Bowling has a long history and is one of the most popular sports in the world. In the 1930’s a British anthropologist discovered a collection of objects in a child’s grave in Egypt. These objects appeared to be used for a basic form of bowling. Is he was correct then bowling traces back to 3200 BC. One of the most important parts of bowling is the bowling ball.

A bowling ball is a round ball made from urethane, plastic, reactive resin or a combination of these materials. Ten-pin bowling balls are the most common bowling balls. A ten-pin bowling ball generally has a set of three holes drilled in them. Using your dominant hand, you insert your ring and middle finger and thumb into these holes to insure a good on the ball. However, bowling rules allow for up to five finger holes. A five-pin bowling ball has no finger holes and is smaller so the bowler can hold the ball in their hand. Candlepin bowling balls also fit into the palm of your hand but are lighter than five-pin balls.

Most bowling alleys will provide you with a free bowling ball for clientele called house balls, although passionate bowlers usually purchase their own balls. A customized bowling ball can feature specially sized fingers holes for ten-pin balls and monograms or designs. Purchased balls are usually one or two pounds heavier than a house ball previously used because the finger holes are drilled to match the bowler’s fingers.

A bowling ball can come in almost any color imaginable. They can be a single flat color, a swirl design looking similar to tie-dye, or a single color with a shimmering look.  A very popular type of bowling ball is the transparent ball. Transparent balls are painted in a fashion as to make the ball appear as though there is an object inside. These objects can be anything from roses to baseballs to skulls.

Inside each bowling ball is a core, which makes each ball different from the next. These cores are vigorously imbalanced so the ball stabilizes when it is rolling down the lane. Bowling ball cores are made with different densities as well.  Some cores are heavy and some balls are made with the weight more towards the cover of the ball. Center heavy balls are low RG and balls with the weight towards the cover are high RG. Low RG balls will spin more easily than high RG balls. RG stand for radius of gyration, which is the distance between the axis and the center of a rotating object.