• Choose a Bowling Ball

• Get Essential Bowling Gear

• Accessorize for Bowling the Right Way

• Find Bowling Equipment on eBay

• Buy Bowling Balls & Accessories With Confidence

Choose a Bowling Ball

Choose a Bowling Ball

When investing in your bowling game, your most important piece of equipment is the bowling ball. Here are some factors to consider.

• Weight of the bowling ball: A bowling ball that’s too heavy will be difficult to handle, while a ball that’s too light will have too much lift. As a rough guide, men should try balls in the 14, 15, and 16-pound range and women should look for balls from 10 to 14 pounds. Children need lighter bowling balls.

• Size of the bowling ball holes: Generally, heavier balls have larger holes and lighter balls have smaller holes. Make sure the holes fit your hands comfortably.

• Left-handed versus right-handed bowling balls: Right-handed balls are drilled with the ring finger hole an eighth of an inch further away from the thumb hole. Left-handed bowlers may find that specially-drilled left-handed balls more comfortable.

Get Essential Bowling Gear

Get Essential Bowling Gear

At the most basic level, you’ll need the following to get serious about your bowling: a bowling ball, bowling bag, towel, and bowling shoes.

Bowling balls

The kind of bowling ball you buy depends entirely on your experience level.

• Beginner bowler: When you’re just starting out, choose an easy-to-handle beginner ball so you can concentrate on the fundamentals of the game. Consider beginner lines from AMF, Columbia, Brunswick, or Ebonite.

• Intermediate bowler: Once you grasp the basics, upgrade to a bowling ball that will give your game more power. Consider the midrange lines from Brunswick, Columbia, Ebonite, Roto Grip, Storm, Track, and Hammer.

• Advanced bowler: Seasoned players and pros who need a high-performance bowling ball should consider higher-end options from Brunswick, Columbia, Track, Ebonite, Hammer, and Storm.

• Bowling balls for kids: Children’s bowling balls are lighter and often feature whimsical designs or favorite cartoon characters.

Bowling bags

You’ll need a bowling bag that can accommodate your bowling ball, shoes, and other accessories. Bags today can accommodate anywhere from single to multiple bowling balls. BPP, KR, Storm, Hammer, Ebonite, Columbia, and Brunswick all make good-quality bags.

Bowling towels

You can keep your new bowling ball free of oily residue by regularly wiping it down with a towel.

Bowling shoes

You can’t step onto a bowling alley without the right pair of bowling shoes. Whether a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, opt for bowling shoes that provide comfort and mobility. Today’s bowling shoes also come in a wide range of styles and colors that make you look snazzy on the lane. Consider Dexter, Etonic, Circle, or Brunswick.

Accessorize for Bowling the Right Way

Accessorize for Bowling the Right Way

For most bowlers, a ball, a bag, a towel, and shoes are the essentials. But the more you play, the more you may find you need additional accessories to help improve your game.

• Bowling gloves: Bowling gloves help you to throw the ball with more accuracy and power. They also support the wrist for better delivery. Gloves from Columbia or Robby's can help you get a better grip on your game.

• Wrist supports: Wrist supports can boost your score by helping you maintain proper form when you release the ball. They can also help reduce strain. Consider supports from Ebonite, Robby's, and Team Cobra.

• Bowling pins: You can buy either weighted or unweighted bowling pin sets.

• Bowling ball cleaners and polishes: A variety of cleaning and polishing products enable you to keep your bowling ball looking new.

Find Bowling Equipment on eBay

Find Bowling Equipment on eBay

Once you know what type of bowling equipment you want, go to the Sporting Goods portal, click Bowling, and start searching for item listings on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Bowling Balls, Bowling Bags, Bowling Shoes, Bowling Pins, and more. As you dig deeper into the site, you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.

• Keyword search: Search eBay title listings for specific words. For example, if you want to find a left-handed bowling ball, type "left-handed bowling ball" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Bowling Balls & Accessories With Confidence

Buy Bowling Balls & Accessories With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.