Bowling Ball Arsenal

With the difficult shots so prevalent in college bowling, a bowler must be prepared for almost any condition. Thus, having a wide range of bowling balls is critical to one's success.

To be realistic, a bowler should have at least 6 different bowling balls to be prepared for a tournament. These balls should vary in their reaction to the lane. For instance, some balls have very strong coverstocks that enable them to create friction with the lane and hook a lot. Other balls must be a little less aggressive in case the bowler does not need as much hook to strike. Plastic balls create almost no friction with the lane and go straight. Bowlers will use plastic balls at spares because it takes the lane condition out of play; the bowler can just hit his or her mark and not worry about the ball hooking away from the pins.

Bowling ball surfaces can also be manipulated to give bowlers different looks. If one wanted to make a ball hook a little more, he or she could rub sandpaper on the ball to dull the surface; this would allow the ball to grab onto the lane sooner and hook. If the bowler wanted to create less hook, he or she could polish the bowling ball.

The concept of knowing when to use the right ball for the right condition will never be completely mastered; it can just become better over time with experience.