Are you a big fan of Bowling? Did it ever come across your mind to break open a bowling ball? Is your mind curious enough to know what are bowling balls made of? I have some news for you; you have come to the right place. My guide will provide all the solutions to your questions.
Not only that, but I will also give you some tips on how to choose a Bowling ball. If you are interested to know how much it will cost you to buy one, a section of this guide is also going to talk about that. Lets us get started and wait no longer.
What is Inside a Bowling Ball?
The first thing you should know is that not all bowling balls are made with the same materials. For beginners, and professionals, the materials and the method of construction used to differ.
When the first bowling balls were made, they were made of plastic. Soon the material changed to Urethane because bowlers wanted the ball to spin more. A few decades after urethane became widespread, players were looking for balls that can spin and hook more than Urethane.
This is where Reactive Resin came into being, but Urethane was still being used as the primary material of manufacture. Manufacturers just added Reactive Resin to the Urethane.
The result was that they spun and hooked more than before.
Plastic balls
- Plastic made bowling balls are fit for beginners and novices of the sport.
- You will not be able to use the spin technique if you use this type of ball.
- It is more suitable for those people who like to shoot in a straight line rather than sue any curving or spin.
- For your information, rubber was the preferred method used to make bowling balls before plastic was used.
Urethane balls
- As soon as your level increases from novice to mid-level, you should start thinking about changing your ball.
- In that case, a bowling ball made of Urethane is your best bet.
- The special feature of these balls is that they have more friction in them.
- When there is more friction, the ball will spin and throw or hook more.
Reactive Resin Bowling Ball
- Most professional bowlers use balls made up of Urethane and Reactive resin.
- Very effective if there is a lot of oil on the lanes of the Bowling field.
- If you cut open a bowling ball, you will be able to see a weird-looking object called a “weight block” inside it. It helps the bowling ball (especially the quality bowling ball for the hook) to maintain its strength as it is moving down the lane. Energy is transferred from the ball to the pins when it is required.
- There is a lot of details to talk about how the balls are manufactured. I will not go into details because I do not want to bore you with theory. But still, here is they are manufactured in a nutshell. You can skip this part if you are not interested to know about it.
- A computer is used to design the mold which is developed into a core shape. Once it is hardened, the hardcore is removed.
- The solid core is placed into another mold which has the appearance of a sphere. There is a pin that holds the core in the correct position.
- The material used as coverstock is put into the mold and allowed to become solid again.
- Once the ball is removed from, A hole will be created where the holding pin was before. A dowel made of plastic is inserted into the hole and combined together.
- The final size of the ball is determined by shaving off the coverstock to make it look like a bowling ball.
- You can guess the final step, i.e the ball is packed and sent to the distributors for sale to the customers.
Some Tips on How to Choose a Bowling Ball
If you are reading this part, then I am assuming that you are not a professional player in bowling. Here are my suggestions on how to choose a bowling ball the right way.
- If it can spin or hook more, go for it. It can win a lot of games for you!
- The weight and also the price of the bowling ball is an important factor. If it is too heavy then you will have difficulties during controlling it. You will also have to look at your budget.
- We recommend that you use a bowling ball which weighs at least 15 pounds. For women, it is around 14 pounds.
- The coverstock can be made of plastic/Reactive resin/Urethane. It is very important depending on the condition of the lane.
- A lot also depends on the condition of the lane of your bowling arena. A stiff coverstock is recommended for the lane which has little oil. For a lane which is very slippery or oily, the coverstock should be as hard as possible.
- Whatever bowling Ball you choose, straight bowling balls, or the other ones, make sure that you perform the way you want to do. There should not be any compromise when it comes to performance or quality.
- Many beginners in bowling are often confused with whether the ball will fit in their hands. You will have to practice using the ball more to overcome this confusion.
- If you are still uncomfortable, go to your nearest sports store and buy a pre-drilled bowling ball. It will cost you some money to do so.
How Much Does a Bowling Ball Cost?
You are now all set to buy the bowling ball of your choice. When you are looking at your pocket, you are not too sure about how much are bowling balls worth. If that is the case, relax. The price of bowling balls varies a lot, depending on the construction material USED IN IT.
A budget between $40 to $100
• You will find only a plastic-made bowling ball at this price. They are not made for a hook or spin shots.
A budget of $150-$250
This will be your sword against your competitors! That’s right, if you want to be a champion, make sure that you keep the budget mentioned in your pocket.
It will give you enough power to make those curvy and spinning shots like Earl Anthony. Your competitors will be impressed when you make the pins fall in one stroke!
Between $75-$150
They are in the middle of the best and not so good balls. They will give you both hook and spin potential but they will not be as good as the balls which have reactive resin in them. If you are an occasional player who wants to enjoy the games with your friends and family, you can pick this one.
It is always the best choice to buy from Amazon.com. You can also look for one in your nearest sports store.
Let’s watch a video Review
Conclusion
If you want my opinion, it is not very difficult to pick the right bowling ball. Since I have already talked about the budget and what you will get with it, I can guarantee you that you will not be making the wrong choice. Perhaps you are destined to be the next Earl Anthony after reading my guide.
Good luck with your purchase and try not to bargain if you are buying from a store.
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