How to Pick a Bowling Ball
Pick a comfortable weight., Find a ball that fits your fingers., Choose between a right-handed or left-handed bowling ball.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Pick a comfortable weight.
Bowling balls come in a variety of weights, ranging from 6 pounds (2.7 kg) to 16 pounds (7.3 kg).
Choose a ball that is heavy enough for you to effectively roll down the bowling lane without straining yourself.
Heavier is not necessarily better.
Remember, you will be tossing the ball two dozen times and what seems like a comfortable weight at first might not be so comfortable by the end of the night.
For practice, try swinging a weight at home in much the same way that you would swing a bowling ball.
If, after 23 times, your arm is tired, that weight level is too high for you.
You want to have full use of arm strength through the duration of the game.As a general rule, you should be able to handle a bowling ball around 10% of your own body weight.
Unfortunately, the poor grip quality of house balls at bowling alleys can make tossing these more strenuous.
When working with a ball not specifically fitted to you, it might be necessary to use a lighter ball. -
Step 2: Find a ball that fits your fingers.
Each bowling ball has holes for your thumb, middle finger and ring finger.
Pick a ball with holes that allow your fingers to be inserted and removed freely, without being so loose that you lose control of the ball.
Find a ball for which the distance between the holes (span) is comfortable for you.
Try out several balls until you have a fit that feels comfortable.For house balls, the size of the holes typically correlates with the weight on the ball.
Heavier bowling balls feature larger holes, whereas lighter balls feature smaller holes.
The limited range of options can make it difficult to find a ball that has the right weight and finger parameters for you, but you should keep on trying until you find the best fit.
When purchasing your own ball, the pro shop should customize the span and finger holes to the size of your hand.
Any quality store should fit a ball precisely to your needs without much effort on your part.
A pro shop should also sell finger inserts, which can be useful when using other people’s balls.
These can be transferred from one ball to another to improve your grip and give all of your balls a consistent feel.
These have become very popular in recent years., The only difference between the two is that the ring finger is drilled 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) further from the thumb hole on a left-handed ball.
The majority of balls available for rental at bowling alleys are right-handed balls.
If you want to use a left-handed ball, you may need to specifically request one. -
Step 3: Choose between a right-handed or left-handed bowling ball.
Detailed Guide
Bowling balls come in a variety of weights, ranging from 6 pounds (2.7 kg) to 16 pounds (7.3 kg).
Choose a ball that is heavy enough for you to effectively roll down the bowling lane without straining yourself.
Heavier is not necessarily better.
Remember, you will be tossing the ball two dozen times and what seems like a comfortable weight at first might not be so comfortable by the end of the night.
For practice, try swinging a weight at home in much the same way that you would swing a bowling ball.
If, after 23 times, your arm is tired, that weight level is too high for you.
You want to have full use of arm strength through the duration of the game.As a general rule, you should be able to handle a bowling ball around 10% of your own body weight.
Unfortunately, the poor grip quality of house balls at bowling alleys can make tossing these more strenuous.
When working with a ball not specifically fitted to you, it might be necessary to use a lighter ball.
Each bowling ball has holes for your thumb, middle finger and ring finger.
Pick a ball with holes that allow your fingers to be inserted and removed freely, without being so loose that you lose control of the ball.
Find a ball for which the distance between the holes (span) is comfortable for you.
Try out several balls until you have a fit that feels comfortable.For house balls, the size of the holes typically correlates with the weight on the ball.
Heavier bowling balls feature larger holes, whereas lighter balls feature smaller holes.
The limited range of options can make it difficult to find a ball that has the right weight and finger parameters for you, but you should keep on trying until you find the best fit.
When purchasing your own ball, the pro shop should customize the span and finger holes to the size of your hand.
Any quality store should fit a ball precisely to your needs without much effort on your part.
A pro shop should also sell finger inserts, which can be useful when using other people’s balls.
These can be transferred from one ball to another to improve your grip and give all of your balls a consistent feel.
These have become very popular in recent years., The only difference between the two is that the ring finger is drilled 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) further from the thumb hole on a left-handed ball.
The majority of balls available for rental at bowling alleys are right-handed balls.
If you want to use a left-handed ball, you may need to specifically request one.
About the Author
Pamela Jackson
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: