- Black Widow Platinum Silver

First Impressions
The Hammer Black Widow Platinum Silver, released in spring 2019, adds a visually striking and technically advanced option to the legendary Black Widow line. The ball immediately impresses with the platinum-silver coloring it takes its name from, brought to a high shine with a Powerhouse Factory Finish Polish. Inside works the iconic Gas Mask Core, an asymmetric core that has been considered the benchmark for strong backend motion for years. This core is wrapped in the Aggression Pearl CFI coverstock. The CFI stands for Carbon Fiber Infused, a technology Hammer uses to increase the durability of the shell and optimize energy transfer into the pins. The specs at 15 lbs are laid out aggressively: a low 2.50 RG provides early rotation, while the high 0.058 differential and the strong 0.016 intermediate differential offer enormous flare potential. This combination of a polished pearl surface and a torque-heavy asymmetric core suggests a ball reaction that pairs length through the heads with a drastic change of direction at the breakpoint.
Comparison
Compared to other balls on the market, the Black Widow Platinum Silver shows a specific character. Set against the Hammer Black Widow Gold, the Platinum offers somewhat more traction in oil thanks to the carbon fiber added to the coverstock, without sacrificing much length. That makes it feel a bit more stable through the midlane than the Gold. Bringing in the Storm AstroPhysiX for comparison, the Black Widow Platinum often shows a slightly heavier roll phase just before impact, due to the mass of the Gas Mask core, while the AstroPhysiX often reacts even sharper and quicker. Against a symmetric pearl ball like the Ebonite Game Breaker 3 Pearl, the Widow Platinum generates considerably more hook in the back part of the lane and responds faster to friction. A comparison with the Roto Grip Halo Pearl shows that the Halo Pearl often reads a bit earlier, while the Widow Platinum gets through the heads cleaner and saves more energy for the backend. Unlike balls with a solid surface such as the Hammer Black Widow 2.0 (which came out later), the Platinum glides much more effortlessly across the first boards and is less prone to early energy loss.
On the Lanes
The Hammer Black Widow Platinum Silver is primarily at home on medium to oily lanes that already show a defined breakpoint area. It is not a ball for extremely fresh, long oil without friction, since the polished surface could slide out there. It plays to its strengths once the lane starts to break down (transition) and dull balls lose energy too early. In that scenario, the Platinum lets you move further left and increase the angle into the pocket. Thanks to the high differential and the strong core, it manages to recover even from deep angles while retaining enough energy for excellent carry. It suits you particularly well if you need help creating a strong entry angle, or if you are rev-dominant and want to open up room on the lane. On very dry lanes or short sport patterns, caution is warranted, since the strong core combined with the quick response to friction can lead to an overreaction that is hard to control. Ideally it comes out of the bag as the second or third ball, once the benchmark ball starts reacting too sluggishly.