Fix Tracking Over The Fingers

A bowling ball’s track is the area on the ball that actually touches the lane. The rings you see on your ball are your track; it’s oil from the lane, and where the track is located on your bowling ball identifies the style of bowler you are.

In this premium video, Scott Pohl, owner of On Track Pro Shop, illustrates what a bowling ball that is tracking over the finger holes looks like and teaches bowlers why it is important to fix this problem.

Cause and Effect

What causes tracking over the finger holes to happen? Too little side rotation off of the hand during the release, meaning that the ring finger is over-involved.

Because the grips themselves are touching the lane surface, ball roll will be wildly inconsistent.

The Fix

How do we fix this issue? The grip needs to be “rolled” towards the middle finger, taking it away from the ring finger. Start by having your pro shop operator change the pitches a ¼ in. left on both the ring and middle finger. This will take pressure off of the ring and put more pressure on the middle finger.

After you throw the ball a few times, it is possible that after making this adjustment, the track will have relocated on the ball but still not enough to completely eliminate it from rolling over the fingers.

If that happens, you’ll need to ask your pro shop operator for a performance fit. In addition to “rolling” the grip, the performance fit will shorten your middle finger hole and lengthen your ring finger hole. If you’re bowling with a thumb inserted, the performance fit requires pitching your thumb hole further left.

The result will increase your side rotation by achieving more balanced pressure on each of the fingers, and you’ll notice the track no longer rolls over the finger holes.

For more unique fit videos, check out “Drop Ring Finger and Sarge Easter Bowling Fits” and “1/2 Thumb Fit: Who’s it for and How’s it Done?”