The Insides of Professional Bowling Balls Explained

[TheBlackAdder]

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No matter how hard you try to spin the house balls at your local bowling joint, they rarely curve. That’s because they are simple spheres built for durability, not fancy moves. But a small handful of companies—among them Storm Bowling—create gear that is surprisingly complex inside. Precisely shaped, meticulously balanced weight blocks leverage the laws of physics to help skilled alley jockeys throw a strike on most rolls. This clever engineering allows the projectiles to hook inward as they approach the end of the 60-foot lane, where the invisible oil slick on the boards thins. The spin an expert gives the globe (as fast as 600 rpm) will find purchase there as the friction increases, putting the orb right next to the headpin. Here’s a look at what’s going on under the surface.


https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/bowling-ball-insides-photos

I used to have a Columbia U-Dot 300. That's old school now.

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[mr_lebowski]

1. They allow these in pro tournaments? Everyone just gets whatever ball they like best?

I would have guessed it works like all the other major sports where the ball is standardized, but ...

[TheBlackAdder]

2. It's sort of like golf ⛳ where they all have different sponsors. Back in 1985, my ball cost $300.

[Harker]

4. Wow. You had a $300

golf ball?

[jmowreader]

3. There are a lot of standards a bowling ball must meet

The balls that meet standards appear on the Professional Bowlers Association and Professional Women's Bowlers Association Registered Product Lists. and you can pick any of those balls you like.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I had no idea; I just assumed they were solid lumps

of whatever it is they're made of. But then, I've only ever been bowling once in my life so I don't know a thing about it.