My sons, ages 10 and 7, are bowling on a beginner's league. My 10 year old is beginning his second year on the league and averages around 80, with some games in the 120's. He uses a house ball 8 lbs. The 7 year old is in his 1st year, uses a 6 lb ball, and does hold the ball "correctly" (his fingers are in the holes and he tries to use correct form). He's scoring anywhere from the 30's up to the 70's. When should they be moving to their own balls rather than house balls?

If your sons are being coached in their league, you should check with the coach to see if it is time for them to move on to their own equipment, that is what the coaches are there for and, if they are observant, they should be approaching you regarding the same or, at the very least, they should be able to properly assess your children's abilities at this point.

From an age standpoint, and averaging 80, the ten year old is probably ready for his own ball as the sooner a bowler is properly fitted for a ball, the better the chances are that the bowler will not develop bad habits due to a poor fit. I would hold off on the 7 year old for awhile, keep an eye on his progress and, again, keep the lines of communication open with the coaches.

Everything makinshots said is good but be aware that most coaches in the youth leagues are volunteers and many are not very good coaches so there may be help there and there may not be. There is usually at least one qualified coach that gives general direction to the others. Make sure you talk to that person. Also, the 7 year old I agree is not ready for their own ball but when finding a house ball to use try to get one that fits the thumb fairly well. These are generic drills and you probably will not find anything that fits the thumb and fingers well. The thumb is more important. So fit the thumb as well as you can and then try to get the fingers close.

TeaRoof,

Being a trainer of coaches, I would normally take exception to Dick's comment, but there are some volunteer-coaches out there that don't apply the principles of the training. I would hope that they are not in the majority.

Understanding that Pro Shop operators are motivated to sell bowling balls, I would still say that they are a better choice for the decision on getting your sons fit for a ball. Be aware that just as there are questionable coaches out there... :rolleyes:

The most important piece of advice I can give you is to NOT get a ball drilled if you purchase it at a general sporting goods store or discount chain. They frequently offer free drilling. I have seen many little fingers blistered from ridiculous fits.


Hope this helps,

Thank you for your replies- I appreciate all of your advice.

Personal ball!!!

Coach K,

Great to see that you're reading the old posts but your answer is a little on the late side.

As this question was asked 20 months (almost two years!) ago the kids are subsequently 20 months older.

Happens every once in a while around here!

Smash49

I second coachrich's advice - absolutely do not get ANY ball drilled anywhere other than a Pro Shop. - SimplyAmazuring

You think he's going to stop back 2 1/2 years after asking the question?