For a beginner, inexpensive bowling equipment should suffice. The use of house bowling balls comes with the price of a game. An alley rents bowling shoes for a nominal fee. As a bowler improves, though, she might find that buying her own, more expensive, equipment improves her shot making and footwork.
Bowling Shoes
A novice bowler can rent bowling shoes from an alley until he decides if he likes bowling. However, many people wear the alley shoes, so they usually are broken in and looser than ideal. If a bowler decides to take the game seriously, he should invest in a good pair of bowling shoes that will be tighter than alley shoes and provide more consistent feel and support.
Bowling Ball
Bowling alleys have racks of plastic bowling balls that a beginner bowler can use. It can take time to find one with the correct hole size, especially for the thumb, so it is not too loose or too tight. If the hole is too loose, the ball may drop; if it is too tight, the thumb cannot release properly, and friction might shred some skin from the sides of the thumb, causing a painful injury. Another consideration is the weight of the ball, which can weigh 6 to 16 pounds. A beginner should choose a ball that is neither too light nor too heavy--for example, 12 to 14 pounds. Alley balls do not hook very much, so after a bowler learns the fundamentals, she should invest in a good bowling ball. Urethane and resin balls grip the alley and can help a bowler hook the ball. Having your own ball with the correct size finger and thumb holes and with the proper weight saves time looking for a ball at the alley and helps consistency.
Rosin Bag
A rosin bag can help keep your fingers dry and your shoes from slipping. According to the website ebonite, applying rosin to the sole of the sliding shoe--the left shoe for right-handed bowlers--eliminates sticking approaches, especially in high-humidity areas. You can also tap rosin in the thumbhole of your bowling ball for a smooth release.
Wrist Support
A wrist support helps serious bowlers. According to the website stormbowling, a wrist support made of Neoprene, metal supports and Velcro straps fits over the bowling hand, keeping the wrist in a fixed position, which helps produce consistent ball release.
Bowling Bag
If a bowler decides to invest in a good ball and shoes, then she also needs to buy a bowling bag to hold them. She can choose from lots of inexpensive, lightweight bags. These bags have separate compartments for the ball, shoes, a towel, etc.
Bowling Towel
During a bowling game, oil from an alley can transfer to your bowling ball, causing it to skid with a loss of control. You use a bowling towel to remove the oil from the ball as often as needed. When you are trying to convert a 7 or 10 pin spare, you do not want your ball to skid and end up in the gutter.
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