How to Resurface a Bowling Ball to Make It Hook

Bowling balls come with a variety of different surfaces and internal cores. These physical makeups are the most important factor when determining their ability to hook. However, there are adjustments that a player can make to increase the overall hooking potential of a bowling ball. Primarily this involves increasing the amount of friction between the bowling ball and the lane. This increase in friction can be achieved by making the ball duller or grittier.

Things You'll Need

  • Low-grit sandpaper
  • Bowling ball spinner
  • Spray bottle of water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the pin on your bowling ball. It is a small circle, approximately half an inch in diameter.

    • 2

      Place the bowling ball into the ball spinner with the pin facing straight up.

    • 3

      Turn on the spinner.

    • 4

      Apply water to the surface of the bowling ball until the visible area is completely wet.

    • 5

      Press the sandpaper against the bowling ball with enough pressure so that the appearance of the ball is becoming noticeably duller. You will notice lines appearing on the surface of the ball as you sand it. This is to be expected.

    • 6

      Stop sanding the ball and turn off the spinner once the lines on the ball are no longer clearly visible and the surface of the ball has a uniform appearance.

    • 7

      Rotate the ball 180 degrees, and repeat steps 3 through 6. You will be sanding four sides of the bowling ball, and accurate turns of the ball are the easiest way to ensure that the entire surface is altered.

    • 8

      Turn the ball another 90 degrees, and repeat steps 3 through 6.

    • 9

      Turn the ball another 180 degrees, and repeat steps 3 through 6. This is the fourth and final side of the ball that you will be changing the surface of.