What Are the Advantages of a Fingertip Bowling Ball?

Bowling balls have evolved from simple wooden balls to those made from complex materials designed for specific purposes. Until the 1960s, hard rubber balls were all that was available. Then, various chemical compounds were used to make balls far more sophisticated and effective. In the 1970s, polyester was introduced. In the 1980s and 1990s, various urethane compounds came into use. The core design has also become much more sophisticated, with various materials, weights and positions all affecting the behavior of the ball on the alley.

  1. Ball Design

    • Bowling balls are designed to act reliably and powerfully under differing conditions. Some balls are designed to roll straight toward the pins, while others are much easier to curve or hook. Polyester balls tend to go straighter than the newer urethane/resin designs. The condition of the alley also has an effect on the path the ball will take. Alleys with heavier concentrations of oil will make balls roll straighter, so a bowler on a more heavily oiled alley who wants to throw a hook will use a ball designed for more hook.

    Ball Drilling

    • In the past, drilling was quite simple. Three holes were drilled in the ball: one for the thumb and the other two for the two middle fingers. Not much attention was paid to where the holes were placed, as it didn’t make much difference on a hard rubber ball with a simple core. Drilling today’s bowling balls is much more complex. The driller has to take into account center of gravity, placement and type of core material and the type of grip the bowler wishes to use, among other things, to determine where the holes should be drilled. Any mistake can ruin the ball.

    Types of Grips

    • Bowlers use three basic grips: the conventional grip, the fingertip grip and the semi-fingertip grip. In the conventional grip, the thumb is inserted all the way and the fingers are inserted up to the second joint. The thumb is inserted the same way in the fingertip grip, but the fingers are inserted up to the first joint. The semi-fingertip is halfway between, with the fingers inserted halfway between the first and second joints. Most beginners use the conventional grip. Most advanced and professional bowlers use the fingertip grip. The semi-fingertip grip is not used as much because it puts a greater strain on the hand.

    Advantage of the Fingertip Grip

    • Better bowlers use a fingertip grip to throw a ball that curves in a powerful arc toward the pins. This occurs because the space between the thumb and finger holes is greater with the fingertip grip. When the ball is thrown, the thumb comes out first. Because the space between the thumb and the fingers is greater than in the conventional grip, the fingers stay in the ball slightly longer. This imparts more rotation or “lift,” causing the ball to curve more and arrive at the pins at a more effective angle, and ideally causing more of them to fall.