What does top weight do to a bowling ball?

Asked by: Jerry Bruce

When designed, a bowling ball has a top weight of about three ounces (the U.S.B.C. top weight limit.). This allows for holes to be drilled into the ball that will extract weight from the top of the ball to reduce it to almost zero and keep the ball balanced after drilling.

What is a good top weight on a bowling ball?

around 3 ounces

When a bowling ball is designed, the ideal top weight is around 3 ounces. This allows for the holes to be drilled into the bowling ball removing top weight so that the ball’s top weight is close to zero when complete. USBC actually regulates static weights. After drilling, the top weight cannot be more than 3 ounces.

How does weight affect a bowling ball?

In general, the heavier the bowling ball will be, the better as a heavy ball will be more impactful, carry more power, and will have more chances of hooking than a lightweight bowling ball. The heavier ball will be able to knock down more pins when two bowling balls are thrown at the same speed.

What ball weight do pro bowlers use?

16-pound

Most pro bowlers use 16-pound balls, although more than you think use 15-pounders. Another method is to add one or two pounds to the weight of the house ball you normally use. A heavier ball drilled specifically to your hand will seem to weigh about the same as a house ball two pounds lighter.

How does bowling ball weight affect speed?

You’ll be able to increase your ball speed without physically trying to throw it harder. Since the amount of force created by the ball impacting the pins is a result of the mass of the ball (weight) times the speed at which it’s traveling, the lighter ball may actually hit with MORE force.

How can I increase my bowling ball speed?

And that 15 pound weight goes with the momentum of your feet and swings faster. And if it's swinging faster. With the faster footwork the balls gonna be traveling faster down the lane.

Should I throw a 15 or 16 pound bowling ball?

Today, most pros and pro shop operators prefer and recommend 15 pound equipment. The decreased weight and dynamic strength of the modern-day equipment work more effectively together to increase carry.

Is a 14 or 15 pound bowling ball better?

15 pound balls will hook more than 16 pounds generally speaking and is more than dynamic enough to cover up the weight difference. There are again some tangible differences which can be used to one’s advantage, similar to having a ball with 2 different layouts or using different balls.

What causes a bowling ball to curve?

The bowling ball consists of a hard outer shell with a weight block in the core (the inside of the bowling ball). The mass and shape of the weight block affects the spin of the bowling ball and how it curves as it rolls down the lane.

Is a 10 pound bowling ball too light?

You may wonder, what is the weight of a bowling ball or what is the heaviest bowling ball? Bowling balls range from 6 lbs to 16 lbs. In other words, you cannot have a bowling ball lighter than six pounds, and you cannot have one heavier than sixteen pounds.

Can the bowlers see the blue oil?

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) introduced lane oil you can actually see, and for the first time ever professional bowlers took their shot at a visible oil pattern. The brand-new blue oil made its debut on ESPN’s PBA World Series of Bowling telecast on Dec 1.

When should I release my bowling ball?

The best time to do this is about 12 inches before you release the ball. Push rather than throw: A lot of people think about throwing the bowling ball down the lane, and this leads to many novice bowlers seeing the ball bounce its way toward the pins. Try to think of the release as pushing the ball out to the lane.