The Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

This week's tip is for all bowlers, however, youth, new bowlers and bowlers who have not had a correctly fit ball will benefit the most.
Choosing the correct weight for a bowling ball is not rocket science although it is made out to be at times. A poorly fit ball ( lane ball or hack job) will take excessive grip pressure to hold onto. This makes the ball seem too heavy. A good rule to thumb, when getting a custom fit ball, is to go up two pounds over what a poorly fit ball weighs. You will be surprised at how much lighter a properly fit ball will feel. When a ball is fit properly, minimal grip pressure is needed to hold the ball, allowing you to swing the ball without putting a death grip on it. This applies to both finger tip and conventional grips. Understand that gravity, not upper body muscles should control the swing.
For youth bowlers, always err on the heavier side for several reasons. First, is is instinct to grab a ball and throw it, not roll it. If the ball is too light, it is hard to teach a youth bowler to use gravity as their friend and roll the ball. Second, children are still growing and you may get an extra year our of the ball before the youth bowler outgrows the weight. If a youth bowler is switching from conventional to finger tip grip, in this one case I would not recommend going too heavy as you do not want to make it an unpleasant experience. The best recommendation would be to re grip the old ball and get used to the grip before drilling a new ball.
Note: If a bowler, youth or adult is bowling to enjoy themselves, a conventional grip is best. If a bowler is interested in some form of competitive bowling in the future, the finger tip grip is the way to go. Remember: There is no substitute for a properly fit ball. Parents of youth bowlers, please have the fit checked at least every six months.
Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro Shop Operator and Teacher. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is also the Northeast Regional Sales Manager with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 341-1694 or via e-mail at mikespro@warwick.net