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Like all sports, bowling has a
variety of paraphernalia designed to aid performance. Some really
help and others are more for attitude than actual physical benefit.
Don't treat those types lightly. They can be very valuable assets
since you'll perform better physically when you're comfortable mentally.
Even though the original goal of an accessory is as an aid to the
physical game, it can become much more important to the mental game.
This list is by no means every possible accessory you could have
but it's a good start to making sure you have what you need.
ORGANIZER
You should have a bag in which you keep small tools and accessories.
If you randomly place these items in your ball bag, you'll have
trouble finding them when you need them. Searching for a pair of
scissors or a piece of tape and holding up play can put pressure
on you, not to mention that it is pretty inefficient. You might
tend to quit looking or think you'll just suffer through the rest
of this game without that piece of tape and fix it later. That never
works. Here are the things I believe you should keep quickly accessible:
- Adhesive bandages
- Extra tape in every size you might need
- Fingernail clippers
- Fingernail file
- Glue
- Hand conditioner
- Hemostats
- Pens
- Rosin bag
- Safety pins
- Scissors
- Skin patch
- Tweezers
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POWDERS
Some people use powders that, when placed on the sliding sole, make
the sole slide more. The product deposits this slick substance wherever
you walk or slide. The powders are perfectly okay for use in the
thumbhole, for example, but are illegal for use on the shoe if they
affect the footwork of another player. (Rule 12, Defacing the Approach).
This means that if you become dependent on them and another bowler
says they are bothered by your use of the product, you must stop
using it. It then becomes a weapon in the hands of an opponent.
The removal of this crutch might get you thinking that you are going
to stick or you might get angry that an 'important' part of your
paraphernalia is being taken away from you. Don't let any accessory
become so important you can't bowl without it.
TOWEL
A towel is one of the most important tools you use. The size of
the towel is a consideration. Towels that are easy to carry and
easy to use are about 16"x24" or so. There are larger and smaller
towels, of course, but that size really works well in bowling. In
fact, carrying an extra clean towel in your ball bag is a good idea.
Some people use a towel for an entire season. That actually defeats
the purpose of the towel. Although gray is a lovely color, that
used-to-be-white towel is pretty ineffective if it's a dirt and
oil covered rag.
It's important that the ball surface stay clean so that you can
get as true a read as possible. The procedure you use to wipe your
ball cannot be sloppy or indifferent. It's important that the towel
have a hand side and ball side. You do not want your bowling hand
to touch the side of the towel that has been removing debris from
the ball. Most bowlers have some way of telling which side is which.
Many towels have a logo or advertisement on one side and that usually
becomes the hand side. There are now microfiber towels available.
They work well in bowling for removing debris from the ball although
they certainly draw attention to any hangnail or rough spot you
might have on your hand.
Use of the towel is an important part of your pre-shot routine.
Wiping the ball off before you throw can serve a couple of purposes.
It becomes a safe place to recover from whatever just happened or
a wonderful place to prepare for what you are about to do, giving
you time to just be. This wiping of the ball cannot become perfunctory.
If you normally wipe the ball twice, doing it one time or three
times will affect your rhythm. It is more comfortable for most people
to hold the ball in their non-bowling hand/arm. You can either spin
the track of the ball through the towel or wipe the towel across
the ball track.
If you practice poorly because you don't take enough time in between
shots to duplicate a normal bowling pace, you can slow down and
build good habits by wiping the ball off twice (or whatever your
number is) before EVERY shot. Wiping the track twice should probably
be a minimum. If you do it only once, that 'once' can become something
you do so fast it not only has no benefit for ball cleanliness but
becomes something you do just to get it over with rather than a
calculated method of gathering yourself for the next task.
Let's say you just threw a great shot that left a ringing 10 pin.
Your heart is pounding, your breathing rapid, and your stomach is
in knots. You need this spare for a clean game, your first tournament
victory, or just because. Wiping the ball off is an activity that,
because you do it every time, puts you in a safe and comfortable
place. It's just another 10 pin, something you spare all the time.
SHOELACES
A broken shoelace won't mean you can't wear your bowling shoes but
they surely won't function very well. You should carry an extra
pair of shoelaces in your accessory kit. Be sure the laces are the
proper length, the ends will fit through the eyes of the shoes,
and that they, of course, go with your outfit.
SHOE
BRUSH
Since the only things you can legally use on the bottom of your
shoe is a shoe brush and a clean dry towel, it would be wise for
you to have a brush in your kit. The best type of brush for bowling
shoes will have steel rather than nylon bristles. A heel-to-toe
brushing direction will give you more slide while side-to-side brushing
will give you less slide. The brush can also be used to clean the
heel well and is usually available in your IBPSIA pro shop.
WRIST
BRACES
There are numerous wrist braces on the market. Their use can be
very controversial. If you're strong enough, it would be better
to be pure-wristed. Wrist braces can, however, be great training
tools to help you get the feel of a proper wrist position for whatever
release you're using. There are bowlers who have broken their wrists
trying to execute a shot with a wrist brace, so be cautious with
them.
There are braces that are adjustable allowing you to cock and lock
the wrist into different positions. Some of these types of braces
allow no lateral movement of the wrist and some permit it. There
are metal braces with straps and buckles, some with metal on both
sides and some with metal only on the outside of the wrist. Some
use Velcro. If they are not adjustable, their goal is to keep the
wrist straight. What you are trying to accomplish would dictate
the type of brace to use.
Be aware that braces that have a strap across the palm will change
your span. You must be cautious about using them. If you wear a
brace, your pro shop professional should measure your hand with
the brace on. If you add a brace to your arsenal after the initial
fitting and drilling, you'll need to be re-measured. There are a
few braces on the market which do not have a strap across the palm
and therefore don't change span. Also, if you tuck your pinky, your
ring finger span will be a bit shorter. If you are stretched to
begin with (quite common) and you tuck your pinky, you risk injury.
(The pain will likely be on the inside of your elbow. If your middle
finger is stretched, the pain is commonly on the outside of the
elbow).
If you have an injured wrist, lack the strength to maintain a strong
wrist position, or either can't or don't want to build up your forearm
strength, wrist braces can be very helpful. Keep in mind that they
are also limiting. There are things you will not be able to do because
you wear a brace. Keep the goal of a brace as a teaching tool only
if at all possible. Carry an extra brace with you. If you are very
dependent on it and misplace it or leave it at the last place you
bowled, will you withdraw?
WRIST
LINER
A wrist liner is a sock-like thingie that fits over the hand and
is worn between the wrist brace and the skin. Its primary purpose
is to absorb perspiration although it can prevent chafing as well.
They're available in many different colors and you should have a
couple in your ball bag. Some people cut old socks for this purpose.
Be sure that if you wear one it is not too loose or too tight. Wrist
liners are not a requirement if you wear a wrist brace, but they
are surely a lot easier to wash!
SHOE
PROTECTORS
I believe shoe protectors are a must. They'll protect your bowling
shoes from soda, water, gum, etc. that could be on the floor. They're
usually available in all pro shops and come in many flashy and exotic
styles and colors. You should use them anytime you're not in the
bowler's area.
HAND
CONDITIONER
The purpose of hand conditioners in bowling is to keep the hand
dry. It is quite difficult to repeat shots with a moist hand or
fingers. The hand conditioners used in bowling are usually some
type of soft bag in a rectangular or round shape that fits easily
in the hand. The contents of the bag absorb moisture without putting
anything on the hand to change the feel in the ball. That's the
critical component of hand conditioners. They should not change
the feel of the ball.
Once you start bowling, your bowling hand should not touch anything
but the ball. You certainly should not eat or drink with that hand.
You shouldn't wash your hands in between shots. Don't high five
with your bowling hand ever. You don't know where what your high
fiving has been, after all. Those things will destroy the feel you've
developed. A hand conditioner can destroy that feel as well. Be
careful about the buildup of residue from the bag on your hands.
Some people use the bags not for moisture removal, but rather because
they are an important part of their pre-shot routine. If you are
going to use one, you should probably use it for every shot so you
have a consistent feel.
ROSIN
Rosin is another product used on the bowling hand. It is a tacky
powdered substance in a small porous bag that provides a more secure
grip. There are other products that can help with grip security
but a rosin bag is the most popular.
If you use any powders on your hand, you have some serious responsibility
to go along with their use. Not all bowlers use powders. Those who
do not also don't want its effects on their hands. If you're not
careful when using the bag, it can affect other players. The use
of powders is a personal issue and if you use them, you should keep
them near wherever you are sitting and/or place them on a towel
(which is required in the PWBA); whatever it takes to keep them
out of anyone else's way.
If you do put the bag on a towel, be sure it's a different towel
than the one you are using to wipe off the ball. You want to do
this for two reasons: one is that you don't want anything on your
bowling hand that you don't deliberately put there and the other
is that you cannot even inadvertently put ANY foreign substance
on the exterior of the ball and leave it there. You must wipe it
off before putting the ball in play. (ABC/WIBC Rules). Some people
put these bags on the console or monitor. This is inappropriate
as they can be in other people's way and/or get knocked onto the
floor, a very dangerous thing. If you're a devout user, be sure
you carry an extra.
SEWING KIT
A small sewing kit is a must for any bowler. Being able to reinstall
that button or repair a rip can keep you in the game. I can personally
attest to its usefulness and value with a zipper.
DISKS/SOLES
AND HEELS
If you use the types of bowling shoes that have interchangeable
disks, soles, or heels, you'll need to have all the variations with
you. See the chapter on shoes (No Feet - No Game) for in depth information
about your choices. Some people use small plastic boxes with dividers
for easy access to their choices. Linds shoes come with a tube of
different types of disks for different types of approach conditions.
Getting additional disks of Teflon or gummed rubber is highly recommended.
The Teflon disks work really well on sticky approaches and the gummed
disks are great for slippery approaches, the heel, and braking.
SKIN
PATCH
Skin patch is a liquid that is used to protect injured areas of
the hand from being re-injured or to protect sensitive areas of
the bowling hand. Generally, if your ball fits properly, you probably
won't need it. It is possible, however, that if you have a certain
type of skin in a certain climate, you may have areas on your hand
which wear even though the fit is right. There are a whole group
of tapes and stretchy materials from various manufacturers that
are designed to prevent wear on the hand. The different colors represent
different thicknesses. They're designed for the palm, the fingers,
and all parts of the thumb and work very well. Be sure, if you use
these that your holes are drilled large enough to accommodate them.
SLUGS/INSERTS
You should always carry a few extra finger inserts in your size
and color. It could also be that you shrink and swell enough to
also need a couple of different sizes of inserts other than 'normal'.
A couple of spare thumb slugs or molds is also a good idea. Slugs
have been known to crack or fall down into the thumbhole. If you
have ever had this happen you know it is pretty crippling to your
smooth execution. Spares are a good thing in all aspects of bowling!
You are likely quite comfortable with the look and feel of your
particular brand of slug or insert. If anything should happen to
your equipment, you'll not have to worry whether the pro shop operator
out-of-town has your brand and color. Different colors (the dye)
affect the hand differently. Different brands of inserts cause different
adjustments to the pitch of the finger holes. Many are not interchangeable
and needing new inserts is certainly an unacceptable reason for
changing pitches.
On the other hand (no pun intended), that might be just exactly
what you want to do. You could have with you a pair of inserts that
will reduce or increase your pitch just enough to make a difference
in your feel and release - a difference you need for that condition.
Keep in mind this change must not be big enough to change your span.
You may want to carry both lipped and ovaled inserts of your brand.
Ovaled inserts will allow your fingers to exit a little sooner and
lipped a little later.
BEVEL
KNIFE
Learn how to properly use a bevel knife. You'll need it to work
out thumbholes, remove burrs from finger grips, and loan to all
the folks who don't have one. Working out the thumbhole takes a
practiced touch. Be sure your pro shop partner has taught you how
to hold the knife and the deft movements required for removal of
just the right amount of material from just the right place in the
hole. You should expect to have to replace a few slugs before you
get your technique down perfectly. That's okay. The slugs are cheaper
than plane fare for the pro shop professional!
MATCHBOOK COVERS
Matchbook covers are a good thickness for using as shims. Shims
are sometimes necessary on finger holes that have an insert. If
your fingers tend to shrink and swell, you should have your pro
shop partner glue the inserts on the sides, leaving the front and
back unglued. The insert will still be quite secure in the hole.
When your finger(s) are smaller, you can place a piece of a matchbook
cover in the back (fingernail side) or front to firm up the insert
and regain the feel. It can easily be removed with tweezers or hemostats
when you're a little swollen.
You should pre-cut pieces and have them available in your accessory
kit. Shrinking and swelling is sometimes a surprise in different
climates or conditions. Being able to quickly retrieve your feel
is always important and having shims available and in the right
size can preserve the mental game.
BEVEL
SANDER
If you are going to learn to work out your own holes, you'll need
a bevel sander. This small motorized sander uses sandpaper disks.
The disks come in different grits and you would use specific grits
depending on how much material needs to be removed from the hole.
You can also cut pieces of an abrasive pad for providing finishing
touches and smoothing the hole. Learn how to use the sander and
be prepared to have to redo some thumbholes as you learn the fine
touch needed. Bevel sanders are great travel companions and can
most likely be purchased through your pro shop.
ABRASIVE PADS
Abrasive pads can be used for many different things. They are excellent
for roughing up the track of the ball for earlier movement on the
lane. In addition, if you are sticking on the approach, rubbing
the pad on the approach will generally work well enough to fix whatever
problem you're having sliding without messing up the approach for
anyone else. Also you don't have to wait on the lane attendant to
come to your pair, ask you what you need, go get the putty knife,
oops wrong tool, go back for the approach cleaner and towel and
then work on the approach.
Different colors of pads indicate different textures. Black is usually
quite textured with green, red, and white pads having decreasing
texture. How much you want to scuff up the track or smooth out the
approach would dictate your color choice. |
