Bowling
-
I haven't been bowling in 25 years.
But this stuff is fascinating: The insides of pro bowling balls will make your head spin.
No matter how hard you try to spin the house balls at your local bowling joint, they rarely curve. That’s because they are simple spheres built for durability, not fancy moves. But a small handful of companies—among them Storm Bowling—create gear that is surprisingly complex inside. Precisely shaped, meticulously balanced weight blocks leverage the laws of physics to help skilled alley jockeys throw a strike on most rolls. This clever engineering allows the projectiles to hook inward as they approach the end of the 60-foot lane, where the invisible oil slick on the boards thins. The spin an expert gives the globe (as fast as 600 rpm) will find purchase there as the friction increases, putting the orb right next to the headpin. Here’s a look at what’s going on under the surface.
The crimson disk—called a weight block—in this roller is taller than it is deep, and heavier on its bottom thanks to that silver circle, known as the slug. Those design decisions create uneven rotational forces, causing this model, the Code Red, to sharply swing from the edge toward the center for a strike.
-
I think bowling should be only done with a solid sphere.
Well, in that case, no finger holes, right?
-
