Choosing a Bowling Glove

What do you do when you have purchased a good bowling ball of appropriate weight and practice regularly to try create good hook and raise your bowling score but still struggle to raise your average and get more consistent with your swing and pin count? The answer may be to use a bowling glove. Bowling gloves provide a variety of functions ranging from preventing injuries to improving your score. You need to choose the correct bowling glove for the issue at hand, so to speak.

Blisters

Especially when you first begin bowling or if you bowl several times a week, you may develop blisters on your hands. A bowling glove can help prevent blisters from forming. Pete Weber, PBA professional Hall of Fame bowler, says he wears a glove for this reason since pros typically bowl many games daily during tournaments. Choose a basic glove to fix this problem.

Grip

If you are having a problem with grip, such as feeling that you are going to drop the ball either due to sweat or small hands, choose a glove with a textured palm. Without a glove, as the palm gets warm, moisture that forms there can make the ball slide off the hand inappropriately. A bowling glove stops the moisture from coming in contact with the ball, reducing that effect. The texture of the palm also just creates a stronger grip on the ball, allowing you better control. For those with small hands, in particular, the larger surface area from the bowling glove helps generate more lift and spin on the ball, creating better curve and in turn more consistent strikes.

Wrist

Many bowlers have trouble keeping their wrist straight as they throw, which can greatly affect the amount of curve and general trajectory of the ball on the lane. The straight wrist enhances the ball's rotation, again leading to more consistent strikes. Choose a bowling glove with a wrist brace to help keep the back of the hand aligned with the arm, taking the "breaking wrist" problem out of the equation.

Help

If you aren't sure what problem you may be having, make an appointment with someone from the pro shop to help you. Having an experienced bowler watch you throw a few frames can help you narrow down what issues are affecting your score. This is a good strategy for you to use throughout your bowling career, professional or not, since your equipment needs may change based upon your skill level.

A bowling glove fits rather tightly on the hand, similar to how a batting glove fits in baseball, but it should not be so tight that it creates a tingle in your fingers. If that occurs, choose a larger size.

Bowling gloves are available to help with grip, breaking wrist or a combination of troubles. Choose what best fits not only your hand but your major issue or issues. Good gloves can cost little and yet help tremendously with your score and, consequently, your enjoyment while bowling.

Reference:

"Weber Chats with Fans." PBA.com.