Bowling Accessories, Grips and Inserts

Finger inserts

Finger inserts wear out, posing the question, how often should you get your finger inserts replaced? Pohl recommends getting them changed every 30 – 40 games. It is kind of a personal preference, but have them looked at frequently.

New inserts have a nice soft feel, and they’re going to give you a consistent release out of the ball. When they wear out they become hard and that hardness makes the bowling ball more difficult to grip. Limiting grip pressure or less squeezing enables you to hook the ball more. When your finger inserts are worn, you need to squeeze the ball more to hold onto it through your approach and release.

If you have issues with skin breaks AKA cuts, get new finger inserts. The nice thing is they’re very affordable and it doesn’t take your pro shop operator a long time to get them replaced.

In this video, Pohl shows examples of both new and old finger inserts. The old inserts are stretched out and cracked in some places, while the new inserts are soft and flawless. You’re going to get a better feel with new finger inserts and that will help your release improve and give you a stronger reaction down the lane.

Surface

You can alter the coverstock of a bowling ball’s surface by using an abralon pad. The numbers on the sanding pads vary from 180 – 5000. The lower the number the earlier the ball will hook on the lane and the higher the number results in the bowling ball hooking later down the lane.

When you clean your bowling ball and update the coverstock with fresh surface your ball will perform as desired. However, if you notice that your ball is not responding and you keep up with regular maintenance, it’s time to visit your pro shop to talk about oil extraction and resurfacing.