The other option is get your own ball and have it custom-fitted to your hand for your individual swing and release. The fitting and drilling can often be accomplished on the spot (if the resident pro is in the bowling center at the time). The pro will be able to advise you on the best ball composition and weight for your skill level, budget, bowling style, and aspirations. You might be able to find a bargain ball online or in a local store, but you will likely have trouble sorting all the options and should expect to pay the pro to fit you and drill the ball. It is not recommended to get your ball fitted and drilled at a box store unless they specialize in sporting equipment, and, in particular, bowling supplies. If you buy from the pro shop, though, you will have free advice and free drilling.
The conventional grip where the middle and ring finger go into the ball up to the second joint of each finger. This is the only grip option if you are using a “house ball. " In this option, a custom ball is drilled to accommodate the natural slant of your fingers in relation to each other and to the radius of the ball. Don’t worry about this, though—the pro will take care of all the measurements and should make adjustments over your next few bowling sessions. There should be no charge for the adjustments, but ask just to be sure. The fingertip grip in which the middle and ring finger go into the ball only up to the first joint. The fingertip grip affords more leverage at release, allowing you to put more “juice” on the shot—that is, impart more revolutions on the ball per unit time. Normally, with a fingertip grip, there will be rubberized inserts in each finger hole. These afford a surer grip. Again, the pro will set you up and should make adjustments gratis.
Undoubtedly the pro will offer you the opportunity to purchase a bag and recommended accessories. You can purchase these on the spot or wait and see what turns up in the local thrift shops. Often bowling equipment shows up in good shape and you can pick up a ball for the kids and a bag for yourself. Really all you need at this point is a bowling ball sling, also known as a buffer bag.
If you plan to join a weekly bowling league, house shoes are often included with the weekly fees. Ask about this. If your center does not include free shoes for leagues, you will save money, overall, by purchasing your own shoes right away. They will be available in the pro shop or you can shop for bargains around town and online. A word of caution about the shoes: Take care not to step in any liquid or spills. Bowling shoes are designed to slide smoothly right until the release. If you step in water, for example, your slide will stop soon as it starts, which is dangerous and may cause injury.
Determine the proper starting weight. Pick a ball which seems fairly light. Holding the ball cradled in both hands, extend your arms fully in front of your chest. If you can hold the ball for only a couple of seconds without straining, you have found a good starting weight. If the ball wants to drop as soon as you push it away from your body, the ball is too heavy—try something a bit lighter. If you can hold the ball at arm’s length for quite some time, the ball is way too light. You want the heaviest ball that you can reasonably control. If it is too light, you will be able to jerk it this way and that during the swing and you will have inconsistent results. Select a ball with the proper span. Support the ball with your non-dominant hand underneath. Insert the thumb of your bowling hand (your dominant hand) into the largest diameter hole and drape your middle finger and ring finger over the two remaining holes. Look for something where the crease of the second joint of both fingers is just over the edge of each hole. If the finger holes are too far away and the edge of the hole falls between your first and second joint, you will not be able to seat your fingers into the holes all the way—the span is too great. On the other hand, if the span is too small, the palm of your hand will not rest on the ball surface and you will, necessarily, adopt a pincher grip. This is not a power grip and will result in a weak shot and relatively few strikes. Take the time to find at least one ball with a proper, comfortable span for your hand. If you are having a truly difficult time finding a ball of your targeted weight that has the proper span, there is a strong possibility that you have picked a weight that is too heavy or light. The heavier balls will normally have a larger span, so you will need to look at balls that are heavier or lighter according to your needs. If you are having trouble, ask the bowling center staff for assistance. They will help you arrive at a reasonable compromise for weight and span. Select the best finger hole size. If you have identified several balls of the proper starting weight and span, look for the one with the snuggest, most comfortable finger holes. Typically, the finger holes are drilled over-large. If you are finding that your fingers do not fit in the balls, you have chosen a weight that is too light, perhaps a kid’s weight with proportionately smaller finger holes. You want holes which are fairly snug, but release your fingers easily. [2] X Research source
Look for something where the crease of the second joint of both fingers is just over the edge of each hole. If the finger holes are too far away and the edge of the hole falls between your first and second joint, you will not be able to seat your fingers into the holes all the way—the span is too great. On the other hand, if the span is too small, the palm of your hand will not rest on the ball surface and you will, necessarily, adopt a pincher grip. This is not a power grip and will result in a weak shot and relatively few strikes. Take the time to find at least one ball with a proper, comfortable span for your hand. If you are having a truly difficult time finding a ball of your targeted weight that has the proper span, there is a strong possibility that you have picked a weight that is too heavy or light. The heavier balls will normally have a larger span, so you will need to look at balls that are heavier or lighter according to your needs. If you are having trouble, ask the bowling center staff for assistance. They will help you arrive at a reasonable compromise for weight and span.
If you find that your normal steps take you off of the alley, your will have to start with your heels hanging a bit off the raised approach area and start with smaller steps, building your pace and the length of your steps as you get closer to the foul line. In this way you will avoid going over the line which stretches from gutter to gutter (at the start of the gutter). If you go over the foul line or any part of your body touches the lane past this line, your pin fall is not counted and the pins are reset. However, you still lose your shot (two per frame, maximum, but possibly three shots in the tenth frame only. )
Eventually, you can adjust your starting alignment based on your natural tendencies, but to start out and gauge your aim, try starting in the center.
The center of the lane is generally the most oily part. Keeping the ball somewhat to the side is a good way to maximize your traction on the lane. [4] X Research source
The “pocket” is the area immediately to one or the other side of the lead pin, and is the area you want to hit to consistently roll strikes. Did you hit the pocket? If so, you’ve found the correct starting position for your swing. You’ll want to align your non-dominant foot with the center dot. [5] X Research source
After several practice throws you should be able to find your optimum starting position from which to bowl. From there, you can tweak your throw to improve your chances of hitting a strike every time.
Some modern alleys track the speed of your ball. Try to reduce the speed of your shot in small increments if you are blowing the pins off the lane. Slower, precise pocket hits will keep the pins on the lane and allow them to mix, improving your chance of clearing the deck and producing a strike.
You’ll typically want the thumb to release the ball a split second before the fingers. Make sure your fingernails are neat and trimmed to avoid catching on the fingerholes and throwing wonky balls.
