Starting out I would get small bottles of various manufacturers. Get you a composition note book and keep track of the results from different surfaces and polishes. There is a lot of trial and error finding the best surface prep.

I fiddled with different polishes, compounds and surface grits for years. It will be a fun adventure for you.

These days I keep it simple. Abralon pads, Clean-n-Dull and Ebonite factory finish gives me more than enough possibilities for the lane surfaces I see. my needs are in the 1000 to 4000 grit range. Some with polish some not.

You are going to have a great time experimenting.