Positioning is everything in bowling. From your position at the stance to your position during ball release— everything is important. But how much attention do you pay to your fingers when you bowl? I know, for many of you bowling is just grabbing and rolling the ball on the lane. But without paying attention to this minor detail, you cannot achieve finesse in bowling. Hence, today’s article is focusing on bowling finger positions. How do you use your fingers and how do you position them correctly? Let me answer them one by one.
Where do I put my fingers when bowling?
If you’re planning to change your ball roll a little you don’t always have to change your hand position completely. Sometimes it’s your fingers that can create a lot of changes. If you have no disability, you have five fingers and where do these five fingers go when you bowl? First of all, if you look at a bowling ball, you will see it usually has 3 drilled holes. One is for your thumb and the upper two (that are closer and next to each other) holes are for your middle and ring finger.
If you are a right-handed bowler, your right thumb will go into the thumb hole, and the right middle finger and the right ring finger will go into the remaining two holes, and vice versa for the left-handers. So while these three fingers are inside the finger holes, what do the other two fingers do? The standard bowling grip concentrates on the ball’s weight in your hand. With your ring and middle finger occupied in the drilled holes, there are some ways you can adjust the position of your index and pinky fingers for the most effective ball roll.
If you’re planning to leave a flat ten, the first thing you should try is to change where you put your pinky and index finger on the ball. The more you spread your index finger (from the middle and ring finger), the more likely you are gonna come around the bowling ball. If you keep that index finger close to your middle finger, expect to see more forward roll than you usually do.
Now, what about the pinky finger? Well, it is in the opposite direction. Most players prefer keeping the pinky closer to their ringer finger. If you intend to spread your pinky finger, it will give you a forward roll. On the other hand, if you keep it closer to your ring finger, it will give you a higher axis rotation. All the side rolls you see comes from the spread-out index finger while the pinky finger is tucked in.
What does tucking your pinky do in bowling?
One of the most popular methods bowlers use during bowling is tucking their pinky finger. When you spread your index finger as far away as you can, and just keep the pinky finger steady and close to the ring finger, you get an extra turn on the ball and that just might be enough to trip out that pesky ten pins. If this technique doesn’t get the job done, the next thing you can do is tuck your finger under while keeping your index finger spread out. So how can that be helpful? This will help your fingers roll through the ball at the release, giving me a better angle to carry that corner.
How should your fingers fit in a bowling ball?
Now comes another important factor that many of us tend to overlook. How your fingers should feel when they are inside the drilled holes of a bowling ball? Should the holes feel tight or pretty spacious? Well, the answer is plain and simple. When you place your fingers (from the fingertips to the first crease down) inside the bowling ball holes, they should slide in and out comfortably. This is the standardization of the classic fingertip grip. If you’re forcing your fingers on the tight holes, you won’t be able to get them out on time which will result in serious injuries. If your finger can wiggle inside the holes or you jam them in too hard, you should consider changing the inserts, or re-drill to customize the size of the holes.
Is it better to bowl with 2 fingers or 3?
While the traditional three-finger grip is most popular among bowlers, some bowling enthusiasts often bowl using a two-finger grip. Indeed, the shot is very hard to control, and it’s even harder to develop consistency. This method allows you to use your middle and ring fingers only and you have to keep the thumb out of the thumb hole. The advantage of a two-finger release is that it creates a natural hook that can lead to some nice strikes if executed properly. Yes, this bowling style is a bit riskier but the hook potential it has is truly tempting. Once you can master it you should consider trying it from time to time. If I have to choose one between these two methods, I will always go with the traditional three-finger grip and bowl strategically. The advantage is that when you use the thumb hole, you get to control your bowling ball better even though it reduces the ball’s hook potential.
Is it better to bowl with or without thumb?
It is completely okay to bowl without the thumb. We like to call it the thumbless bowling delivery method. In this technique, the middle and ring fingers stay below the ball’s equator. Yes, this delivery technique is certainly a very strong one. You get to generate a tremendous amount of revs with your bowling ball. This happens because your bowling fingers stay in the ball for a bit longer. However, thumbless bowling has some limitations as well. If you’re one-handed and you don’t use your thumb, you will have a hard time balancing the ball. You may even drop the ball before you intend to release it on the lane. So it’s hard to whether it is better to bowl with or without the thumb. I personally wouldn’t recommend it. But yeah, go ahead and throw some shots yourself to know better.
Conclusion
Doesn’t matter what your preferred bowling ball finger position is, you should learn to have consistency. Do what you are more comfortable with. I have put together some information that might be handy for you. So if you have read this far, I believe, now you know more than enough. So keep on practicing. And never stop having fun while bowling. Good luck, my friends!
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.
