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Thread: Something similar to Hammer Black Widow Gold

  1. #1
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    Default Something similar to Hammer Black Widow Gold

    Thinking about replacing my BWG. Lately have been doing real good with it though. My mistake was I don't have a huge hi revving hook so went to my PSO and told him I want a very strong ball thinking I needed that. So got a Brunswick Kingpin and Radical Conspiracy (which are very similar in shape and reaction). Problem is these balls burn up quickly so have been going to the BWG later in the night. Realized I really don't need a heavy hooking ball for most night on our THS. So our PSO carries Brunswick line. He also carries Hammer. I like the Radical stuff so how about the Squatch pearl? I'm a lefty and typically play outside in the drier stuff.

    In my belief that I needed to get the strongest ball possible I am starting to see that in many cases the medium or medium/heavy seem to work really well for me. Seems my BWG slides pretty far before reading the friction and that has really been working well for me lately.

    More than my interest in buying another ball my reason for this post is as much to help me understand the ball characteristics and physics a little more.
    Arsenal "15# Global Eternity Pi-45x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Xponent-60x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Zen Soul-60x4.5x40" "15# Roto Grip Idol Helios-90 x 2.25 x 45" "15# 900 Global Altered Reality-50x3.625x30" "15# Brunswick Uppercut-80x3.625x35" "15# Brunswick Igniter-70x5.5x35" "15# Raw Hammer Pearl 45x5.75x40" "15# Brunswick T-Zone"
    Rev Rate about 270 @ about 15.5 MPH at the pins* High Game: 290 - High Series: 733. PAP: 5 1/8"x1" up; tilt 20*, rotation 75*. YTD highs - 290-733
    Oh, and LEFTY!!!

  2. #2

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    I'd love to see you try a much less aggressive ball to help to utilize the friction that is past the pattern as we are discussing in the Pressure thread. I use a Brunswick Twist which is an entry level ball, very often and have had great success with it. If you decide to try something that retains the energy for the back end, however, make sure you change the surface before you ever throw it. I used a 3000 pad on a spinner to get the polish off, and finished it off with a 5000 pad. A lefty friend of mine who averages about 230 asked me the other day if I had changed my release to suddenly get so many more revs on the ball. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it's just a matter of using a ball that stores energy for the back end. Plus, it didn't cost me an arm and a leg to get it! LOL

  3. #3
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    lol. yeah definitely starting to see how this friction and surface work. Not looking at spending more on another ball just yet. Thoughts on taking the Kingpin to maybe 4000 or something for now? Right now the Kingpin is at 2000 matte but I have tried it at 500 and 1000 matte and not much difference. Maybe I'll try it at 4000 just to see what it does. Can always go back if I don't like it. But using this BWG lately has helped me to see the differences. That ball sat in my bag for about 3 months untouched because I had done so much better when I bought the Conspiracy. Out of frustration one day I grabbed the BWG and it worked so much better. Seeing that has helped me in this learning curve.

    My turn to sit out this week so no bowling for me until the 20th then I think playoffs are 27th so don't want to do too much experimenting.
    Arsenal "15# Global Eternity Pi-45x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Xponent-60x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Zen Soul-60x4.5x40" "15# Roto Grip Idol Helios-90 x 2.25 x 45" "15# 900 Global Altered Reality-50x3.625x30" "15# Brunswick Uppercut-80x3.625x35" "15# Brunswick Igniter-70x5.5x35" "15# Raw Hammer Pearl 45x5.75x40" "15# Brunswick T-Zone"
    Rev Rate about 270 @ about 15.5 MPH at the pins* High Game: 290 - High Series: 733. PAP: 5 1/8"x1" up; tilt 20*, rotation 75*. YTD highs - 290-733
    Oh, and LEFTY!!!

  4. #4

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    Another antiquated idea is that you only have to consider the surface of the bowling ball because it accounts for 75% of ball reaction. The other 25% is the core. It cannot be ignored. You have four tires on your car. Three of them equal 75% of the total. Have you ever tried driving with one tire (25%) flat?

    Looking at your arsenal, you have 3 balls that all have aggressive, early-rolling asymmetrical cores, and one (Rhino) with a medium strong/medium strength symmetrical core. Having read so many of your posts where you question your own consistency, I can't help but wonder why 75% of your bowling balls have asymmetrical cores; cores that magnify differences from one release to the next.

  5. #5
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    They weren't all bought at once. I bought the BWG with the thought that would be the only ball I would need. I only ever used 1 ball before. Realized I couldn't pick up the 7 pin with it so bought the Rhino. That ball goes almost straight for me. A few months later the Kingpin was meant to replace the BWG then the Conspiracy to replace the Kingpin. They weren't bought to compliment each other but I realize now that is what I need.
    Arsenal "15# Global Eternity Pi-45x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Xponent-60x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Zen Soul-60x4.5x40" "15# Roto Grip Idol Helios-90 x 2.25 x 45" "15# 900 Global Altered Reality-50x3.625x30" "15# Brunswick Uppercut-80x3.625x35" "15# Brunswick Igniter-70x5.5x35" "15# Raw Hammer Pearl 45x5.75x40" "15# Brunswick T-Zone"
    Rev Rate about 270 @ about 15.5 MPH at the pins* High Game: 290 - High Series: 733. PAP: 5 1/8"x1" up; tilt 20*, rotation 75*. YTD highs - 290-733
    Oh, and LEFTY!!!

  6. #6
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    Changing the surface on the kingpin will make a difference but they still won't be similar to the BWG just too different balls. It would maybe help give you a little more of a change up between them. I might even consider going 3k plus a rubbing compound on the Kingpin to help them out. Over the long turn I'd probably consider adding a more consistent rolling ball to the bag something like a Brunswick Method or a Hammer Web. Those aren't really replacements for the BWG but they would give you more a even medium look. When you actually need to replace the BWG I'm not sure Brunswick makes a great similar ball maybe a Vapor Zone is close as I can think of hammer probably the Black widow gold or pink but I'd go with more the even running ball listed above first if I were you.
    I am a proud member of Bowlingboards.com bowling forums and ball contest winner

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    900 Global Badger Claw - Radical Ridiculous Pearl - Spare Ball Ebonite T Zone

  7. #7
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    I'm very much with Rob on this subject and would also recommend you grab a ball that is on a different part of the spectrum - Brunswick Twist, Storm Tropical Storm (surge or whatever it is called now), Hammer Vibe, or any other of the entry level equipment that is coming out. A concept that Rick Benoit is big on is the thought of projection angles (how many boards left to right you are going from the foul line to the arrows) and his argument is that many bowlers are using equipment that is causing for them to create projection angles that are to great for the bowler which harms carry (I'm not going to go through the whole explanation on this board - just the note that many of us, and I'm guilty as well, can be biased towards what ball is making the biggest move at the breakpoint rather than what is making the best move at the breakpoint. Many times this best move is not the most powerful but rather what is the most predictable).
    Currently in the arsenal: Roto Grip Hyper Cell (@2000), Hammer Gauntlet Fury (@1000 polished), Roto Grip Idol (@2000), Storm IQ Tour Emerald (@1500 polished), Storm Phaze 4 (@1500 polished), Hammer Cherry Vibe (@1500 polished), Hammer Black Widow Urethane (@1000), Jet Blackbird

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ALazySavage View Post
    I'm very much with Rob on this subject and would also recommend you grab a ball that is on a different part of the spectrum - Brunswick Twist, Storm Tropical Storm (surge or whatever it is called now), Hammer Vibe, or any other of the entry level equipment that is coming out. A concept that Rick Benoit is big on is the thought of projection angles (how many boards left to right you are going from the foul line to the arrows) and his argument is that many bowlers are using equipment that is causing for them to create projection angles that are to great for the bowler which harms carry (I'm not going to go through the whole explanation on this board - just the note that many of us, and I'm guilty as well, can be biased towards what ball is making the biggest move at the breakpoint rather than what is making the best move at the breakpoint. Many times this best move is not the most powerful but rather what is the most predictable).
    I completely get that. My ball doesn't arc. It pretty much goes straight down whatever board I set it down on, maybe a 2 or 3 board arc at most. I think when I first started back last year I saw these huge hooks and tried to duplicate that and I think that hurt me for awhile until I realized I don't need to do that. Typically I'm riding around the 7 board until the breakpoint unless that isn't working. I'm speed dominant so when I try to swing it out it usually keeps going straight to the gutter....lol. So while the huge arc looks pretty, it doesn't work for me.
    My Kingpin starts reading the earliest of my 3 main balls, then the Conspiracy, then the BWG which has a sharper angle at the breakpoint. I have really only ever used the Rhino for 7 pins (lefty) but want to try it with my normal release next time out in warmups just to see what it does. And when I say 'normal' release it really is the same release I use for every shot except my pinky is tucked. I have thrown it as a first ball with the pinky untucked and pulled in tight to the ring finger but it pretty much goes straight. If the lanes are a little drier I will untuck the pinky but for spares it is always untucked.
    But yeah, I definitely don't want or need another strong ball like the Kingpin or Conspiracy. I pretty much stand on the same board and target the same mark for all 3 but the shapes are slightly different. Lately the longer snap of the BWG has been working best for me. Or maybe add a little surface to the Rhino to fill that spot?
    Arsenal "15# Global Eternity Pi-45x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Xponent-60x4.5x40" "15# 900 Global Zen Soul-60x4.5x40" "15# Roto Grip Idol Helios-90 x 2.25 x 45" "15# 900 Global Altered Reality-50x3.625x30" "15# Brunswick Uppercut-80x3.625x35" "15# Brunswick Igniter-70x5.5x35" "15# Raw Hammer Pearl 45x5.75x40" "15# Brunswick T-Zone"
    Rev Rate about 270 @ about 15.5 MPH at the pins* High Game: 290 - High Series: 733. PAP: 5 1/8"x1" up; tilt 20*, rotation 75*. YTD highs - 290-733
    Oh, and LEFTY!!!

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