What serious bowler doesn’t want his own bowling ball? Or shoes? If you have ever been bowling, you know how difficult it is to find a ball that fits your hand right, or shoes that aren’t either too big or too little. By the time you get your rented equipment broken in, the game is almost over. You can image how distracting that would be to a professional or serious bowler. By having your own bowling supplies, the fit and feel of your equipment is consistent from game to game, and that will leave your mind free to concentrate on knocking down pins.

Every game needs a specific set of equipment in order to be competent. I have yet to see a professional bowler without his own set of bowling supplies. Having a proper mind set during the game is always invaluable to your performance on the lane. And having your own supplies does contribute strongly to your mindset.

A number of my friends a while back started going with me to my regular bowling sessions and soon enough the game hooked them. So when I noticed them visiting the local bowling centers quite regularly, I advised them to buy their own bowling supplies so that they could move towards the next step to becoming a decent player.

Bowling doesn’t require much in the way of equipment. Here are the essentials:

Bowling Ball
This is your main weapon, your ace and your bat. Of all the bowling supplies, this comes first. Why? Choosing the right ball can compensate your weakness; plastic or polyester balls for accuracy and reactive balls for stronger hooks. Likewise there are balls that perform better under certain conditions. The fit and weight of your ball becomes second nature after a while, and it may seem strange and distracting to use a different one.

Bowling Shoes
Bowling shoes are built for one effect -sliding. If you know how to perform a correct ball delivery, you can appreciate the effect of a sliding shoe. One shoe sole affords the essential slide, and the other gives the brake.

The above are the core items every serious bowler should have. Without these, performance could be severely impaired. There are other supplies that are nice to have but not mandatory:

Bowling Bags
A bag is every bowler’s handy organizer. It is designed especially for carrying a bowling ball, plus has compartments for shoes, towels, and other needed items.

Towels
Towels have a handful of uses: to clean bowling balls and to clean hands, to clean the floor and to wipe away perspiration. Bowling towels are useful accessories and are often given away as prizes or gifts.

As for other supplies, if you think you’re going to need it, then bring it. Items such as powder, extra shoelaces, a shoe brush to clean shoe soles, hand conditioner, rosin, sole pads and slugs or inserts, or even fingernail clippers are nice to have on hand if the need arises.

Summary: Bowlers requires many accessories, but the most critical bowling supplies are simply a ball and shoes.