Have you ever seen any bowlers with some colorful stickers attached to their bowling fingers? Do you know what they are? They are known as bowling tapes and it does more than just protect the fingers from injuries. In fact, the usage of bowling tape is often considered a form of art. For longer bowling sessions and tournaments, bowling tapes can become your very best friend. So when and why do bowlers tape their fingers? Should you start doing the same? You must have some questions that need answering. So why don’t you stay tuned to get answers to all of your questions?
Why do bowlers tape their fingers?
Can you guess the reasons behind bowling tapes being so common among bowlers? Not only these tapes are helpful for making your bowling experience better, but also they provide a great range of advantages. Some professional bowlers claim it as one of the most useful pieces of equipment in bowling. Allow me to explain the reasons why bowlers tape their fingers one by one.
1. Snug Fit
I have seen bowlers who bowl awfully on their first few shots or games and slowly start to get on track. I used to wonder why they play so badly during their warming-up sessions. Then I asked one and learned that the bowling holes don’t fit their bowling fingers properly. So they play and wait for a while for the fingers to swell up. And once that happens, the hole accommodates the fingers properly. But boy oh boy! Were they wrong!
It is never a good idea to wait till your finger swells up for your fingers to fit perfectly inside the holes. Not only do you sacrifice some good and potential scores, but also that is your bowling performance goes downhill due to the poor shots. Bowling finger tapes eliminate this issue. What these tapes do is they create artificial finger swelling by filling in the space that your bowling fingers and thumb don’t fill until you have warmed up.
Because bowling tapes are generally just thin strips, you can easily layer them up if needed to create the snuggest and most perfect fit for your fingers. What’s the advantage of doing that? Well, you will have more accurate shots. Besides, you will avoid waiting for your fingers to swell up which is definitely a poor choice of bowling technique.
2. Better Grip
Do you ever feel like you are about the drop your bowling ball before reaching the foul line? Does it feel like you are not gripping your fingers securely? You are not the only one! We have all been there. So why does it happen? When your fingers don’t have a snug fit inside the bowling ball holes, you feel this problem. And if your fear comes to reality, some serious accident might happen.
How do you prevent such a matter? Get yourself bowling tapes, especially the textured ones. This will allow you to grab onto the bowling balls better, and of course, no chance of slipping and landing on your feet and toes. A better grip on your bowling ball also ensures better shots and more consistent throws. You have more control over your bowling ball and you decide where and how you want to roll the ball when it’s on the lane. So do you want to make your grip game strong? Bowling fingers tape is possibly the best place to start. By placing tapes on your fingers, you boost your chances of better ball release and apparently better hook grip. Does that sound good?
3. Protection From Injury
Besides enhancing your grip and giving your bowling fingers a snug fit, the bowling finger tapes serve another major purpose. So what is it? Bowling finger tapes protect your bowling fingers from a lot of injuries and skin irritation. When you repeatedly slip in and out your fingers out of the ball’s finger holes, the skin of your fingers contact friction. Some of these frictional movements are not kind to the skin.
Your fingers have knuckles and these knuckles also can get irritated inside the drilled holes when you are bowling. As a result, you can get blisters, throbbing fingertips, soreness, painful fingers, stiffness, tenderness, and other pains. So to avoid these physical injuries and pain, don’t forget to wear the finger tapes for a better and more secure bowling experience.
When Do you Use Bowling Tape?
Think of bowling tape as helpful equipment and for some of you, it might be an essential tool to bowl most functionally. I would recommend using your bowling tape before you you even throw your first shot. As you keep on bowling, after a few frames or games, you can take it off once you feel that your bowling fingers have swelled up enough.
If you are someone whose fingers don’t swell up enough to fill in the gaps in the holes, you should consider keeping them on throughout the game. And, if you do that, remember to replace the tapes after every 6 months or every 60 games. This is recommended by every professional because bowling tapes do wear out with time. And, trust me, you don’t wanna use the worn-out tapes because they are of no use.
Are there any potential drawbacks to taping a bowler’s fingers?
Drawbacks can only occur when you’re wearing the bowling finger tapes wrong. What do I mean by wrong? Well, if your fingers already fit perfectly inside the holes, you don’t really need any tape to fill in the space because there is no space to fill in the first place. In fact, you might see some problems if you use one in that case. One of that is the fingers not getting out of the holes on time because instead of having a snug fit, the fingers were in a tighter environment. So it took time to get out of the holes.
Conclusion
How badly do you want to see the best reaction from your bowling ball? Time to consider using bowling finger tapes. For me, these bowling finger tapes are life saviors! These saved me from countless possible injuries and of course, a much smoother ball release. Hence, you can’t just overlook this item when shopping for your extra bowling gear. So get used to using this if you need one and replace the tape from time to time. Another thing to make sure that don’t use tape over your fancy long nails while bowling. Got any further questions? You know the drill. Just hit me up and I will get back to you shortly. For now, adios! As always, good luck and have fun bowling. See ya, folks!
Passionate Bowler and Bowling Enthusiast
Jess Pinelli is a dedicated bowling enthusiast with a deep love for the sport that spans over 6 years. With numerous strikes, spares, and a few gutter balls under hes belt, he has honed his skills on lanes across the country. Pinelli’s journey in the world of bowling has been a remarkable one, from casual weekend games with friends to competitive league play and even a few local tournaments.
Driven by her passion for the game, Pinelli decided to channel her expertise and knowledge into the digital realm, becoming a prolific author on this bowling website. She’s your go-to source for everything bowling-related, from mastering the perfect hook to choosing the right bowling ball and even navigating the world of bowling etiquette.
When she’s not busy writing informative articles or reviewing the latest bowling gear, you’ll likely find Pinellis at her favorite local bowling alley, helping newcomers improve their game or enjoying some friendly competition with fellow bowlers. She firmly believes that bowling is not just a game but a community, and she’s committed to fostering that sense of camaraderie both online and offline.
