This has been asked by bowling players many times that how many holes can a bowling ball have?
How Many Holes Can A Bowling Ball Have
A bowling ball can have 12 holes in total.
- 5 gripping holes
- 5 vent holes
- 1 balance hole
- 1 mill hole
And, as for multiple weight holes, that’s outside of the legal limits. Only 1 balance hole is allowed, and it cannot exceed 1 1/4″ in diameter.
The rule states you may take a thumb hole even in the event that you use fingers just but your palm must cover the thumbhole throughout your delivery – that eliminates somebody using a ‘thumbhole’ at a place more suited to get a balance hole. Provided that you use all of the finger holes for the gripping purposes you’re fine.
Take care if you do this since it is going to alter the equilibrium of the chunk including the additional holes and may provide you too much control weight or unwanted weight and/or underside weight.
12 is the maximum number of pockets but the 1 hole is a mill pit that’s quite shallow.
Below are few other related questions generally asked.
Why do some bowling balls have 4 holes?
Most of the bowling balls have 3 holes which are essential in angling your hand to have strong control over the ball. Some tend to 4 or more holes, the balls are allowed to have up to 12 holes maximum.
The additional fourth hole or more is usually regarded as the weight hole or the balance hole. This hole, unlike the others, is not used for gripping but instead used to bring the static weight of the ball legal and standard to the required certifications put in place.
The fourth hole or more despite its necessity in the static weight of the ball also has a disadvantage. The additional hole results to other fingers and also the thumb being used. This is risky and may lead to damaging of the wrist, this is because the additional holes cause a change in the shape of the grip to a weaker finger.
Take a look at the Bowling Accessories page for some wrist protectors.
What are the holes in a bowling ball called?
A bowling ball has a different number of holes depending on the type and weight of the ball. The number of holes varies from 2 to 12 holes. These holes are named differently depending on their usage, just to mention:
- Inserts
These are round shaped tubes made of urethane materials that have contoured holes inside the tube and are always inserted into the gripping holes in the ball. These contoured holes allow the user to fit his/her gripping fingers while holding the ball. - Balance hole
It’s the extra hole in the bowling ball that unlike the others is not used for gripping but instead used to bring the static weight of the ball legal and standard to the required certifications put in place by the relevant boards of bowling game. - Gripping hole
These are holes that fit the users’ fingers and thumbs hence giving the user a good grip of the ball during the game.
Can you bowl with two fingers?
The two-finger approach in bowling is considered as the most popular way of ball gripping.
The two-finger technique was considered a tradition in the world of bowling game, this is because the technique would at most times result to a flock of strikes if well executed.
How to grip a ball using two fingers:
- First, hold the ball
- Fit in your middle and ring fingers into the two forward holes
- Hold on to the ball firmly as you allow the ball to rest on the palm of your hand.
- Gently extend your index and fingers outward with your thumb lying along with the ball
- Lastly, make a throw and ensure your thumb is kept out and only the two fingers pop out from the holes, this helps the bowler use most of the hand to apply the hook.
The disadvantage with this technique is that it’s challenging to pick up spares with a large hook. This limits the bowlers’ hook and also his/her trajectory along the surface lane.
What is a white dot bowling ball?
This is one of the most popular bowling balls in the history of bowling games. It’s made of polyester this is an advantage over other bowling balls because it’s polyester cover stock has a good oil absorption and also its reaction towards the surface lane is smooth and straight.
The white balls vary in type depending on the experiences of different bowlers. This property makes anyone fit to use a white ball whether a young bowler, a beginner or an experienced bowler.
What is the space between the thumb and finger holes called?
In a bowling ball, the space between the thumb and finger holes is referred to as the span. The span is measured from hole centers to hole centers.
A change in the span is simply an increase or decrease of pitches between the finger and the thumb, variations between the pitches between the fingers and the thumb are important in bowling.
The thumb pitch should vary to help the bowler hold on to the ball better and this may result in a flock of strikes if well aimed.
