How are Bowling Balls Made?

 
1. Rubber Balls They don't really make these anymore because lanes are no longer made of wood. They came in a hard or soft shell.You could probably get one at a yard sale, but most bowlers want to keep up with technology changes which helps them score higher, so today they prefer polyester or urethane bowling balls.

2. Polyester Balls-These balls have varying degrees of Hardness. Softer balls will start hooking sooner on the lane, and the harder surfaced balls will travel a bit farther down the lane before they begin to hook.

3. Urethane Balls- As time passed, the makers of these bowling balls realized that it made more sense to make a ball out of the same material that the lanes were made from. This material is much stronger and the balls hit the pocket with more power, but at the same time can be more difficult to control.


 
​ There are basically three parts of a bowling ball:

1. WEIGHT BLOCK: This is the very center part of a bowling ball. Some of these weights are round or symmetrical in shape which is what makes a ball go straight or with very little hook. Nowadays they are making these weight blocks “asymmetrical which allows the ball to hook on the lane. These weight blocks are made in molds with a liquid containing various minerals such as iron oxide,Barium, silica powder, and limestone. It only takes about 6 minutes for this material to dry. Then the weight block is extracted from the mold and put through a tumbler with rocks to help smooth out any seams and imperfections. These weight blocks weigh about 5-8 pounds each. When the weight block is completed in about 24 hours, a hole is then drilled in the center which is called the “PIN”. This is attached to the bottom of a second mold and then a top is placed over that. 

 
 2. CORE: The core of a bowling ball is a liquid polymer resin blend which is poured in and around the weight block in this second mold. The molds are all the same size, but the concentration of the materials in this liquid is what allows the weights of the bowling balls to vary. This core takes several days to completely dry. (Look at your bowling ball if you have one and find the little dot which is the PIN. It shows you where the top of the core is). After the core is dried, the ball is taken out of this mold and put into a third mold. 

​ 3. SHELL: The shell of the ball is made of a liquid urethane which is pumped into this third mold. This liquid can come in a variety of colors and some even add scents like lemon, and blueberry! The liquid only takes about 5 minutes to harden and then the ball is removed from the mold and ground smooth with a lathe machine. A hole is then drilled to mark the position of the weight block (Where the PIN is), and this area is filled in with a colored resin (usually yellow or white). It is also put on a machine that finds the “Center of Gravity” and is indented slightly with a “punch” tool. After 24 hours, the ball is completely dried and hardened enough to have the company logo engraved which is filled in with a colored paste.  
    Lastly, the ball goes through spinners with hot, soapy water and polishing rollers. The completed ball is placed in a plastic bag, boxed up, and shipped out to bowling center pro shops all over the country. Some of these companies can make 5,000 balls each day! 
 
    They have a video online if you are interested in seeing what these molds and weight blocks look like. Just type in "How a bowling ball is made".
 
   Most bowling balls have three holes that are drilled at the pro shop for a custom fit when you purchase a ball. There was also a fourth hole drilled for balance, but recently this fourth hole was declared illegal in US competition by the USBC-United States Bowling Congress. If your ball has a fourth hole, you might need to get this weight hole filled in with a resin material at the pro shop. Just check with your league president about this.    
 
Join me next week when I’ll be discussing “How Do You Release A Bowling Ball"?
    
​Good Luck and High Scoring!