Expert: Warren Friedl, Pro Shop Owner/Operator, - 11/6/2009

Question
My girlfriend has wanted to get into bowling and getting her own ball.She has only really thrown a house ball. She is willing and wanting to learn how to throw a fingertip ball. I was going to surprise her with a ball for christmas, but I don't know what type of ball to get. For the weight i think she wants a 12, maybe 13lb ball. She doesnt want a ball that hooks hard, but maybe a slight backend motion. I was looking a couple of bowling balls, such as the tropical storm, Columbia Freeze and the Ebonite Tornado. Any thoughts or ideas?  

Answer
John,
Thoughtful gift but be careful. When venturing into a performance grip, especially when utilizing a performance ball (even an entry level performance ball), you add elements that will magnify any inconsistency that can be very frustrating.

When first rolling a "tip" your delivery isn't always perfect and that leads to the ball being harder to control. Add in changing lane conditions, inconsistent ball speed and rev rate and the ball might be spraying all over the place (hooking, not hooking,).

If your girlfriend has achieved even a modest level of success with house balls, she may not be able to depend on her experience to help understand what's happening when she rolls the new ball. House balls don't do much and force you to be somewhat consistent directing them downlane.

You might want to consider getting here some lessons with the new ball so she gets off on the right foot and gets some basic set-up and footwork/approach guidance making it easier to control the new ball. If the ball comes with the baggage of frustration, she may not improve quickly enough, for it to be really appreciated. But, help her roll it better and she's on to quicker success and positive experiences.

Thanks for the question. Good luck with her gift and bowl well.