Properly storing bowling balls is very important if you have some gems that you want keep for future use, or if you are taking a short break until your bowling league starts back up again. The tips mentioned here can help you maximize the life of your bowling balls.
DON'T STRESS YOUR GEAR
Don't store balls on a hard floor like concrete because, due to the spherical shape, a great deal of stress is focused on a very small point. This could eventually cause the cover to crack. Because of this concern, some bowlers with large arsenals like to rotate balls from time to time. Just make sure you always keep the finger and thumb holes away from the stress points. You can keep your bowling balls well-supported if you use a roller bag like the MOTIV® Vault™ series that features large plastic cups built into the base. For maximum protection, put Vault Cup Guards in place first.
KEEP YOUR EQUIPMENT COMFY
Extreme heat and extreme cold are bad news and can make bowling balls crack. Keeping balls at room temperature is best. Never leave your equipment in the trunk of your car or rolling around on the garage floor. Ideally, keep them in a place where the humidity and temperature are both controlled. To give your ball a moisture barrier keep it inside a sealed plastic bag.
MEND THE WOUNDS
The track area on the ball takes a beating during competition at the bowling alley so that's an area you should take a close look at. When polished balls take a beating, the track area gets rougher. That changes the breakpoint while smoothing out the ball motion. A sanded ball, on the other hand, will tend to get "lane-shine", which will cause the ball to skid further in oil and change the shape of the ball on the lane. If you have 50 or more games on a ball, it's probably time to get it resurfaced at your local pro shop. If you need to know how to restore box finish, use the MOTIV® Factory Finish Guide.
KEEP IT CLEAN
This tip may seem obvious, but so many people forget to clean their gear. It's a regular maintenance task that can make a big difference. When bowling ball cover stocks become saturated with oil, you will see a performance difference. We have produced videos to show how impressively long MOTIV® covers last, but oil saturation will always make an impact. So, before you put bowling balls in storage, be sure to clean them properly. Power Gel® Scuff is fantastic for sanded equipment and Power Gel® Clean is great for any cover type.
These quick tips from MOTIV® will help maximize the life of your bowling arsenal. For more great bowling insight from MOTIV® click HERE.