If you’re an anxious athlete, clammy hands is definitely one of your ninety-nine problems, especially if you’re a bowler. As an avid player, you probably know how having the most refined skills and best intuition takes you far in a game, but having equally fitting accessories is what gives you that extra push to victory.
A professional athlete is less likely to mess up, just because his gear gives him the ability to put his best foot forward. Working with faulty gear or anything that might cause you to lose control of the outcome of your play is, quite frankly, sabotage.
Having the best gear in bowling would not only include a well-maintained ball but also well-maintained hands. Athletes with sweaty palms or extremely dry hands can tend to lose control of the ball, ruining their move. The solution is a simple 8oz bag of miracle powder, aka rosin.
Powdered rosin not absorbs excess moisture and sweat from your hands but also creates a kind of stickiness that helps you improve your grip on equipment, including bowling balls. Because of the tackiness of rosin, it’s preferred more than chalk which only works for drying your hands.
In this article, we’ll reel back to the basics of rosin 101, to provide a complete guide on rosin. What is it, how it’s used, and whether you can actually use it during a professional game or not.
What Is a Rosin Bag and What Does It Do?
Rosin bags, while referring to sports, are simple canvas bags with minute pores that contain dry or powdered rosin. This bag acts as a container, applicator, as well as a dispenser, as it releases rosin upon tapping. Powdered rosin is also available in plastic bags as per convenience, and is used to increase gripping power and absorb perspiration.
This is especially useful to players who not only have oily skin and sweaty palms but also to athletes who play in a relatively hot or humid climate. Rosin plays a small part in ensuring fair play, so that these minor nuisances do not play a part in influencing the result of the game.
Rosin is also special because it has a tacky formulation, which further helps with getting a strong grip and increases traction as well. Because of this, rosin is used in multiple sports besides bowling. This includes drag racing, weightlifting, tennis, rock climbing etc., all of which need good grip and traction.
To check the current price and availability of the Storm Bowling Scented Rosin Bag, click here to view it on Amazon. Storm has innovated the rosin bag with their approach of creating a scented rosin bag. Not only will this bag dry your hands of sweat, but it will also make your bowling bag smell great.
What Is Bowling Rosin Made Of?
Rosin is made out of plant secretion, mainly coniferous plants like pines. This hydrocarbon secretion goes through distillation to separate the terpene components from the sap previously obtained. We then get essential oils and liquid rosin. The liquid rosin is purified and solidified, after which it’s crushed into fine powder to produce powdered rosin.
You can make your own rosin bag at home by powdering crystal rosin and mixing it with a bit of kitty litter or baby powder. Finally tie up your mixture in a jute pouch and you’re ready to go! You can even customize your homemade rosin according to your needs.
If you’re looking for rosin that significantly increases gripping power, add a higher percentage of gum rosin, but if you’re in search for rosin that’s more focused on drying out your hands then you can add more talcum powder to your concoction.
How Do You Use Rosin Grip?
Since rosin bags are specifically made with large pores so that they can easily dispense powder, all you have to do is toss or tap the bag for it to disperse powder, and dust it on your hands or even your equipment.
But this packaging does come with its own disadvantage. Often times it can get quite messy as the rosin can disperse in your bag, making it hard to clean up. If the packaging is faulty or not well deigned, it can release too little or too much powder at once as well.
That is why most people prefer to keep their rosin bags in a Ziploc bag to avoid this whole fiasco.
Rosin grip is also available in bottles and plastic bags which might be more convenient for most, and definitely less messy. Bowling Rosin is usually used on the player’s fingers, or the three gripping holes present in the bowling ball. This increases traction and the accuracy of their play.
How Long Does a Rosin Bag Last?
When buying rosin, it’s good to remember that a little goes a long way, mostly because a small amount of rosin is needed in each use to achieve the desired result. Rosin bags come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
Some can be as small as 0.8oz, while others can weigh up to 8oz. Usually rosin bags would be around 2.4oz, which can last up to a year, even if regularly used.
It all boils down to how much and how frequently you use it. This might also depend on the brand and the composition of their rosin, as some can last more than others before needing to reapply. But whatever brand, the amount of rosin used in every application is usually really small for it to not even last a couple of months at least.
Are Rosin Bags Legal in Bowling?
Now here’s the real question: if rosin bags aren’t legal in bowling then why even incorporate them into your practice? According to the USBC’s (United Sates Bowling Congress) rule 18, while participating in a USBC competition, your bowling bowl cannot have any foreign substance present on it. This includes rosin, powder, marker or paint.
The application of any such substance must be done before or after the competition has taken place. If a participant is playing both a singles and doubles tournament consecutively, they are still not allowed to apply rosin on their bowling ball between competitions. So in short, rosin is not legal to use on any of your bowling balls during a competition.
However, you are allowed to use rosin on your hands during the game. One might argue that the rosin is likely to dust off your hands and land on the ball and track. That shouldn’t be a problem as incidental rosin on the ball is legal.
Final Thoughts
Rosin bags are extremely useful accessories for professional bowlers. Whether they’re anxious athletes or play in humid climates, rosin bags provide a way to instantly dry their hands as they not only absorb moisture and perspiration but also increase gripping power due to their tackiness.
Powdered rosin is a safe material to use as it’s extracted from plants and goes through a vigorous process before reaching the market. The composition and packaging of your rosin differs depending on the brand, so make sure you choose one that suits you best.
Lastly, if you’re a professional player, it’s safe to keep in mind that rosin cannot be used on your bowling ball during tournaments, even if your ball has oil rings or is greasy. Rosin also cannot be used on the track.
It’s safe to always consult the league or tournament officer for any problems to avoid disqualification. However, you can use rosin on your hands and fingers during tournaments to dry your sweat and strengthen your grip on the ball.