What Are Urethane Bowling Balls Good For & How to Maintain It

If you're new to bowling, urethane bowling balls may be foreign to you. In this post, you'll learn all about urethane bowling balls—how they're made, what advantages they present, and how to pick the best one for your needs. Read on to learn more about urethane bowling balls and how they can enhance your game.

Bowling is a popular sport that has been around for a very long time. And like with any other sport, it has evolved. When choosing the perfect bowling ball, you can choose from three options: plastics, reactive, and urethane balls. Since they were larger and had longer patterns, urethane balls were extremely popular in the 1990s.

Even though they are not as popular as they were, a new series of urethane bowling balls have recently been released by manufacturers. Urethane bowling balls are the go-to choice for most bowlers when the lanes are dry. If you are still on the fence about purchasing urethane bowling balls, this piece will provide the facts you need to know about their advantages and how they may improve your game.

What Are Urethane Bowling Balls?

Urethane Bowling Balls

Urethane bowling balls are made from Polyurethane—a synthetic rubber-like material. The material gives the balls a higher frictional quality, making the balls ideal for hooking and splitting. Urethane bowling balls are known for their longevity and precision on the lane since they are more resilient than other ball materials.

Benefits of Urethane Bowling Balls

If you have never gone bowling using urethane bowling balls, you may wonder, “what are urethane bowling balls good for?” Urethane bowling balls offer a variety of advantages. The following are some of the advantages of using bowling balls.

High hook potential: With urethane bowling balls, you have more hooks, enabling you to create more angles to the pocket. This helps create more entry angles to the pocket, allowing you to roll a more consistent strike ball.
Consistency: Urethane bowling balls tend to be more consistent over various lane conditions. This makes them the ideal option for tournaments. Urethane balls are versatile and perform well on light to medium-oiled lanes. Urethane balls are incredibly beneficial for both intermediate and experienced bowlers because of these benefits.
More Control: Urethane bowling gives players more control and accuracy, drastically improving their gameplay. The urethane material is less reactive on the lane and provides more hook potential, allowing the player to create more side-to-side motion on the lane.
Affordability: Urethane bowling balls are cheaper than other materials, making them the best option for bowlers on a low budget. If you are on a budget, urethane bowling balls are a great option; you can even get them for a lower price when you buy them online or at a bowling alley.
Less Absorbent to Oil: Urethane does not cause much friction because it does not absorb oil easily. Instead, it will keep the momentum of your throw and continue on its intended path. This makes it simpler to clean the balls and lessens the likelihood that they will pick up any dirt or debris during play.

Pro Tip! The outstanding hooking is a massive benefit for the pros, but it may be too advanced for novices to learn. Resin or plastic bowling balls are easier for beginners to control and produce straighter shots.

Disadvantages of urethane bowling balls

Even though urethane bowling balls pack several advantages, they also have some associated disadvantages. Some of these include:

Urethane balls have a low hook potential: Unlike reactive resin balls, urethane balls have a low hook potential. Meaning, these bowling balls have a somewhat low on-point pin action.
Not the best ball for professional bowlers: If you are a pro looking to up your bowling game, urethane isn’t for you. Consider reactive resin bowling balls instead.
Light bowling balls: Urethane bowling balls have considerably light owing to their low density. That aspect affects their rolling performance on the lane.
Considerably expensive: even though they are readily available, urethane bowling balls are expensive.

Do Urethane Bowling Balls Absorb Oil?

If you have been bowling for a long time, you may know that oil can be problematic when cleaning bowling balls. Oil can also seep into the pores of the ball, making it too difficult to control the ball. So do urethane bowling balls face the same issue? No, urethane bowling balls don't readily absorb oil like resin bowling balls. Instead, they roll down the channel while pushing the oil forward.

How to Maintain a Urethane Bowling Ball

Maintain a Urethane Bowling Ball

Proper maintenance of your bowling ball is essential for its durability. You can easily clean your urethane bowling ball as you would with your other balls. To clean your urethane bowling ball, you will need the following.

Microfiber towel.
Hot water tub
Alcohol or oil cleaner

Step 1: Begin by applying some detergent, oil cleaner, or alcohol onto the microfiber cloth or towel.

Step 2: Use the wet microfiber cloth and towel to rub the surface of the urethane ball to remove dirt, grime, and debris that has built up on the surface over time.

Step 3: Dip the bowling ball inside a hot water tub for 20 – 20 minutes. That will help loosen oil that may have permeated the coverstock.

Step 4: Remove the ball from the hot water tub and continue rubbing its surface using the microfiber cloth or towel soaked in alcohol or cleaning detergent.

Step 5: Once the ball is sufficiently clean. Rinse it and then dry it with a dry towel or piece of microfiber cloth.

Pro Tip!

If the urethane bowling ball appears worn out, you might want to consider getting it resurfaced at a bowling pro shop. Resurfacing is the process of polishing and refinishing a bowling ball's surface to bring it back to its original factory finish. This could lessen track flare and improve ball responsiveness all around. It is crucial for keeping bowling balls since it keeps them constant and can help them last longer. By making the ball more reliable and consistent, resurfacing can also help the ball perform better.

Should You Get a Urethane Bowling Ball?

Get a Urethane Bowling Ball

Are you still unsure if you ought to get a urethane bowling ball? You shouldn't add some urethane bowling balls to your collection if you are an accomplished bowler. You might, however, need to adjust your bowling style and adapt to the new ball. If you are a new bowler, we recommend going for an alternative ball, such as a resin one. Plastic balls are simpler to control and are easier to hook, while reactive resin balls are more durable and offer more hook potential and backend reaction.

Bottom Line

Urethane bowling balls are a great option if you want to experiment with a new playing style, especially for beginners. They offer many advantages, including increased control and dependability while you play. Additionally, urethane bowling balls are less expensive than other balls. However, you might need to develop a stronger rolling technique and won't be able to rely as heavily on straight shots. As hook shots are what urethane balls are known for, you should also attempt to increase your comfort level when making them.