How to Choose the Best Bowling Ball and Why It Matters
Bowling can be intimating for newcomers, even more, if they have no idea how it works or how to use bowling balls. It is indeed tricky to get the hang of it right away, but like with most things in this world, the most important aspect of learning something new is always practice.
By practicing, you will eventually grasp the main concepts of bowling, as well as understand the core principles of handling bowling balls, how to throw it, the pose you use, angles, and much more things.
However, for those people who is to practice bowling as a hobby and not only do it occasionally, but there are also certain things they should consider, and one of them is getting their own gear and equipment.
Among the things a bowling practitioner can get, the one that is probably the most present in a bowler’s life is the bowling ball. But how do you get the best ball, the one that always rolls as intended?
It might be hard at first, but it is definitely doable. That is why, as also mentioned in this Bowling Line article, we will discuss why choosing the right ball matters, and how to do it. We will also cover some aspects of bowling you should have in mind as a newcomer, so make sure to stay tuned!
The Two Main Categories
First of all, when it comes to a ball, you can find two main categories: light and heavy balls. Each category has its own advantages, and of course, disadvantages.
Generally speaking, the light category is best for beginners, since it is the best way to learn the basics of the sport without putting too much restraint on yourself. However, someone that has spent some time in the activity might want to change to a heavier ball just because of the benefits it provides.
Light Balls, a Beginner’s Greatest Teacher
First of all, a light ball is much more comfortable than a heavy one. This is because it doesn’t put as much restraint on your wrists and your hands, and they are also much more manageable.
This can be a huge game-changer for beginners, just because they are not usually accustomed to the effort required to handle heavier options, and they might not understand how to handle a ball properly, so they might injure themselves.
They are also perfect to learn new techniques, like straight hooks, so they are the perfect option for training purposes.
However, the biggest disadvantage of using a light ball is that it might affect your gameplay. They don’t roll as much and their force of impact is weaker, which can affect your results. However, when you are a beginner, you shouldn’t worry too much about winning, but about learning and improving, so it shouldn’t matter so much!
Heavier Balls, the Choice of the Experienced
Although, as mentioned in this article, a heavy ball can greatly improve your results when it comes to bowling, they are definitely not beginner-friendly, just because of the amount of effort, control, and strength required to deal with them.
Experienced people might benefit the most from this type of ball, just because they have practiced enough to understand the core basics of the game, as well as understand how to properly handle a ball without injuring themselves.
This is, of course, very important considering the heaviest ball that can be used for bowling can weigh up to 16 pounds. So being careful with your choice is very important if you truly want to get yourself the best ball for you available on the market.
A heavy ball is capable of rolling much more, having a much stronger impact, and of course, handling it with more accuracy is much easier. Still, it is never a recommended option for beginners, so have that in mind if you are just beginning to practice!
Why Is It So Important?
For beginners, and even for experienced people, choosing the right ball is an important part of the process, in order to enjoy it the most while adjusting the experience to your level of skills.
The more you practice with a light ball, the more you will feel like you want to improve your results, thus, you might want to get your hands on one of the heavy ones, just because it can incredibly improve your gameplay.
However, if you are a beginner that starts practicing with a heavy ball, you will probably feel like something is wrong. Your wrist and hands might get cramped and even hurt while you are just dealing with the basics of the sport, and this can incredibly discourage any beginner.
General Advice
Firstly, understanding the basics of bowling is an important part of the learning process since it can save you a lot of headaches, injuries, and stress. Ideally, it is something you should try out with a friend or acquaintance that can teach you the ropes, but you can always rely on online guides and videos as well.
For example, https://www.wikihow.com/Bowl is a very easy-to-understand guide that you can check out if you are trying it out for the first time. Ideally, if you are just giving it a try, you should always try to use the equipment provided by bowling alleys so you don’t invest a lot of money on it without knowing it the sport is for you or not.
Afterward, when you have tried it out enough and you surely think that you enjoy the experienced bowling can provide, just after then, you can consider buying your own equipment. From shoes, clothes, equipment, and of course, your bowling ball.
And remember, when you are beginning to learn, the most important aspect of the adventure is not winning, but learning. A defeat is a teacher, not a sour experience, and if you learn from your defeats, and taste your victories, eventually, you will become an experienced player that does not only know the basics but understands how to keep on enjoying the game until the very end.