Black Widow · The Most Feared Name in Bowling
The Most Feared Name in Bowling
Hammer Black Widow
Twenty years of the Gas Mask core, one unmistakable backend, and a family of balls and gear that turned a single Hammer release into bowling’s most feared name. Every current Widow ball, jersey, and piece of spider gear lives here.
★★★★★ 4.8 from 180,000+ reviews
✓ 159,000+ five-star
✓ Free shipping every order
✓ 60-day no-hassle returns
✓ 159,000+ five-star
✓ Free shipping every order
✓ 60-day no-hassle returns
The Legend of the Black Widow
In March 2006, Hammer released a black and red asymmetric ball with a core shaped like a gas mask and a name that dared you to throw it. The original Black Widow read the midlane early, stored its energy, and unloaded on the backend with a violence bowlers had not seen before. It sold out, it won, and it never really left.
Every Widow since has carried the same DNA. The Gas Mask core has powered the line through the Bite and Venom years, the Assassin and Legend era, the urethane Widows, the Ghost and 2.0 revival, and today’s 3.0, Tour, and Toxin generation. Across 140+ USBC-approved releases, the promise has never changed: strong in the midlane, mean off the spot.
Twenty years on, the Black Widow is bigger than a bowling ball. It is jerseys on league night, towels draped over ball returns, hoodies in the stands, and a spider logo that tells everyone in the center exactly what kind of bowler you are.
2006The original Black Widow
140+USBC-approved Widows
Gas MaskThe core behind the bite
20 Years of Venom
The Black Widow Timeline
Two decades, one core, and a family tree with real fangs. The milestones that made the Widow bowling’s most enduring ball line.
2006
The Original Black Widow
The Gas Mask asymmetric core debuts inside a biting solid coverstock, black and red and instantly recognizable. Pearl and spare versions follow before the year is out, and a legend is born.
2008
Bite and Venom
The Widow family multiplies. The Bite and the Venom wrap new covers around the Gas Mask engine and cement the line as Hammer’s flagship.
2013
Assassin and Legend
The Black Widow Assassin arrives, with the Legend close behind in 2014. This generation of Widows builds the line’s tournament pedigree.
2017
The Urethane Widow
The Gas Mask core meets a urethane shell. The Black Widow Urethane becomes a short-pattern staple and one of the most recognizable urethane balls in the sport.
2019
Ghost and 2.0
The Ghost, then the Black Widow 2.0 in 2020, revive the original look and motion updated for modern conditions and introduce a new generation of bowlers to the bite.
2024
The 3.0 Generation
The Black Widow 3.0 pushes the line’s total motion further, spawning Black Sapphire, Platinum, and Poison variants within the year.
2025
Mania and the First Tour Widow
The Mania brings the HK22 Cohesion Pearl cover to the line, and the Tour V1 becomes the first Tour edition in Widow history, dropping differential from 0.058 to 0.034 for control.
2026
Dynasty: 20 Years of the Widow
The 3.0 Dynasty marks two decades of the Black Widow as the strongest Widow ever built, joined by the Toxin Pearl. The spider is not done yet.
Pick Your Widow
Which Black Widow Is Right for You?
Same Gas Mask heart, three very different personalities. Match the cover to your lanes and the motion to your game.
3.0 Dynasty
The Anniversary Flagship
Strongest Widow Ever
Perfect For
- ✓Bowlers who want the biggest total motion in the line
- ✓Fresh patterns and heavier oil volumes
- ✓Owning the 20th-anniversary flagship
What You Get
- ✓Gas Mask asymmetric core
- ✓HK22 Cohesion Solid coverstock
- ✓More hook than the 2.0, more backend than the 3.0
- ✗Built for bone-dry lanes
Tour V1
The Control Widow
First Tour Edition
Perfect For
- ✓Sport and tour patterns where backend control wins
- ✓Rev-dominant players taming the breakpoint
- ✓Burned league shots late in the night
What You Get
- ✓Modified Gas Mask core, flip block removed
- ✓0.034 differential for a smoother shape
- ✓Predictable, repeatable backend
- ✗Maximum flip at the breakpoint
Ghost Pearl
Length and Pop
Fan Favorite
Perfect For
- ✓Medium to lighter oil and broken-down shots
- ✓Players who want easy length with an angular finish
- ✓Fans of the 2.0 motion who want more down-lane pop
What You Get
- ✓Polished pearl coverstock
- ✓Gas Mask asymmetric core
- ✓Skid through the front, sharp move off the dry
- ✗Heavy-oil traction
Shop Smarter
Shop Black Widow Gear
The Black Widow gear bowlers are buying right now.
Every Current Black Widow Ball
Every in-stock Widow, from the 20th-anniversary Dynasty to the Viz-A-Ball.
Original price was: $329.95.$199.95Current price is: $199.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$169.95Current price is: $169.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$169.95Current price is: $169.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$169.95Current price is: $169.95.
Original price was: $329.95.$199.95Current price is: $199.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$169.95Current price is: $169.95.
Original price was: $329.95.$199.95Current price is: $199.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$159.95Current price is: $159.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$144.95Current price is: $144.95.
Original price was: $229.95.$129.95Current price is: $129.95.
Original price was: $249.95.$159.95Current price is: $159.95.
Black Widow Jerseys
Wear the spider on league night.
Original price was: $69.95.$49.95Current price is: $49.95.
Original price was: $69.95.$49.95Current price is: $49.95.
Price range: $39.95 through $47.95
Original price was: $49.95.$39.95Current price is: $39.95.
Original price was: $69.95.$49.95Current price is: $49.95.
Original price was: $69.95.$49.95Current price is: $49.95.
Black Widow Apparel
Hoodies, polos, and tees with venom.
Original price was: $65.95.$55.95Current price is: $55.95.
Original price was: $65.95.$55.95Current price is: $55.95.
Towels, Shammies & Fan Gear
Spider gear for the bag, the couch, and your head.
Original price was: $29.95.$24.95Current price is: $24.95.
Original price was: $29.95.$24.95Current price is: $24.95.
Original price was: $99.95.$69.95Current price is: $69.95.
Original price was: $21.95.$12.95Current price is: $12.95.
Original price was: $99.95.$69.95Current price is: $69.95.
Original price was: $99.95.$69.95Current price is: $69.95.
Watch It Move
See the Widow in Action
Two decades of motion in one core. Watch the Black Widow 3.0 Dynasty, then learn what makes every Widow move the way it does.
The Gas Mask Core
The asymmetric engine in nearly every Widow since 2006. It reads the midlane early and stores energy for a hard, continuous move off the spot.
Covers Change the Bite
Solid covers like the Dynasty’s HK22 Cohesion grip heavier oil. Pearls like the Ghost Pearl and Mania glide longer and snap harder off the dry.
Tour Editions Tame It
The Tour V1 removes the core’s flip block, cutting differential to 0.034 for bowlers who want Widow power with a calmer breakpoint.
Not sure which Widow fits your game? Stop by any BowlersMart pro shop and our staff will match a ball to your speed, rev rate, and house shot.
Verified Reviews
What Bowlers Say About Black Widow
Hammer Black Widow 3.0 Bowling Ball★ 280 reviews
★★★★★
Great buy
I am very pleased with this ball, it is what I wanted in a ball. Its performance on the lane is exceptional
Hammer Black Widow 2.0 Hybrid Bowling Ball★ 190 reviews
★★★★★
Like the ease of motion.
The ball reacts just like I want it to. Still getting use to it.
Hammer Black Widow Grunge Xpress Ship Rocket Bowling Jersey★ 134 reviews
★★★★★
Nice look. Great comfort.
Wore it yesterday bowling in a tournament. Loved it. Great fit & comfort. Looked great, too.
Hammer Black Widow Mania Bowling Ball★ 123 reviews
★★★★★
Great ball with a heavy back-end
Bowled my first 300 with this ball. Definitely a great ball and a strong back-end.
Hammer Black Widow Ghost Pearl Bowling Ball★ 90 reviews
★★★★★
Ball looks great. Fast shipping
Can’t get them anywhere else than on this website. Fast shipping, can’t wait to get it drilled!
Hammer Black Widow Toxin Solid Overseas Bowling Ball★ 85 reviews
★★★★★
Best Ball Ever
This bowling ball is phenomenal, had one highest games ever the second week of bowling with this ball. Now looking for the mate of the Toxin Hybrid to complete the bag. Awesome ball.
Hammer Black Widow 3.0 Grunge Xpress Ship Rocket Bowling Jersey★ 67 reviews
★★★★★
Perfect Bowling Jersey!
Great jersey exactly what my Brother wanted! Very quick shipping and fair price recommend.
Hammer Black Widow 3.0 Dynasty Bowling Ball★ 65 reviews
★★★★★
Love Hammer bowling balls
Great ball. I have been using hammer bowling balls forever. My first was the Red Pearl back in the 1990’s. I bowled my first 300. Have been upgrading w/ Hammer ever since.
Hammer Black Widow 2.0 Bowling Ball★ 63 reviews
★★★★★
First Ball out of the bag
I have purchased many balls over the years, but this ball is my go to and drilled right can snap into the pocket like a rocket on medium oil. Very versatile.
★★★★★
Why Buy Black Widow From BowlersMart
Pro-shop expertise behind every order, backed by 159,000+ verified five-star reviews across BowlersMart.
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Decades of hands-on drilling and layout knowledge.
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Helpful Answers
Black Widow Buying Guide
What makes the Black Widow line so popular?
Consistency and identity. Nearly every Widow since 2006 has used the Gas Mask asymmetric core, so bowlers know the motion they are buying: a strong midlane read with a hard, continuous backend. Add the unmistakable black-and-red look and 140+ USBC-approved releases over 20 years, and the Widow has become the rare ball line that is a brand of its own.
Which Black Widow should I buy first?
Match the cover to your oil. The 3.0 Dynasty (solid) is the pick for fresh or heavier patterns, the Ghost Pearl shines on medium to drier lanes, and the Tour V1 is built for sport patterns and burned-up shots where control wins. If you bowl a typical house shot once a week, the Dynasty or Ghost Pearl will cover most nights.
What does Overseas mean on the Black Widow Toxin balls?
Overseas releases are Widows Hammer produced for international markets, and BowlersMart brings them stateside in limited quantities. All three Toxin versions (solid, hybrid, and pearl) are on the USBC approved ball list, so they are legal for league and tournament play.
Are Black Widow balls good for beginners?
The Widow is a high-performance asymmetric line, so it rewards bowlers who already hook the ball. If you are brand new, you will get more from an entry-level or mid-performance ball first, then graduate to a Widow as your rev rate develops. Our pro shop staff will tell you honestly which side of that line you are on.
Do Black Widow balls come drilled?
Black Widow balls ship undrilled so they can be drilled to fit your hand. Bring yours to any BowlersMart pro shop location for measuring, layout advice, and drilling, or take it to your local pro shop.
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