Bowling is one of the most popular indoor games in the world, with over 90 million players worldwide! While the game itself is pretty exciting and offers a lot of health benefits, the experience with house balls at an alley may be a little painful.
If you are looking to familiarize yourself with the game, then I recommend that you buy a ball for yourself which will greatly help you in your performance as well as provide unbelievable comfort compared to those alley balls.
As a beginner, you will find tons of balls in the market that offer a variety of features and it may get confusing if you don’t really know what you want. Don’t worry, this article has got you covered.
Don’t bother about the core, hook potential, or performance strength of the ball just yet.
If you are a newbie, what matters is you find a ball that’s comfortable and helps you get to know the game with decent straight and hook shots. An entry-level performance would be just fine.
For your convenience, I have researched dozens of balls to bring you my top 5 picks for beginners. Read on!
Contents
At A Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Bowling Balls for Beginners
If you’re in a hurry, you can jump straight into our top picks (these are the bowling balls for beginners that most people buy).
- Brunswick T-Zone Bowling Ball Top Pick
- Pyramid Path Bowling Ball Runner-up
- Columbia 300 White Dot Bowling Ball Runner-up
Top 5 Best Bowling Balls for Beginners – Our Reviews:
1. Brunswick T-Zone Bowling Ball
The T-Zone from Brunswick is one of the most popular balls for beginners. It is affordable, comes in polyester coverstock, and offers good control to the player.
The minimal friction that the T-Zone offers makes it one of the easier balls for straight shots. The symmetrical bullet core helps in equal distribution of weight in the ball, so you won’t find it too heavy and you’ll remain in control.
The best thing about this ball is it comes undrilled, so you can custom drill holes in this ball as per your finger sizes. Drilling can be done in any nearby bowling alley for an affordable price.
T-Zone comes in at least 10 stylish color schemes that make it one good-looking ball. This ball also glows in the dark and is available in weights from 6 to 16 lbs.
Pros
- Affordable
- Great for straight shots
- Offers good control and doesn’t feel heavy
- Comes undrilled
- Available in different colors
- Glows in the dark
Cons
- Poor hook potential
- Only suited for dry lanes
2. Pyramid Path Bowling Ball
Pyramid’s Path is designed for beginners and is one of the most purchased balls. Although it is best suited for medium oil lanes, Path also works well on dry lanes.
The manufacturing company Pyramid is well known for its research in technology and Path packs the best of it all. Made from New Era 139 Core, Path comes with a reactive coverstock and 1500 grain polish finish.
Path offers good control, angular reaction, and great hook potential.
It is a durable bowling ball and a good choice for players of all types, like two-handed bowlers, strokers, etc. It is also a good option to use as a spare for advanced players.
Pyramid Path is an affordable, versatile ball that is available in 9 color hues and weight range of 6 to 16 lbs.
Pros
- Pocket-friendly
- Durable and versatile
- Faster downlane reaction
- Eye-popping and stylish design
- Wide variety of color options
- Works well as a spare ball
Cons
- Not suited for heavy oil lanes
- Hook potential could be better
3. Columbia 300 White Dot Bowling Ball
The White Dot from the hit Columbia 300 series is a great choice for beginners who seek an easy ball to help them master bowling fundamentals. This ball is over 40 years old and has gained a reputation for being reliable and promising.
White Dot comes undrilled, so you can drill holes customized to your fingers to make the ball more comfortable to use. This ball offers consistent rolls and helps entry-level players in releasing hook shots better, as it slows down at lane-end thus giving good hook potential.
This old-timer is packed with a pancake core that offers good momentum on the lane and allows it to perform consistently and nail good straight shots. The 4000 Abralon polish finish on this ball makes it scratch-resistant and protects the cover.
Pros
- Easy for beginners to pick and play
- Comes undrilled
- Scratch-resistant polish finish
- Good straight shots
- Ability to hook towards the backend
Cons
- Not many color options
- Only suited for light-oil (dry) lanes
4. Ebonite Maxim Bowling Ball
The Maxim bowling ball from Ebonite is one of the top choices for beginners and well suited for dry lanes. Featuring a pancake core and polyester coverstock, Maxim offers great straight shots and is a perfect ball for casual bowling.
Maxim is durable, easy to handle, and is perfect for learning the basic control and throwing actions. The ball is consistent with good momentum on standard lanes.
This glow-in-dark, well-balanced ball comes in 2 color variations and weights ranging from 6 to 15 lbs.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good straight shots
- Predictable
- Easy control and grip
- Glows in dark
Cons
- Non-reactive
- No hook potential
- Only 2 color options
- Not suited for medium-heavy oil lanes
5. Motiv Venom Cobra Bowling Ball
If you are a beginner who is looking for a ball to take your game up a notch, the Venom Cobra from Motiv is your ball. Although it is a little expensive compared to the other balls on this list, it’s worth it since you can still use this ball even when you’ve become an expert in the sport.
Motiv packed this ball with Top Gear Dual Density core and a Sabotage Hybrid Reactive coverstock, making it the more advanced ball on this list.
Venom Cobra offers more length and angularity and has a faster lane reaction.
Best suited for light and medium oil lanes, it isn’t bad on heavy oil lanes either. It doesn’t overreact and gives the player a nicer, angular ball motion.
With all these incredible features, this Motiv ball brings the best bang for your bucks in case you want to play bowling more diligently and often. This is the only ball on this list that can provide a player with great hook potential.
Motiv offers Venom Cobra in multiple color schemes and weight ranges. Overall, this is an excellent ball to bring to any game.
Pros
- Great for both straight and hook shots
- Strong hits
- Faster reaction to friction
- Consistent ball movement
- Will remain a great choice even after gaining expertise
Cons
- Expensive
Conclusion
Needless to say, you need tons of practice to be good at bowling. All five balls on this list will help you get there by familiarizing you with the game and helping you master the fundamentals.
Choosing the best ball for your needs will be the first step in bowling consistently well and improving your game.
If you aim to be a professional bowler, I recommend Motiv Venom Cobra. If bowling is more of a recreational activity for you, Ebonite’s Maxim would be a great, affordable choice.