Pay in 4 with Afterpay
Personalized Bowling Bags
Personalized Shammies
Personalized Bowling Jerseys
Shop Hammer Balls
Shop Epic Shoes
Shop Epic BagsBowling accessories
Bowling Towels and Shammies
What a shammy actually is, how it differs from a towel, see-saw or microfiber pad, and what USBC allows during play
A shammy is a dual-surface leather pad you wipe across your bowling ball to pull lane oil off the coverstock between shots. A bowling towel does the same basic job with cotton or microfiber instead of leather, usually kept on the ball return for a quick wipe-down. A see-saw is a carrier that cleans the ball while it rides in your bag, and a microfiber cleaning pad is a synthetic alternative to a leather shammy. All four exist to do one thing: keep oil off the ball’s surface so it reads the lane the same way, shot after shot. Wiping the ball dry with any of them is not the liquid cleaner USBC’s in-competition rule restricts.
Have a bowling question? Search the learning center.
Towel vs. shammy vs. see-saw vs. microfiber pad
ShammyLeather, dual-surface pad: BowlersMart Royal Blue Bowling Shammy
TowelCotton, wipes the ball dry: Storm Shammy Aqua Leather Bowling Towel
See-SawCarries and wipes the ball at once: Storm See-Saw Black
Microfiber PadSynthetic, not leather: Genesis Pure Plus Micro Suede Cleaning Pad| Type | Material | How it works | Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shammy | Oil-absorbing leather, dual surface. | A pad you wipe across the ball to pull lane oil off the coverstock. The dual surface is standard across the brands we carry: Storm, Hammer and Vise all build theirs this way. | Hand wash with mild soap when it feels saturated, then air dry. |
| Bowling towel | Cotton (plain or ball-line artwork), or microfiber on a dual-surface grip towel. | Kept on the ball return for a quick wipe between shots. A microfiber towel absorbs more oil than cotton, per our own Brunswick Microfiber EZ Grip Towel listing. | Our Brunswick Microfiber EZ Grip Towel listing: machine wash the microfiber side, skip fabric softener, it coats the fibers and cuts absorbency. Our cotton ball-line towel listings do not give a washing method. |
| See-saw | A ball carrier with a soft or microfiber cleaning lining. | Slide the ball in and it wipes down as it rides, so it does double duty: cleans the ball and protects its surface from scratches in your bag. | The Roto Grip Mega Microfiber See-Saw and Vise Microfiber See Saw are machine washable. Machine wash regularly to keep the cleaning surface effective. |
| Microfiber cleaning pad | Synthetic micro-suede, not leather. | Works the same way a shammy does, a pad you wipe across the ball, built from a synthetic material instead of leather. | Wash regularly with mild soap, air dry to keep its absorbency. |
A "personalized shammy" on our site is either a leather shammy or a cotton towel, both printed with a specific ball’s own artwork; see Personalized shammies below.
All four are doing the same underlying job: pulling lane oil off the ball’s surface so it reads the lane consistently, but they do not all pick up oil the same way. Our Brunswick Microfiber EZ Grip Towel listing states microfiber absorbs significantly more oil than cotton towels; our JoPo Grips Logo Rubber Shammy listing states a leather shammy pulls oil out of the surface better than a towel alone; and our Storm Woven Bowling Towel listing recommends pairing a cotton towel with a shammy specifically for deeper oil removal. Which one you reach for is a mix of that and what you already have in your bag or how you like to carry your ball.
When to use each one
- Between shotsA shammy, towel or microfiber pad kept on the ball return is for this: a quick dry wipe to pull surface oil off before your next shot, so the ball keeps reacting the same way through a game.
- Carrying the ball to and from the lanesA see-saw earns its spot here specifically because it works while you carry the ball, not just when you stop to wipe it. It also protects the surface from scratches sitting in your bag.
- After a sessionA dry wipe between shots is maintenance, not a deep clean. For oil that has worked into the coverstock over a full session, see our bowling ball cleaning and maintenance guide for cleaners, polish and resurfacing.
Need a deeper clean than a dry wipe gives you? See the bowling ball cleaning and maintenance guide for liquid cleaners, polish and resurfacing, and when each one is actually necessary.
Best-selling towels, shammies and see-saws
Ranked by what BowlersMart customers bought in the last 30 days. Prices and stock are updated nightly.
Caring for a shammy or towel
- Leather shammy: hand wash, air dryOur own shammy listings are consistent on this: hand wash with mild soap once the pad feels saturated or slick, then let it air dry completely before your next session.
- Microfiber towels: machine wash, no fabric softenerOur Brunswick Microfiber EZ Grip Towel listing is explicit: machine wash the microfiber side, skip fabric softener, it coats the fibers and reduces how much oil the towel can absorb. The plain and ball-line cotton towels in our catalog do not list a washing method on their own product pages.
- See-saw: machine wash regularlyThe Roto Grip Mega Microfiber See-Saw and Vise Microfiber See Saw listings say they are machine washable. Machine wash regularly to keep the cleaning surface effective.
- Synthetic microfiber pad: wash with mild soap, air dryOur Genesis Pure Plus Micro Suede Cleaning Pad listing calls for the same routine as a leather shammy: wash regularly with mild soap and air dry to keep its absorbency.
Personalized shammies: towels matched to your ball
Despite the category name, a "personalized shammy" on our site is not a name or initial printed on anything. The category holds two different products, both matched to a specific ball’s own artwork rather than to your name: a leather shammy with the ball’s design sublimated into one side and oil-absorbing leather on the other, like our Storm Bionic SD Leather Bowling Shammy and SWAG Dragon Stained Glass SD Leather Bowling Shammy, and a plain cotton bowling towel printed with the same kind of ball-line artwork, like our Storm Ion Pro Pearl Bowling Towel and SWAG Dragon Stained Glass Bowling Towel.
Care depends on which one you have. Our Storm Bionic SD and SWAG Dragon Stained Glass SD listings both specify hand wash with mild soap, air dry for the leather side, the same care as any leather shammy; the cotton towels in this category do not list a washing method on their own listings. Either one is used the same way on the ball: keep it on the ball return for a dry wipe between shots.
Best-selling personalized shammies
Ranked by what BowlersMart customers bought in the last 30 days. Prices and stock are updated nightly.
USBC rules: dry wiping during competition
- No liquid cleaner without permissionUSBC Rule 18(b) bars using any liquid cleaner or cleaning agent to wipe a ball during certified competition, effective August 1, 2019, unless a league or tournament official grants permission first.
- No foreign material on the ballUSBC Rule 18(c) separately bars any foreign material on the ball, naming powder, rosin, marker and paint by name; a ball found carrying one is removed from competition.
- A product can touch your hand, but not leave residue on the ballUSBC’s rulebook (FAQ 18/3) states that a product may be applied to the bowler’s hand, but it must leave no residue on the ball; wiping with a dry towel does not make a ball compliant if a foreign substance, like rosin or powder, was patted onto it first.
A dry wipe with a towel or shammy is not a liquid cleaner. Rule 18(b) restricts using a liquid cleaner or cleaning agent on the ball during competition. A dry towel, shammy or microfiber pad, used by itself with nothing added to it, is not that: it adds nothing to the ball. Several of our own cleaning-pad listings state the product is approved for USBC competition use as a dry towel; that is our product copy’s own claim, not an independent USBC rule naming dry towels by name.
Questions bowlers ask
What is a shammy in bowling?
A dual-surface leather pad you wipe across your bowling ball to pull lane oil off the coverstock. Bowlers keep it on the ball return for a quick wipe between shots.
What’s the difference between a bowling towel and a shammy?
A shammy is specifically a leather pad. A bowling towel does the same oil-wiping job with cotton or microfiber instead, and some towels add a textured grip side for your hands. Functionally they serve the same purpose; the material is what differs.
What does a see-saw do for a bowling ball?
A see-saw is a ball carrier lined with a cleaning surface. Slide your ball in and it wipes down while it rides, so it cleans the ball and protects its surface from scratches in your bag at the same time.
Is a microfiber cleaning pad the same as a shammy?
It does the same job, wiping oil off the ball, but a microfiber or micro-suede cleaning pad is a synthetic material, not leather. Either one works as a dry-wipe tool.
Can I use a shammy or towel during a USBC-sanctioned league or tournament?
A dry wipe with a shammy, towel, see-saw or microfiber pad is not a liquid cleaner, so USBC Rule 18(b), which bars a liquid cleaner or cleaning agent without an official’s permission, does not restrict it. Separately, Rule 18(c) bars any foreign material on the ball (powder, rosin, marker or paint), and FAQ 18/3 says a product may touch your hand but must leave no residue on the ball. A dry towel or shammy with nothing added to it is not what either of those targets.
How do I clean a leather shammy?
Hand wash it with mild soap once it feels saturated or starts to feel slick, then let it air dry completely before your next session.
What is a "personalized shammy" on BowlersMart?
Despite the name, it is not your name or initials on anything. The category holds two different products matched to a ball’s own artwork: a leather shammy with the design sublimated into one side, like our Storm Bionic SD Leather Bowling Shammy, and a cotton towel printed with the same kind of artwork, like our Storm Ion Pro Pearl Bowling Towel.
How often should I wipe my bowling ball?
Between shots, with whichever dry tool you carry, a shammy, towel, see-saw or microfiber pad. For oil that has worked deeper into the coverstock over a full session, see our bowling ball cleaning and maintenance guide for when a liquid cleaner or resurfacing is actually warranted.
Sources and method
USBC Playing Rulebook. Rule 18(b) on liquid cleaners during competition and FAQ 18/3 on products applied to the hand versus residue left on the ball, from USBC’s current official rulebook, on bowl.com.
Our product pages. What a shammy, towel, see-saw and microfiber pad are made of, how they work and how to care for them come from our own current product listings for those lines, including the "approved for USBC competition as a dry towel" language on several cleaning-pad listings.
Products shown. The product rows show what bowlers have bought most from us in the last 30 days, with current prices and stock, refreshed nightly.
Next lesson
Free shipping on US orders.
