How To Maintain Your Bowling Ball

Expecting your bowling ball to perform the way it did out of the box without maintaining it is like driving your car without changing the oil or tires. Eventually, it will break down and not work the way it once did. In this free video lesson, Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, covers how to maintain your bowling ball’s finger inserts and surface.

Finger Inserts

Finger inserts or grips, wear out. They are not designed to last the lifespan of a bowling ball.

You’ll notice these grips are wearing away from side to side and also on the front edge creating a lip inside of it. When you avoid replacing grips you lose the ability to achieve a clean release. This creates inconsistencies at the point of release and can lead to other physical game problems.

Bowling Ball Surface

Cleaning your bowling balls with a bowling ball cleaner after competition or practice is imperative for peak performance. For bowling balls with a duller surface, you’ll want to apply a bowling ball cleaner gel. Apply about a dime to quarter size and wipe around the entire surface with a paper towel or napkin.

The gel absorbs into the dull bowling ball, releasing the oil on the surface transferring it to the napkin or paper towel. If you rub your finger on the bowling ball after application you’ll notice the cleaner restores the tackiness of the bowling ball’s surface.

Spray cleaners are for bowling balls with a shiny surface. Apply a couple of sprays to the bowling ball and wipe the entire surface of the bowling ball with a paper towel or napkin to remove surface oil left on the bowling ball.

This bowling ball cleaner is great for helping your shiny bowling ball travel farther down lane in drier conditions.

For more bowling ball maintenance tips, check out “Lane Shine: Why Is It Important?” and “Preventing Cracked Bowling Balls” to get the most out of your equipment.