Bowling Ball Fit and Grip Pressure

Grip

When drilling a bowling ball, the goal is to have your grips match the angle to the pads of your fingers. This enables you to have the bowling ball roll properly off your fingers without having excess grip pressure. Pro shop operators use pitch gauges to determine the proper angle for you.

Reverse pitch is when the angle of the hole is going from the center of the bowling ball away from the grip. Forward pitch is when the angle of the hole is going from the center of the bowling ball towards the grip. Lateral pitch determines side-to-side components of the angle drilled in a bowling ball. The construction of your hand determines how much lateral pitch you need to get the ball to come off your hand cleanly.

Testing Your Fit

To ensure a proper fit, put your fingers and thumb into the bowling ball and place it on the side of your body.

The bowling ball should stay on your hand without your assistance. If you are unable to do this, your fit is incorrect and will affect your bowling technique.

Hand Strength

Bowlers with a strong hand versus a weak hand will have their bowling balls drilled differently. Strong-handed bowlers typically use more reverse pitch in the thumb to allow their natural strength to relax when in the thumbhole. Weaker-handed bowlers use forward pitch in their thumb. It allows the bowling ball to naturally stay on their thumb without having to exert grip pressure on the bowling ball.

To continue improving your bowling technique, check out Grip Control Exercise and Grip Pressure and the Modern Release from National Bowling Academy’s expert coaches.