Surfaces and Coverstocks
MODERN DAY COVERSTOCKS

ABRALON PADS
Abralon Pads

Modern bowlers don't leave the surfaces of the bowling balls alone anymore.  Just because a ball is shiny when it comes out of the box doesn't mean that it will work for every bowler that way.

In the not so distant past, bowlers had to use water and sandpaper--the kind that auto body shops use--to change the surface of their bowling balls.  Most Pro Shops have ball spinners, but this wasn't something that could be done in a moment's notice.

Enter Abralon Pads.  Now it's possible to get the most aggressive surface texture without that cheese grater look. Abralon sanding pads use silicon carbide particles that are precision sifted to a consistent grain size, then bonded evenly to a six-inch round fabric face for the most even scratch pattern available.  These will leave bowling balls cosmetically appealing, and come in a variety of abrasive textures:

  • P180 for deepest scratches
  • P360 for deep scratches
  • P500 for medium scratches
  • P1000 to return to factory sanded finish
  • P2000 for a mild luster with texture underneath
  • P4000 for a high luster with smooth texture

Every serious bowler should have a set of these available at all times.  Surfaces can be changed during practice squads, and these will make the difference between sliding past the head pin, or carrying the ten.

Polyester Ball

POLYESTER COVERSTOCK
The type of ball that most recreational bowlers will recognize is the polyester bowling ball, which is commonly referred to as a “plastic” bowling ball. Polyester bowling balls have been available since the 1960s. They have a low cost compared to the other types of bowling balls and they are very durable, which is why they are used as “house” balls on the racks of most bowling centers. The durability comes from the hard, low friction nature of the polyester cover. This low friction nature causes the “plastic” ball to skid more and maintain a straighter trajectory. “Plastic” balls are primarily used by beginning bowlers; however, many experienced and professional bowlers use them for spare shots and for very dry lane conditions.
Reactive Pearl

REACTIVE PEARLIZED COVERSTOCK

In the early 1990s, ball manufacturer started adding resin particles to their urethane coverstocks. The resin made the ball tackier than plain urethane which increased its hook potential. A side effect of the resin is that it makes the ball hydroplane on the oil more than plain urethane. The combination of the increased skid on oil and stronger hooking ability on dry boards gives the resin ball a bigger backend reaction for more striking power than prior ball types. Reactive resin is the primary coverstock for most experienced bowlers on most lane conditions.

Pearlized reactive resin balls tend to go further down the lane and react more (hook more) than solid reactive resin balls.  The coefficient of friction is lower for pearlized balls, resulting in less energy loss in the front of the lane, and a bigger reaction when the ball leaves the oil pattern.
Reactive Solid

REACTIVE SOLID COVERSTOCK
Solid reactive resin balls tend to have a higher coefficient of friction than pearlized reactive resin balls.  Because there is more friction, even in the oil, they hook sooner on the lane rather than skid, and give up energy in the process.  When they leave the oil pattern, they tend to react less than pearlized reactive balls because there is less energy conserved to that point.  The reactions are considered to be "more mellow."
Reactive Particle

REACTIVE PARTICLE COVERSTOCK
Experienced bowlers preferred the smooth reaction and controllability of urethane, but they could not refuse the power provided by reactive resin balls. The ball manufacturers response to this situation was to add textured particles such as ceramics and glass to the resin enhanced polyurethane balls. The added texture gave the ball more grip in the oil for a smooth, controllable hook style, while maintaining the powerful backend of reactive resin. The hook potential for most particle bowling balls is higher than all of the other types of coverstocks. This extremely high hook potential means that most particle balls are for use on oily lane conditions only. However, ball makers are constantly tinkering with the quantity and size of the particles used, so particle balls are becoming more versatile across many types of lane conditioning.