How to Properly Clean Your High Performance Bowling Ball

After throwing a few games with your bowling ball, you may notice it starts to react inconsistently, or maybe does not hook as much as the day you purchased your new bowling ball. The reason is that in order to maintain the most performance out of your high performance bowling ball, you must take care of it.

The first step in maintaining a high performance bowling ball is to know what type of bowling ball you have. Most high performance bowling balls today have an aggressive coverstock. It could be a hard plastic ball, a reactive resin ball, or a pearl coverstock. Each of these different types of coverstocks (outer core of the ball) have different characteristics that you will need to consider when cleaning your bowling ball. To maintain the highest performance of your bowling ball, you should clean the ball after every 6 - 9 games you have bowled with it (much less for a plastic spare ball).

When a bowling ball is thrown down the lane, the coverstock of the bowling ball actually absorb oil from the lane. Typically, a reactive resin coverstock will absorb oil faster than a pearl coverstock, and a plastic absorbs little or no oil as it is thrown down the lane. You can see this after throwing the ball by looking at the oil track that is left on your bowling ball. For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on high performance bowling balls with pearl or reactive resin coverstocks. This oil is absorbed into the coverstock of the ball, which can actually affect the hook potential of the ball and could cause an inconsistent reaction. Properly cleaning your bowling ball will extend the life and help the ball maintain its highest performance potential.

To properly clean a bowling ball you will need either an oil-free terrycloth towel, or a 100% plush cotton towel. You will also need a good bowling ball cleaner. To clean the ball, you simply spray the ball with the cleaner and wipe in small circles, pressing down firmly, until the cleaner has dried. Repeat until you have cleaned the entire surface of the bowling ball.

After cleaning the ball, this will bring the ball much closer to the original state of the ball and possibly restore hook to the ball that you feel you have lost. Also, you can try different polishes and factory finishes which can alter the surface of the bowling ball, possibly giving you the better reaction you are looking for.

In closing, taking care of your bowling ball is as similar to taking care of your car. Your car has a maintenance schedule which the manufacturer recommends ensuring your vehicle lasts and runs at its optimal capabilities. This is no different in the sport of bowling. If you take care of your bowling balls, you will find they will last longer, and maintain that pin-destroying capability that it had the day you purchased it.