Choosing the perfect house bowling ball
Ever gotten your fingers stuck in the holes of a bowling ball when you’re trying to throw it? Not sure how to choose the right house ball from all of those colorful globes on the racks lining the walls?
Follow these tips, and you’ll find a suitable bowling ball in no time.
Why bother with a proper fit?
A proper ball fit is more comfortable, provides more control and more power. It lowers the fatigue level of your hand and arm and decreases the possibility that you are hurt through pulled muscles, tendonitis or deep calluses. Here are some tips to make sure you’re choosing the proper size for your bowling ball.
1. Make sure your thumb can slide in and out easily.
Insert your thumb into the thumbhole. As you lightly press one side of the thumb to one side of the hole, slide the thumb in and out. The thumbhole size is correct if the other side of the thumb barely reaches its side.
Try another ball if the thumbhole is too loose or tight.
2. Don’t stretch your hand.
Your bowling ball span is the distance between the holes on the bowling ball. The span refers commonly to the distance from the front edge of the drilled thumb gripping hole to the front edges of the two finger gripping holes. A proper span allows you to hold the ball firmly without fear of dropping it on the down-swing.
You should have enough room between your hand and the ball to fit a pencil beneath your palm. If it lightly touches both your palm and the ball, then you know that you’re not overstretching your hand or gripping the ball too tightly.
3. Follow the 10% rule.
A bowling ball should weigh 10 percent of your body weight (up to 16 pounds), which means you really shouldn’t be grabbing, say, an 8-pound ball if you weigh 150 pounds. You want some weight to the ball, but it shouldn’t be so heavy that it’s uncomfortable.
When you use a ball that is too light, the weight of the ball is not enough to tell you to let it swing by its own weight. Typically, adult male beginner players tend to choose balls from 14 to 16 pounds while adult female beginner players choose balls from 10 to 14 pounds. Young bowlers should choose balls in the 6 to 14 pound range. 
If you’ve had arm surgery or you have a physical condition that makes hefting around a ball that’s 10 percent of your body weight a bit awkward, go ahead and use a slightly lighter ball. Remember that the goal is to feel comfortable with what you’re throwing.
Ready to level up?
If you bowl more than a couple of times per month and you want to improve your game, it’s probably time to consider buying your own ball and shoes. You can really see yourself improve when you can practice regularly with the same ball.