How to Drill Holes Into a Bowling Ball

It may come as a surprise to those who are not familiar with the sport of bowling, but a new bowling ball comes with no holes. They must go through a special drilling and smoothing process in order to use them, which is most often done by an experienced bowling ball technician.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowling ball
  • Adjustable finger-span measuring ball
  • Bowling ball drill, bits and sanding attachment
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose between a traditional, semi-finger-tip or finger-tip hole configuration. If you are a more advanced bowler, then you may want to try a finger-tip drilling configuration on your bowling ball for increased precision and lift on your throw.

    • 2

      Decide if you want to use finger or thumb inserts. Drilling for finger inserts is a different process than traditional bowling ball drilling. Inserts are easily interchangeable to allow for changes and comfort.

    • 3

      Measure the span between the base of your thumb and where the fingers will grasp the ball. This is usually done in an adjustable bowling ball with movable finger and thumb holes and interchangeable diameters of hole inserts.

    • 4

      Set your new bowling ball into the bowling ball driller. The drilling process includes clamping the bowling ball and drilling the hole to a specific angle for comfort.

    • 5

      Drill all three holes according to your measurements. Be sure to drill a bit deeper than the length of your fingers.

    • 6

      Sand the holes smooth with a hole-sanding attachment to your ball driller. Add inserts if required.