Very rarely do shops and other web sites provide customers with the insight
to buy a Bocce Ball set that is right for them. Often a person will walk into
a store and buy whatever set is available, without knowing how suitable it is
for the type of Bocce they will be playing.
BuyBocceBalls.com offers a variety of sets, differentiated by their size, their
price and their suitability for different age groups and for playing different
types of Bocce. Based on customer feedback BuyBocceBalls.com would like to offer
some general guidelines to help newcomers or even experienced players choose
the right set to buy.
We also offer a quick summary of our tips for buying a Bocce
Ball Set. In case you don’t want to read though the more detailed scenarios
offered below, click here to see this summary.
What type of Bocce Ball Set are you looking for?
Starting Out
Buying for a preschool aged child
Buying for an older child
Just playing for family fun - Backyard Bocce
Buying a gift for someone
No idea what to buy!
More Serious About Bocce
Just playing Court Bocce
Playing both Backyard and Court Bocce
Need something unique? Try "Glo in the Dark" sets
How about customized sets?
Price is an important factor
Buying a top of the line set - EPCO
Buying with budget limitations
Buying for a preschool aged child
The 80+ mm set is ideal for young children in the age range of
approx 3-7 years old. The balls are small in size and light in weight, so they
can throw them or roll them with ease. Also, the balls consist of 4 colors (red,
yellow, blue and green) which make them very appealing to young children. However,
please note that these balls are heavier enough to hurt young children if they
are used incorrectly, so we do strongly recommend that adult supervision is
provided when kids in this age group are playing Bocce.
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Buying for an older child
Depending on the age of the children, there are a couple of options.
If they are approx 7-10 years old, then the 90 mm set would be a good idea,
based on the size and weight of the balls. If the children are older, they can
probably handle throwing and rolling the 100 mm balls.
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Just playing for family fun - Backyard Bocce
One of the lighter sets, such as the 100mm or the 107mm, would be a
good idea. Since the venues are more likely to be gardens, parks, beaches and
other areas of mixed terrain, you will want balls that are light and easy to
throw. Often these settings will have slopes or hills, trees and rocks, which
mean balls are more likely to be thrown than rolled through the thick grass.
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Buying a gift for someone
Not an easy recommendation to make, because there is no indication
if the person receiving the gift has a size/weight preference for the balls
or is more likely to play Backyard Bocce or Court Bocce. One of the lighter
sets, such as 100mm or 107mm, would be a good idea. While the majority of people
can play with a lighter set, some people may get discouraged if the sets are
too heavy for them, particularly if they end up only playing Backyard Bocce.
The 100 mm set is light and great for having fun in different Backyard Bocce
settings. Alternatively, the 107mm set is often considered a safe bet to purchase
as a gift. This is because it offers a good balance between playing Backyard
or Court Bocce. On the one hand, the balls are still light enough to throw in
Backyard Bocce settings, but on the other hand they are heavy enough to roll
well on Bocce courts.
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No idea what to buy!
Confused by the terminology and still unsure what to buy? This
is similar to the last situation, where someone is buying a Bocce Ball set as
a gift. Again, it is hard to say if the set will be used for Backyard Bocce
or Court Bocce or if the person has a size/weight preference for the balls.
One of the lighter sets, such as 100mm or 107mm, would probably be the best
idea, for all the reasons given in the last tip about buying a set as a gift.
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Just playing Court Bocce
This relates more to the serious players, which means one of the
107mm, 110mm or 114mm sets would be most suitable. All of these sets are recognized
by the International Bocce Association for tournaments. Their larger sizes and
heavier weights make them ideal for rolling on the Court Bocce surfaces. If
there is a personal preference for larger, heavier balls then the 114 mm set
would be best. If there is a personal preference for smaller, lighter balls,
then the 107mm set would be a good fit. Alternatively, if size and weight are
not a concern for you, then the 110mm sets might be the best option. This tends
to be the most popular size for serious Court Bocce players and at the present
time, BuyBocceBalls.com offers the widest range of color options for this size.
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Playing both Backyard and Court Bocce
There are a couple of options to satisfy this scenario. One option
would be to purchase the 107mm set, as this offers a good balance between the
two types of Bocce. On the one hand, the balls are still light enough to throw
in Backyard Bocce settings, but on the other hand they are heavy enough to roll
well on Bocce courts. A second option, depending on your budget, would be for
you to purchase 2 sets with balls of contrasting size and weight. For example,
the 100 mm set for Backyard Bocce and the 110 mm set for Court Bocce.
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Need something unique? Try "Glo in the Dark"
sets
For something completely new and original, try the Glow in the
Dark sets from EPCO! They come in a couple of sizes, 107mm and 110mm and consist
of 4 unique colors - "Glo Red", "Glo Orange", "Glo Green", and "Glo Yellow".
You can play with them any time and if you want them to glow in the dark, you
must play under "dark light".
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How about customized sets?
Currently, we are able to offer some customizations with the 110
mm EPCO sets. We can create an 8 ball set for you, consisting of any combination
of the 4 colors - red, white, blue, green. For example, some people like to
go for non standard color combinations with 2 colors, such as green and white.
Others go for sets with 2 balls of each of the 4 colors. If you would like to
buy a set of balls not already shown in our list, please email sales@buybocceballs.com
and indicate what you would like. We will get back to you within 24-48 hours.
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Buying a top of the line set - EPCO
The sets manufactured by EPCO include the highest quality Bocce
Balls available on the market today. They emphasis quality, precision and style.
With regards to design and manufacturing, they combine the best of both worlds.
They are designed and made by Italians, and are manufactured in America using
state of the art manufacturing processes. The balls are a solid one-piece construction,
manufactured of Partek composition resin material and manufactured to International
Bocce Association specifications. EPCO balls have been used in the World Bocce
Championships. If you can afford to pay a little extra, you won't be disappointed!
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Buying with budget limitations
BuyBocceBalls.com provides a selection of the best Bocce sets on
the market today. If you can't afford to pay the slightly higher prices for
the EPCO sets, we do offer some excellent sets in each size category at more
economical prices. These are the ones made by Spalding and Sportcraft. Depending
on which size you buy (see previous tips), they can make ideal choices for any
combination of Court or Backyard Bocce. The most important point to remember
is that you don't need to spend top dollar to enjoy a game of Bocce.
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