What Weight Bowling Ball Do Pros Use? How Heavy Are Bowling Balls?

Bowling balls come in various weights, typically weighing 6 to 16 pounds, and Pro bowlers choose heavier balls. Male professionals Prefer 15-16 pounds, while females prefer 13-14 pounds.

Bowling is an extremely entertaining activity that can give both kinds of feelings, whether a sport or a hobby. For that player who has been in the sport for a long time, you might have your inclination when we talk about bowling balls of two different weights. One is the heavy bowling ball, and the other is the lighter one.

You must be wondering now how to choose a bowling ball in terms of weight to have a perfect game, then you are at the right place. This piece of writing will give you deep learning into the heaviest bowling balls, the advantages, and disadvantages of having them as your pick, the mechanism of heavy bowling balls, what weight professional players use, and almost everything related to heavy bowling balls. Make sure you give this article a good read to have a proper insight in order to learn more about your bowling balls.

What Weight Bowing Balls Do Pros Use?

Proficient bowlers typically utilize balls with considerable weight due to their skill and fitness level. Generally, male bowling professionals utilize 15 or 16-pound bowling balls, while the other hand, female bowling professionals usually utilize 13 or 14-pound balls.

It is not true that all proficient bowlers use heavy balls. Instead, some bowling professionals use lighter balls to bowl faster. But, with the lack of precision typically provided by a light ball, mostly proficient will use a heavy ball.

How Heavy Are Bowling Balls?

Normally, bowling balls come in various weights, from almost 6 pounds to around 16 pounds. It usually has different weights according to the capability and level of the bowlers.

If we talk about the heaviest bowling ball that the USBC is standardizing, it stands almost at 16 pounds and is termed as the maximum weight of a bowling ball regulated by the USBC itself.

Still, if you are interested in having a bowling ball with a weight of higher than 16 pounds, then you are required to go for the undrilled balls, which might differ only by a few ounces.

Pros and Cons of Heavy vs. Light Bowling Balls

While choosing a bowling ball with a comparatively heavy weight, we might have noticed the pros and cons of it. Some of the Pros and Cons of these are listed below:

Pros of a Heavy Bowling Ball

Better Hitting

A bowling ball with a heavyweight mostly boosts up your ability to strike or hit in view of the fact that most of the ball’s rolling force is shifted to the pins present at the end of the bowling lane, which then transfers this force to the remaining pins to provide you with maximum striking ability.

While doing this, make sure that the ball should only hit four pins present at first on its way. A player would then name it ‘power’ or might be ‘striking power.’ For strong hitting, you need to apply extra force to the pins.

Less Deviation

A heavy bowling ball gives less deviation while going through the bowling pins. Most of the players agree that it is generally the major highlight of heavy bowling balls. It also gives rise to your carry percentage for ultimate accuracy.

Free Oscillation

A heavy bowling ball will give you a free swing or oscillation compared to balls with lighter weights. It also depends on the action of the bowling pins. If we talk about the per square inch hitting of balls, heavy bowling balls give more, which we cannot expect from lighter balls.

It also adds on natural swings to your bowling moves while delivering a bowling ball across the lane as you need to roll it.

Greater Hooking Capability

Creating a hook at a greater level with a heavy bowling ball is quite simple than creating a light ball. You can then handle a larger hook at a comparatively more visible arch.

It is even pretty sure that a hook is generally more forceful than a ball with a straight move in view of the fact that the energy is equally divided among the pins of the bowling pocket in a hook shot, while a straight ball shifts more energy to the first pin at the end of a bowling lane.

It will also give you a declined ball speed, ultimately giving you time to hook precisely.

Maximum Strikes

A bowling ball with heavy weight has more chances of attaining a strike. A ball with more weight has more force or power and, ultimately, has better chances of hooking due to greater force. The chances of striking pins enhance dramatically.

Cons of A Heavy Bowling Ball

A bowling ball heavier in nature is good for bowling. But it also has drawbacks which are as follows:

Wrist Stretch

A heavy bowling ball will give more stretch to your wrists, specifically at the start, which shows that you will most likely have problems with your rev rate and the speed of the bowling ball, which are crucial for a good player.

This issue is now more visible in bowlers shifting from lighter bowling balls. You are required to have a wrist guard for yourself in order to avoid any wrist stretch.

Picking up a 16-pound bowling ball and delivering it with force with reasonable precision is not at all a simple task to accomplish, specifically when a bowler is not that physically fit. You can then feel strain in your wrist, elbow, or shoulder.

Poor Command

While utilizing a heavy bowling ball, you now have little command over your ball, and it’s true specifically after getting tired. It will then be difficult to attain and regulate the hitting power shown at the start.

You might not stand an ideal game for long as it was before. A better way of overcoming this issue is by choosing the right weight according to your capability.

Additionally, if the ball is not carrying the needed speed, it can swing and can fall into the gutter. And even if you can control the bowling ball, you can most surely get the first disadvantage.

Exhaustion

A ball with heavy weight can be a better option; however, you must remember that it is quite simple to get exhausted while utilizing these heavy bowling balls. These are heavy and therefore need considerable power to throw around.

A player utilizing a 16-pound bowling ball is more inclined to get exhausted immediately than a player utilizing a lesser weight.

Do Heavy Balls Move Faster Across the Lane

The bowling balls with heavyweight generally do not move faster across the bowling lane than the lightweight balls. In reality, light bowling balls move at a relatively high speed than heavy balls as they do not need much power to move, and therefore lighter bowling balls move faster and speedily. However, there is not a big difference.

Generally, it depends on how much friction these balls possess with the surface and the longevity of the bowling track. The bowling ball with heavyweight puts more power in comparison to the lighter bowling balls. This is the only reason it is simple to strike all the possible pins.

If the force from outside is applied on the surface of a bowling ball with more power, the heavy ball will ultimately move faster. But softly pushing the bowling ball would make it accelerate and keep moving at that constant speed. If you deliver these balls in an upward direction, you will surely move the heavier ones at a slow speed.

It should be kept in mind that the lighter bowling ball will possibly move faster due to the smaller circumference. It will get down the line instantly. However, if the bowling lane is too long, the heavy ball will reach and win ultimately.

What Bowling Ball Weight Is Ideal to Utilize

Now, as we know, balls with heavyweight usually perform better than the lighter ones. However, they are difficult to handle, so the question arises, what ball should a player utilize to have an ideal game?

Most players think the ideal ball weight that everyone should utilize is a 16-pound ball. However, that’s not specifically true every time. The bowling with a heavy weight that a player feels good with is the ideal ball for a player.

Generally, a player should utilize a ball that weighs 10% of their whole-body mass; in case if you possess a weight of 160 pounds or less, he should utilize a ball of 16 pounds in view of the fact that the bowler will be able to utilize the bowling ball comfortably physically.

Do not stick to the concept entirely, it might work for most players in the start, but practice is the key element. You might usually be fit and usually weigh around 140 pounds. That doesn’t imply your limitations are more than 14 pounds ball only.

Another formula to utilize is to lift a ball of around 12-16 pounds and examine which ball you can have in your hands easily, and then move your hand while having a ball in a swinging direction.

Now see if the ball fell or stayed static. It is your comfortable position now, where you are swinging your ball easily.

Now you can follow the same strategy with each ball weighing 11-16 pounds. This will not take more than five minutes in order to have an ideal weight for your bowling ball, and you can carry out this technique while waiting for your competitor.

Now you can give a trial to each ball that is only 1 pound more than the bowling ball you are comfortable with and then compare all of them to see which ball you are comfortable bowling. In this way, you can easily find the ideal ball for yourself according to your body mass. Your wrist strength can also increase if you continuously bowl 5-6 times.

Are Heavy Balls Preferable to Use

Generally, the bowling balls with heavy weight will be good as these will be more effective, execute more force, and have better chances of hooking than the lighter bowling balls. The hefty balls can knock down more pins at the end of the lane when two balls are rolled at the same speed.

In this case, the bowling balls rolling at the same speed are equal from every aspect except the weight of the ball; a ball of 16-pound weight will execute better than the 15-pound one, and so on.

However, it is difficult to handle a heavy bowling ball; you cannot throw it without practice or if you are not physically fit. And if you can handle a ball accurately, then a 14-pound bowling ball is good for you compared to the 16-pound ball as you are incapable of handling it correctly.

If you are a fitness freak and strong enough to utilize a ball of different weights and haven’t gone through any health issues, then you can go for a heavy ball. This will give better precision and more opportunity of knocking out all the pins.

And on the other hand, if you are not strong enough or have any health issues, you should go for a lighter bowling ball; it doesn’t matter if it is not natural for you.

As we all know, bowling is a fun activity, it’s not about putting yourself in any kind of difficult situation. You can play well with a lightweight ball; you must only modify your skill to ensure your delivery is precise and fast despite not carrying the same weight as a heavier bowling ball.

Do Heavier Balls Bend More

This looks to be a center of discussion for most of the bowlers if it hooks or curves more on not while talking about the heavy bowling ball. Consequently, it looks that the answer is that the weight of a bowling ball does actually not directly depends on the bending or hooking of a bowling ball.

But it is generally reviewed as easier to bend with a light bowling ball because your arm can move more easily with a bowling ball of lightweight. Other major elements cause the hooking or curve of a ball.

One is the bowler delivering a ball – someone who is professional or skillful is likely to understand better how to curve or hook a bowling ball reasonably or how to escape from curving a ball.

Another factor is the kind of bowling lanes that are utilized. Bowling lanes need lubricants or oil patterns, as different alleys carry out the oiling process differently. The bowling lanes can also be constructed from different materials or stuff and have different touches of wood. All of these elements can play a big role in hooking a bowling ball.

Consequently, while the physical mass of the ball does not specifically alter how much it hooks, some bowling ball makers utilize different cores while making their heavier balls as compared to the lighter ones, which can alter how likely a ball is to curve. The difference in cover stock plays a part in the curving or hooking of a bowling ball.

How to Identify if A Ball Is Too Heavy

If you are trying to choose your bowling ball, typically the hole of thumb is too large, or your bowling ball is losing its velocity specifically before arriving at the bowling pins, the chances are still there that your ball is still heavy.

Even if you can carry the ball and your arms are shaking when holding it or your wrist is stretched, these can be alarming signs that your ball is heavy for you or, according to your body weight, it’s not even suitable for you. You are required to move to the lighter one.

If you are doubted about the bowling ball weight you utilize, specifically if you are a frequent bowler, don’t be afraid to go to a pro shop or alley and ask their opinion on your ideal bowling ball weight.

You can have expert opinions on an ideal bowling ball that matches your body mass. They can give you many balls to try and evaluate your performance based on your bowling style, hand size, physical ability, and preferences. Some might take your age and weight into account to provide you with the perfect weight of a bowling ball.

Why Are the Bowling Balls Carry a Considerable Amount of Weight

The balls carry so much weight to enhance the precision while bowling in such a way that the bowling pins hit with maximum speed to make sure they fall over. Bowling balls have a comparatively tough core that is made from barium or bismuth graphite, and that, too, are heavy materials.

At the standard bowling alley, you will see that the lightest bowling balls are around 6 pounds. Generally, bowling balls that weigh 6-8 pounds are suggested for kids due to their incredible lightweight.

Adults utilize balls over 10 pounds. It is true that the heavier your ball is, the more precisely your delivery of the ball is likely to be. A smaller bowling ball will move faster, but this is not specifically a good thing, as it shows it is more likely to deviate on each side and goes in the gutter.

Bowling balls usually come in various weights to go for various players’ physical strength and bowling skills. Some folks are fast at bowling and recommend a light ball to bowl instantly, while others recommend a heavier ball that goes slightly slower but with more accuracy.

They are also framed to minimize the risk of injury. In this way, picking too many heavy bowling balls will cause major stress to your forearm and wrist. This can cause recurring stress injuries and muscle issues or joint problems in your shoulder.

In some severe cases, playing a bowling ball with a heavy ball for a considerable amount of time can result in carpal tunnel syndrome, which generally needs surgery to fix.

Final Considerations

Now as we know that bowling balls are normally heavy only due to the material or stuff that is used in these in order to manufacture them, but the reason for their variance in weight is due to the inclination of the player, additionally to adjust for the different physical abilities and weight of the player.

If you are searching to have an ideal bowling ball weight, you can go and experience a few different sizes at your nearest pro shop or local bowling alley until the player feels good and comfortable, and they can safely give you advice on your bowling pick.

As a player, you only need to learn the dissimilarity between a heavier and a light bowling ball and the mechanism of these two bowling balls. I really hope this piece of writing has been of assistance in answering all of your queries related to the heavy bowling balls.

FAQs

Are Heavy Bowling Balls Good?

Generally, the heavier the ball will be, the more impactful it will be in a way that they carry more weight and will have more opportunities of hooking than the lightweight ball. The balls with heavy weight will be capable of knocking down maximum pins while rolling two balls at the same time.

Is There Any Advantage of A Heavy Bowling Ball?

A bowling ball with heavy weight increases your striking capability in view of the fact that most of the bowling ball’s inactivity is shifted to the bowling pins, which then transmit this energy to the remaining pins to provide you with a higher ability to strike. Remember that the bowling ball should only hit four pins while moving toward the pin.

Is It Good to Utilize a Bowling Ball with Heavy Weight?

The issue with the heavy balls is that they can cause you to become slow while setting up for the delivery only if you cannot use the extra weight of a bowling ball. Lighter balls give you the opportunity to move your position at an instant notice and accommodate the trajectory of the swing of the bowling ball.

Do Heavier Bowling Balls Go Swiftly?

The little drop in weight also permits the player to deliver the ball harder, and that additional speed, grouped with the enhanced driving abilities of current balls more than it outweighs the advantages of delivering a heavier bowling ball at a comparatively slow speed.

What Is the Standard Weight of A Ball for A Male and Female?

A standard adult male’s average range is around 13 to 16 pounds. However, there are always differences based on the strength of the upper body, already existing injuries, physical condition, and age. If we talk about the standard adult female, 12 pounds is the most common weight for a regular player.