How to Drill Bowling Balls

New bowling balls are solid and do not have any holes in them. The layout of the finger holes must be measured based on the bowler's hand size and then drilled into the ball. This is usually done at a pro shop or sporting goods store, but you can make your own custom-fitted bowling ball if you have the necessary drilling equipment. If you make a mistake when drilling your bowling ball's holes, you may be able to fill them back in and re-drill in a new location.

Things You'll Need

  • Undrilled bowling ball
  • Adjustable bowling ball
  • Bowling ball drill press
  • Drill bits
  • Sanding tool attachment
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use an adjustable bowling ball to experiment with finger hole locations. Depending on your ability level, choose from a conventional or fingertip hole pattern. A conventional pattern allows the bowler's fingers to slide into the holes all the way up to the second joint. The fingertip pattern has holes that are only deep enough for the first joint of each finger. The fingertip pattern gives you the most lift and accuracy on your throw, but requires more strength in the hands and wrists.

    • 2

      Measure the distance between each finger hole on the adjustable ball. Measure the length and diameter of your thumb and the two fingers that will go in the holes of the bowling ball. Mark the hole locations on your undrilled bowling ball according to these measurements.

    • 3

      Place the bowling ball into the drill press cradle so that the center of gravity mark is directly in the middle of the drill, then lock it into place. The center of gravity is usually indicated by a small punch mark on the ball.

    • 4

      Select a drill bit for the thumb hole by looking at your measurements for the thumb's diameter and length. Lock the drill bit into place and drill the thumb hole. Drill the hole slightly deeper than your length measurements.

    • 5

      Change the drill bit to the size needed for the finger holes. Drill each hole, again going slightly past the finger length measurement.

    • 6

      Attach the sanding tool to the drill press and sand each of the holes until they are smooth.