The history of the bowling ball goes back a long way. In 5200 B.C., the Egyptians used stones for bowling balls, playing a game that was perhaps very similar to the one we enjoy today. When bowling became widely appreciated in America at the turn of the 20th century, bowling balls were most likely made out of wood or hard leather. Rubber bowling balls were introduced in 1906, and were the standard until the 1960s and 1970s when the emergence of plastic allowed for the production of plastic bowling balls.

In the 1970s, people began experimenting with the hardness of the bowling ball. Improvements in plastics allowed for the production of balls of different densities, which gave the bowler more choice in performance style and substance. PBA member Pat McCune advanced the sport considerably when began using a variety of chemicals to soften balls in his garage.

Eventually, this lead to a production of bowling balls that attracted the scrutiny of the USBC because of their increasingly high scores. The watchdog group established a ball hardness rule of 72, which was based on durometer readings. Softer balls have since been banned.

The USBC later introduced ball balance regulations as well because too many people were taking advantage.

The first polyurethane ball was produced by Ebonite in 1981. The company later sold the rights to AMF. The company didn’t believe people would pay the $80 the technology demanded. The high performance proved it’s worth, however, and has become quite standard today.

While for a while the standard color of the bowling ball was decidedly black, individual customization has become the norm of the bowling industry. It’s possible to get a ball in any color imaginable. Indeed, some are quite colorful, brightly rolling down the lane in a way that can be mesmerizing. In fact, it’s even possible to get a clear ball that shines like a crystal ball. Some even contain objects like roses, skulls or lucky dice for an added touch of personality.

The bowling ball has come a long way, adding personality and dimension to the sport. Since the days of rocks through the age of wooden balls and on into today’s modern plastics, the bowling ball has reached a new age of science and technology. Find your own unique ball, one that’s yours alone, optimally primed for superior performance and individuality that stands out above the rest.