Guide to Bowling Equipment

Offer high-performance bowling equipment and service for your customers

By Margaret Haerens

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If you manage a bowling alley or are opening a pro shop or stocking a sports equipment store, you need to find top-rated bowling equipment. This equipment needs to fit men, women and children. It also needs to appeal to a variety of bowlers.

Bowling remains a popular participation sport in the United States. Studies show that many adults bowl in leagues every week. Children also participate, with bowling birthday parties and outings becoming a staple on the weekends. Bowling is also a televised competitive sport, with bowlers competing for big money and prizes. This means that you need to offer bowling balls and bowling accessories for bowlers of all ages and skill levels.

With bowling still popular and participation strong, bowlers young and old will be interested in finding affordable, durable, and cutting-edge bowling shoes, bowling balls, and bowling accessories to improve their performance on the lanes. For your business to be successful, you will have to:

Be knowledgeable about brands, styles, new technology, and applications of a wide variety of bowling balls, bowling shoes, and bowling accessories like gloves and supports
Offer an expert fit on bowling balls and bowling shoes
Update your inventory with the newest and most innovative products to generate long-term patronage from coaches, bowling alley managers, and serious and casual bowlers

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Offer a bowling ball for every age, skill and experience level

Bowlers of all skill levels need a durable and high-performance bowling ball. It is the most important piece of equipment a bowler needs to play the game! Make sure to offer various weights, finishes, cover stocks and brands for bowlers to choose from.

I recommend: One of the top bowling ball wholesalers, cheapbowlingballs.com offers the top bowling ball brands as well as wholesale bowling balls. Ebonite International provides a range of cutting-edge bowling balls. Another top bowling ball manufacturer, Columbia 300, carries bowling balls and other bowling ball equipment. Brunswick is a top bowling ball manufacturer that offers a nice selection of bowling balls to choose from.

Comfortable and well-fitting bowling shoes are another essential piece of bowling equipment

There are two types of bowling shoes: athletic bowling shoes, which look like regular sneakers but have a special tread that will provide the proper grip without damaging the floor, and performance shoes, designed to provide optimum performance. You must ascertain a bowler's needs to fit him/her with the proper shoe.

I recommend: 900Global has a great selection of performance shoes for the serious bowler, and even provides special shoe fitting equipment, such as heel adjustments, replaceable toe caps and soles. Etonic manufacturers a top-rated line of bowling shoes for men and women, including a popular retro style. Elite International also carries a selection of men’s and women’s bowling shoes in different styles and colors.

Provide a broad range of bowling equipment to improve a bowler's performance

A bowler needs to buy a bowling ball, shoes, and a bowling bag to hold all bowling supplies. Gloves, supports, bowling bags and totes, bowling ball inserts and maintenance products are items you need to keep in stock. You may also want to purchase ball fitting equipment, such as a bowling ball drill and a fitting system, if it fits your needs.

I recommend: Powerhouse manufactures bowling ball drills, cleaning and refinishing supplies and plugging products. They also offer classes on how to repair bowling balls and bowling equipment and how to set up and run a bowling pro shop. MoRich Bowling Ball Co sells an easy-to-use bowling ball fitting system, which allows pro shops to provide a customized bowling ball fit. Storm Products, Inc. is an acknowledged leader in bowling accessories, particularly bowling ball bags and totes. Turbo 2-N-1 Grips is a leading manufacturer of bowling insert products and accessories, including the original 2-N-1 and 4-N-1 insert.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Plastic bowling balls are the most common type. Polyester is the material used to make them, and this makes them cheap to manufacture. They handle intense wear and last much longer than urethane, reactive resin, or particle bowling balls. If you are stocking a bowling alley and expect to attract inexperienced and casual bowlers just looking for a night of fun, consider plastic bowling balls. Remember, serious bowlers usually have their own balls and will bring them to use on league nights.
Fitting a bowler to the right bowling ball is a challenging process. You want to allow the bowler to deliver the ball without excessive grip pressure. Make sure to get proper training in fitting techniques and consider purchasing equipment to help you with the fitting process. Train your staff to provide an excellent fit for every bowler and to be knowledgeable about the different brands, styles, and specifications of bowling balls on the market.
Bowling shoes also require a careful fit. For example, the performance shoe design helps maximize a bowler's performance: one sole is for sliding, the other for breaking. If you bowl with your right hand, then the "sliding" sole should be on the left shoe; if you bowl with your left hand, then it should be on the right.
If you are opening a pro shop, be knowledgeable on bowling ball maintenance and repair. Customers will expect you to help them refinish and repair their bowling balls. Ensure you have trained staff-preferably experienced bowlers-who can perform these tasks quickly and efficiently. By having the right repair products and equipment and responding effectively to your customer's needs, you are generating loyalty and long-term business.

The official source of Bowling Equipment is the Bowling Equipment page at Business.com

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