How to make more strikes in Bowling Solution: polyurethane coverstock replaces polyester coverstocks
Problem: How to make more strikes Using a bowling ball with a plastic or polyester cover results in fewer strikes With the polyester balls there is not enough friction between the ball and the lane so the ball skids too close to the pins or cannot make a large enough hook.
Solution: polyurethane coverstock on bowling balls First introduced in the 1980’s by AMF (American Machine and Foundry) ‘Angle’ was the first urethane bowling ball approved by the American Bowling Congress (Jowdy)
Solution: How it works The polyurethane is softer than polyester This increases the friction between the ball and bowling lane Increased friction = increased adhesion between the polyurethane and the bowling lane = increased hook potential A hook increases the chance of a strike because the ball hits the pins at an angle A hook occurs when the ball does not roll straight but instead ´hooks´ to the left or right.
Why is a hook important? “Bowlers who create an entry angle close to 90 degrees (meaning the ball enters the pocket perpendicular to the 1 and 3 pins for righties or 1 and 2 pins for lefties) throw a lot more strikes than bowlers who don't. “ (Goodger)
Evidence Comparing the blue and green lines shows that the urethane coated ball will cross more lanes that a polyester ball This increases the chance of having the ball hook into the pins at a 90o angle
Evidence Comparing the blue and brown lines shows that the urethane coated ball will hook at a higher angle into the pins than the polyester/plastic ball (Cotter, 2008)
Plastic versus urethane coverstock hook potential The higher the number the higher the hook potential of the ball Plastic coverstock bowling balls score between 0 and 75 Polyurethane coverstock bowling balls score above 75 (The Perfect Scale)
Interaction: economics Plastic bowling balls range from $20 to $50 (Goodger, J. and R. Carruba) Most urethane bowling balls start at $100 (How Much Does a Bowling Ball Cost) Urethane bowling balls are more durable than plastic Urethane bowling balls are made of softer material, are able to flex more when rolled, have less chance of cracking. (San Diego plastics, Inc.)
Interaction: economics For beginners, plastic bowling balls are more appropriate because they are cheaper and can still withstand the drops and rolls of bowling For the more experienced bowler and someone who would like to improve urethane bowling balls provide durability with long lasting life.
What I googled: with each web site I found additional words to use in my searches For the problem: Disadvantages of polyurethane bowlingballs For the solution: I used both the web and Bilder (images) pages Technological advances in bowling History of polyurethane bowlingballs Advantages of polyurethane bowlingballs Physics of polyurethane bowling balls What is a hook in bowling how many more strikes using a urethane bowling ball NPS score and bowling balls
What I googled: with each web site I found additional words to use in my searches For the Interaction I looked up regulations of bowling balls and coverstocks – not much help Each top bowling ball company and where their bowling balls are manufactured – interesting but again not much help Average cost of plastic and polyester bowling balls Durometer of plastic and polyester bowling balls
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