What Are Bowling Balls Made Of: Materials, Types and Process - Best Bowling Balls For Hook (2024)

So what are bowling balls made of? If you’re a bowling enthusiast, you may have wondered what the materials are that allow us to play our favorite sport. Not only does it take skill and precision to bowl a strike or spare, but much of the game is dependent on the right combination of materials used in making the balls we use.

Whether you’re asking as a casual bowler looking for general information, or an avid die-hard challenging your own understanding of bowling ball mechanics – this blog post of Best Bowling Ball For Hook is here to help shed some light onto what bowling balls are really made of.

Read on and learn more about this mysterious piece of equipment and all its components! Keep on reading for what are bowling balls made of.

How Are Bowling Balls Made?

For almost two centuries, bowling balls featured a three-layer structure that provided optimal performance during gameplay. The process began by filling the mold with dense material before adding in less dense material to form an inner layer and finishing off with one inch of poured outer coating.

For over three decades, Faball Inc. has taken the bowling ball industry by storm with their revolutionary two-layer design. How do they accomplish this feat? Let’s explore how and what are bowling balls made of:

• Construct the core: Much like its predecessors, a bowling ball is constructed by first forming a core and then encasing it with an additional material to make the spherical shape.
• Make the shell: Once released from the sphere-shaped core mold, it is set into a coverstock form and fixed with a pin to make sure its location remains secure. Subsequently, additional coverstock material envelops the orb for full encasem*nt.
• Fill in the gaps: After being taken off the coverstock molds, a noticeable hole is visible from where the pin was. To fix this issue, a plastic dowel plugs in to fill up that space and then material is used to complete the imprint.
• Finish: To craft the ideal bowling ball, a series of steps must be taken, such as shaving, resurfacing, sanding and polishing. These activities ensure that the ball is appropriate for its intended use.

What are Bowling Balls Made Of?

Though the process of making bowling balls has changed over time, what are bowling balls made of today is still largely done with dense materials. All in all, bowling balls are available with three distinct coverstock materials – polyester, urethane, and an innovative type of reactive urethane known as resin.

If you’re on a budget, polyester is your best bet since its hook ability isn’t affected by the oils in the lane. Urethane has more hook potential than polyester and requires less maintenance – sitting at a moderate price point. But if money is no object, resin reigns supreme due to its superior durability and powerful hooking power.

Here’s what goes into creating your go-to device – what are bowling balls made of:

• Core material: The cores of bowling balls are typically created from urethane or reactive resin. Urethane offers less hook potential and is typically found in entry-level bowling balls. Reactive resin is what you’ll find in top-quality bowling balls as it offers more hook potential and a longer life span.
• Coverstock material: Coverstocks are what give your ball the “grabbing” or “hooking” power, and the materials used to make them vary. Polyester, Urethane, and Reactive Resin are the most common materials used in coverstocks.
• Finishing material: The finishing of bowling balls involves a combination of shaving, resurfacing, sanding, and polishing techniques to achieve that perfect look and feel.

Types of Coverstock for Bowling Balls

When you bowl, the amount of hook potential created by a ball is due to its coverstock and the friction it creates with the lane surface. The more friction between your bowling ball and the lane, then greater chance for a successful hook shot. It all comes down to finding that perfect balance in type of coverstock!

Keep on reading for knowing about what are bowling balls made of when it comes to their coverstock. Bowling balls are constructed using four specialized coverstocks that include:

1. Plastic
2. Particle (Proactive)
3. Urethane
4. Reactive Resin

Plastic

Thanks to its slick surface, plastic bowling balls (a popular material of what are bowling balls made out of) have a low hook potential and reduced friction that makes them perfect for novice bowlers looking for their ideal ball. Even more experienced players might find them useful for spares or practice sessions.

Particle (Proactive)

Expert players commonly utilize particle or proactive coverstock balls to generate high levels of friction. With their bumpy and rough surfaces, a proactive coverstock ball is akin to ‘snow tires with chains,’ as it can manage even heavily oiled lanes with ease. Without a doubt, this type of bowling ball should be highly recommended for all advanced players!

Urethane

Urethane bowling balls are an outstanding upgrade from the standard plastic coverstock, as they possess a higher hook potential than plastic but still less than resin or particle-covered balls.

They offer more friction that provides better pin action and allows for increased durability. If you’re looking to take your game up a notch, urethane is definitely the way to go!

Reactive resin

Reactive resin coverstock offers superior traction, hook potential and pin action when compared to plastic or urethane balls – the answer for what are bowling balls made out of. The downside of this type of coverstock is that it does not last long due to its high friction level – making it more suitable for experienced bowlers who are aware of how the conditions on the lane affect their ball’s motion.

However, reactive resin provides plenty in return with excellent lane reaction and powerful hooking activity – an ideal choice for any professional bowler looking to maximize their performance!

What is Inside of A Bowling Ball?

To start, the center of a bowling ball is crafted by fusing heavy substances like bismuth graphite and resin to create an exceedingly dense type of plastic. Alternatively, it may also be formed from ceramic material.

Besides what are bowling balls made out of, are you aware that bowling balls come in various shapes and sizes? Let’s explore the three main types of bowling ball cores:

1. Pancake cores
2. Symmetrical cores
3. Asymmetrical cores

Pancake cores

Pancakes true to their name look exactly like what they’re called: pancakes. Pancake cores are commonly found in most urethane and reactive resin balls, sitting on one side of the ball with a sole purpose- to balance out all the mass lost from holes drilled into it.

This type of core is vastly chosen by players because its reliable nature has been tested through time and offers them security when using it for their own bowling needs.

Cores with asymmetry

In the middle, there is a large gap between symmetrical and asymmetrical centers. They can have non-standard shapes like cylinders or semicircles to create more resistance to motion than their symmetrical counterparts.

However, finger hole development can generate an imbalance and rapidly diminish the quality of these cores.

Symmetrical cores

Boasting a greater degree of finger-hole formations and potential hooking power, symmetrical cores mark the evolution away from pancake core designs.

These large cores differ in that they have a lower intermediate differential which makes them well suited for improved ball performance. Makers can meet their needs more easily with this type of core than ever before!

Specifications of A Standard Bowling Ball

This is the last part for what are bowling balls made of. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has made it mandatory for any manufacturer to be approved by them before producing and distributing bowling balls. This is an indispensable requirement that should not be overlooked when purchasing or making a bowling ball, as these specifications are essential for optimal performance.

The United States Bowling Congress has several outlined specifications, including:

• When constructing a bowling ball, only solid material should be used; it cannot contain any liquid or have an empty center.
• The coverstock must be evenly spread over the entirety of the surface.
• Altering it to increase its weight or creating friction patterns is strictly disallowed and no chemical compounds can be applied either.
• If sand is employed for polishing purposes, then it has to encompass every part of the exterior with no other foreign elements added at all.
• The ball should not weigh more than 16 pounds and must have a diameter of 8.5 to 8.59 if it is greater than 13lbs in weight.
• Furthermore, the circumference would be between 26.7 and 27002 while roundness can only differ by 0.01 tolerance at most with an RG differential of no higher than 0.06 overall.
• There may be five finger holes but their diameters cannot exceed 1¼ cm in total or else they are invalidated for use during competition play.
• When drilling a vent, its diameter must not exceed ¼ of its size. You can easily customize the bowling ball to your liking as long as you don’t obscure the coverstock material on the surface.
• Additionally, plugs are permitted for any potential re-drilling needs that may arise with this process!

That’s all for what are bowling balls made of. Let’s wrap up by a quick FAQs below.

FAQs

Why are the bowling balls so heavy?

Adding weight to the bowling ball will make your downswing and release point more even. If a bowler lightens their ball, they may struggle with timing or an increasingly steep swing. To restore control within those parameters, returning to a heavier bowl can help you slow things down in order to achieve success at the lanes.

Are bowling balls made of rocks?

When it comes to constructing a bowling ball, manufacturers typically utilize three kinds of material: polyester or plastic-based balls; urethane; and reactive resin.

Can bowling balls be broken?

The extreme temperatures of searing heat and freezing cold can cause cracks in a bowling ball. Additionally, phasing is an interesting chemical process that causes the ball to slowly transition from its frosty state into room temperature by changing colors gradually.

Can bowling balls float?

Yes, bowling balls can float depending on what it is made out of. Urethane and reactive resin are the two materials that have been tested and proven to be able to float! Both of these materials allow the ball to remain buoyant in water long enough for a bowler to retrieve it.

Conclusion

Bowling balls have been around for centuries, and what they are made of has changed with time, but the core of what makes a good ball still stands. With USBC-approved specifications to adhere to, you can make sure that your bowling ball is up to par for optimal performance.

Whether it’s symmetrical or asymmetrical cores that work best for you, what matters is that you get the accurate weight as well as a quality coverstock material to match your needs. With all these details in mind of what are bowling balls made of, you can bowl confidently and consistently. Good luck!!!!!