The Top 16 Best Bowling Balls For Beginners

Bowling is one of the games that a lot of people uses to build bonds with family on friends. It doesn’t matter who you are there is something about watching a bowling ball move down the bowling lane that creates an unexplainable level of excitement. There are many different types of bowling balls, some more ideal for beginners, some better for certain types of bowlers and some can be ideal for almost any player.

If you are a bowling fanatic but never bowled before you might be wondering what the best bowling balls for beginners are. You might have bought a bowling ball before but is now in search for a new bowling ball, or just trying to get the ball that will fit your middle finger.

The general rule is that you find a ball that matches your bowling style and if you are not sure of your bowling style, get a ball that’s ideal for beginners until you discover your bowling style. This list compiles the 16 best bowling balls for beginners. This list consists of balls of different sizes, shapes and weight. Search this list to find the right ball for you. You are guaranteed to find at least one ball that fits the description of the ball that you are seeking.

Having your own ball is great because you can customize your bowling experience no matter the lane condition to help increase your average score the best way for you. Whether you want a lighter ball or the heaviest ball making the best choice of entry level ball for you can be a lot of work, but we are here to help!

Here is the scoop on the best bowling ball for beginners!

1. Hammer Black Widow 2.0
The first ball on the list is the Hammer Black Widow 2.0. It is one of the most successful bowling balls of all-time.  The is the best option if you are a beginner. This ball comes with different features, it has enough traction to assist on medium to heavy oil, and a big sweeping continuous ball motion that creates a lot of angle and high scores.

The gas mask core shape of the ball might be the best feature of the ball. The ball is also very powerful and durable as it is wrapped with a carbon fiber outer core, making it the best bowling ball for beginners.

This ball weighing 12-16 pounds has a upper mid performance and comes in the color red and black. The asymmetric core type also helps with the performance of this ball. It comes at a cost of about 150 USD and has a two-year warranty from the purchase date.

2. Storm Pitch Black Solid Urethane Bowling Ball

If you want great performance, the Storm Pitch Black Solid Urethane Bowling Ball is a perfect choice. Storm is known for producing multiple balls for professional players. This urethane ball is a part of Storm’s thunder line. This ball is ideal for wood lanes and shorter oil patterns which makes it high performance.

This ball has some great features that can assist beginners like the Capacitor Core, which helps regulate flare potential; pure predictability at its finest. The weight block on this ball is capacitor core and it has control solid urethane as cover stock which gives this ball a straighter but stronger delivery.

So, if you are looking for a straight shot ball this is it. Especially as a beginner you want a ball that you won’t have to struggle to control, so this is a great feature to have. The weight of this ball is 16 pounds. This 130 USD is one of the best balls for beginner bowlers.

3. Brunswick Rhino Bowling Ball
The Brunswick Rhino Bowling Ball is equipped to server bowlers of all skill levels. This ball comes in three different colors (black, blue and silver pearls). Though aesthetic has nothing to do with your technique while bowling, it sure feels good to walk into the bowling alley with a flashy ball.

This ball is one of the more affordable balls on this list, the price starts at about 85 USD. This ball will produce excellent performance with a low hook potential. This bowling ball is absolutely great for entry-level players, and its ideal for drier conditions. This Rhino ball has a versatile ball motion that is useful across various lane conditions, it is usually a continuous and strong arcing ball.

If you want stronger overall reactions, choose the ball with the higher numbers. The ball is designed with a light bulb shape and delivers ball motion and impressive pin for more strikes and higher scores. AS a beginner, it is important to get a ball that moves smoothly and can help you be successful in your early days of bowling.This aggressive ball comes with two-year warranty.

4. Hammer Raw Blue/Silver/White 15lb
This Hammer blue vibe bowling ball is one of the better balls in the bowling industry. This bowing ball also comes in three colors and is a good option for entry level players, intermediate players and professional bowlers. As expressed before, having a colorful ball feels good, especially when that ball is durable and will lead you to multiple sure strikes.

The design of this ball provides a high hook potential and great performance. As a beginner, you want to have a ball that will have all the right components to produce your best performance. What makes this ball stands out is the cover and finishes. This ball uses a solid version of the juiced cover.

You can be confident that this ball will produce smooth motion when it is released. The ball weight is 15 pounds. This pearl reactive ball comes at an affordable price of 94 USD. This is one of the more popular choices of balls so you won’t regret purchasing this ball.

5. Brunswick T-Zone Deep Space Bowling Ball (14lbs)

If you’re purchasing a bowling ball, sometimes you might not only want to find the right ball, but you might also want a ball with beautiful aesthetic. The Brunswick T-Zone Deep Space Bowling ball is not only good to look at but has outstanding durability. If it is your first time buying a ball, you want a long-lasting ball, instead of one that you’ll need to continuously replace.

It is also one of the best beginner balls because it’s designed to have pinpoint accuracy for all level bowlers.  The ball hooks for this Brunswick T-zone ball have low hook potential. This ball is extremely good on dry lanes. When buying this ball its good to know that balls with a higher number is straighter and are stronger reactive bowling balls.

Additionally, this Brunswick tzone deep space ball is a polyester ball with bullet factory finish weight block. The cost for this ball is roughly 60 USD. This is a very reasonable ball, and its performance potential is really high, so as a beginner bowler, this bar should definitely be on your radar.

6.  Ebonite Maxim Night Sky
If you’re looking for your first bowling ball, the Ebonite Maxim Night Sky is a good choice. There are different factors that you expect to see in a good bowling ball. When going to the bowling bowl you need to be confident that your ball can move in a straight line, looks good and has great power.

As a beginner, you want to have a strong ball that will give you an advantage with every release. You don’t want to be learning with a ball that is hard to control. This Ebonite Maxim ball is a new ball on the market.

This is one of the best plastic balls on the market.  The Ebonite maxim bowling ball ball comes with bullet core and the ball performance is noted as plastic/spare balls. This cost for this ball is roughly 63 USD, another affordable ball with great features.

7. Pyramid Path Rising Bowling Ball

This Pyramid Path bowling ball comes in several different colors.  Path creates some of the best balls on the market. This ball comes with multiple features that are good for new bowlers, intermediate bowlers and professional bowlers.

Some of the features of this ball are a new era 139 symmetric core, path pearl reactive coverstock with 1500-grit abralon, versatile drilling options for different bowling styles, and perfect scale rating of 181.30. This ball is known for its versatile ball motion and it is great on all lane surfaces. It will give you the perfect hook shots even as beginner bowlers.

This ball weighs 16 pounds but if you like lighter balls you can always explore the rest of Path’s creations.  However, this 16 pound ball will give you a strong roll and strong backend. The cost for this ball on amazon is 90 USD however, you can find this ball at your local pro shop.

8. Motiv Venom Shock Bowling Ball

As a beginner bowler sometimes it is hard to decide what’s the right bowling ball for you. Venom is a trusted company when it comes to bowling ball. If you want a bowling ball that lasts a long time, it would be a good idea to consider purchasing the Motiv Venom shock bowling ball.

This ball is not only long lasting but when you walk into your local bowling alley with this ball, all eyes will turn to look at its appealing colors. This ball pairs the Gear weight block with the Turmoil MFS Reactive coverstock from the Covert Revolt to produce a smooth but angular backend motion that continues through the pins. This makes this ball easy to control and guarantees high performance.

As a beginner, you want a ball that will move in the motion you intend without struggle. This ball will give you that. This ball has medium friction Beginners will love this ball because it’s very controllable and smooth down the lane. This is one of the heavier balls on the list at 14-15 pounds. This ball comes at a price point of about 120 USD.

9. Ebonite Aero Dynamix 12lb

Searching for the right bowling ball can be a challenge, but there is one method that can make your search a bit easier. That is finding a ball from a trusted brand. Ebonite is a well-known bowling ball brand. Whether you are bowling at the intermediate level or above, Ebonite has a ball that is right for you.

This Aero Dynamix ball is superb as it is guaranteed to produce lots of strikes. This ball is designed with pancake core. If you are seeking a straight ball, this should be one of your picks.

The Aero is stronger than the Omni ball and it is one of the newer balls from the Ebonite collection. Hence, you should really consider getting this ball as a beginner.

10. Brunswick Bowling Twist Reactive Ball

This bowling ball by Brunswick is one of the best balls for beginners. This Brunswick ball is a type of reactive resin balls. If you are a beginner, you might have to get adjusted to how you hold the bowling ball.

The Brunswick Twist ball comes without finger holes, so as a first time bowler you have the chance to get finger holes drilled in the spots where you might figure it would hook you best. This is also a plus for regular bowlers. If you had issues with where your ring finger was positioned, you now have a chance to adjust your hook.

The color design of the twist is very appealing to bowlers of all ages, there are three color choices: black gold and silver. This ball has a wide weight range from 8 to 16 pounds.

11. Roto Grip RST X-2 Bowling Ball

If you are searching for a bowling ball with conventional grip, the Roto Grip is one of your best choices. The important thing about this bowling ball is that it is an upgrade to the Roto Grip RST x-1, which was already a superb choice.  This ball is a combination of the RST core and the etrax plus perl reactive coverstock.

This combination creates a big footprint of the length of the lane and maintains its reaction to friction on the backend. The design makes this a straight ball. This bowling ball is ideal on medium to medium/heavy oil. This is another ball that is great with aesthetics. Its colorful state is eye catching.

This ball comes at a price point of 185 USD. The success rate of this ball has been tested amongst multiple players of different styles and have been proven to be highly successful.

12. Columbia 300 White Dot Scarlet Bowling Ball

Looking for a house ball? Well, this Columbia 300 white dot scarlet bowling ball is a good choice for you. The body weight of this ball ranges from 6 pounds to 15 pounds. This is another ball that will give you straight shots and  is best used for light oiled lanes.

Beginners need straight shot balls because, as a beginner it might be a struggle at first to control the ball, so if you have a ball that will go straight you are at an advantage. This beautiful bowling ball is designed with a pancake core and is layered with polyester coverstock.

This ball will hook beginners but is also great for more experienced bowlers in need of a spare ball.

13. Pyramid Pathogen Plague Pearl Bowling Ball

Finding a ball that will give you the right fingertip grip can be challenging. The surface of this Pyramid Pathogen ball will give you the firm grip that you seek. This ball is designed with SG 19.5 Asymmetric Core.

The Coverstock in this ball is GPS Navigational Urethane Pearl Reactive Coverstock with 1000-Grit Abralon. This ball guarantees players controllable arc on dry lanes. The design of this ball gives versatile drilling options that will fit different bowling styles. No matter what type of bowler you are or even what style you use, the specs of this ball are created in a way that it could be anyone’s ideal bowling ball.

The weight on this ball ranges from 10 pounds to 15 pounds. Its important to note that his Plague pearl is an upgrage to the original pathogen ball and it is way stronger than the original and will produce a stronger ball motion. So, if you had the previous version to this, it might be a good idea to do an upgrade.

14. Web M.B. Bowling Ball

This Web M.B ball is a very versatile and very durable ball. It is ideal for players of all levels because of its core structure. This ball is designed with spheroid asymmetrical core and Semtex NE pearl coverstock.  This ball has a very attractive aesthetic design with attractive colors.

This Hammer Bowling ball is designed with the original reaction shape which is updated for more conditions. This ball has enough traction on medium to heavy oil and a big sweeping continuous ball motion that creates high average scores. Being good on multiple surface is good, especially for beginners who might not have a bowling alley that they prefer, you can bowl at different locations.

This ball is ideal for situations like that .The ball has the gas mask core shape that many bowlers seem to love. The balls outer layer is wrapped with a carbon fiber outer core which increases durability and power. So, if you are looking for a ball that will last long, you should highly consider this ball.

15. MOTIV Jackal Ghost Bowling Ball

Motiv has produced some great bowling balls. The new Jackal Ghost is one of those tough balls that works awesome on heavy oil. With paranormal performance, it delivers more total hook potential than any previous Jackal with no loss in continuation. This ball is highly controllable.

This ball features a low RG and loads of differential, this asymmetric design is easy to rev and produces massive track flare. This bowling ball produces high friction and the cover stock, the Jackal Ghost elevates heavy oil performance to a new level.

Coercion HFS is one of the most aggressive cover stock on any bowling ball in the Jackal product line. The great thing about having your own bowling ball is that you can decide the look and feel that you want, and this design will really make a statement!

Turned with a 3000 Grit Lss Finish, bowlers will see both excellent mid-lane read and unbelievable continuation. This ball is a great choice for bowlers at all levels. However, it is most ideal for bowlers that have a low rev rate or higher ball speeds.

16.  Storm Dark Code

This Storm dark code is a black light bowling ball. This is the last ball on our list for the best bowling balls for beginners.  This bowling ball is one of the newest ball on the market, it was released in July of 2021. So, we know the technology is up to date and the adjustments are very recent.

This makes this one of the best choices as up to date bowling balls are generally updated to work on more surfaces and in more conditions. The Dark Code features an extremely dense modified disc technology shape called the RAD4 Core.

First introduced in the X-Factor™ series, RAD (Radial Accelerating Disc) technology produces, bar none, more torque and entry angle than traditional asymmetrical cores. It’s the new standard for high performance. If you need the perfect combination of mid-lane roll and backend reactivity with head-turn pin carry, the Dark Code should be your very first choice.

Finding the Best Bowling Ball for Beginners

In conclusion, there are multiple bowling balls from multiple trusted companies, but one must identify the ball that is ideal for their present situations. Some of the balls on the list are just ideal for beginners and some are great for bowlers of all levels.

This list comprises balls from companies like Hammer, Storm, Roto and Brunswick. These are all good companies, but each company has their preferences in regards to which coverstone they will use and what feature within the ball they’ll emphasize on.

The truth is you might find multiple balls on this list that could fit your circumstances, you’ll need to know exactly what you want and what features of the ball means more to you in order to make a decision. There are balls that are better on heavy oil, balls that are better on lighter or medium oil and balls that are better in dry area.

There are balls that may be better for your second knuckle and that might not mean much to you. If you are not sure what you are looking for. Get a ball that is ideal for all levels and one that is for a reasonable price, then whenever you figure out your style you can always return to the list and find your perfect ball. 

This story was written by Sarah Scoop and edited for GoBowling.com. See this story and many others she has authored at SarahScoop.com

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