As we know from how to grip a bowling ball, the traditional way is to put your middle and ring fingers as well as your thumb into the ball. Obviously, different styles have led to other ways to hold a bowling ball, but this is still the most popular.

With that in mind, does it matter how far apart the holes for the middle and ring fingers are? Yes. The distance between those two holes is called the bridge and typically ranges between .25 and .375 inches (1/4-3/8").


Also sometimes referred to as the web, the space between the fingers is important because, when optimized, gives you the best possible grip on the ball and thus the most control over your shots. The 1/4-3/8" are common because most hands are similar enough for that relatively small range to be a good guide, but because everything in bowling can and should be customized for each individual, there is a chance you'll want a smaller or larger bridge.

Getting Fitted for a Bowling Ball

If you've never had a bowling ball drilled specifically to fit your hand, you don't need to worry about the bridge beyond trusting a reputable ball driller. When your local pro-shop owner or other ball driller measures your hand, he or she will be able to tell not only what the best layout is for you (as well as the best ball), but will also be able to determine how large your bridge should be.

Once you add more and more bowling balls to your arsenal and get more experience, you'll be able to talk through each of these items with your ball driller, but when you're just getting started it makes sense to give yourself a general idea of what's important (see Drilling a Bowling Ball - What You Need to Know First) and trust your driller to know what he or she is doing.

Burning Bridges

Most of today's modern bowling balls are durable enough that they won't crack or break (and all the companies have warranties on their equipment to protect you in the event you get a rare dud of a ball), but one spot that sees more breaks than others is the bridge. This is because of the surrounding holes, which are occasionally drilled into each other (this happens if the pitches of your finger holes intersect).

Because of that, the bridge is a spot that may crack at some point. Again, though, bowling balls rarely break these days, so there's no sense worrying about it.