For amateur and professional bowlers, the bowling ball might be the most important equipment. It has the capability to affect your performance, as well as the lane, oil pattern, and of course, the pins. If you are now getting serious about the sport, you might longer want to use an alley ball and instead have your own. In this case, getting a urethane bowling ball could be good for you.
In this post, we will be talking about the basics of choosing the best urethane bowling ball for 2020. We also have provided you the top 6 picks for the best ones available, as well as a detailed description of their best features. We hope that the reviews we will share with you can be of great help towards making an intelligent buying decision. Read on if you want to know more.
Best 6 Urethane Bowling Balls 2020
Table of Contents
| PRODUCTS | BRANDS | OUR RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer Black Urethane [BEST CHOICE] | HAMMER | 4.9/5 | |
| Storm Mix Urethane | STORM | 4.7/5 | |
| Hammer Blue | HAMMER | 4.7/5 | |
| Storm Pitch Black | STORM | 4.5/5 | |
| Motiv Arctic Sniper | MOTIV | 4.5/5 | |
| Candlepin Urethane Pro-Line | BOWLERSTORE | 4.7/5 |
Our Top Picks for the Best Urethane Bowling Ball
Hammer Black Urethane
Very popular for beginners, the Hammer Black Urethane is the modified version of the light bulb core that created the LED core design. It features a Urethane cover stock and has a 500 grit Abralon pad finish. Overall, it offers a great grip and control in the bowler’s hand. Interestingly, this model has made every list of the best urethane bowling balls online.
This urethane bowling ball has a black finish with a smooth arc cover stock. It also looks very sleek with the white engraved lettering. While it is not the cheapest urethane bowling ball there is, it offers great quality and value for money. Lastly, it comes in sizes 14, 15, and 16.
Storm Mix Urethane Bowling Ball
Another great urethane bowling ball on this list is the Storm, now with its Mix series. It features a U1S Pearl Urethane cover stock and its core is a traditional 3-piece construction that also comes with a 3,500-grit polish finish. This urethane bowling ball is highly recommended for light lane conditions, as it has a low-ball reaction.
The Storm Mix urethane bowling ball is made in Taiwan and is also offered in different sizes and three finishes: pink and white, black and white, and purple and yellow. What’s great about this urethane bowling ball is its price, which varies depending on its size and finish. Now, you can get a bowling ball with the right size and is within your budget.
Hammer Blue Bowling Ball
Compared to other plastic models, the Hammer Blue bowling ball comes with a urethane cover stock, which can provide you with excellent performance on the lanes. It’s true that plastic ones are a lot cheaper. However, if you are getting serious about bowling, you won’t go wrong with a high-performance urethane bowling bowl like the Hammer Blue.
It features the reengineered Vibe core, partnered with the urethane cover stock, which altogether provides you the highest performance possible. With this, you can enjoy the sight of the bowling ball rolling down the lane as smoothly as possible. Some say that with this urethane bowling ball, you can get the best of its vintage design and the new urethane cover stock option.
A great substitute for plastic bowling balls, the Hammer Blue urethane bowling ball is crafted with sturdy materials and is scratch-resistant. Its Viber core is also a highlight for beginners and experts. It is also great for tournaments, as well as for practice, and is basically for everyone who wants to boost their performance.
Storm Pitch Black Bowling Ball
Packed with an overwhelming number of great reviews, the Storm Pitch Black Bowling Ball is a combination of excellent performance and high-performance ball control. Overall, this is a great urethane bowling ball for all bowling enthusiasts. It is equipped with a Control Solid urethane cover stock and the Capacitor core that enable you to control the bowling ball.
It also features the 1,000-grit pad factory finish that ensures that the bowling ball rolls down the lane as smoothly as possible. Overall, this would be a great urethane bowling ball to show off your skills, as well as the ball’s beautiful aesthetics. Interestingly, the Storm Pitch Black does its job well on oily lanes, as with any other lane condition.
Motiv Arctic Sniper Bowling Ball
Known as the improved version of the original Sniper, the Motiv Arctic Sniper urethane bowling ball is another great option for you. It uses the DMX urethane technology, which allows you better control of the bowling ball down to the lanes. Due to the urethane technology, it’s guaranteed that there will be fewer chances of chipping and cracking, unlike the previous polyester model.
In addition, its inner core is a hollow point, which would mean that it will be able to deliver a sharp shooting accuracy. It also is very beautiful to look at with its white pearl and silver peal finish. Overall, the Motiv Arctic Sniper urethane bowling ball will be able to help you improve your performance even if you are just a beginner.
Bowlerstore Products Candlepin Urethane Pro-Line Bowling Ball
The Candlepin Urethane Pro-Line bowling ball offered by Bowlerstore Products is another option you might want to consider when choosing the best urethane bowling ball available on the market right now. In case you did not know, it is the second generation EPCO of reactive urethane, which would mean that the technology used in this bowling ball results in better reaction with the lanes.
What’s great about this product is that it is discounted if you buy it as a 4-ball set. However, you still have the option to purchase just 1 or 2 bowling balls. To add, it has an engraved EPCO urethane Pro-Line logo and it comes in three different colors: lime green, white, and navy. Now, if you wish to play in style, you should check this product out.
How to Choose the Best Urethane Bowling Ball
With a lot of options to choose from, how do you pick the right one? Aside from the bowling ball cost, there are other factors that can affect your decision and it is vital that we discuss it in detail. By doing so, you will be able to narrow down your choices into selecting the best one. Here are some of the essentials factors that you need to consider when choosing a urethane bowling ball:
- Weight of the Urethane bowling ball
The weight of your Urethane bowling ball is the primary factor that you should consider. It is common knowledge that the weight of your bowling ball must be approximately 10% of your overall body weight. In addition, the maximum weight of your bowling ball should be 16 pounds. However, keep in mind that it is not necessary that you abide by these.
What’s important is that you choose a Urethane bowling ball that you are comfortable to hold with your hands and roll it onto the lanes. Interestingly, some female bowlers even choose a 14-pound Urethane bowling ball. Ultimately, the best you can do is to visit a store and try different Urethane bowling ball to find the right weight of the bowling ball you are most comfortable using.
- Grip
To be able to have a better control of your Urethane bowling ball, it is vital that you can grip it firmly in your hands. While the grip is most likely dependent on the ball’s cover stock, the perfect grip would still be delivered by a Urethane bowling ball that is customized to fit your hand measurements.
- Hook potential
By definition, hook potential is your Urethane bowling ball’s ability to be able to bend sideways once you throw it onto the lanes. This factor is usually dependent on the flare potential rating, as well as the radius of gyration rating. Normally, experienced bowlers would recommend a 6-inch flare potential rating or higher.
- Cover stock
The bowling ball’s cover stock refers to the material that lines the ball and is mostly the single factor that determines its price. When choosing a bowling ball, it is vital that you choose the cover stock carefully, may it be polyester, urethane, resin, or particle. After all, it is the bowling ball’s surface that comes in contact with the lanes; thus, determines your performance.
What is a Urethane Bowling Ball?
In the simplest terms, a urethane bowling ball is a bowling ball made from urethane. Originally hitting the lanes during the 70’s, it has grown in terms of popularity and is now considered one of the best choices for beginners and intermediate players today. Urethane bowling ball can offer you a greater chance of a hook, as it creates more friction with the lane, unlike plastic bowling balls.
Compared to plastic, urethane clearly has a lot more to offer: it has elastomeric memory, it is non-brittle, it is resilient to abrasion and impact, and it is versatile. Now, urethane bowling balls offer a greater angle of entry and it can cover more boards at any given lane condition, doing its job a lot better than plastic bowling balls.
Reactive-resin bowling balls can deliver more power, especially on the backend. But what’s great about urethane bowling balls is that they take a gradual path as they go along towards the pins. With this, it can be confirmed that urethane bowling balls offer better grip on the lanes and are more predictable and controllable than reactive-resin bowling balls.
Conclusion
Choosing from a wide range of great products can be confusing, especially if you are a beginner. We have discussed in detail everything there is to know about how to choose the best urethane bowling ball and it is now up to you to carefully evaluate and select from our top picks. We do recommend, however, that you visit a store and try fitting it so you can get the feel on your hands.