What Are Bowling Balls Made Of?
There are many types of bowling balls on the market today.
Each of them are made of unique materials and designed to
produce different types of performance. Understanding what
bowling balls are made of, can help you match the best bal
for your style and level of play.
Plastic (polyester)
The type ball that most recreational bowlers will recognize
is the polyester bowling ball, which is commonly referred
to as a "plastic" bowling ball. Polyester bowling
balls have been available since the 1960s. They generally
have a lower cost compared to the other types of bowling balls.
They are very durable, which is why they are used as "house"
balls on the racks of most bowling alleys. The durability
comes from the hard, low friction nature of the polyester
cover. This low friction nature causes the "plastic"
ball to skid more and maintain a straighter trajectory. "Plastic"
balls are primarily used by beginning bowlers; however, many
experienced and professional bowlers use them for spare shots
and for very dry lane conditions.
Urethane
In the late 1970s, bowling manufacturers experimented with
coverstocks softer than polyester in order to create more
"hook" potential. The result of these experiments
was a polyurethane coverstock, or urethane for short. Urethane
has a higher friction surface than polyester which allows
the ball to grab the surface better so it will hook more.
Urethane bowling balls can be easily sanded or polished to
control its hook potential. Urethane is the preferred coverstock
for beginning hook bowlers. It is also the ball of choice
for many experienced bowlers when bowling on very dry lanes.
Reactive Resin
In the early 1990s, ball manufacturer started adding resin
particles to their urethane coverstocks. The resin made the
ball tackier than plain urethane which increased its hook
potential. A side effect of the resin is that it makes the
ball hydroplane on the oil more than plain urethane. The combination
of the increased skid on oil and stronger hooking ability
on dry boards gives the resin ball a bigger backend reaction
for more striking power than prior ball types. Reactive resin
is the primary coverstock for most experienced bowlers on
most lane conditions.
Particle
Experienced bowlers preferred the smooth reaction and controllability
of urethane, but they could not refuse the power provided
by reactive resin balls. The ball manufacturers response to
this situation was to add textured particles such as ceramics
and glass to the resin enhanced polyurethane balls. The added
texture gave the ball more grip in the oil for a smooth, controllable
hook style, while maintaining the powerful backend of reactive
resin. The hook potential for most particle bowling balls
is higher than all of the other types of coverstocks. This
extremely high hook potential means that most particle balls
are for use on oily lane conditions only. However, ball makers
are constantly tinkering with the quantity and size of the
particles used, so particle balls are becoming more versatile
across many types of lane conditioning.
Now when it comes to deciding which bowling ball is best suited
for you, it may not be the latest and greatest technological
wonder. Ultimately, it comes down to your style and skill
that will determine which bowling ball is best and how well
you bowl. The bowling ball is only the tool that you use to
release that skill. Here's to your bowling success.
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