Expert: - 9/15/2008

Question
Like an aluminum baseball bat,  Can a bowling ball lose its "POP"

Answer
James,
Absolutely. If finger grips are used, wear changes how a ball is thrown (grips get worn, become bigger, slicker).

The cover gets worn (broken down), surface becomes irregular (nicks and gouges), pores get clogged, the surface absorbs oil, and some of the reactive resin element in some performance balls is lost with each shot.

Any or all of the above can happen. Some of the above can be remedied, returning a ball (at least partially) to former effectiveness.

Thanks for the question.