- Widow Spare (2018)

First Impressions
The Hammer Widow Spare was released in May 2018 in a new color combination (Blue/Orange/Smoke) and is a genuine one-off in the spare ball category. Where conventional spare balls only have a simple pancake core, this model is built around the legendary asymmetric Gas Mask Core. The specs for a 15-pound ball are impressive: a low 2.48 RG, a high 0.058 differential and a mass bias differential of 0.013. Those internals are paired with a smooth polyester cover, prepped at the factory with an 800/1000/2000 Abralon finish and then polished to a high gloss with Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. The look is eye-catching and signals right away that this is not an ordinary plastic model but a performance polyester product developed for specific challenges.
Comparison Compared to conventional spare balls like the Columbia 300 White Dot or the Brunswick TZone, the Hammer Widow Spare offers massively more flare potential. While simple plastic balls show almost no core movement of their own, the Gas Mask Core in the Widow Spare produces noticeable core dynamics. Set against the Storm Mix, which uses a urethane hybrid cover, the Widow Spare stays straight considerably longer thanks to its pure polyester surface and skids more cleanly through the heads. Compared to a weak reactive ball like the Storm Tropical Surge, the Widow Spare is far more straight-line on normal conditions, but on extremely dry lanes it offers a more controlled backend motion because the cover creates hardly any friction. Against the Hammer Black Widow Ghost or other reactive Widow models, total hook capacity is vanishingly small — but that is intentional, ensuring maximum precision when shooting corner pins without giving up the stabilizing effect of a high-performance core.
On the Lanes The use cases for the Hammer Widow Spare are twofold. First and foremost it serves as a precise spare ball for every player type, bridging the pocket and the pyramid zones almost without any change of direction thanks to its polyester cover. But the real advantage of the Gas Mask Core shows up on extremely dry lanes or very short sport patterns. When even the weakest reactive balls or urethane balls react too early because of the friction, the Widow Spare makes it possible to play straight up the outside boards. The asymmetric core provides a more stable flight phase and better carry in the pocket than a conventional plastic ball, which often deflects too much on contact with the pins. If you have a high rev rate, you'll particularly appreciate this ball for keeping control of the breakpoint even when the heads are burned up. Keep in mind, though, that this ball describes no meaningful curve on an oily surface and is therefore intended solely for spare shooting or absolute emergency scenarios in extreme dryness. It is the ultimate insurance policy for Hammer fans who want to keep the familiar feel of the Gas Mask Core in every situation across their series.