Here is my take on the new Hammer Widow Tour V1. The Widow Tour has a modified asymmetric Gas Mask core (Widow Gas Mask Low Diff Core... basically the Gas Mask core without the flip block on top) wrapped by the same coverstock used on the Widow 2.0 Hybrid, HK-22 Aggression Hybrid. The color is black/blue/purple and box finish is 3000 Siaair. The Widow Tour used in the video has a 45 x 4 3/4 x 25 layout and is thrown at box surface.
Since being originally released in 2006, Hammer has yet to make a Widow I didn't like. Couple that with the fact that I generally love "tour edition" equipment and thus, when this ball was first announced, I was very eager to give it a try. To my eye, the Widow Tour V1 shows a clean yet very controlled motion down the lane. Let me try and give a little different way to explain it. In the last 3 years, Hammer has released 3 of my favorite "tour edition" balls, the Envy Tour, Effect Tour and now this Hammer Widow Tour V1. To interrelate the 3 of them from what I've seen, the Envy Tour was the earliest and smoothest, the Effect Tour felt like it has a little more shape to it than the Envy Tour and the Hammer Widow Tour V1 is the cleanest of the 3 but still with that smoother type of shape off the spot. That's probably the best way to interrelate the 3 most recent Hammer Tour Edition pieces. I see this ball being at its best on medium volume fresh patterns of a variety of distances where control of the lane is key. I believe also this ball will be in play for a variety of rev rates, speeds, styles etc. I know I will be drilling more of these in the not too distant future!
The Widow Tour V1 releases officially on the 18th. See your pro shop for more information.