confidence to really open up the lanes. On most house conditions missing left is great the ball comes cruising on back high flush. It does not over react and hasn't to date under-reacted except on lousy shots and even then I still have found light pocket. I have carried every light pocket shot to date. Keep in mind the ball is still in its break in period. Approximately 8 games on it.
The ball is very predictable and has a strong arc snap at my normal break-point. Which is usually the 8 board. My slide foot finish position is 27-30 board. I have a higher ball speed and above average revs.
I would order another in a heart beat. Keep one duller and shiny. You cannot go wrong buying one two or three of these. Plus its a darn cool ball to look at. I am ready for the pearl to come out.
Post by: Spider Ball Bowler on March 15, 2007, 12:12:13 AM
I am a lefty, stroker, that prefers a small swing shot. I have used this ball on a vast array of conditions and all but one it worked very well on. Here's the review.
I have this ball drilled with the pin to the left of the ring finger, and the cg is stacked below it just south of the grip midline. The mass Bias is slightly to the right of the thumb hole, and I have an x-hole located 4 inches left of the cg nearly on the same line.
First Condition: Wood Lanes, Heavily Oiled Heads, Strong Back Ends, 0 Hold in the middle, and hard core out of bounds outside of 7. This was the first place I used this ball, and actually is the house I was looking to find a ball that matched up. This ball did the trick.
Easy Length, Great Midlane, and nice and smooth on the backend. Explosive hitting power...my first set was 224, 257, 197 for a 678.
2nd Condition: Your Standard THS. Flooded Middle, Dry Outsides. I really don't need to get technical with this shot..the ball is a beast. Any ball would be on this shot. I did run into the problem of it burning up once, but no biggy.
3rd Condition: A Desert. No oil to be found anywhere. I have no idea how they could even call this a league condition, but they do. I tried to use this ball, but it wasn't happening. It started hooking in my backswing. Put it this way, my Urethane ball was hooking at the arrows...that's how dry it was.
Overall this ball is a winner. It's not the best selling ball on the market for nothing. The first post Ebonite Hammer that I've liked, and it just happens to be my favorite ball I've ever drilled.
--------------------
Formerly SGC300
Post by: smitty845 on March 20, 2007, 05:00:29 PM
Post by: Carson on March 20, 2007, 06:40:29 PM
--------------------
Post by: Necromancer on March 22, 2007, 11:25:38 AM
Specs: 15 lbs 3 oz
PAP: 5" x 1/2" up
Speed: 18-19 mph
Revs: Above Average
Layout: "Strong" with extreme MB swing over 5" right of thumb hole creating possibly the 'strongest' BW drill in history
Pictures in Signature
Lanes: Synthetic, THS (~35 feet of medium oil)
Using the OOB finish, I was not happy the first few games. The ball hooked ridiculously standing at 20 and throwing out out around 4-5 board, the ball came up too high. It left several splits and my average was dropping. Now that I have bowled around 10 games with the BW, the ball is very impressive. It leaves very few corner pins and very few splits, even on high hits. I have moved slightly right of the middle and throw down between 1st and 2nd arrow and have it come back strong to the pocket. My last 4 games on these lanes have been 265-256-248-259 averaging 257 with this ball.
Lanes: Wood Regional #1 (40 feet of flooded oil)
Ball doesn't hook much if at all. The ball may hook 5 boards at most with this layout and on these conditions. Not many balls can hook though. Overall, this ball is just ok on these conditions.
Lanes: Synthetic Viper (37 feet of oil)
Ball works good. Need to watch speed and you can play inside or outside (very low ball speed). Overall, it does about as good as any other ball on these conditions.
2nd Time on Viper:
The BW works good as long as the backends are clean. By the 3rd game of the tournament, the BW just plain sucks. So in conclusion, the BW just doesn't handle carrydown well at all. It is still a great ball, but something with a more aggressive coverstock is needed than the BW.
===========================
I am still seeing what this ball can do. Hopefully I can hit 300 soon with this ball. I can feel it. My last game with it I had 7 in a row up to the 8th frame.
Overall: 9.5/10
--------------------
Current Arsenal (http://"http://s132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/mikecart1/Bowling%20Arsenal/")
Storm X-Factor Vertigo
Hammer Black Widow
Lane #1 Cobalt Bomb Solid
Storm Trauma ER
Storm Recharge
Ebonite Vortex Afterburner
Columbia 300 Messenger Ti
Storm Hit Blue Pearl
Ebonite 14 Fun Ball
Total Season Average: 205.642
2007 Year Average: 212.861
2007 Tournament Average: 150.333
The Vertigo is the best ball Storm ever made. Find one if you can.
I might have the strongest drilled Black Widow in history.
Post by: Fatboy8 on March 27, 2007, 07:56:06 AM
PAP: not sure (right hand)
Layout: Pin right of the ring finger, and up slightly, cg stacked, weight hole.
Pin distance: 3" pin
Style: righty, medium revs/stroker
Ball Speed: 15-17
Lane Condition: Fresh THS, heavy synthetics
This ball is everything I'd hoped it'd be. It rolls smooth, and has a fierce backend reaction. I've got to say it's one of the most predictable balls I've ever used. I've used it on a flood, THS, broken down shot, and a drier shot.
The heavier the condition, the more right I needed to play, and as the lighter the pattern, or as the shot broke down, I was able to move in deeper with great success.
I never have to worry about an overreaction with the Widow. It's got a nice arc to it, and carries VERY well, and seems to really get messengers active on the deck. The one thing this ball does not really like is carrydown. I know it's due to it's 4000 grit surface, but that's why we have more than one ball.
Likes: carry, predictability, strength, versitility
Dislikes: carrydown
This is by far my favorite ball. Plus, I shot my 1st 300 with it too.
--------------------
Hammer-Lane #1-Ebonite-Brunswick
Post by: bowlerdirt biker on March 29, 2007, 01:46:34 AM
Thanks for looking, Ryan
Post by: Riverkeeper on April 12, 2007, 03:16:03 PM
The BW is a few boards stronger, and angled out wider than the NV, has a really ferocious snap at the breakpoint. When I first got the ball, my driller handed the ball to me, hot off the press for the third game, and I threw 258 with no sweat -- very light hits carried, and the flush hits blew the pins straight back so fast they seemed to just vanish. I really do love this ball for what it does, especially on fresh oil. But the TNV, though a few boards weaker, has a fabulous, absolutely predictable read at the breakpoint, making it so easy to adjust quickly when the lanes dry out a little, without wasting a shot getting lined up. I've had problems with the BW on this account: transition can mean a few splits, which kills a game. So having both balls in the bag makes for a really complementary arsenal. Last time out I shot 729, first two games with the BW, then after a split in the first frame of the last game, the TNV was just great. It's kind of like being a baseball manager with a stud starter to carry most of the game, and an equally stud closer. Interesting that these two pretty incredible balls came out of the Ebonite/Hammer tent at about the same time.
Post by: Poxy Boggard on April 13, 2007, 07:22:15 PM
Label Drill
Pin next to ring finger
Pin to PAP 4"
Medium Revs Stroker
Bought my Black Widow a couple of months ago. So far I have put roughly 40 games on the ball with no loss of reaction.
Lane Conditions:
THS: Medium oil to 42' with sloppy backends
Gold Coast: Nice medium to Heavy THS: Crisp backends
Expected Reaction: I was looking for a ball to replace my very old El Nino Gold. The Black Widow matched up the specs for RG and RG diff almost exactley. I expected to get a similar ball motion on the lanes with this ball. I got exactley what I was looking for only a bit more angular off the break point.
Delivered Reaction: The Black Widow picks right up where my El Nino Gold left off, the only difference is that the Black Widow is a little bit stronger on the back end, and handles the sloppy backends even better than the Gold.
Hook: The ball clears the heads nicely, picks up a little bit of roll in the mids then hooks very hard on the back end. Exactley what I was looking for.
Versatility: I have not found a shot where I have not been able to use the Widow. IT is by far the most versitile ball I have ever owned.
Control: Easliy the most controlable ball I have ever rolled. It's easy to make adjustments as the lanes dry out when you know you can trust the ball reaction.
Overall Score on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 Being the Best)
Hook: 9
Carry: 10
Control: 9
Overall: 9.5
I bought this ball after alot of research, and I am very glad I did. The last ball that I purchased new was a scorchin Inferno, and I was not at all happy with that ball. This ball however has suprised me each week with it's versatility and controled hook.
I would recomend this ball to just about anyone.
Post by: bluelighter21 on April 15, 2007, 09:09:09 PM
Post by: daniel300 on May 17, 2007, 11:56:13 PM
Post by: Dyno-Joe on May 26, 2007, 10:31:08 AM
Post by: rockerbowler18 on August 19, 2007, 02:57:12 AM
I drilled this ball to have a strong, smooth arc...and a strong smooth arc it has. This ball is overall one of the most violent balls I have ever seen.
With that said, my first full series with this ball was a 701, and my fourth game was a 277.
This ball doesn't like dry lanes, or hitting up on it or missing it at the bottom. Stay consistent with your rev rate, and this ball will serve you well. Once you are lined in, the ball digs a trench to the hole. What a beast.
I would reccommend this ball to anyone. Anyone. Period. Just don't hit it, don't miss it, and this ball will carry.
--------------------
Ebonite: The One, The Infinite One, Smash Time
Lane #1: Enriched Uranium
Brunswick: Radical Inferno
AMF: Angle
Average: 202
Post by: gie_uk on September 08, 2007, 11:57:45 AM
I'm a high track player so the pin is above my ring finger, my ball speed is 15-17mph and 45 degrees axis rotation.
I normally play standing on board 23 and going over first arrow.
This black widow ball is unreal!!!
I thought my ebonite total nv was so good i got the black widow punched up with the same layout (see above)
I wanted a ball that would handle carry down better than the TNV and that was stronger at the breakpoint.
The black widow gave me more than i would of dreamed of, i mean this ball is awesome.
Even when i don't get the revs on the ball this ball sill seems to find some hooking power.
I would like to know if hammer have fitted this ball with nitrous oxide because when you release this ball with rev's it goes long and then it drives like a freight train towards the pocket with so much carry you can almost turn your back on the ball and just listen to the pins crumble.
I thought I would never get a better ball than my TNV but this ball is the best most consistent ball i have ever rolled...
Garry UK
AVE 195 since i got bw
--------------------
BALLS:
EBONITE TOTAL NV
EBONITE SMASHTIME (solid/particle)
HAMMER BLACK WIDOW (solid)
EBONITE MAXIUM
EBONITE MIRAGE
http://www.putfile.com/garryuk01
STORM ERAZER SCREAMIN BANSHEE (RETIRED)
STORM AGENT (RETIRED)
Post by: Matt Fortney on September 09, 2007, 05:28:28 PM
THS-Wow! Sums this ball up in one word. On fresh THS, I'm able to stand quite deep and swing the Black Widow out as far as 7-10 at the breakpoint, and it never even hesitates to come back. Huge pop on the backend. Hits extremely hard, and carries well. When the heads start burning up, it's time to switch to something else, as the BW starts up a little early, still maintains backend though. Overall I really love this ball, can't find a condition that I can't use it on.
Matt
--------------------
Hammer Pride Staff
http://www.hammerbowling.com
http://www.hammerstuff.com
"Nothing Hits Like A Hammer"
Post by: Mongo on October 17, 2007, 10:12:01 AM
15 lb.
3" Pin
2 oz. TW
Drill specs:
4 x 3 (pin under ring finger)
MB 75º
Weight hole on VAL 2 1/4" down
First ball I've bought somewhat new in a while....I should keep up with the new stuff.
Was looking for something that would cut through the carrydown I've been experiencing after the first games. Currently throwing a Flash Force as a starter, but it starts to wiggle in the second game.
This is a lotta ball.
Thrown it in 3 different situations, here are the results.
#1) Straight off the press. OOB, Fresh 36' THS
Too much for this condition. Actually got through the fronts a lot better than I thought it would, but just too much down lane. At around 40' or so just made a violent move. I completely took my hand out of it, throw it 20 to 5, and get it back. Problem is, it was consistent because of the lack of revs.
#2) Surface taken to 1500, shiny, Fresh THS
Shiny is better here. Still really strong in the back, though. Amazed at how this solid just glides through the heads. Really picks up in the mids, you can actually watch the ball rev up (fun). Still couldn't really lean on it, which caused it to be a bit squirty. Much better performance, though. Hits like a friggin' train loaded with tanks.
#3) Shiny. Broken down THS, w/carrydown
Here was when I really saw the Black Widow shine. Cleared the heads with ease, but cut through carrydown like butter. On a condition where my Flash Force would start up and just quit, the Black Widow just kept on coming. This ball is a true machine in the backends.
Overall: With different drillings, I think you could match this ball up for just about anything except dead dry. OOB, this would match up with any oiler. I could see the Black Widow being flat scary on longer patterns. For league bowlers, you're going to have to shine it up, just too much ball. The bigger handed guys can go deep and bring it back from China.
--------------------
GOLD MEMBER
Post by: Los300 on November 02, 2007, 11:48:25 AM
Post by: tonykcgee on November 06, 2007, 03:04:28 AM
Some balls go everywhere with you, its your goto ball, its your ol' faithful ball, its the kind of stuff that is always in the back of your mind. No matter the shot, it could be 50 feet of granite or 60 feet of pure petroleum, the Black Widow will be creeping around in the ol' noggin.
Post by: Chivas on November 07, 2007, 01:26:30 PM
I purchased 14 lbs BW when they have a demo day in my town. It was a year ago, and that time I didn't have any idea how to layout a ball nor the effect its given. Now I know better...
I think they drilled mine leverage layout or close to it. Pin to PAP was less then 4 inch and below bridge.
In 33 feet christmas tree wood lane I play this layout make the ball loose the energy too early. On brunswick synthetic it didn't like short oil or dry lane as well. It took time for me to adjust to it, but my conclusion is; Leverage layout BW wasn't for me as it becomes very condition specific.
After around 6 months I decided to re-plug it. This time I did the layout my self. Pin to PAP is 4 3/8 inch MB to PAP around 4 1/16 with pin above bridge. Now this where the BW shine for me. It can handle the 33 feet woodlane (have to stay in the oil tho) and can be played on medium synthetic lane but again definetly not dry one. BW is not for everyone, its sensitive to hand position and release. Its giving me a hard time at first, but from BW I have learned the proper release and hand position.
It require great care, if you don't clean it properly it will tell you right out. The coverstock is mild, I have lots of mark on it, but perhaps because the house I played wasnt properly maintained. I resurfaced it once after good hot water bath followed by Ebonite factory finish, the reaction came back beautifully.
I have sold my BW because I used 15 lbs equipment now, but I look forward to get BW Pearl and/or Beat'n.
In conclusion; This ball is a great ball!! pin action is what it does best. The shape is angular then snap when its going to hit the pin. Again this ball is hand position sensitive, so if you are not consistent on this department you might want to think twice to get this baby. But if you want to practice it then BW will be your great teacher. Go Hammer!!
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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result
Post by: majicman on November 14, 2007, 10:12:26 PM
Post by: traderfjp on November 25, 2007, 06:17:40 PM
Post by: Blistershurt on December 05, 2007, 04:19:49 PM
This ball responds great to cover adjustments, just telling that right off the bat, I've tried this ball at 4000, 4000 polished, 2000, 1000, 5000 (roughly), 320, 500, and 1000 polished.
I have mine drill like this..
o op....xhole
...cg
O.MB
I like this ball the most at 2000 sanded. I play 15-5 with this ball, the thing that I really dont like out of the widow is the fact I do not see a strong midlane roll, it is strictly skid snap.
This ball has excellent hitting power, but its biggest flaw is that you can throw it through the breakpoint easy. Also this ball is very snappy. I would reccomend a BWP if you dont have a BW already, the BWP is smoother.
--------------------
Nothing hits like a Hammer, baby.
Weapons
Anger, Black Widow, Cherry Vibe
High Game- 290
High Series- 701
Average- dwindling around 185-190
Post by: rvmark on December 21, 2007, 08:56:48 AM
Only dislike is the coverstock is like a magnet and must be maintained constantly.
Update: With all of the negative about the ball dying I have continued to have good success with this ball I currently have around 120 games on this ball and had back to back 683-672 series with this ball. I will admit that this ball will soak up oil but after reading other posts on this site have given it hot water bath after 50 or so games and the reaction comes back to the way it originally acted. Is continually the first ball out of my bag for most conditions! "Nothing hits like a Hammer"!!
In the bag.
Ebonite Gamebreaker
Columbia Apogee
Ebonite Game Time
Post by: Monster Stitch on December 26, 2007, 06:54:41 PM
Ball #1
15.04lbs
3.5 inch pin
3oz top
Pic: http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/3391/blkwidow1xo5.jpg
Ball #2
15.03lbs
4 inch pin
3-3/4 top
Pic: http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/6104/blkwidow2hd0.jpg
Layout:
Ball #1
Pin 5 inches from PAP
MB 5 Inches from PAP
Pin under Ring, MB kicked out 2 inches right of thumb
Ball #2
Pin 4-1/2 from PAP
MB 4 inches from PAP
Pin above and right of ring, MB 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 right of thumb
45 degree layout
Old Wood House
38 ft THS
8 to 8 med-heavy concentration
4 to 8 med
4 and out, out of bounds
Backends strip
First i used ball #2. Both balls were 1000 grit abralon. This ball defeinitely reved up fast in the midlane and made a hard left turn on the backend. I was able to open up the lane. I was playing 13 to 8. After a few shots i brought out ball #1. I threw it in the same spot. The ball didn't read the mids okay but at the break point it was more archy. The ball came in light and left the bucket. I tried it again on the same lane and got the same result. At least both balls have separation. I can keep both at different surfaces. This is how i wanted both balls to be. Or if i keep both at the same grit, i can drop down to ball #1 when Ball #2 is over reacting. I need to try both out on a PBA pattern to see how they work. I will keep allof you updated.
Thanks to Brian Graham for the layout suggestions. He is the only brand manager that i know that has great customer service.
--------------------
Team Banger Bowling Test Staff
Post by: absolutewidowzone on December 26, 2007, 08:18:37 PM
I was using my widow with its out of the box finish (4000 grit)
I had it drilled for layout #2 (all-purpose and high track)
I have to say its not so much a ball that has that pretty flush like many bowlers prefer but maybe thats because its a hammer.
After all "nothing hits like a hammer"
By the way heres my arsenal
Black Widow- pin below ring finger with balance hole
Absolute Inferno- pin right of the ring finger
Solid Zone- pin at a 75 degree angle of ring finger
All credit goes to ballreviews.com, hammerbowling.com, and brunswickbowling.com
Post by: twofingerstwo222 on December 29, 2007, 08:30:14 PM
--------------------
twofingerstwo222
Post by: Scraps Z on January 03, 2008, 04:41:25 PM
Post by: sandbagging_uncool on January 09, 2008, 09:12:23 PM
--------------------
Brandon
Owner of a Vertex Mold 1/2 HP.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bowling_tips_group
Post by: Jersey Girl on January 11, 2008, 01:52:33 PM
Post by: noturcuzin on January 19, 2008, 04:19:00 PM
Joined the Brunswick Nation in 2003.
Post by: MaxJagger on February 05, 2008, 12:08:20 PM
"I'd rather be lucky than good any day"
-Lee Boehm
--------------------
MaxJagger
Post by: Dragonballz on February 08, 2008, 02:45:24 AM
Post by: katznhat on February 10, 2008, 08:07:11 AM
BUT
Be forewarned............
this is a VERY HIGH MAINTENANCE BALL and USEFUL ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE.
IF you have $250 to toss away every year then this is the one for you!
It has a VERY SOFT exterior/cover which CHIPS AND CRACKS....regularly!
Now IF you wish to have it recovered,you may at an extra cost,HOWEVER it loses some of that hook EVERY TIME YOU HAVE IT RECOVERED.
I called the bowling lane where I bought it and they said that this is what happens to (with) this ball.I figured it was a defect...however,Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark,NY said this is a regular occurrence with this ball,and to just buy a new one!LOL! I'm not a pro,just a working stiff who can't afford $250 EVERY YEAR! Maybe the newest ones will fare better than this one.???
God bless you and yours!
Katznhat
Post by: uberamd on February 11, 2008, 09:37:12 AM
I clean the ball with the Energizer Ball Cleaner once a week, to keep it sharp. With my drilling layout, this ball doesn't have the same arc hook as my Elite Black, so I find myself having to throw it on a straight second dot second arrow line and let it snap into the pocket from there. Overall I am extremely pleased with this ball, it works great and looks good too.
Post by: BakeHammer on March 11, 2008, 11:46:56 AM
Post by: wgraphics on March 12, 2008, 02:09:03 PM
As another user posted before, this is a very, VERY high maintenance ball. This ball will become oil-soaked very fast without frequent cleaning. It wouldn't hurt to have a towel at the ball return and give it a small wipe once in a while either. After throwing the ball for 2 and a half games every once in a while, it tends to lose power. If you want a strong ball, but do not mind the extra attention it requires, then try this one out.
Post by: tdoty814 on April 20, 2008, 06:40:01 PM
Post by: I Flush 8s on May 08, 2008, 03:54:39 PM
first off im med speed medium rev in the higher range of revs
i drilled this ball pin inch over middle finger
cg just below and to the right of my ring finger mass bias in strong position
this ball rolls so nice it goes 45 feet and i kno it will turn
due to the pin being n such an odd position i cant really use it in carrydown situations but thats ok cause thats not what i wanted it foe i wanted a good benchmark ball to open up fresh patterns with and thats what i got
i would reccomend this ball to anyone
and i also would like to mention i have seen no sign of ball death but i also clean it after every set and every so often i take the surface to 500 and use clean and dull then bring it back up to factory then polish it
you will not regret getting this ball if u treat it right cause it will treat u right
Post by: dmulv2669 on April 18, 2010, 10:34:38 PM
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dmulv2669
Post by: noturcuzin on January 13, 2012, 01:57:52 AM
LANE CONDITION
Length:Not sure
Volume:Medium
Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):THS
COMMENTS
Likes:Awesome backend, extremely smooth. Stores all its energy till the end then comes racing back towards the pins!
Dislikes: Hard to find NIB now-a-days
PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS
CHRIS FARLEY:1964-1997
JOHN CANDY:1950-1994
JOHN BELUSHI:1949-1982
"NO RESPECT, I GET NO RESPECT."-the great Rodney Dangerfield
InSite Bowling Products:2004-2008