Rely On Your Bowling Pro Shop Professional

bowlingball.com, Originally Posted: 10/6/2012; Updated: 6/24/2023

If you are someone new to the game or an experienced bowler seeking improvement and a greater understanding about bowling equipment or the game in general, then rely on your bowling pro shop professional whenever possible.

There are bowling pro shop services offered to address a variety of needs for any bowler. The pro shop is a great way to get involved in bowling and grow in the game because it serves as an information center as well as making products available for use on the lanes. Our staff at bowlingball.com recommends you learn to rely on your bowling pro shop professional to help you advance in the game.

Let's examine a quick checklist of services offered by most full-service pro shops throughout the country:

Bowling Ball Measuring and Fitting

Pro shop professionals specialize in measuring your bowling hand for the finger and thumb sizes and the span of your fully extended hand as it arches on a bowling ball surface.

Everyone has different sized fingers and thumbs and care will be taken by the pro shop specialist to determine precisely how your hand opens and closes and what amount of flexibility your digits possess.

Before drilling holes into your new bowling ball, the pro shop professional must identify the correct pitch angles for each hole. Not only is size a factor for drilling gripping holes, but the pitch angles will vary for each gripping hole based on the structure of your hand. Finger and thumb pitch angles influence the way you release the bowling ball.

The location of where the gripping holes are drilled into the ball will affect the ball motion as it travels down the lane. The manufacturers recommend various drilling layouts to help control length and hook potential ratings and your pro shop professional can help you make the decision which layout pattern best suits your needs.

Bowling Ball Equipment

If you currently own a bowling ball, make sure your pro shop professional sees your existing equipment so he or she can recommend the next item. It is a good idea to bring all of your bowling equipment to evaluate your existing arsenal.

If you do not have your own bowling ball, your pro shop operator can easily help you select an appropriate model and brand based on your budget and your skill level.

Before selecting a new ball, make sure the pro shop professional watches you bowl. If you have never bowled, you may want to take instructions to learn the basics of a bowling approach and delivery technique. Knowing how you release the ball and what is your existing ball speed range will help the pro shop professional guide you in a ball selection process.

Professional Instructions

As a brand new bowler, you should take a series of coaching sessions where a bowling certified coach works with you to learn the fundamentals of the game. The cost of a single lesson with a professional typically costs less than a new bowling ball.

Learning the keys to making an effective bowling approach and how to deliver the ball will steer you the right direction.


A good coach will give you important advice on practicing. You will develop a strategy to work on your physical game fundamentals. Often, your pro shop professional is an experienced coach so you conceivably can take instructions and plan your new equipment wrapped into one price package.

Other Bowling Equipment

Make sure you own a good pair of bowling shoes. It is important to maintain good balance while walking on the approach and generating a consistently smooth and even slide into the foul line. Quality bowling shoes come in attractive color options and will provide you with sliding stability, durability, and comfort.

Ask the pro shop professional which accessories will be most useful. Many bowlers would improve with the use of a wrist support device, yet never try one.

Cleaning and polishing your ball after use helps you maintain a consistent texture on your bowling ball surface.

If you don't have bowling tape, ask the pro shop professional to recommend which tape may best suit your needs, particularly if your fingers expand or contract after bowling in hot or very cold weather.

Make sure you have a good bowling towel. A microfiber towel will help to clean the dirt and oil off of the ball surface between deliveries and after bowling. Ask the pro shop professional to familiarize you with the many other useful accessory items available in today's market.

Using the services of a pro shop professional is a certain way to help you advance on the road to bowling progress.