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By: Jude McCormack
4/19/2024
Whether you’re a person who bowls just for fun with friends, someone who bowls in the league, or even a professional bowler, you’ll need something essential to the sport. A bowling ball. Some are different from others, like the material it’s made from, what oil patterns it’s meant for, and if it’s a strike or a spare ball. With all of these variables in mind, what bowling ball would be the best? More specifically, what bowling balls would be suitable for someone who is just starting out? This article will tell you the top 5 bowling balls for beginners, with descriptions on what it’s made for, how to use it, and why it’s so suitable for an amateur.
Number 5: Brunswick T-Zone
The Brunswick T-Zone is an affordable bowling ball known for its ability to bowl straight. This bowling ball comes in 10 different color varieties, and is very popular for first-ever bowling ball purchases. This ball is made out of polyester and is incredibly good for wetter lane patterns. Most beginners don’t try to hook their shots when starting out, so having a ball that is affordable and is really good at going down the lane straight is just what this was made for. Even if you’re an intermediate level bowler, this bowling ball is good at getting spare shots. Even professional bowlers sometimes use this ball to pick up tricky spares. This is a really good pick for anyone who is just starting out, and even if you’ve raised your average and bought a new bowling ball, this one can serve as a bowling ball to pick up spares.
This is an image of one of the Brunswick T-Zone's many colors. This one is called "Caribbean Blue"
Number 4: Columbia 300 Freeze
The Columbia 300 Freeze is a reactive bowling ball that is good with the pros, and good with beginners that want to improve their average. As you can guess, with its New Era Hybrid reactive coverstock, it has an excellent hook potential. It’s a really good bowling ball for having a more tameable hook, but still might be difficult to control if you’re a completely new beginner. More experienced beginners are probably better off with this bowling ball, but if you are trying to hook for the very first time, this ball might not be ideal. Intermediate bowlers would have a much better time using this bowling ball. Overall, it’s a little unpredictable, but it would be worth the price if you’re in the range of someone who is somewhat experienced and someone who is an intermediate bowler.
This is an image of a Tropical Surge bowling ball that is placed next to a diagram of its symmetrical Surge Core.
Number 3: Tropical Surge
The Tropical Surge bowling ball is a pretty easy choice for a top 5 bowling ball, because of its affordable price and how easy it is to control. For a reactive bowling ball, it’s pretty predictable. Its core has a relatively low RG, which means that it is smooth and predictable. On a house shot, you’d want to throw this ball pretty straight, but add a little hook. For how easy it is for beginners, it’s pretty good for more experienced players. According to bowlingiseasy.com, “This is the ball we recommend to beginners because it feels very controllable while still having plenty of hook potential when thrown correctly.” This shows that it is really reliable and predictable with its hook once you’ve thrown it for a game or two and know how to properly throw it. Overall, for the price, it’s really good for how predictable it is and its hook potential.
Number 2: Purple Hammer / Blue Hammer
The Purple Hammer was the second bowling ball that I have ever owned (next to the Storm Mix), and it is a very useful bowling ball to have. It’s a pretty uncontrollable ball when it comes to how much it hooks (because of the urethane coverstock). If you throw it near the gutter, the ball will shoot back into the pins. This ball is very popular among the professionals, but there is a downside. If you plan on getting a Purple Hammer, just know that these are banned in the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association), as most urethane bowling balls are. But, for the same price, you’re able to buy the Blue Hammer, which is a variant of the Purple Hammer that has most of the same attributes, but in this case, it’s a reactive bowling ball. This gives a smooth ball motion that can overcome challenging lane conditions. Overall, this bowling ball is good for amateur bowlers that have experience with hooking, and is worth the price.
Number 1: Brunswick Rhino
The Brunswick Rhino bowling ball is one of the best choices for novice or experienced bowlers, and according to bowlingroller.com, “Its features cater to beginner and intermediate players who want a ball that can hook more, provide power, and have a little spin.” This ball is also great as a spare ball. It’s pretty similar to the Brunswick T-Zone in a sense, only this ball has more hook potential and shares more similarities with a strike ball instead of a spare ball. It has 5 vibrant colors that are very mesmerizing when rolling down the lane. Unlike the T-Zone, however, it is better on drier - medium level conditions rather than wetter ones. Overall, the Rhino is a very useful ball for beginners that have had a little bowling experience before, no matter if it's used as a spare ball or used for strikes.
In conclusion, there are many different bowling balls used for many different purposes. People use bowling balls for spares, strikes, or for dry or wet oil patterns. However, these are the top 5 best bowling balls specifically for beginners. Thank you for reading this article, and fill out the form below to let us know what you thought!
Author Bio:
Jude McCormack is a sixth grader attending EJHS who loves bowling, Horsepower, and eating at Pizza X.
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