Ball Maintenance
Excerpt from Bowling Fundamentals - Second Edition By Michelle Mullen
9/9/2018
It is good to clean your reactive resin ball every time you finish bowling, before you put it back in the bag. These balls absorb the oil on the lane, and it should be cleaned off to restore the ball's tackiness and maintain its ability to hook. You do not have to do maintenance on a plastic ball.
It is good practice to use a tested and approved bowling ball cleaner. Use a dedicated rag that you keep in your bag. Just spray and wipe. This is the most user-friendly way to clean it. Again, clean your ball with an effective cleaner every time you are finished bowling. Do not waste your quarters using the ball cleaning machines. They only wax the ball; they do not clean it.
From time to time, it is a good idea to soak the ball in hot tap water with detergent. Do not worry about water getting in the holes. Let it soak for about 20 minutes or until the oil stops coming to the top of the water. This is an effective way to degrease the ball. This is especially true for balls that have more of a matte finish because they soak up the lane oil quickest.
Never use only a towel when cleaning your ball, do not use rubbing alcohol on your ball, and do not put your ball away without cleaning it. Rubbing the ball with a towel does not clean out the oil, and rubbing alcohol does not penetrate the amount of oil currently applied to lanes. Avoid exposing it to extreme temperatures, such as leaving it in the car on extremely cold or hot days or putting it in the dishwasher. This can damage the ball and may extract some of the material that makes it hook.
Have your ball's surface refreshed every 10 games or so, as needed. To maintain consistent performance in a dull ball, refresh the surface to maintain its dull finish. Repolish a ball that works best when shiny. The surface of the ball will change as you bowl with it. You will begin to recognize when a ball works best for you; have the pro shop restore the cover to that finish from time to time.
Even with the topical cleanings after each use, you will not be able to get all of the oil out of the ball from time to time. Pro shops offer this service. Depending on the conditions you bowl on, purge oil from your ball every 75 to 100 games or so.
Because your ball makes direct contact rolling on the lane and hitting pins, the cover of the ball will get wear spots and nicks in it. Of particular concern to performance is track wear. This is the actual area that makes continual contact as the ball rolls down the lane, depending on your type of release. Once that begins to show enough wear and the ball gets sluggish, it is a good idea to have it resurfaced to restore performance. This service is provided by a pro shop and should be done every 60 games or so, as needed.
To properly maintain your mid-to high performance bowling ball, follow the maintenance procedures here. Remember, these are guidelines. Depend on your pro shop professional to help you determine the maintenance you need to restore performance.
-Clean your ball every time you finish bowling
-Have the ball's surface refreshed every 10 games or so, as needed.
-Have a thorough ball resurfacing performed with pads every 60 games.
-Have the oil purged from your ball every 100 games.
Note: Resurfacing the cover refers to bowling ball maintenance and is not to be confused with making adjustments to the surface for the immediate purpose of managing a ball's friction on lane conditions in league or other competition.
Mullen, Michelle. Bowling Fundamentals- Second Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2014.
