How Hard Should I Squeeze My Bowling Ball?

Written By: bowlingball.com | Written On: Saturday, March 20, 2021

bowlingball.com, Originally 6/26/15; Updated: 3/20/21
If you ask how hard should I squeeze my bowling ball, you may need to consider a few things to effectively answer the question?
Gripping your bowling ball is an individual technique which varies from bowler to bowler.
Although you may have heard from pro shop people that if a ball is drilled to properly fit your hand, you will never need to squeeze the ball when preparing to bowl.
Generally speaking, this is a good tip.
There are bowlers, however, you do not have the physical hand strength to hold the ball firmly enough as to not drop the ball behind the foul line without getting the ball out onto the lane consistently.
If you are a senior bowler, a junior bowler, or any adult bowler who has a relatively weak grip with your bowling hand and drops the ball behind the line, you likely will need to think “squeeze” the ball as opposed to relaxing your grip on the ball so you can aid your technique in getting the ball over the foul line each shot.
It is a simple truth that some bowlers do not have sufficient hand strength to hold the ball long enough delaying the release to avoid dropping the ball onto the approach floor.
Regardless of how well the ball is drilled to fit your hand, if you are a bowler dropping the ball behind the line, you should get to the practice lanes and try “squeezing” your ball nearly as hard as you can, short of causing discomfort or injury, until you can easily propel your ball over the foul line shot after shot.
The reverse process may be necessary if you are a strong hand player and can rifle the ball down the lane and over the foul line with no issues.
Strong hand players can use a relaxed grip technique and simply work to maintain consistent gripping pressure throughout the entire swing cycle and release.
Experimentation should be done with the educated eyes of an experienced instructor or pro shop professional watching you bowl. With a little work, you can improve your release no matter how strong or weak your hand holds the ball.
The end results are what matter most.