Bowling Ball Weight Guide – What Weight Should I Use?

Bowling Ball weight is indeed the key stakeholder for a bowler. And as a bowler, it can affect your game performance straightway if you do not choose the right ball. Therefore you have to know how much does a bowling ball weighs and what is the right weight ball for you. 

Some of the so-called experts will suggest you take the heavier ball and hit the strike. Really! 

In reality, there are various factors that you have to consider before choosing a bowling ball. And that is what I am going to explain in this article. 

Why Does The Heaviness Of A Bowling Ball Matter?

Yes, bowling ball weight matters. How many pounds is a bowling ball is what defines your performance. The first and apparent reason, if you choose a heavy ball, it will go straight due to the mass of the bowling ball with a minimum deflection. But there is a significant question that creates the problem. Can you throw the ball comfortably?

As a result, you have to pick a ball that you can throw comfortably, yet it can give you the maximum result in your bowling game. How? If you choose the heavier ball than you can handle, surely you can not apply enough force to get that bowling speed to strike. 

However, a lighter ball will also affect your shot by not giving you the proper resistance to throw the ball straight. Also, bowling can bend in the lane due to being lightweight. 

What’s The Right Weight Of a Bowling Ball

Before knowing what the perfect weight of your bowling ball is, you have to know how much does a bowling ball weighs in grams. 

According to the USBC, the mass of the bowling ball should be between 2.73 Kg to 7.25 Kg. In pounds, it is 6lbs to 16lbs. And it varies according to your playing conditions and strength. 

But, the average bowling ball weight is usually 14 lbs for males and 12lbs for females; since bowling ball weight can affect how it moves down the lane, you have to be concerned about that for sure.

What Weight Bowling Ball Should You Use?

Mostly it depends on your comfort. You know what to choose if you feel comfortable with the lighter ball and hit strike. However, according to your strength and playing level, you have to pick the right bowling ball to achieve the maximum result. 

1. If You’re Just Starting – Best Bowling Ball Weight For Beginners

If you are a beginner, let’s just start with a 6 to 10 pounds ball. It will give you more control over your shot. As a result, you will be able to score better in bowling. First, start with a 6 pounds ball and gradually increase the weight. And, find the perfect weight for yourself and practice with that for a few days.

Once you get confidence from your shot, you can go for a heavier weight. But, handling too much weight at the beginning can cause massive issues. Due to the weight, you might feel uncomfortable throwing the ball or hitting the bowling pins. Therefore, you will get desperate, and there is a chance to quit the game. 

2. If You’ve Already Started – The Best Weight of Bowling Ball Intermediate Players

Since you have played a few games and already got an idea about bowling, you can increase your weight. And as an intermediate player, the best weight of a bowling ball should be 11lbs to 14lbs. As you know, the heaviest ball is better for hitting the bowling pins.

But, as an intermediate-level player, you should not go for the heaviest; just stay between the medium-weight level to gain more skills in bowling. 

3. You’re a Pro! – The Weight Of Bowling Ball That Pro Bowlers Use And Prefer

Pro bowlers usually use 16 pounds of the ball. However, it is up to the preference. As you gain skills and hit strikes frequently, it will be better to go for the 16 pounds ball. And that will give you more control in your shot to bowling better. 

But, there is a rule for choosing the bowling ball that every pro-bowler follows. That is 1lbs for every 10 pounds of your weight. For example, if you are 150 pounds, 15 pounds of a bowling ball is perfect according to your weight. Yet, most of the time, pro bowlers prefer the heaviest ball that USBC allows (16 lbs) in their bowling.

What Weight Bowling Ball Should a Woman Use

10-14lbs is the perfect weight for a women’s bowling ball. Do not freak out, and it is all about how much strength you have. That will determine how perfect you can throw a bowling ball. And getting started with 10 pounds of bowling is good for women and finally, try 14 pounds at the pick level. Yet it is up to the bowler and varies from person to person. Usually, it never exceeds 14 pounds when it comes to a bowling ball for women. 

Bowling Ball Weight vs Speed

That is surely a debatable topic. Yes, bowling ball weight can affect bowling speed. You can not generate your pick speed with the heavyweight ball on the flat surface. On the other hand, if you pick the lightweight ball, you will be able to generate more speed.

According to physics, heavier objects run slower than lighter objects if you apply a similar force. Therefore you can conclude bowling ball weight can affect your bowling speed. 

However, you will get the mass velocity better in a heavier ball. As a result, it will have a harder impact on bowling pins. Therefore you have a chance to strike. In contrast, you may get the maximum speed, but mass velocity will be low on a lighter ball compared to a heavier ball. As a result, your bowling will impact less on bowling pins. 

For this reason, professional bowlers use heavyweight balls to hit harder and score better.

How Do You Know if Your Bowling Ball is Too Heavy or Too Light?

According to playing expertise, although there is a weight limit, what is the perfect weight for you? And, it is hard to determine if your bowling ball is too heavy or light. The first thing you need to do is hold the ball with one hand. If you can pick that up easily and hold it with comfort, that is the perfect weight for you. 

And, if you are playing with a heavy bowling ball yet you think it is the right weight for you, try to play a few games with that. After that, if you feel stress in your arm and feel any pain, that ensures it is too heavy for you. A bowling ball should be enough weight yet give comfort in your hand for a long time. 

In contrast, if you are trying with a lightweight ball and throwing it easily all day long yet feeling nothing on your hand because it is too light for you. Therefore you can increase the weight as long as it is not going to create any stress in your hand after throwing several times. 

And, getting the best weight of the ball that is not too heavy or light can give you the prime result you are expecting. 

Different Bowling Ball Sizes and Their Average Weights 

Bowling ball size and weight are not the same according to the bowling style and game. So, let’s just discuss the different bowling ball sizes and weights. 

5-Pin Bowling Balls

5-pin bowling pins are smaller and squatter, and instead of 10 bowling pins, there are only five. And that is where the name came from. The balls are 13 CM in diameter, and there are no holes in the ball. Because of its smaller size, you can hold it without holes. So, how much does a five-pin bowling ball weigh? The average weight of a 5-pin bowling ball is about 1.5 to 1.7 Kg. 

10-Pin Bowling Balls

It is the most popular bowling game. And, bowling pins are larger than five-pin bowling balls. Since it is the standard bowling game, plenty of rules apply. According to USBC, a 10-pin bowling ball should be 21.59 to 21.83 CM in diameter. In addition, how much does a ten-pin bowling ball weighs is also defined by USBC. And, it weighs 16 pounds. 

However, each bowling ball has three holes to perfectly hold it and throw it comfortably.

Duckpin Bowling Balls

Duckpin bowling balls are similar to 5-pin. It has a similar size and weight which is 13 CM in diameter and 1.5 to 1.7 Kg in weight. And, also there are no holes in the ball. Otherwise, the game is similar to 10-pin bowling. Instead of having five bowling pins, it has ten like 10-pin bowling. 

However, it is comfortable to hold due to the smaller size ball. And, usually, this is a space-efficient bowling game. 

How To Calculate The Mass Of A Bowling Ball

If you try to calculate the mass of a bowling ball on your regular scale, you may find it tricky because it will roll off if you put it on the scale. Therefore, you should follow these steps. 

1. First, put the ball in a box and put it on the scale to measure it.
2. Now, measure the weight of that box without the bowling ball.  
3. Finally, subtract those weights to get the actual weight of that bowling ball. (Box weight Bowling Ball Weight ) – Box Weight = Bowling Ball Weight. Pretty simple math. 

Well, 1 pound is equivalent to 453.6 grams of mass. Now you can convert the pound into grams to get the mass. 

Conclusion

Now you know how much does a bowling ball weigh. And, you got an idea about bowling ball weight that varies according to age and expertise. Also, bowling ball size and weight vary according to the game type. However, it is clear that bowling ball weight is the prime factor for better performance. 

Therefore you have to pick the right bowling ball that suits you the most. And, choose a ball that you feel comfortable with without hurting yourself. However, never overestimate yourself by seeing another person holding a heavier ball. In the end, it can cause severe damage to your arm.