Whether you are bowling for the fun of the game or if you plan on becoming a professional, having your very own bowling ball will always give you the edge over the house ball players. House bowling balls have been created for the masses and it is extremely hard to find the perfect ball for your style, thus you will need to compromise and settle for the closest alternative.
Top Bowling Ball Comparison Charts
Bowling Ball Buying Guide
Personalized bowling balls also have a lot of friction that will come in handy and this friction will make a huge difference when it comes to hook potential. Better hook potential will also ensure that the ball hits the pins much harder, thus causing more ricochet and improving your chances of hitting a strike.
But with many people still choosing the house balls when they are bowling regularly, we have decided to find the most affordable and highest rated bowling balls that you can buy to really improve your game if you are a regular player.
Before we dive into the top bowling balls, there are a few things that you need to know so that you can make the right choice when it comes to your bowling ball. Some of these features like the construction and the finish might be expensive, but even a customized plastic ball will fit you much better than the standard house balls.
What is the hook potential?
Much like the thread on tires of a car, the hook potential is very similar and also refers to the amount of friction caused by the resin on the ball. A plastic ball will have much less friction because there is a lack of resin to influence the friction, while urethane balls are much more expensive, but the friction will impact the speed and the hook, thus giving you a cleaner shot and more chance of getting a strike on every shot.
But that hook potential is not the only thing that you need to take into account and there are multiple other factors as well. Let’s have a look at what these added features are that could possibly improve your bowling game.
Key features to take note of in the best bowling balls:
We know that the price will largely impact your decision and we also know that including all of these features in your ball will make it very expensive, therefore, we recommend that you take the features and combine a few of them to bring down the price, but still improve your game and maybe someday, you might become sponsored.
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Weight
The weight of the ball is really important and the heaviest ball might not always be the best ball. Since you will be throwing an average of 23 balls per game, your arm might become tired and affect your game. The general rule is to throw 1 pound for every 10 pounds that you weight. This means that a 150-pound bowler should look in the range of 15 or 16 pounds. Strength does become the exception.
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Grip
If the grip is too tight or too loose, you might need to waste extra energy moving the ball or even adding power to the release. Having the right grip can ensure a smoother throwing action and definitely improve your release of the ball.
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Construction
The construction does affect the durability and the price, but it also affects the hook potential with the plastic ball not having an added resin finish to improve the friction and might even cause the ball to skid more on the surface. Urethane balls have a resin coating which creates friction and will increase the hook potential.
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Finish
The finish ultimately refers to the resin that is or is not on the ball to allow it to cause friction and this is important when you plan on playing at a professional level. With better friction, you will have a better hook zone and the pins will be hit even harder to improve your opportunity to get a strike.
With these four features and the correct knowledge of the hook potential, you should easily be able to improve your abilities and even win over your friends when they are playing with the standard house ball. Just make sure that your ball perfectly matches your style and you can pick up an affordable ball that wins you games.
“Let’s Get Educated” Feature
WHAT is Skid-Flip and How Can I Do It?
Skid-Flip refers to the ball’s quality of skidding or spinning (in the direction of your wrist rotation) for most of its travel distance down the lane (about 75% or more) and then make a sharp “flip” or cut to the pocket (pins). It’s also referred to as a very long skid pattern.
To do it well, you’ll need to consider the coverstock or exterior of the ball, and choose one that will enhance that ability. Lane conditions are important too. A long skid pattern is usually learned and developed using a ball with a pearl or shiny coverstock. The shiny surface will allow the ball to skid or spin early in the throw (front end) but a matt finish ball won’t. If you throw with your right hand and try to skid-flip the ball, it’ll skid right off the left side of the lane before it reaches the halfway point. The lane condition that’s best for skid-flip is dry and smooth.
Now it can become a little more complicated! One of the qualities you can choose in a ball is the core’s RG rating (Radius of Gyration). A Ball with a high RG is a ball that tends to skid a long distance and develops a consistant and strong rolling or skidding pattern while conserving energy. Then, at the “break point” it hooks quickly in the direction of the spin (therefore it stops skidding or rolling and it catches the surface). Dry lane conditions cause balls to hook sooner rather than later, so the idea is to use a ball with a low surface friction quality which can travel the greatest distance before reaching the break point and starting its “hook” to the pocket. That means you should get a ball with high RG. That means the ball won’t hook or react on the front end of the lane, but instead, it will hook near the back or end of the lane near the pins.
The next issue is the “differential of RG” or “differential”. A ball with a high Differential will cause the ball to hook very sharply at the break point. Sometimes you’ll hear the term “high hook potential” referring to this quality.
Whew! Lots to remember, and learn. But that’s the fun part! Happy learning!
Best Bowling Ball Reviews
1. Ebonite Maxim Bowling Ball
Coverstock: polyester
The Ebonite Maxim bowling ball is one of the most affordable balls on the list and it features a three-piece core construction. The ball does not have much in terms of friction, but the polyester finish does make the ball a little more durable.
This bowling ball should definitely be one for beginners and entry-level players and it is available in a multitude of colors and styles for you to choose from. The ball does travel quite straight and this need to be taken into account before you buy the ball as accuracy will play a huge part in having success with this bowling ball.
Furthermore, there are different weights for you to choose from and to ensure that the ball is the perfect weight for your style. Since the ball is really affordable, we definitely recommend it for beginner players or even recreational players to help you gain that edge over your opponents with their house balls.
Pros:
- Really affordable
- Durable finish
- Great for beginners
- Stylish design
Cons:
- Does not provide any hook
2. Brunswick TZone Pink Bliss Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Polyester
The Brunswick Tzone Pink bliss bowling ball is one of the top bowling balls used by players to clean up those stray pins on the second shot. Since the ball is made from plastic and features a polyester finish, the ball does have some friction to cause a hook. The hook is not that much and thus the ball is great to train with for improving accuracy and for beginners who are not accustomed to the hook on bowling balls.
The balls do not absorb any of the oil on the lane, thus meaning that it does not need to be cleaned after every throw and also making it one of the preferred balls to be thrown by children. The ball is also available in different weights for you to choose from to get that perfect ball.
Furthermore, since urethane has been used on the ball, it does have some hooking potential, but not that much, since the friction that is created is very little. We highly recommend this ball for beginners and for pros to help pick up those spares and even for improving accuracy while training. The ball is also really affordable and will be one of the cheapest additions to your bowling kit.
Pros:
- Really affordable
- Great for children
- Low hook potential
- Stylish design
Cons:
- Requires good accuracy
3. Brunswick Tenacity Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Ultra-Responsive
The Tenacity is one unique ball for sure, and its “ultra-high” price point bears witness that fact! It’s the latest in Brunswick’s Skid/Flip line (which means it skids with a back spin or side spin for most of its lane travel, and then depending on the amount of skid, it STOPS skidding and curves sharply in the direction of the spin.
It features UR cover stock Ultra Responsive) and its outer core is Dynamacore (the blue stuff). The inner core is low RG/High differential and high intermediate differential. It is easily the fastest response ball put out by Brunswick in its entire history. It weighs 15 pounds and 3 ounces with a top weight of 2.9 oz.
This balls makes a unique sound when hitting pins and it crashes them “harder” than other balls. It’s hitting action has been described as “beastly”
Pros:
- Stylishly designed
- Great for intermediate players
- Creates more friction
- Good for learning the curve
Cons:
- Holes will need to be drilled by your local pro shop at an added cost
4. Columbia 300 White Dot – Scarlet Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Polyester
The White Dot bowling ball is one of the uniquely designed bowling balls on our list and it is also perfect for beginners to start out with. The ball features the traditional pancake core included, thus making it timeless and ensuring that it could be used in almost all situations. If you are not willing to spend a fortune, this bowling ball will be greater for you as a casual player and you can have it customized to give you an advantage over the house balls.
The ball does not feature much of a hook, but the pancake core does tend to let the ball slow up in the rate at which it is spinning, this slowing of tempo does significantly increase the ability of the ball to hook in the later stages of the lane and thus leaving it in prime position for an angled hit. This will also improve your performance significantly compared to many of the house balls, which tend to continue traveling straight.
We highly recommend this ball for beginners to help encourage them to learn some of the later hooks, while still improving their overall accuracy. The timeless pancake core design does really help to give you value and you will definitely be using this ball for an extremely long period of time. Casual players should get the best value for their money with this bowling ball.
Pros:
- Really affordable
- Great for casual players
- Does give better accuracy
- Timeless core design
Cons:
- Holes must be drilled professionally
5. Pyramid Path Rising Pearl Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Reactive pearl
The pyramid path rising pearl bowling ball has been constructed with a symmetric core and since it has been evenly balanced, you will have even more spin and speed rolling down the lane to ensure that when you hit the pins that you could possibly hit a few with a ricochet. The 1500 finish on the ball will add to the spin and the ball will soak up even less of the oil on the surface, thus meaning that it will not need to be cleaned all that often.
The ball also features customized drilling points since the core is symmetric, thus allowing you to decide on if you would like to have more of a hook and you can even improve the backend swing of the ball to make it more comfortable and suited to your style. The ball also features 5 stunning designs for you to choose from and will allow you to get the best matched set for your style.
This ball is highly recommended for more of the advanced players and we believe that advanced player will be much more capable of taking advantage of all of these features to ensure that they have an improved playing performance. This ball is also really effective on drier lanes and the increased speed will allow you to be more accurate with less hook potential.
Pros:
- Stylish design
- Fully customizable drilling points
- Better rolling speeds
- Improved backend
Cons:
- Quite expensive
6. Hammer Black Widow Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Gold
The Hammer Black Widow bowling ball has definitely been designed for more advanced players, but beginners could also use this ball to get used to some of the better balls on the market. The Gold coverstock is great for playing in medium to heavy oily lanes and will help with those tough splits. The ball does require you to be familiar with the hook technique in order to make full use of it.
With more friction, the oil will not slide the ball away easily and you would be able to get that perfect arch required for knocking down all the pins in one go. The gas mask core design in the core does literally resemble a gas mask and this will allow you to have a better build-up of power and get a more powerful backend movement, which in return will also increase your speed, but luckily the friction will compensate for this.
This ball is highly recommended for powerful players and will increase the speed on the lane significantly, but professional players will know how to use this in a heavy oil lane and throw the ball at a perfect angle to take advantage of the hook. We highly recommend this ball for more advanced players or intermediate players, who are familiar with the hook technique.
Pros:
- Designed for pro players
- Offers good hook potential
- Gold coverstock has maximum angular core and coverstock to give best backend action
- Will create a powerful backend movement
Cons:
- Really expensive
7. Brunswick Rhino Bowling Ball
Coverstock: Gear will-16 reactive
The Brunswick Rhino bowling ball is one of the most effective learning balls for players just getting into the hook potential, but who do not fully understand the technique yet. The ball creates a lot of friction on oily surfaces and will definitely give you a low hook to start off with, while still allowing you to have good rolling potential.
The light bulb core is almost quite similar to the symmetric core and will give you the benefit of having holes drilled in places that will help to improve the overall backend of the ball. Once this has been improving, you will have a much more powerful swing that will give you better speeds, but the added friction it creates will still allow you to have that low hook on medium oily surfaces. The ball might not be perfect for the heavy oil lanes and you might have to hold off on them for the time being while you hone your skills.
We definitely recommend this ball to beginners to test out the hook technique, but still having the opportunity to rely on their older techniques. We believe that since the ball is also really affordable, it will be great for the more advanced casual player and your friends will definitely not stand a chance with the standard house balls.
Pros:
- Creates good friction
- Low hook potential
- Great for intermediate players
- Really affordable
Cons:
- Holes must be drilled professionally
Thoughts & Recommendations
With many more bowling balls currently available on the market, these are the ones that we consider to be the best and we believe that you will get the best use out of them. It will still be crucial for you to learn the correct techniques and we recommend learning the hook technique to have better perfection on the bowling lane.
Some professionals even have multiple balls with different compositions for multiple situations and we think that you will need to look into that if your plan is to go to the top.
We would like to thank you for reading this article and we hope that you have a better understanding of bowling balls and how to choose the best one for your needs. We would also like some of the pro players to comment and let us know what you think of the list and if we might have missed any.
