Bowling is a sport for everyone. Whether you are a child, an adult, or a senior citizen, there are ways you can bowl with your friends and family and have a great time. But for that, you are going to need a few basic components to make your game experience better.
You might be wondering what basic equipment is needed for bowling; Well, that is precisely what I am here to tell you.
In this article, I am going to talk about bowling for beginners, the components and equipment required for you to bowl, and whether bowling equipment is expensive or not. So, make sure you read this article till the end if you want to learn more about the art of bowling and achieve success in the sport at a higher level.
Bowling as a Beginner
So, you are a complete beginner when it comes to the sport of bowling, and you have recently started taking an interest and want to play; Well, there is not one problem with that.
Many people you are going to encounter have just started bowling as well, and they are pretty new. So, when it comes to bowling, always maintain your confidence and know that you do not have to be perfect at throwing the ball right from the start.
It will surely take quite a long time before you can consistently get strikes and spares once you learn the art of bowling. For now, all you need is to enjoy, learn, and practice.
One of the biggest things to always keep in mind when you are bowling as a beginner is that you need to keep working on your skills. Make notes. Observe better bowlers and then finally mix everything up and get better at the sport. That is how you will succeed and go forth.
Basic Equipment Needed for Bowling
Now when it comes to bowling, you can either think about playing the game in your nearby local bowling center or perhaps, if you have the funds, make a bowling alley of your own. Either way, there are some essential equipment elements that you are going to need if you want to play.
Let us take a look at some of the basic equipment you will need as a bowler so you can play with friends and family or professionally if you want.
Bowling Balls
First and foremost, the thing you will want to throw towards the bowling pins and try to get a strike or a spare. Bowling balls are essential for bowling of any kind, be it ten-pin, candlepin, or duckpin bowling.
Having your very own bowling ball customized according to your finger size, hand size, and comfort can be a blessing when it comes to rolling the ball in tournaments and even in practice.
But if you are not a professional, a house bowling ball would do just fine. But the need for a bowling ball still exists anyway. So this is the first thing you would want to have in your arsenal if you are thinking of bowling.
Check out these Best Selling Bowling Balls
Microfiber Towels
Microfiber clothes are essential no matter what kind of sport you are pursuing. But when it comes to bowling, Microfiber cloths or bowling towels are especially crucial in bowling games.
There are basically two uses of microfiber cloths in bowling. The first one is that Microfiber clothes can be used to wipe your bowling ball if the lane’s surface is too oily.
Secondly, if you have a spare towel in your bag, you can use that one to wipe off sweat in crucial situations because when the pressure is on, you can sweat in bowling games pretty heavily, and towels can keep you cool and your hands dry.
You can find microfiber towels here: Microfiber Towels
Bowling Shoes
Another fundamental piece of equipment you will need if you want to be bowling is bowling shoes. You can find bowling shoes in any bowling alley or your local bowling center, which you will have to wear before walking towards the lane.
Regular shoes can have frictional soles, which can get your footing stuck on a slippery surface and result in an injury. Bowling shoes prevent this. They are smooth and are designed to swiftly move on the surface of the floor so you can take a proper shot and move smoothly without getting stuck in motion and losing your footing, ending up hurting yourself. Therefore, you must wear bowling shoes before you start bowling.
You can find bowling shoes here: Best Selling Bowling Shoes
Bowling Gloves
Bowling gloves are often overlooked when it comes to bowling necessities, but they serve an essential purpose and should most definitely be considered one of the bowling equipment basics.
If you are not careful while throwing the bowling ball, you can put a lot of strain on your ligaments and joints, which can ultimately result in a career-threatening injury. So you need to make sure you protect your limbs and joints while you are bowling in the alley.
Using bowling gloves, you can protect your limbs, joints, and ligaments and make sure that you have a better grip on the bowling ball when you throw it. So, there are added safety and better support if you choose to use these accessories while bowling.
You can find bowling gloves here: Best Selling Bowling Gloves
Bowling Bags
Now we are making our way into the more extensive essentials of bowling in the professional scene. If you are a professional, you will need a large, durable bowling bag that can provide you with the assistance you need on far away and even local tours at times.
Bowling bags are bags made of leather or tote with multiple pockets, areas, and sections where you can store different things. You can keep one or more bowling balls, your bowling shoes, polish, towels, clothes, grips, gloves, and much more in a bowling bag if you want to. They are usually expensive, but you can indeed find one that is kept if you look hard enough for them.
Check out these Best Selling Bowling Bags
Outfits for Games
Like every professional sport, if you want yourself to be in your element and perform the best, you need to make sure that every step that you take is perfect in every way.
For that, you need to be completely comfortable in your clothes in bowling. In addition, you need to be freely moveable so that the backswing, front swing, angling, and everything in between are accurate.
That is why the right outfit for bowling games is also necessary. Of course, there are specialized outfits available for bowling, but if we are honest, as long as it is casual, you can wear anything that you feel comfortable in and have a blast while bowling with.
Check our article on outfits here: Bowling Outfit – What to Wear
Grip Tape
Tape can work wonders if you know how to use it while bowling. Grip tape, in particular, is for one purpose alone: providing the bowler with a stronger grip on the bowling ball so it does not stay loose and spill out of the hands instead of being perfectly thrown.
You can use the Bowling ball grip on your fingers, and when the grip tape makes contact with the bowling ball, it will allow you to hold the bowling ball better with firmer overall support. You can throw the bowling ball well and take the right shot if you use the bowling ball grip tape the right way. It is undoubtedly one of the essentials when it comes to bowling equipment.
You can find bowling grip tapes here: Bowling Grip Tape
Does Bowling Require Expensive Equipment?
A common question that I get asked a lot is, does bowling require expensive equipment; Well, that truly depends upon the nature of the sport and your approach towards it. Like every other sport, there are levels at which you can play a game of tenpin bowling. First, you have got the amateur group where you are good and occasionally participate in tournaments locally.
There is the casual and fun level where you only play whenever your family and friends want to hang out, and you are decent at throwing the ball and getting good scores.
And then, there is the big leagues: the professional level. This is where you will play at PBA events that are being televised worldwide, and you want to pursue bowling as a full-time career choice.
Depending upon the level of your bowling, the sport can be forgiving and cheap or expensive, and premium for you. This means that you would not need premium equipment against your opponents if you play at a casual level. Still, if you are playing professionally, to have a balanced match against your pro opponents, you will need the best equipment which can be expensive.
Conclusion
In this article, we looked at everything you will need to play a bowling game. Bowling does not require too much equipment, but there are some basic elements that you are going to need to have if you have to play the sport competitively and authentically. The equipment that I have mentioned above will surely enhance your overall bowling experience. I hope that you learned a lot from this guide and that you will learn bowling and get better at it as soon as you possibly can. Have an epic bowling experience!
