Hammer Black Widow Mania Ball Review by Jeff Ussery

Layout: 60 degrees x 5 1/2" x 40 degrees

RG: 2.50"

Differential: .056"

M/b: .016"

Surface: 1500 grit w/ Factory Compound

Core shape: Asymmetric

Manufacturer's Intent: Hammer is proud to introduce another exceptional ball to the legendary Black Widow line, the new Black Widow Mania. Each Widow has consistently complemented Hammer’s lineup and outperformed its predecessor. The coverstock makes this Widow unique and takes performance to the next level. We tested every cover we have, and the clear winner was the HK22-Cohesion Pearl cover; yes, the same cover found on last year’s top-selling Hammer Effect! Cohesion continues to elevate performance, and it’s noticeable in the way the Black Widow Mania creates length and a sharper breakpoint than even the Black Widow 2.0 Hybrid. The Black Widow Mania is the perfect choice as a go-to ball after the Black Widow 3.0 or to combat any medium condition. The Gas Mask core, HK22, Cohesion, and the Black Widow name – what more do you need?

Widows have been a mainstay in the Hammer line since BEFORE my time as Brand Manager of the Hammer brand (and that goes back a while). The Gas Mask core shape has long proven to match up on a wide variety of lane conditions for a wide variety of bowlers. That's why through all the iterations of coverstock and finish combinations, Black Widows continue to crush the market in sales. Great name, great performance, great results.

My Widow Mania got drilled with my standard pin up drilling, designed to provide length with strong backend ball motion. The current Hammer line up of Widows includes the duller finish 3.0, and the Widow 2.0 Hybrid. Widow Mania is a combination or blend of these two shapes. It's more mid-lane than the Widow 2.0 Hybrid, but it's far more length than the 3.0. With the HK22-Cohesion cover, Hammer has developed a ball that is stronger rolling in the mid-lane even with the polished finish. This gives users the ability to use a shinier surface ball on a slicker lane pattern, which can increase the backend motion for some players.

For my game and the places I bowl at, I found the Mania to be a little slower downlane than the 2.0 Hybrid version. On Tuesdays at Olathe Lanes East, we do tend to battle drier heads. This makes the 2.0 Hybrid standout for higher revolution or slower speed players. In contrast, some of our lower rev/higher speed players have seen more backend motion from the Mania versus the previous 2.0 Hybrid.

You could see some of those differences play out on the recent USBC Masters show with Bill O'Neill on the contender's bracket show (Saturday). He used a Black Widow 3.0 early on when he needed earlier roll with smoother motion. Once the lane broke down just a bit, he was able to move to a Black Widow Mania which was extremely angular off of the back of the pattern. Bill's game is one that would certainly prefer the Mania over the Widow 2.0 Hybrid due to his higher tilt and moderate revolution rate on tour.

For me, Mania was best when I actually broke the cover a bit and turned it in to a stronger hooking product. I found with the compound it was a bit confused for my game. But it woke up a lot when I took the polish down and applied a smooth 4000 grit finish. This made it exceptional on heavier oil patterns like I expect to see at Greater Ozarks.

Widow Mania is one of the best-selling balls in the market right now and is sure to match up for nearly everyone that walks in our store. Black Widow Mania is available and in-stock in 12# - 15# at Total Bowling Gear!