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Bowling balls have a long and fascinating past, and that long history means that people experimented with a wide variety of bowling ball materials to create the sport we know and love today.
Read to learn more about the evolution of bowling materials, what bowling balls are made of today, and how it impacts your game.
Bowling balls come in various sizes, depending on the type of pins they are meant to hit. Even the smallest variables can impact the bowling ball materials, size, weight, and even how the finger holes are drilled matter. Much has changed over this sport’s millennia-long past, including the lingo and what a bowling ball is made of.
The emergence of bowling is believed to be in Egypt, with a carving from 5200 BCE etched onto an Egyptian royal tomb that depicted women and men holding a ball and targeting nine uniquely shaped wood sticks. There were also discoveries of bowling pins made out of wood that were buried in the grave of a child from ancient Egypt. These findings inspired a new love of bowling.
In the early days of modern bowling, the pins and other bowling ball materials were primarily made out of Lignum vitae, which is a hardwood. This type of bowling ball material was used for playing in different types of lanes, and the wooden balls were made in various sizes and weights based on the power of the bowler.
By 1905, Brunswick created a bowling ball made of heavy rubber material, which remained in production until 1980. However, these kinds of balls faced many problems in the 1970s due to their nature of producing less friction. Similarly, the newer types of plastic balls that replaced the rubber balls started to slip easily on the oily lanes laid based on the modern rules, which to this day includes the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) that determines which bowling balls are legal in a fair game of bowling.
In the 1980s, urethane bowling lanes were adopted by many countries, and urethane bowling ball materials followed suit. From the 1990s on, spare balls made out of polyester and plastic became popular, and reactive resins were added to bowling balls to give higher hooks.
Reactive resin balls were made by following the same base structure as the urethane ball, and they quickly became famous for the heavy porousness on their coverstock, which creates especially high friction on the lane.
Quality counts for every aspect of a bowling ball, including on the outside. The main purpose of the coverstock is to cut the oil if it is an oily lane and to create resistance (friction) if it is a dry lane when the ball is thrown. This changes the ball’s ability to navigate lane conditions to have a proper hook to hit all the pins. Hook potential matters because it makes the difference between a ball hitting randomly, going to the extreme corners, or hitting the pins as angled.
Various bowling ball materials have been used as coverstock, and each type has its advantages and disadvantages.
There are four main kinds of materials used for bowling ball coverstock.
Plastic’s smooth surface effectively reduces hook potential because it brings down friction substantially. For beginners, this will be the best type of ball, especially due to its ease of use and accessible price point. Other players use these to shoot spares or for practice.
Urethane balls have more hook potential than plastic balls and are quite durable. This can be a good choice for someone looking to upgrade from the basic plastic coverstock.
Particle or proactive coverstock balls are used mostly by expert players because they generate high friction, and many players refer to these types “like a snow tire with chains.” These kinds are best suited for digging into heavily oiled lanes and grounds.
Reactive resin coverstock provides better friction, hook potential, and pin action compared to both plastic and urethane coverstock. Since they produce high friction and are sensitive to lane conditions, they can be difficult to control for less advanced players and require more maintenance.
The materials in a bowling ball’s core include heavy substances like bismuth graphite, resin, and even ceramics and resin. A bowling ball’s core, though, is more than just the materials used to create it. The shape is also an incredibly important factor that greatly impacts the performance of a ball. When it comes to the shape and size of the core, there are three types.
These are true to their name and can look like small disks or hockey pucks, typically sitting on one portion of the ball.
Symmetrical cores are built for better hook potential, making them better suited for more advanced players. Symmetrical cores are larger, don’t have a high intermediate differential, and also allow for more finger-hole formations.
Asymmetrical cores have a high intermediate differential. They can be in different shapes, like cylinders or semi-circles. Unlike more smooth-rolling symmetrical cores, these provide high friction but can also be affected easily by finger-hole formations.
The smallest difference in bowling ball materials and design can make a huge impact on one’s overall game, which in turn can be helpful in determining which bowling ball is best suited for you. Regardless of which bowling balls you purchase, make sure that your investment keeps on rolling with quality cleaners and polishes, as well as gear to help you perform at your best.
Here are some frequently asked questions about bowling balls:
All the bowling lanes are lathered with oil to help the ball move smoothly and speedily through the lane, so after every throw, it is important for you to wipe the grease out of your ball. To properly clean the bowling ball without damaging any materials, use a ball cleaner and wipe it off with a damp microfiber towel. If you don’t get a ball cleaner, you can make one by adding equal parts of isopropyl alcohol, water, and an all-purpose cleaner to spray on the ball.
People say that your bowling ball should be about 10 percent of your total body weight, which is up to about 16 pounds. If you find this weight is too heavy for you to throw easily, size down. Similarly, if the weight feels like it is too light, you can increase the weight until you max out at 16 lbs.
There are many bowling balls that hook well. Some examples are:
This differs from person to person based on the quality of the ball and how many times the person bowls. If you bowl regularly and your ball is used frequently, you may find yourself replacing a ball every 5 years.
