More friction generally means more hook and will also cause the ball to wear out sooner. Polyester introduced 1960 Polyester, also called plastic, has the least friction of today s coverstocks. It is used primarily in entry level balls. Benefits include vivid colors, low price and easy to control. Urethane introduced 1981 Urethane is a very durable coverstock that can be sanded for more friction.
Urethane has better pin action than polyester with a moderate amount of hook potential .
These are good all-purpose balls for the bowler who wants to use only one ball. Reactive Resin introduced 1992 Reactive balls offer the most versatility and pin action with lots of hook potential . They are available in many models for varying skill levels. They are more sensitive to lane conditions and operator error, so reactive balls are generally more difficult to control. They can be sanded or polished to change their breakpoint .