GETTING TO THE CORE

At first glance, bowling balls appear fairly basic, but they actually require a fair bit of engineering, especially when it comes to materials. This cross section illustrates the research and development involved in bowling ball design. Rubber shells were common for the first half of the 1900s and were later supplanted by the plastics we know today. Modern cores typically have two pieces, but early balls held lightweight filler. The AMF Strikeline ball came in a few varieties, embracing many compositions, including rubberized cork cores. Watch a video!