What is Bowling Ball Spinner and How to Polish Surface
Whether you’re a professional or casual bowler, there is pride in having better scores and accurate throws.
The surface of your ball can drastically affect the outcome of your game. That’s why it’s always advisable to ensure that your bowling ball is in the best conditions possible. Regularly cleaning, polishing, and inspecting your bowling ball will help you perform better, save money and personalize the ball to your bowling style.
One of the important tools when it comes to bowling ball maintenance is the bowling ball spinner. If you’re not familiar with a bowling ball spinner, we’re here to help you understand it. In this article, we’ll have a deeper look at bowling ball spinners and what they entail.
What is a Bowling Ball Spinner?
A bowling ball spinner is a device used for cleaning, sanding, or polishing a bowling ball to achieve the perfect ball surface. By spinning the bowling ball constantly, a bowling ball spinner allows you to apply even pressure on the ball using a polishing pad, brush, or washcloth. Bowling ball spinners are important in helping you achieve the spin you desire.
Without the spinner, you’ll have a difficult time making your bowling ball’s surface even. You’ll have one area of the bowling ball more polished or sanded than the others. This will make it difficult to control the ball's motion and trajectory as it travels down the lane. Therefore, it’s important to use a bowling ball spinner to ensure that your bowling ball is perfectly equipped for the lane you’ll bowl on.
Why Do You Need a Bowling Ball Spinner?
A bowling ball spinner is an essential tool that significantly improves the performance of a bowler. Some of the ways a bowling ball spinner can help you include:
- To clean your ball: Your bowling ball comes into contact with oil and dirt on the lanes. With time, they build up on the surface of the ball causing it to lose grip on the lane leading to less hook. Therefore, when you realize that your bowling ball has become less effective on the lanes and isn’t hooking like it used to, it’s time to give it a deep clean using a bowling ball spinner.
- Maintaining your bowling ball: You’ll also need a bowling ball spinner to polish your ball. Scratches and nicks can significantly affect the trajectory of your ball. A spinner makes it easy to get rid of them, improve your ball’s reaction, and prolongs its life.
- Additionally, you’ll also need a spinner after purchasing a used ball. You can use it to give the ball a deep clean and restore it. This will help you ensure that the ball is at its peak performance before using it.
- A bowling ball spinner also allows you to apply different types of spins to your ball. By testing the ball's reaction on the lane, you can choose the right ball that matches your style and the conditions of the lanes.
Therefore, instead of taking time sanding down your bowling bowl, you can use a spinner to achieve all the benefits at once. You’ll manage to improve the ball's reaction on the lane, improve your release, and achieve the hook and control you desire.
How to Use a Bowling Ball Spinner
A bowling ball spinner works by applying a rotational force to the ball. The process of using a bowling ball spinner depends on the type of spinner you have. There are two main types of bowling ball spinners which are electric and manual. Here is how you can use each of these spinners.
Electric Bowling Ball Spinner
An electric bowling ball spinner is one that’s powered by an electric motor and can spin the ball at a much faster rate. You can take the following steps when using an electric bowling ball spinner:
Step 1: Attach your bowling ball to the spinner using clips or clamps
Step 2: After attaching the ball, you can use a polishing pad or a brush to apply pressure to it
Step 3: Turn on the spinner as you apply pressure on the ball. The electric motor and spinning apparatus will constantly spin the ball allowing you to evenly clean, sand, or polish it.
You can adjust the spin to apply more or less spin to the ball depending on the desired effect. After the ball is well-polished, you can remove it from the spinner. It should be clean and without any visible scratches, nicks, or dirt.
Manual Bowling Ball Spinner
On the other hand, a manual bowling ball spinner is operated by hand and typically uses a crank handle to rotate the ball. You can use a non-electric bowling ball spinner by taking the following simple steps:
Step 1: Place your bowling ball on top of the spinner
Step 2: Proceed to work on your ball
Step 3: To work on a new area, you’ll be required to manually rotate the ball while it’s on the spinner.
How to Make a Bowling Ball Spinner
While it’s a long consuming process, bowlers can make their own DIY bowling ball spinner. You’ll need access to various materials which you probably don’t have at home including a drill press, metal bowl, rubber washer, and other supplies. This makes it even more exhausting to make your own bowling ball spinner.
Alternatively, you can check out at your local bowling alley or pro shop. They may have a bowling ball spinner that you can use for free or at a small fee. If not, you can also purchase your own bowling ball spinner. Some of the common bowling ball spinners available online include:
- Brunswick Bowling Rotating Ball Cup– The most affordable option
- Bowlerstore Products Innovative Personal Ball Spinner – A mid-priced option
- Bowlerstore Products Innovative 2 Speed Ball Spinner – a higher-end professional ball spinner
How Much Does a Bowling Ball Spinner Cost?
The price of a bowling ball spinner depends on the type of spinner you want and its model. Typically, a basic non-electric at-home bowling ball spinner costs around $20, while a high-end powered professional model can cost even more than $600.
What you’ll go for depends on how serious you are about bowling. Casual bowlers who rarely go bowling can opt for the cheaper option. This is because their ball requires less maintenance as they rarely use it.
However, serious and professional bowlers should invest more money in buying a high-quality spinner. This will help them ensure their ball is in top-notch condition at all times which can help improve their performance.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Bowling Ball Spinner
If you’re unsure of whether you should buy a bowling ball or not, here are the pros and cons of buying one:
Conclusion
A bowling ball spinner is a great tool for any bowler who wants to ensure their ball remains in perfect condition at all times. By using a bowling ball spinner, you’ll ensure that your ball spins correctly and your throws are more predictable and consistent. You’ll also manage to identify and eliminate any defects in the ball such as cracks, or nicks. By reading this article we hope that you’ve understood everything about bowling ball spinners, how to use them and why they are important to bowlers.
