Lighter Bowling Balls for Arthritic Hands: 10 to 12 Pound Balls, Finger Grips, and Custom Drilling

Ball weight is the single most important equipment decision for an older bowler with arthritis, carpal tunnel, or general grip weakness. The traditional advice that a bowler should use a ball weighing one pound for every ten pounds of body weight is outdated for senior bowlers. A 160-pound senior with arthritis does not need a 16-pound ball. A 10, 11, or 12-pound ball with a proper custom grip will produce better scores, less pain, and a longer bowling career than a 14 or 15-pound ball that fights the bowler every shot. Modern bowling ball technology has made lighter balls highly effective. A 12-pound reactive resin ball will hook into the pocket and produce strikes on the same lane conditions where a 16-pound ball would have been the only option 20 years ago.

The second equipment decision is the grip. House balls at the bowling center have a standard drilled grip with three holes, all the same size, designed for the average male hand. This grip is wrong for most senior hands. A senior who wants to bowl regularly should buy a personal ball with a custom grip drilled at the bowling center pro shop. The pro shop measures the bowler's hand span and finger size, then drills the holes to fit. The thumb hole should slide on and off the thumb with no struggle. The finger holes are drilled for the middle finger and ring finger only, with the depth and pitch matched to the bowler's grip strength.

Finger inserts add a soft rubber cushion inside each finger hole. The inserts come in different colors and sizes and can be swapped out as the bowler's grip changes. Inserts reduce friction on the inside of the finger joints, which is critical for an arthritic hand. The inserts also slow down the release slightly, which helps a senior bowler with hand strength issues hold onto the ball through the swing. Brunswick, Storm, and Vise are the three major insert brands. Most pro shops stock all three.

The third equipment decision is the thumb. Many older bowlers have arthritis in the thumb joint that makes a traditional thumb hole painful. The two main solutions are a thumb slug, which is a soft urethane sleeve fitted inside the thumb hole, and a thumbless ball, where the bowler grips the ball with only the middle finger and ring finger. The thumbless option works well for a bowler with severe thumb arthritis and is allowed in USBC sanctioned play. A two-handed bowling style is also gaining popularity among seniors as it removes the thumb from the swing entirely and uses the non-dominant hand to support the ball through the backswing. Source pages include bowl.com on equipment, bowlingthismonth.com on ball weight, and the Brunswick Pro Shop network at brunswickbowling.com.