How to Design a Bowling Ball

When designing a bowling ball, you need to determine the purpose you will use the bowling ball for. Of course its ultimate goal is to knock down the pins, but you must decide whether you're looking for a ball that looks good for social bowling, or one that is highly reactive with the lane surface for league bowling. The intended use of the ball will help you decide how intricate a design you would like on your bowling ball. Positioning and the number of fingerholes on a ball is also part of the design and can effect how much of a curve the ball has in its path down the lane. These are decisions that should be made before having your ball designed.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose the proper weight bowling ball. Weight may not seem to be an obvious part of design, but it can have an effect on how you throw the ball. A proper weight is one you can swing freely without straining. If you tend to drop the ball out of your hand instead of rolling it, any intricate design you have on your ball can become chipped and damaged.

    • 2

      Select the material for your bowling ball. Bowling balls react differently based on the material the surface of the ball is made out of. Some examples include reactive resin, resin, or polyurethane surfaces. Each of these holds paint and design differently just as they react differently with the lane.

    • 3

      Determine the number of fingerholes and style you would like in the design of your bowling ball. You will need at least a thumb hole and two fingerholes. Some bowlers have holes drilled for all four fingers, this is more typical with a finger tip grip ball. In a finger tip grip ball, your fingers only slide in to the first knuckle. In three-quarter grips your fingers slide in to the second knuckle. Full grip balls allow your fingers to slide all the way in. The number of holes and types of holes drilled can effect the amount of hook your ball has when rolled.

    • 4

      Choose any etchings you would like made on your bowling ball. Some bowlers like to just have their initials etched into the ball. Others like to have a design etched in. If you are going to have a large amount of etching done on the ball you will want to get a clear coat on the surface to protect it.

    • 5

      Select any graphic designs you would like applied using paint or stickers to the bowling ball. Once again with designs like this, a plastic coat will need to be placed on top of the ball to protect it from damage to the paint or stickers when making contact with the bowling surface.