Bowling
Gifts for bowlers: 16.00 pounds is the cap, and the holes are drilled for one hand
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Storm microfiber bowling towel, model STACTWMFTL
Rule 18 names a dry towel as the thing you use on a ball before anyone reaches for a cleaner. This listing is a microfiber towel. It does not drill a grip and it does not pick a weight.
Check price on AmazonWhat to look for: 6.9 by 5.7 inches is this towel. Reviews on the page call it small. That size is what the product information prints. A larger shop towel is a different listing. The seven-times sentence is the listing's claim.
Do not buy a bowling ball as a surprise. USBC says the ball cannot weigh more than 16.00 pounds, and except for a house ball the center provides, a ball in certified competition has to be on the approved list. The holes are drilled for one hand. A dry towel is the gift that does not guess a grip.
At a glance
| Pick | Best for | Skip | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm microfiber bowling towel, model STACTWMFTL Top pick | A bowler who already owns a ball and wipes it between shots. | a second towel if the bag already has a dry one they like. Skip any bottle. Rule 18 says a ball cannot be cleaned with a liquid once competition has started. | Details |
A bowling ball looks like a simple gift because it is one object. It is not. The weight has a ceiling, the ball has to be approved, and the holes are drilled for one hand. A towel does none of that wrong.
The cap, and the list
The USBC equipment manual says the weight of the ball shall not exceed 16.00 pounds. There is no minimum. At manufacture, the diameter is not less than 8.500 inches and not more than 8.595 inches. Those are the manufacturer's numbers, checked at USBC, not a number you can see in a wrapped box.
Except for house balls, a ball used in USBC certified competition has to be approved and identifiable on the approved ball list. A house ball is a courtesy. The manual says it qualifies only if the center where the event is held provides it, it is not a high-performance ball, and it is not custom drilled for the bowler's hand. A ball you order, even at 15 pounds, and then have drilled, is not a house ball. If you have not seen the ball they already throw, you do not know the layout.
What you may wipe it with
Rule 18 of the 2025-2026 playing rules says that during competition a ball cannot have its surface changed with an abrasive, cannot be cleaned with any liquid or cleaning agent, and cannot have a foreign material on it, including powder, rosin, marker, or paint. A ball that breaks the rule comes out of competition.
The note under the rule is the gift. If something on the cover cannot be removed with a dry towel, an approved cleaner may be used with consent from a league or tournament officer. The commonly asked questions say the same thing in the other direction: wiping with a towel does not make a rosined ball legal, and a cleaner used without permission can cost the games. A dry towel is the tool the rule already assumes is in the bag. A bottle is the tool the rule takes away once anyone has thrown a ball for score.
The Storm towel we opened prints 6.9 by 5.7 inches and 9.07 grams. The description says it does not scratch and that it absorbs up to seven times its weight. Both of those sentences are the listing's. The size is small on purpose in the product information. Do not expect a bath towel.
A dad who bowls is still a dad who should not get a guessed hobby gift: gifts for dad. A cap you confirm on the day you buy, rather than a weight limit, is gifts under $50.
A dry towel, not a ball and not a cleaner
The towel listing was opened on Amazon on November 9, 2026. The featured offer was in stock. A purple BSI towel page redirected to a different ASIN and showed only 7 left, so it was not used. A liquid cleaner is the thing Rule 18 takes off the lane once competition starts, so it is not a pick.
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Storm microfiber bowling towel, model STACTWMFTLOur pick
Rule 18 names a dry towel as the thing you use on a ball before anyone reaches for a cleaner. This listing is a microfiber towel. It does not drill a grip and it does not pick a weight.
- Listing says:
- Storm microfiber towel, model STACTWMFTL, the page we opened. The product-style field says Bowling Towel. Item dimensions are 6.9 inches by 5.7 inches. Item weight is 9.07 g. The description says it picks up dirt without scratching the surface, absorbs up to seven times its weight in moisture, can be used on any surface, is machine washable, and says not to use fabric softener. In stock. One count. ASIN on the page: B003C31FOC.
- Look for:
- 6.9 by 5.7 inches is this towel. Reviews on the page call it small. That size is what the product information prints. A larger shop towel is a different listing. The seven-times sentence is the listing's claim.
- Best for:
- A bowler who already owns a ball and wipes it between shots.
- Skip:
- a second towel if the bag already has a dry one they like. Skip any bottle. Rule 18 says a ball cannot be cleaned with a liquid once competition has started.
What we did not list
A ball, a pair of shoes, a bag drilled around a ball we have not seen, and any cleaner. Shoes are a size. A ball over 16.00 pounds is illegal in the spec even if the color is right. A ball under that weight is still the wrong grip if a pro shop has not seen the hand.
The towel is a small box. Read the delivery estimate against the Christmas shipping cutoff. If bowling is one hobby among several, start with the gift finder.
Questions people ask
Can I buy someone a bowling ball?
Not as a surprise. USBC says a ball used in certified competition has to be on the approved list, unless it is a house ball the center provides. A house ball is not custom drilled. A ball you buy and have drilled is not that exception. The weight cannot pass 16.00 pounds. There is no minimum.
What is the weight limit?
The equipment manual says the weight shall not exceed 16.00 pounds. The same manual's manufacturing spec says the diameter, at the time of manufacture, is not less than 8.500 inches and not more than 8.595 inches. A heavier ball is not a generous gift. It is outside the spec.
Is a bowling-ball cleaner a good gift?
Not once league or a tournament has started. Rule 18 bars any liquid cleaner, and it bars powder, rosin, marker, or paint. A dry towel is what the rule names first. An approved cleaner needs an officer's consent, and only when a dry towel cannot get the residue off.
What about bowling shoes?
They are a size, and a slide sole is not a guess. This page does not list a pair. If you have not seen the shoes they wear, buy the towel.
Sources
Numbers and rules on this page come from these pages, checked November 9, 2026. Sources can change; check them before a high-stakes meal.
- USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual (ball weight shall not exceed 16.00 pounds, no minimum; diameter 8.500 to 8.595 inches at manufacture; approved-ball list, with the house-ball exception)
- USBC Playing Rules 2025-2026, Rule 18, Bowling Ball, Altering Surface (no liquid cleaner and no foreign material during competition; a dry towel is named before an approved cleaner, and only with an officer's consent)
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