For many, a pastime turns into a hobby and gradually into an obsession. Along this path, participants gain knowledge and skills about the sport they love. As we learn more about the sport, we discover tricks of the trade to help compete at a higher level. Among the tricks we learn are the accessories and bowling supplies that successful professional bowlers all seem to use.

Below we discuss the accessories most commonly used by professional bowlers at the highest level and why they’re so important.

1. Shammy and/or Towel

Part of a repetitive action sport is controlling the environment to the best of your ability and being aware of the factors that can change it. Having a shammy or towel in your bag at all times is an absolute necessity. Oils used in modern bowling are thick and used in great quantities.

As a result, bowling balls, especially shiny ones, can become slimy and lose performance if they are not wiped between shots. Typically, Professional bowlers use a shammy to wipe the bowling ball and a towel to wipe their hands.

2. Cleaners / Abrasives / Polishes

Additionally, all bowling balls will gradually change in surface as they are used in competition. Shiny balls will lose their gloss while dull balls slowly get shinier. Along with that, modern bowling balls absorb oil from the lane and need to be cleaned to avoid saturation.

Power Gel Clean and Amplify Ball Cleaner are incredible bowling ball cleaners. These utilize powerful degreasing agents to remove marks, dirt, lane oil, and grime from the bowling ball surface. They will clean the bowling ball to restore ball performance.

Power Gel® Scuff features a cleaner and scouring compound that is ideal for use on sanded equipment. Power Gel® Scuff will remove minor surface scratches and help remove lane-shine on sanded bowling balls. 

Finally, Power Gel® Shine is a ball polish that provides an ultra-high luster polish on any type of bowling ball. Use Power Gel® Shine to create more length and a faster response to friction.    

These products can be used before and after competition. They will help to maintain a consistent reaction throughout the life of the bowling ball.

Visit our Factory Finish Guide to find instructions to restore your ball to the original finish.

3. Thumb Tape / Kinesiology Tape / Sleeves

Any repetitive action sport is going to take a toll on the body, creating muscular imbalances, callouses, sores, and swelling. Bowlers know all too well how much it hurts to develop a blister during an important tournament.

Keeping Flex Tape handy to adjust the size and shape of a hole can be the difference between a great night and a horrible one. Having some Flex Tape to cover a sore or adjust how fast your hand comes out of a ball will save a lot of pain and can help to adjust for environmental changes.

Bowlers with dynamic approaches often need kinesiology tape or braces to stabilize parts of their bodies. MOTIV Pro EJ Tackett is seldom seen bowling without tape around his wrist. For some, a sleeve can solve this same problem, keeping the arm warm and compressed.

4. Shoe Accessories

For bowlers who travel to multiple bowling centers or bowl where synthetic approaches are inconsistent, a number of shoe accessories are absolute musts.

First, interchangeable soles on high performance bowling shoes allow bowlers to quickly swap heels or toes to manipulate how they are engaging with the playing surface. A quick tip if you’re new to these shoes; practice a bit with every sole option and break them in so that you know when, where, and how to use them.

Many bowlers add a slide cover to their interchangeable shoes because it’s even more slid and is the easiest to add or take off. MOTIV Pro Dick Allen uses his slide cover regularly.

Another essential for the shoe game is a set of shoe covers. Stepping in something and not knowing it can be dangerous. Getting into the habit of putting shoe covers on to leave the settee area and taking them off when you return is a great safety measure for bowlers.

Finally, a shoe brush can be used to take a bit of slide away from a sole that’s gotten matted down from excessive use. This is like using a piece of tape to adjust a thumbhole, it’s a slight adjustment that can make you more stable at the line.

5. Grip Sacks / Puff Balls

Repeating shots demands that your hand must stay as close to the same texture or you’re not going to be able to throw the ball the same way every shot. Grip sacks and puff balls give texture and keep hands dry. If you’re a bowler whose hand sweats during competition, a grip sack or puff ball is a great option.

Tools that help you to repeat shots are absolutely essential to add to your bowling bag. These are the tools that raise your average. While you may not need every single one of these items, the best course of action is to have all of them that you might need with you. You do not want to be without them in a critical moment.