Some things are universal when it comes to bowling: strikes are high, and spares are low. Whether you’re a world-class pro or a weekend warrior, the lanes are the same.
Drilling protection on a bowling ball can be confusing, but it’s important if you want the ball to last you a long time. If you’ve ever had the dreaded “cheap” feeling where your bowling ball didn’t give you much of a roll, you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon. If you’re not sure what it is, let’s look.
What Exactly is Bowling Ball Drilling?
Drilling is the process of drilling holes into the ball to allow air to escape when you throw it down the lane. These holes balance all the objects inside your balls like weight block, drilling hole, and core.
The hole patterns and pieces are all unique — each drill is different. If you wanted to know how much your bowling ball weighs, how many ounces it is, or what type of core it has, you would look at its drilling.
For example, a four-piece ball needs a certain amount of holes in each piece to maintain its weight and balance. The number of spots drilled in your bowling balls determines the overall feel when thrown down the lane and hit by a 500-pound force at high-speed force. If you have an odd number of blocks in your bowling ball, this leaves one block without any weight on either side, resulting in an imbalance.
This also leaves one section with no pitch or roll because there’s nothing for this block to react with when thrown down the lane. There’s no energy transferred from this block through the other partnerships during contact because there aren’t any “other” blocks.
Things to Do Before Drilling a Bowling Ball?
- Before you drill your bowling ball, make sure it’s all clean and dust-free. This is important because dust and dirt can get in the holes, contaminating the ball.
- You also want to make sure your grip is sticky and new, so you don’t damage your new bowling ball. Adding too much oil to the holes during drilling can hurt the ball since oil and solvents don’t mix well. If a little bit of oil gets into your drilling holes, don’t worry; clean it out with some rubbing alcohol after a couple of games.
- The best thing to do before drilling is to read everything about your new bowling ball. It will tell you exactly how many weights go where, how deep they go in, and which direction the weight goes in. It will also give you specific instructions for any extra items coming with your order, like rubber balls or finger hole protectors for metal finger holes.
- You should also mark and plan where the holes go before drilling. This is done by putting any plastic pieces inside the gaps of your bowling ball and keeping where the holes should be drilled.
How to Drill a Bowling Ball?
Drilling a bowling ball can be done in two ways, either by hand or by using a drill press. The first way is the most common and easiest way to drill a bowling ball. It is also the cheapest because you don’t need extra equipment (like you do for drilling via a drill press).
If you’re going to drill your bowling ball by hand, start by drilling one hole at each corner of the bowling ball. When you flip the ball over, you have four holes on each side where weight can be added. When adding weight, you will have six holes, as this leaves a balance of two holes on either side of your new drilled bowling ball.
The second way to drill your new or used bowling balls is using a drill press. This will give you more control over how deep and far apart each hole goes into your new drilled bowling balls but gives much better accuracy than drilling by hand.
If you use a drill press, make sure it isn’t too forceful or fast because that can cause the sides of one hole to stick out while trying to fit another spot in a while not leaving enough room between its pairs with other sites (thereby actually hurting the appearance of your new drilled bowling ball also). It is best to have at least six holes on each side when shooting with a drill press.
What Is Drilling Protection?
This protection allows for a replacement or compensation of your bowling ball in case of damage when drilling. It also prevents you from buying a whole new bowling ball if there is damage within the drilling process. It is also called drilling warranty or drilling insurance. This all protects you from harm, no matter what damage it is.
FAQs
What Are the Differences Between Pin Drilling/Spin Doctoring and Regular Drilling?
Pin drilling is used mostly with older balls and has a huge hole on the back of the ball. This is where weight is added to your drilled bowling ball. Then, there is spin-doctoring. This process enlarges the pinholes for pins to fit in more easily than pin-hitting a ball.
Spin doctoring may also fill pinholes with bumpers or balls, just like in Pin drilling. Regular pinholes are made into a drilled bowling ball by shooting it from both sides (smoothly). According to your preferences (or how deep you want it), your new hit bowling ball will have two or more holes (usually four).
What Is Hand Drilling vs. Drill Press Drilling?
Hand drilling is done using special hand tools such as screwdrivers and drill bits designed to help drill holes into new bowling balls or used bowling balls. Drill press drilling can only be done with a drill press, which helps keep the spin of your balls consistent while creating better accuracy towards how many holes are drilled in your hop.
Is It Better To Use A Drill Press Or Hand Drill?
Both ways are acceptable. But if you want to avoid the hassle of drilling your new bowling ball, then a drill press is your way. Or, if you want to make sure that your drilling is done right, hand drilling is also a good idea.
Bottom Line
Drilling protection or insurance is a good idea to keep your bowling balls in good shape. This protection gets rid of the hassle of drilling your ball and helps correct any small mistakes you make during the drilling process, which is never easy. It was not very expensive either. The price for this protection depends on how many holes you want and what company you buy it from, but it’s something worth having.
