In bowling, the bowling ball is the single most important piece of equipment that you have. And it also represents the biggest chunk of investment that any bowler needs to make. When it comes to the best bowling ball there is no one brand or type, each player has to make the decision of which bowling ball is the best for them, though there is a guide on how to choose a bowling ball in the first place.
In this article, we will guide you on how to choose a bowling ball, and how you can make your chosen bowling ball the best bowling ball for your game. So let’s get right into it.
We will start with the major types of bowling balls, the bowling balls are divided into different types depending on their cover stock and core, in the scope of this article we will use cover stocks to define the different types of bowling balls and their benefits.
Plastic or Polyester
This is the most common type of cover stock in bowling balls. This is due to the lower price of these bowling balls. These bowling balls perform well with respect to power and traction. They are easy to control and thus perfect those who are learning the ropes of bowling.
Bowling balls with plastic or polyester cover stock are generally not preferred by professional players due to the low hooking potential of these balls. The professional players often keep plastic or polyester balls as spares due to their higher predictability.
In short, plastic or polyester bowling balls have the potential to act as the best bowling balls for beginners.
Urethane
Bowling balls with urethane cover stock are extremely popular among seasoned players. Such balls are extremely durable and rank the highest among cover stock materials. Urethane has the ability to protect the ball from all kinds of mechanical abrasions.
Urethane balls have an exceptional hooking potential, and as such, it is a common choice among intermediate and advanced players since hooking potential is what largely determines the success in bowling.
In short, Urethane balls act as the best bowling balls for proactive players.
Reactive Resin
Professional players who want to improve their game even further make Reactive Resin cover stock balls as their weapon of choice. The only drawback to these bowling balls and their high price.
Such bowling balls allow for immense control and provide the best hook potential. They also allow for an exceptionally high pin impact.
There are three types of Reactive Resins, each with its own perks:
- Receive Pearl
- Reactive Solid
- Reactive Hybrid
ProActive or Particle
ProActive or Particle cover stock balls are very uncommon. They are only used by expert bowlers. The main difference between ProActive bowling balls and others is that these balls have a rough surface instead of a traditional smooth surface. The rough surface allows for the maximum friction between the ball and the surface of the lane, thus enhancing the performance. These are not easy to control and take lots of practice to get used to.
This type of bowling ball is the best option for professional players only.