Bowling Your Best With The Right Bowling Equipment

Most bowlers start out the same way, using lane balls that have been beaten up for years. You pay a few bucks for some used shoes and try to find a ball that fits your hand well enough not to drop it on your approach. That’s OK. We all go through this. It’s almost a right of passage to use the lane equipment while you are getting started. There is no point in investing in great bowling equipment when you are still experimenting and getting a feel for the sport. However, once you decide that you want to bowl regularly, it’s time to get some real bowlers gear. The first things to get are shoes and a ball.

When you are going to select a bowling ball, it pays to do some research. One thing to consider is the lane conditions where you bowl. If you always bowl in the same place, check out the oil level on the lanes and take notes. Some balls have a coverstock that is better on certain levels of oil. Another, more complicated, thing to consider is your own bowling style. While this is likely to change over time, you may want to ask an experienced bowler to recommend a type of bowling ball based on his or her observation of your bowling technique. Your bowling style may be more compatible with certain bowling balls, considering whether you are a straight shooter, a wicked hook bowler, a slow controlled roller or a real power blaster. There are many different designs for cores and coverstocks, which affect rotation, traction, and other factors.

Then, of course, there is the style of the ball. This is part of what makes bowling fun. You can get bowling balls in a wide variety of colors and finishes, even balls with images on them: skulls, NFL emblems, flowers, and just about anything you can think of. In addition to the enjoyment of having a ball that matches your personality, a unique ball makes ball identification easier so you can recognize your ball at a glance among other balls. The descriptions and photos available online can help you to make a good choice.

Shoes, of course, are also crucial. Most people are not wild about the idea of putting on previously worn shoes. In addition to the reasonable germaphobic tendencies of many bowers, the wrong shoes can negatively affect the bowler’s balance, slide, braking, and overall approach. The right bowling shoes can match your bowling style and help you to walk, slide, and brake with the best control. You can find great shoes online that are durable, comfortable, and very functional. They can even be rather stylish. In fact, many bowling shoes look like regular dress shoes or sneakers, available in a variety of styles and colors. You can get shoes with sliders on one shoe or both, interchangeable slides, very durable uppers, reinforced stitching, hard rubber heels for braking, rugged outer soles, and a number of different materials. Once again, you have more choices than ever.

This writer directs bowlers to Bowlers Paradise for top gear bowling balls. He is a bowling enthusiast and college instructor who researches and writes articles to help other bowlers to achieve the best performance possible and enjoy the most effective equipment.