Bowling Ball Surface | What You Need To Know | Ten Pin Life

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There's so many resources to learn everything there is to know about bowling, but what do you NEED to know?

This week we are checking out what you need to know about the surface of your bowling balls

The most important component of your bowling ball is the external surface. In the modern game, balls come in a variety of different finishes, using different chemical concoctions all to modify how your bowling ball uses the rotational energy you impart of the ball.

The surface of your bowling ball will dictate most of how the ball uses the rotational energy or spin you put on it. So when we change surface or bowling balls, we modify how the ball uses that energy from the foul line to the pins.

All covers are on a basic spectrum. On one side, we have our strong, dull or sanded solid covers, and on the other side we have our weak, shiny or polished pearl covers. Every ball has a surface somewhere between these two points dictated by two different variables. The stronger the cover, the more it hook front to back, through oil and ultimately, the more evenly it will use its energy as it goes down the lane

Two variables that impact the location on this spectrum are the components that make up the surface of the ball, and the finish that is applied to the ball.

Solid bowling balls are typically made up of a chemical composition that leads to deeper ridges or a more aggressive tread. This allows the cover to dig through the oil applied to the lane and reach down through the pattern on the lane surface. Pearl bowling balls will tend to be made up of components that keep the ball's surface smoother. That smooth surface will cause the ball to glide in oil, and then be in greater contact with the lane when it exits the back of the pattern.

The other variable is the finish on the ball. Balls can be sanded and polished to create more or less grit on surface and create a more balanced and desirable reaction typically closer to the middle of the spectrum. Bowling ball grits are typically somewhere between 500 and 5000 grit with 500 being dull, and 5000 being polished.

What does that mean for ball motion. It's all in understanding rotational energy distribution.

Let's say when you rotate the ball off your hand, you apply 10 units of rotational energy. The stronger the ball, the more it will cut through the oil to grab the lane surface, start to use that energy to slow down and evenly change direction. This will create a more even and controllable reaction overall, with the caveat that if the ball encounters too much friction, it may hook too much too early or even use all of it's energy and 'burn up,' at which point the ball will roll end over end for the rest of it's path down the lane.

Weak coverstocks will use much less of their energy in the oiled portions of the lane, but when they get to the drier boards, these balls will grab the lane panel aggressively and use it's units of energy to change direction quickly.

The last and most important thing to know about surface, is knowing what works best for you with the balls in your arsenal. Most equipment is going to be somewhere on the middle of this spectrum, so the best thing you can do is experiment and find what makes the most sense to your eye. There's no rule that says you can't grab one of these abralon pads and sand one of your pearl balls or one that says you can't polish a solid. Box surfaces are merely a recommendation from the manufacturers, but you need to find what works best for you to have a variety of options that you trust in your bag.

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