How Much Do Ten-Pin Bowling Balls Cost?

Maybe it’s bowling night and you’ve rocked a few strikes, then that you start contemplating on a ten-pin bowling professional career. If so, then you need to purchase the right ten-pin bowling ball. This sport doesn’t only require a flexible body and a good aim for one to be successful. As you learn, sometimes the success also depends on your ball of choice.

So, how much does a ten-pin bowling ball even cost?

The top-quality ten-pin bowling balls can be quite an investment, especially if you’re a beginner. Usually, the most recommended bowling balls cost between $100 to $150. The price vary, depending on its cover stock, core or weight block, and overall lane performance, and many other factors.

The cost of one professional-grade bowling ball can reach up to a few hundred dollars, and this does not include its paraphernalia and maintenance. Then again, this is an investment required in a player’s career and the cost almost always covers the ball’s wide range of capabilities.

Choosing a bowling ball can be a challenge if you’re new to the game. This is why we would recommend that you choose a top-grade polyester or plastic ball like the Brunswick T-zone, the Columbia 300 White Dot, or the Ebonite Maxim. These types of balls offer a straight trajectory, so even as you get better, you can still keep these in your arsenal for the spares.

Brunswick T-Zone


Excellent bowling balls for beginners, the Brunswick T-Zone has a low hook potential and comes from a well recognised brand in the bowling world.

Columbia 300 White Dot


A stunningly attractive ball, which throws like a dart. Another great low hook bowling ball

Ebonite Maxim


Another fantastic straight shooter. Perfect for knocking off spares and looking great at the same time!

When it comes to professional bowlers, solid or hybrid reactive resin cover stocks are ideal choices as starters because they are highly aggressive and versatile friction against the lane. These are the types that offer a wide range of motion capabilities, and that makes them great strike balls. Bowling balls of this cover stock are also the most expensive.

What Makes a Bowling Ball Expensive?

The cover stock, weight block, and core are among the main things that contribute to how expensive a ten-pin bowling ball can get. Hook potential is something to consider, but this is usually a result of the main factors. It is important to keep various important factors in mind before you make your pick based on the aesthetics, finger holes, etc.

What is the Most Expensive Bowling Ball?

The most expensive ten-pin bowling balls in the market are usually made with reactive resin cover stock, since this kind of material offers a strong pin action, and powerfully high traction when rolled on a heavily-oiled lane. In short, reactive resin cover stock offers the best hook potential.

In 2020, the most expensive bowling ball was the Brunswick DV8, with a cover stock made out of composite pearl reactive resin.

Another costly option is the hybrid particle cover stock or proactive ten-pin bowling balls, which is a product commonly attributed to be under the Brunswick brand. These balls have the reputation to be violent on the lane, hard to control, but quite powerful. This is more on the expensive side, and is more recommended for expert use.

What Bowling Balls are Cheap?

Urethane is another good material for cover stock, and it is cheaper than the Reactive and Proactive ones. This is usually the preference for those in the intermediate game levels. These kinds of balls provide a reliable motion in various lanes, and these are affordably priced. This is usually the option for those who like speed.

Polyester, on the other hand, is the cheapest option in the market that still gives you the best quality. Not only are these great for beginners, they are also an upgrade from all the dingy plastic balls in the bowling alleys. These don’t have a great hook potential but every expert has this in their arsenal.

How Do I Know if my Bowling Ball is too heavy?

Every bowling ball brand each ball type numbered from 6 to 16, with these numbers corresponding to the weight. This means that the lightest bowling ball is 6 pounds, and the heaviest is 16 pounds. When determining which weight will work best for you, here is a rule of thumb: all you have to do is choose the ball that is a tenth of your body weight. You can also try it out by putting the ball on the top of your hand and try to hold it for half a minute. If your hand can balance it without your arm shaking, then the ball is not too heavy for you.

What Bowling Ball do Professional Bowlers Use?

According to statistics, the choice of the professional bowler depends on what they are comfortable with. For example, adult female professional bowlers choose from 12 to 14-pound bowling balls, while adult male professional bowlers commonly use 14 to 16-pound ones. However, that is just according to the weight of the ball. Professional bowlers have bowling balls with every kind of cover stock because each varies in use and lane performance.

What are the Best Brands of Ten-pin Bowling Balls?

This will depend on the bowler’s choice, but overall the top names in the market include Storm, Ebonite, Brunswick, Hammer, Motiv, Columbia, among many others. Each of these brands focuses on a particular demographic, especially if they had been in the industry for quite a while. While there are a lot of brand reviews to look at, it’s best if you go for brands that had been in the market for many years.

If you prefer a brand with a wide array of products for both beginners and professionals, and produce the best bowling balls for entry-level, then you can opt for Storm, Ebonite, and Hammer.

If you’re one for legacy and consistency or just professional-grade products, then look for bowling balls at Brunswick and Roto Grip.

If you’re just getting started and you just want something affordable but can give you a satisfying bowling experience, then you can consider looking at products from Columbia, and Pyramid.