Wooden balls were the weapon of choice when bowling moved indoors in the mid-1800s. The lanes at that time were built of baked clay. Modern bowling balls have been created to perform on the special coatings that cover the wooden lanes today. A bowling ball is now manufactured with a polyester or urethane shell surrounding a composite core. The heavier the core, the heavier the ball.
Bowling balls range in weight from six to sixteen pounds.
The bowling ball should not be too light as there will be a tendency for the ball to be lifted into the air upon release and not rolled down the lane. Generally women should use bowling balls ranging from 10 to 14 pounds and men bowling balls from 14 to the maximum of 16 pounds. Children should choose a ball heavy enough for them to be able to effectively put the ball into a swing without a strain. Generally the weight of a bowling bowl at a bowling center is engraved on the ball's surface or the balls may be coded by color. You will notice that the size of thumb and finger holes in the 'house balls' at a bowling center vary widely.