Bowling alleys provide balls for recreational use so beginners may bowl for the low cost of renting a lane and bowling shoes. Unfortunately, balls provided by bowling alleys are usually of low quality and don’t provide the best fit for your hand. Experienced bowlers invest in bowling balls of higher quality, which provide a custom fit for their hand and better ball performance on the bowling lane. Bowlers strive for an accurate “hook,” which is a bowling throw that causes the ball to curve into the bowling pins. Since oil is sometimes spread on bowling lanes, bowling balls are engineered to provide accurate hook trajectory on varying amounts of oil. There are four basic types of bowling balls, categorized by the materials used to cover the ball.
Plastic
Plastic or polyester bowling balls are the most commonly used bowling ball due to their low cost and durability. They can be used for dry or oily bowling lanes. They have a straight trajectory and almost no hook potential.
Urethane
Urethane or polyurethane bowling balls are more expensive than plastic balls and are usually used by bowlers first learning to throw hooking balls. Urethane balls have a high friction cover that allows for more hook potential when throwing the ball. More experienced bowlers use urethane balls for dry lanes.
Reactive Resin
Reactive resin bowling balls are more expensive than urethane balls and are a popular choice for experienced bowlers. Resin particles are added to a urethane cover on the ball to increase hook potential. Reactive resin balls can be used on dry or oily bowling lanes.
Particle
Particle bowling balls are the most expensive of the four types of balls and tend to be used by experienced bowlers on oily bowling lanes. Textured particles of ceramic or glass are added to the reactive resin ball cover to have more grip on an oily bowling lane.
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