How to Measure Fingers for a Bowling Ball

Measuring fingers for a bowling ball requires attention to comfort and personal preference. The initial measurement is easy to obtain and serves as a guide for drilling the holes. After the initial holes are drilled and tested, adjustments are made to fine tune and personalize the fit. The measuring, drilling and process of adjusting the fit require a pro shop. Pro shops are attached to many bowling venues, and the staff operates the specialized drilling equipment.

Things You'll Need

  • Standard bowling balls
  • Fabric tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bowl with the standard balls at the lanes until you find a comfortable grip and determine your bowling style. The conventional grip requires deep holes, and the finger tip grip requires shallow holes for hooking the ball. The number of holes also varies based on preference, but the thumb, middle and ring fingers are common.

    • 2

      Measure the length of your thumb, middle and ring fingers with a fabric tape measure. Measure the thumb from the tip to the lower knuckle for conventional and fingertip grips. Measure the middle and ring fingers from the tip to the lower knuckle for conventional grips and from the tip to the highest joint for finger tip grips. Record the measurements.

    • 3

      Measure the circumference of each finger with the fabric tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around the middle of each finger and record the measurements.

    • 4

      Provide the measurements to the pro shop and have the holes drilled on the new ball. Test the new ball and make adjustments based on the feel. Increase the diameter for swollen and bruised fingers and add depth as necessary.