You can walk into almost any bowling alley today and find a pro shop ready to sell you any type of equipment that you may need to take your game to the next level. My writing about the bowling industry has taken a bit of a turn towards the increasing cost to participate in the sport. One of the biggest costs that the avid bowler faces is the cost of bowling equipment.

The state of the game today, much like in many sports, has been greatly affected by technology. If you do not have the best equipment, you are at a disadvantage to your competition. This comes with a cost. It is not uncommon for bowling balls to cost over $200. Most avid bowlers have 3 or more bowling balls in their arsenal. A bowling bag for three bowling balls can cost you over $100, and top of the line shoes are in the triple digits as well. With these three essentials in bowling, you are looking at an $800 investment.

There are some ways that you can cut costs. Of course, there are some lower performance bowling balls that you can purchase. It is suggested that you speak with a coach or pro shop operator who might be able to analyze your game to determine the best way to select your arsenal.

In my opinion, buy everything off the internet, except for new bowling balls. You can buy the bowling ball off the internet as well, but the reason I don’t is twofold. First, when you receive the bowling ball in the mail, you still have to go get it drilled. From what I have seen, this usually costs around $50. So, by the time you have paid for the ball online, shipping, and drilling, you can probably get it cheaper from the pro shop. It can cost more with inserts, thumb slugs, etc. Second, you can buy the bowling ball off the internet and have them drill it, but unless you are extremely knowledgeable about how to layout equipment. Me personally, I’m just very picky about my equipment and want to be there while it’s being drilled.

Another great way to find some of this equipment at a reasonable cost is through Craigslist. Beware, any searches I have attempted usually come back with a majority of the stuff that has been in someone’s attic since the 1970’s, but you may find a diamond in the rough once in a while.

Buying new bowling equipment is one of my favorite things. I hope these ideals help you save as much money as they have for me, which allows me to buy even more new equipment!