What Are Bowling Balls Made Of?

Ever wondered what bowling balls are made of? These heavy balls used for sport or for a fun competitive round with friends has a long history. If you’ve ever held one in your hands and wondered what’s inside, look no further than this blog for the answer!

History of Bowling Balls

There have been traces of bowling since the time of the ancient Egyptians. As you can probably imagine, a lot can and has changed with this sport since it was first played. The evolution of the bowling ball and its design is a dramatic change throughout history.

In the past, most bowling balls were made from a very hard wood called Lignum vitae before new design and material was introduced. By the early 1900s, rubber was incorporated into its build with balls like the Everture and later the Brunswick Corporation’s Mineralite all using a hard rubber. This kind of material saturated the market all up until the 1970s before newer materials were introduced.

Polyester balls emerged after rubber bowling balls and soon after, urethane bowling balls (the kind we are familiar with today) took hold of the market. With this new material also come significant design changes that incorporated new coverstock and made modifications on the ball cores, altering the overall balance of bowling balls.

Bowling Balls Today

Nowadays, bowling balls have come a long way from the stones of the past. They are designed with computers and have carefully crafted and balanced cores that influence how the ball travels down the bowling lane.

While the exact materials for each part of the ball are closely guarded secrets, the innermost core is usually made of powdered metal oxides mixed with resin. This goes to become the heaviest portion of the ball and has the most impact on the rotation down the lane. The core shape varies depending on the ball and can be lightbulb shaped, spherical, elliptical, or a combination of these shapes.

Once the core is created, it’s placed inside a mold that serves as the coverstock before material is poured into the mold to harden around the core. This aspect of the design can vary depending on how thick of a coverstock is needed.

Although bowling balls have changed drastically since they were first created, who knows what sort of innovative designs and technologies will be employed when creating new ones. Either way, these balls make the game a great experience!

If you are looking for the perfect bowling alley, come check out the fun we offer at Stars & Strikes. We welcome bowlers of all levels. We also offer several exciting activities that will bring everyone together like axe throwing, laser tag, arcade games, and more! Get in touch with the location nearest you.