Carry Your Own Bowling Ball Surface Grit Pads
Originally Posted: 8/2/2014; Updated 10/2/2022If you are a serious bowler and rely on your equipment to get you the ball reaction needed to succeed, then carry your own bowling ball grit pads.
Take care of your ball surfaces after each session you bowl. Make sure you clean the oil, dirt, or marks on your ball surfaces after completion of bowling. Now is the perfect time to do so. Many of us bowlers are still at home, waiting to make our return to the lanes.
Before putting away your equipment, hit the surfaces with the type of grit pad you need to gain the traction you want next time you bowl.
Not everyone owns a high speed ball spinner like the ones used in pro shops but getting into the habit of texturing the surfaces of your own bowling balls can save you time and money by avoiding running to the pro shop every week, particularly for you bowlers living in rural areas.
You can quickly and easily learn to texture the surface of your bowling balls by hand after bowling by using the appropriate grit pad matching lane conditions and your delivery style and then your equipment is ready to go next time you take the lanes.
Screen your ball surfaces yourself with a minimal investment in
grit pads, ball cleaner, and polish. You can prolong the reaction capabilities of each bowling ball you own until you must get to the pro shop for a resurfacing job, perhaps after 60 games of bowling.
bowlingball.com offers a convenient combo package that contains all of the pads listed below plus Monster Tac Ball Cleaner and a Monster Microfiber Pad for cleaning your equipment before/after resurfacing. This package is in stock and available
here. It helps to first get acquainted with the various grits these pads are available in and what to expect with their use. Here is a list of grit pads producing the earliest roll up to the latest breakpoint down the lane:
1. 180 Abralon pad...this pad produces a highly textured surface for maximum gripping power.
2. 360 Abralon pad...slightly less texture producing pad but very good on extremely oiled lane surfaces.
3. 500 Abralon pad...a step closer to a smoother ball finish with sufficient gripping power.
4. 1000 Abralon pad...produces sufficient amount of gripping power on most lane conditions.
5. 2000 Abralon pad....produces a medium grit texture providing good skid with back end bite.
6. 4000 Abralon pad...the finest texture of all pads and extends bowling ball skid length.
There are intermediate scuffing pads which fill in between these pad ranges. For the most part, these six ranges of pads listed above will do nicely as a stop-gap between visits to the pro shop.
Please be reminded that there are, however, pads in ranging grit capabilities such as pads with textures of 400 grit, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, and 2500 grit.
Depending on how involved you wish to become in texturing your ball surfaces, you can choose any of the above mentioned pads and prepare your equipment for use in competition as you deem appropriate and at your time and convenience.
The smoother the ball surface, the longer the ball skid. The rougher the texture, the quicker ball reaction you will get on the lane surface.
It is important to note that high speed screening with Abralon pads will generally produce a smoother and shinier finish than by hand. If you use pads by hand, try to use consistent pressure on the pads and work the entire ball surface as evenly as possible.
Some experimentation is required to get select the best grit pads for your game. Carry your own bowling ball grit pads and stay prepared for the lane conditions you face routinely.
