The Role of a Good Pro Shop in Your Bowling Game

Written By: Keith Spear | Written On: Friday, September 18, 2009 | Updated On: Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Importance of a Good Bowling Pro Shop and Using the Perfect Scale®

The Perfect Scale®: Your Guide to Choosing the Right Bowling Ball

Learning how to use the Perfect Scale® bowling ball feature is very easy and an extremely effective means of helping you select your next bowling ball. bowlingball.com has created its own hook rating scale to streamline the bowling ball selection process for bowlers at all skill levels.

The Role of a Good Pro Shop in Your Bowling Game

While online resources like the Perfect Scale® are invaluable, a quality pro shop provides services and personalized attention that are difficult to replicate online. Pro shops are instrumental in helping bowlers find and customize the right equipment. Here’s why a good pro shop is a crucial part of every bowler’s journey to improvement:

1. Personalized Bowling Ball Fitting

A pro shop specialist can provide you with a precise bowling ball fitting, including custom drilling tailored to your hand's unique measurements. A poorly fitted ball can lead to inconsistent throws, discomfort, and even injury over time. Custom fitting involves measuring your hand’s span, finger width, and thumb size to create a fit that allows for a comfortable, controlled release.

In addition to fit, a good pro shop considers the bowler's grip preference (conventional, fingertip, or semi-fingertip) and any physical factors that could affect grip, such as hand flexibility and grip strength. This level of customization can lead to improved control and accuracy, especially as you encounter different lane conditions.

2. Professional Ball Maintenance and Resurfacing

Bowling balls endure wear and tear that can affect their performance over time. Regular maintenance is essential to keep the ball in optimal condition, and pro shops offer services like resurfacing, de-oiling, and polishing. These services are essential for ensuring that your ball retains its desired hook potential and doesn’t lose grip on the lane.

Resurfacing a bowling ball removes a layer of the coverstock, refreshing the surface and restoring traction. Over time, oil absorption can cause a ball to lose its backend hook potential, making de-oiling a crucial part of long-term ball care. This service can significantly extend the life and performance of your equipment.

3. Expert Knowledge on Lane Conditions and Ball Performance

Pro shop staff are knowledgeable about lane conditions and the way different types of balls react to varying oil patterns. They can recommend adjustments to your bowling ball selection or suggest certain drilling patterns to suit specific conditions, which can be invaluable, especially if you play in different bowling centers with unique lane characteristics.

Furthermore, they can offer guidance on which balls are better suited for particular skill levels and bowling styles. This expertise helps you get the most out of your investment by matching your equipment to your performance goals.

4. Equipment Upgrades and Performance Evaluations

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced bowler, a good pro shop can help evaluate your equipment needs as you progress. As bowlers improve their technique and skill, their equipment requirements may change. A pro shop can suggest upgrades, such as balls with different coverstocks or cores, that match your evolving style and lane conditions.

Performance evaluations, often conducted by observing your throws or analyzing your approach and release, allow pro shop experts to recommend the right equipment adjustments or replacements. These assessments are key to keeping your game on track as you improve.

5. Access to Pro-Level Accessories and Additional Resources

Beyond balls, pro shops provide access to accessories like wrist supports, tape, shoes, and grip aids, which help bowlers improve performance and prevent injury. Pro shops often offer lessons or access to coaches who can provide insights into technique, mental game, and equipment usage, which can be particularly useful for bowlers looking to refine their skills.

How the Perfect Scale® Works

By familiarizing yourself with how to use the Perfect Scale® bowling ball feature, you can easily streamline the bowling ball selection process. Here is how it works: Just click on the Perfect Scale® (PS) button at the top of the bowlingball.com home page, then click on the image of the PS lane graph to view bowling balls that fall into the PS range you’re looking for.

For example, if you click on the yellow portion of the scale for very dry lane conditions, a new page will appear on your screen with bowling ball options matching the hook potential rating for those lane conditions. Any of these ball options will match well, but you should click on the image of each ball to review its detailed description, product availability, warranty information, and pricing.

Why the Perfect Scale® is Essential

Each manufacturer uses a different method for indicating a given bowling ball's hook potential, making it challenging for consumers to compare products across brands. bowlingball.com developed the Perfect Scale® to allow bowlers to make these comparisons easily. The PS ranges from a rating of "1-300," with plastic balls rated at a very low hook potential of "5" and the highest hook potential at around "225." This range leaves room for future advancements in bowling ball technology.

The Perfect Scale® uses mathematical formulas combined with manufacturers' current scales to generate a uniform, comparable rating. While the PS provides a reliable measure of hook potential, you should also consider your skill level, other bowling ball characteristics, and lane oil conditions when selecting a bowling ball. These factors can slightly alter a ball’s performance and hook potential.

Final Thoughts

In summary, using the Perfect Scale® helps streamline bowling ball selection, but a reliable pro shop is equally important. Whether it's ball fitting, maintenance, or specialized advice, a good pro shop offers services that complement the convenience of online resources. A combination of the Perfect Scale® and the guidance of a quality pro shop can help you make confident equipment decisions that enhance your bowling experience.

At bowlingball.com, we aim to provide bowlers with the tools they need, both online and in person, to make informed choices. Ready to select your next ball? Use the Perfect Scale® and consult your local pro shop for the best fit for your game!

Looking for a good pro shop in your area check our Pro Shop Locator and also did you know that bowlingball.com also offers professional drilling where we pick up your current bowling ball, copy it, then resurface for free and ship them both back to you. You only have to do this once, we keep all specs on file and can drill any ball for you at any time.

 BEWARE of Pro Shops that tell you that the ball that you purchased off the internet is a second or inferior in some way. Some pro shops even will tell tall tales about certain brands all the while trying to sell you something they have in stock. You can always ask for your drilling specs and have it drilled elsewhere or even by us here at bowlingball.com. If they refuse to give you your ball drilling specs we can copy an existing ball and easily drill the new ball identical. Also, If they refuse to give you YOUR specs run to someone that isn't so entitled.