A Bowler's Balls is All That Counts

Those days where my head swells just a tad, I need only to be reminded of my arch nemesis of the sports world: bowling. I couldn't explain why I'm so terrible; I've even had dates where my female partner out-bowled me (though, I may have let her win on occasion too.) I spent more than a few nights rolling balls down at Spare Gotham and I never seem to improve.

There may be hope for me yet. Turns out the recent success of bowling professionals is less about skill than it is the quality of the ball. These balls use legitimate physical advantages to gain the competitive edge. If there is anything possible to help my bowling game, this dude will abide.

...via Seattle Times

Breaking Balls

Bowling balls can be boiled down to two components that directly correlate to the rolling behavior of a bowling ball, the core and the shell. In the early 1990s, balls with new shell and core configurations allowed the most humble of bowlers to achieve 200+ point games. These balls are known as "cheaters" in bowling lexicon.

While typical balls are covered in a slick, urethane or plastic shell, these balls are made of resin and feature a pored surface. The first 40 feet of a bowling lane is called the "heads," and is covered in mineral oil to help reduce ball damage to the wooden lane. Slick balls literally glide through this section completing just a few rotations and losing critical energy, while pored balls are able to absorb some of the oil and maintain more of the throwing force applied by the bowler. Once the ball exits the heads, the pores also help traction on the non-oiled "back-end" of the lane. The effect is a ball that rolls through the heads faster and curves on the backend at a higher angle. A strike is executed by a ball that assaults the pin "pocket," which is the small area between the first row of pins and the second row.

...via ABC 2 Bowling

While the resin shells help with lane traction, the core is what can give the bowler an accurate measure of the ball's curve since a lane's oil pattern changes even within the same game. Balls are of either two-piece or three-piece design. Three-piece balls feature the shell, a ceramic inner core, and an additional weight to compensate for weight lost during drilling. Two-piece balls do not include this additional compensation.

The purpose of this inner core is to reduce the ball's radius of gyration, which dictates how the ball's mass and density will be distributed while rolling. Varying core designs are available, with cores that place more mass toward the edges of the ball curving later on the lane than balls with centralized mass. A faster bowl usually requires more mass toward the center of the ball.

... via Wikimedia

The Science Channel's "How it's Made" featured bowling ball cores on a recent episode. After watching that, my career aspirations have changed considerably.

Ball Fun

Of course, having these physical advantages means nothing if you don't know how to use them, right?

Generically, bowlers fall into one of two categories: the "cranker" and the "stroker."

Crankers (pictured right) are the type of bowler who use their whole bodies to roll the ball at optimum speed, with less finesse and better concentration on overpowering pins. The leg stance provides leverage, and the cupped wrist provides a side grip on the ball so the player can apply "English" to the ball, making it spin at high rate across the Z and Y axis, which gains traction after exiting the heads.

Strokers (pictured left) are a type of bowler who rely on accuracy and form to maintain a reliable shot that consistently strikes the pocket. This type of bowler keeps their shoulders straight to the pin, and slides with their last step on delivery. A lighter ball is typically used, but maintains the same hooked path as a heavier ball, but with less rotation around the Z-Y axis. This is again due to the core. Manufacturers are able to calculate bowling balls to hook to the same angle, despite different masses being used.

...via Ten Pin Bowling

You would think that in order to be a cranker, you have to be a large person; someone tall enough with long enough arms to generate a big backswing and follow-through. That's not the case. Notable PBA pro Chris Warren stands at 5-foot-4, yet can throw the ball at 118* mph. And 6-foot-2 bowler Walter Ray Williams Jr. uses a light stroke, toppling pins with his resin ball that would have remained had he used a urethane ball.

The Better Bowler

As with everything--like Jeremy Lin's jumper--practice makes perfect.

However, armed with the knowledge of how bowling balls curve, and at which angle to attack the pocket, you too can become Ernie McCracken.

As for me, I'd like to think that I'm one of those individuals who know to quit when ahead. So, rather than risk being "munsoned," you can expect to find me in the alley bar with a Sam Adams playing billiards.

* Ed. Note: This fact seems hyperbolized, despite its propensity from Popular Mechanics. A more a reasonable speed of 18 mph suggest a typo, but the article author refuses to comment or explain. BIG stick tap to Doorman.

Resources

Wikipedia - Bowling Ball

Bowling Ball - Bowling Ball Core Designs

Bowler's Paradise

Vizard, Frank, and Robert Lipsyte. Why a Curveball Curves. ; The Incredible Science of Sports. 2009. Print.