SSESSION THREE – THE BALL
The Ball
Consistency and repetition are the mainstays in bowling. Repeating a successful throw over and over again is the measure of a bowler’s average. At the root of bowling success, and what assists the bowler in consistency is the arm swing and the key to a consistent arm swing is keeping tension out of the picture. A relaxed arm swing is the easiest to repeat and, therefor, the most consistent.
But the swing itself is not the only element involved when a bowler propels the ball in the direction of the pins at the foul line. A properly fitting ball and an appropriate grip also impact consistency in the arm swing. Trying to hold on to a loose fitting ball or simply gripping a ball to tightly causes tension in the arm. A proper fitting ball and a a grip that applies minimal pressure during the swing all help in executing a relaxed arm swing.
Outside elements also contribute to the relaxed arm swing. These include a properly weighted ball for the individual bowler, the quality of the ball and the proper maintenance of the ball by the bowler to keep the ball performing to its highest potential at all times.
For a custom fit to your particular situation, purchasing your own ball is the best choice. A pro shop can advise you on the weight of ball best suited to your particular circumstances and will ensure the ball is drilled to properly fit your hand. The pro shop is also the best place to get advice on the kind of coverstock (the ball’s cover) and other technologies that make up the performance potential of the ball. These include drilling patterns and different types of weight blocks. As you advance as a bowler, you may want to do your own research on coverstocks and weight blocks but, initially, the prop shop is the place to start.
There are three types of bowling balls differentiated by the outer cover, called the coverstock. The type of coverstock determines how much friction is produced once the ball hits the dry portion of the lane. The more friction produced the more the ball will hook. At their most basic, the three types of bowling balls, in order of the amount of friction they produce, are plastic, urethane and reactive resin. The reactive restn balls are further broken down into solid, pearl and hybrid coverstocks.
The plastic balls have little to no hooking potential. Plastic bowling balls may be the best option for beginners and kids. Many bowlers also use plastic ball for spare shots in order to keep their spare shot at its most basic by removing any uncertainty of the hook.
Bowling balls made of urethane have better hooking ability than the plastic bowling balls. The more hooking potential is due to more pores in the finished product which leads to increased friction and an increased hooking ability.
The reactive resin bowling balls have an even higher number of pores in them and so a greater amount of friction is produced on the lane. This greater friction leads to stronger and more hook potential. With the right amount of rotation provided by the bowler, the ball will spin its way down the lane and hook towards the pins when the ball meets a dry surface on the lane. A solid coverstock bowling ball will begin its hooking process immediately it hits the lane and uses up a lot of energy as it completes a smooth arc s they hook. A solid cover stock can be identified by its plain, dull or matte finish.
The pearlised coverstock is so called because of the pearl additive used in its manufacture. A pearl ised cover stock can be identified by the many swirls it has and the shinier finish. The pearl bowling ball will skid before it takes up its hooking motion resulting in a conservation of energy for later down the lane when dry conditions are met and and a bigger arc towards the pins is produced.
The hybrid coverstock is a combination of the urethane and pearlised coverstocks having some characteristics of both. It does not hook as early as the urethane balls and does not create the bigger arc of the pearlised balls.
The final thing to cover in this high level introspective of the bowling ball is the core. The core of a bowling ball is the steering wheel that helps determine when and how aggressively a ball will turn. It is in a specific shape and distributes the weight differently throughout the ball.
There are two types of bowling-ball cores. Symmetrical and Asymmetrical. A symmetrical core is the same all the way around one axis, while the asymmetrical core has a greater distribution of weight in one spot than another. Neither core type is necessarily better than the other. Using one over the other can be a matter of preference or designed for a specific purpose.
To keep your bowling ball hooking as you expect, it is necessary to maintain it on a regular basis. As you bowl, oil and dirt from the lanes are absorbed into the coverstock which will lead to under performance of your ball over time. Taking care of your bowling ball will prolong its life and maintain its hooking potential.
You will see professional bowlers wipe their bowling ball down after each shot. This is an important and necessary step to good maintenance of your bowling balls. Get into the habit of wiping the bowling ball with a microfiber towel after each shot to remove any oil build-up. After practice or a league night, before putting your ball back in your bag, give it a proper wipe down with a good ball cleaner to prevent the oil from soaking into the ball. Even with this close attention, it is inevitable that oil seeps into the pores of the ball and a deep cleaning at the pro-shop is necessary once or twice a year, depending on how much bowling you do. The pro-shop will use heat generating equipment to extract the oil from inside the coverstock.