Getting Fitted at a Bowling Ball Pro Shop 

Holy hell, what a guy. My first ball was done in such a hurry, but sadly as a newbie I had no clue what was correct, what to expect from a pro shop owner. After a year of bowling I got another ball from a proper driller, and what a difference it was. If only I had encountered someone like this the very first day

Just had my first lesson with Ron a couple weeks ago. He gave me just enough info to not get overwhelmed and drills to improve my game. I'll be booking many more lessons with Ron. He also connected me with a group going to the Open Championship on May 30th/31st. I expect my average to increase dramatically as I work with Ron more

this guy has reached the final level. also wish my pro shop had someone as helpful to drill my arsenal

Love Coach Ron's tip about having your PSO drill all of your balls. My PSO is an hour's drive away. Over the last four years, I've come to trust my local center's PSO, who does a wonderful job. Then during COVID, he moved out of state. I gave the new PSO a try and . . . now I'm back to my guy who is an hour away. Should have never left him . . . .

I started reading some of the negative comments below and some of you people need a attitude adjustment. You couldn't find help if it bit you in the ass. Ron Hoppe is the greatest coach ever. I met him many years ago in Dubai where he helped field a arab bowling team for the olympics. Now he is in my neck of the woods the pacific NW. The proshop you are seeing in the video is none other than Haleys pro shop ran by Jeff Miller one of the top machinist around. I'm 57 years old and have been bowling since I was 10 and a few years back I threw in the towel not being able to throw a 200 anymore. With Mr. Hoppe's Excellent approach to my problem and New equipment I have successfully maintained a 198 average in two leagues and have bowled a couple of 280 + games the last 2 years. So if your are in Burlington WA. and want to run into Norm Duke or some other pro hanging out at the pro shop with Mr. Hoppe then stop in and get your game recharged. Thanks Ron for the cleanest release I've ever had.

Following Bill Taylor's guide for fitting a bowling ball has saved my hand along with many others I've worked with. The way I look at a thumb hole being pitched and sized correctly is this. If it has to be cut on a whole bunch in order to get the ball to work for you, it wasn't done right the first time. When the fitter uses the bevel knife and sand paper to tweak and tweak and tweak...it wasn't close to start with and it can't be duplicated. That's when they sell you a "mold" in order to duplicate. That shouldn't be necessary. I trust Bill Taylor's book and his philosophy. Not everyone does. I'm in Texas. :-)

I'm a fairly new bowler. Started about 3 months ago. Got a top quality pair of shoes a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm ready to get my ball.... This presentation has greatly helped my understanding of the importance of a proper fit. Now...I need to find an IBPSIA trained tech in the state of Florida.

Really enjoyed this video. It's so great to listen to the wisdom of an experienced ball technician who's seen it all, and has kept up with the times. Ron is an absolute treasure. Thanks for the video!

Excellent video, loads of quality information. Ron seems to be highly knowledgeable, I'd love to see more videos with him.

I have been buying bowling balls since 1979. Lots of things can be bought on-line, but that is not wise for bowling balls because half of what you are buying is custom drilling. Almost the entire job of a pro shop employee is to is expertly fit and drill bowling balls. A qualified pro can take your bowling hand and determine the best layout (sizes, distances, and angles) while you are watching youtube with your other hand. That is really nice having a personal alley.

Not too many pro shops around. And definitely not too many pro shops with people like Ron. Very good info

It helps to get a recommendation as to what pro shop to use. I like the tray of finger inserts shown for sizing. better than simply sticking my fingers through a 2-dimensional metal plate. Next time I want the thumb hole drilled first, then put my thumb in the ball and have the finger hole center points marked.

Love that info about the owner statement. I'm just an enthusiastic bowl player of my own. Just start doing training of my own in 2 days now. Thank you!

I still watch bowling tip videos but this video is still by far the best video on how to get the proper fit in you bowling ball.

11:18 used to be my hand when I was younger. Now my hand looks pristine after league night. My thumb is slightly sore, but no blisters, no cuts, no blood. It's all about fit of the ball.

They way he talk, just made me want to get a plane from Brazil and go there to get a ball, it's fascinating to listening someone that really not only love the job but go to the next level to be the best as he can to make a great service.

If you live in Central Florida go to Tom Blasico never got one ball that was not fitted correctly. Great coach and loves the games

Wow! Where are you Ron? You sound very knowledgeable on this subject. I've been bowling on a league with some coworkers for a couple years now and it's so frustrating not being able to improve. For some reason, my thumb keeps getting stuck. I had my ball drilled at a pro shop and they did measure my hand, but it did not feel OK right from the beginning. They had me try it and I felt like I had to squeeze my thumb in order to hold it. They kept saying that I did not have to do that, but being new to bowling I did not argue with them. Your mention of the thumb pitch sounds like it may be part of my problem. Getting some coaching from a coach like you would be a game changer! Thanks for posting this video!

I wish we had a pro shop and a person like him in my city.

I quit bowling 23 years ago after a pretty successful youth career up to international level. Obviously tech and times have changed but I always struggled with getting fit correctly as back then you were just forced to conform to the “standard” How I wish I had this guy back then!!! Everything he said about bad fitting I went through and this actually makes me want to bowl again after not touching a ball in 23 years

I loved this video, bowled on a league 45 years ago (7 yr old) and just recently picked it back up. I am more fascinated with the angles and layouts, more than bowling. But I try to get about 15 games a week to to improve. Where can I go to school to learn the art?

Good stuff!!! Unfortunately, in my small town there are no REAL bowling centers and no pro shops. Can't find buy a ball, can't get one drilled. I sure wish I had Ron and his shop close by to help me get the perfect fit for my bowling ball. I am an old lefty who has owned many a bowling ball and none have ever been drilled exactly alike. Very frustrating to say the least.

I can't stress the importance of having a great PSO. About 7 years ago, I purchased a new ball and had it drilled up. The ball never seem to fit my hand right. And to be honest, I wasn't impressed with the work the guy did. I did some research online and came across a great one out in Antioch, CA, which is about 70 miles away from where I live. I made the trip out there, and boy was it worth it. It was a couple of visits, but we got that ball dialed in and I ended up going from 174 to 196 from one season to the next. As time went on, people's bodies change and my ball was tiring out. And as much as I wanted to go back out to him, the it's rather difficult for me to get out there druing hte week now. So I went to the guy at our local bowling ally because "everyone loves what he does". On the first pass, the ball didn't feel right & the thumb was too large (this was because my hand was swollen when first fitted). So I inquired about an interchangeable thumb. He swapped one in (some small brand name. not VISE or Turbo) And while the thumb fit was ok, the back of my hand was starting to hurt and my thumb felt strained. Not to mention, he sorta chewed up the beveling on the thumb. I decided to head back to Antioch for a second opinion. He took one look and asked "what's that in your thumbhole?". He hadn't seen that type of thumb insert before. Needless to say, my span was drilled way too long for my hand, and had a fair amount of left lateral pitch on my thumb (I'm left handed), and caused my thumb to torque coming out of the ball. He as real honest and said "I wouldn't want to deal with this ball. I'd take it back and make him fix it for free". I thought that was real honest of him, as he could make money off of this. Since i had lost all confidence in the previous driller, I asked him to fix it up. The small price to pay him is small in comparison to the possible injury to my hand. Now I'm in a ball that fits great & with the VISE IT system. In short, find a great PSO. I can't say enough about Gene @ Lane 37 Pro Shop in Antioch CA.

Nice seeing Ron Hoppe again. I thought he retired. Coach checked my measurements a few years ago. No more blisters or calluses.

I would kill to come spend 3 hours with this guy

I was bowling with pain in my hand an elbow for years. Since Ron fit me I have been bowling pain free for the last three years.

This is one of the coolest bowling ball shops.

But how much will it cost to get it drilled? I just ordered a ball and I want to know how much it cost so I can be prepared

No introduction of who's in the video. That's Ron Hoppe(World Class Coach) on the left, no sure about the other guy. Good job USBC...

Ron is a legend.

This guy is great! I wish we had someone like him where I live

thats good to know im just now getting into bowling and I'm learning a lot

This guy is so knowledgeable wish there were more people like him

Jesus Christ, I just want a ball, properly drilled, and back to my beer!!! Kidding, it's great in this day to see someone with passion still!!

This is exactly what they used to do every time I got a new ball drilled as a kid back in the 90s. Fast forward to today. I've had a good 10 balls drilled by different Pro Shops Operators and not one single time did they measure my hand or do ANY of the procedures he does in this video. Instead they just take a ball I used 10+ years ago and drill the new ball to be the same even if my hands have changed since then. Now I deal with my thumb being torn up after bowling a couple games and I can't bowl more than once a week because I have to spend a week or longer allowing my thumb to heal. This type of service really went right out the window! I don't even trust younger Pro Shop operators. But unfortunately that's all I see anymore.

Haynes bowling shop in Vegas is the place to go!! David Haynes recommended the AZO Strike force 8 years ago and since then I have thrown numerous 300's with it.

I have to get my ball re-drilled a size or two larger. Is it a good idea to get my ball re-drilled or would it be easier to just buy a new ball with larger holes?

Very sad to hear how many people dont have a good pro shop available.

They mentioned you should look for a pro shop where the person fitting the ball is certified by some organization, but I couldn't catch what they said. How do I find a certified ball fitter pro in my area? Is there a web site that lists them?

What about changing the grip/fit for strikes vs. spares.

My god this was illuminating!

nice, I wish they have places like this where I live

Awesome amount of information! Thanks for the video!

How can I find somebody in my area who is a competent ball fitter?

Where is this pro shop?

You are a genius I wish I had you here because I'm having serious problems holding on to the Ball and it drastically affects how I release and when to release the Ball

I'm a newbie and I just measured my hand to my old ball that was recently re-drilled. Turns out the span is long by 1/2" Lol no wonder my fingers hurt so much.

Where is this guru located?

Swollen fingers can be avoided by drinking a lot of water and eating under 1500-2000mg of sodium per days.

Where is the best place to go to have my ball properly drilled in Riverside/San Bernardino, CA area?

Are there good back up bowlers

My first ball was drilled horribly, this helps greatly as I begin to look for my second ball. Thank you!!

NBA, when you mention at 18:54 in video. "Center line on finger should be at gripping edge of hole". When using finger inserts,does this mean where edge of drill hole and insert join or the insert and the hole inside of insert edge?

Wow! So much info on fit. Actually a bit discouraging for a newbie such as myself.

So if I bowl with a 12lb house ball I may bowl better with 15lb ball fitted to me

Fantastic video! Really good information! If someone does not understand it at first view the video a couple of time!

I need this dude’s help! 😁

Where is Ron located? I'm in the west, and willing to travel. My pro shop guy did none of this with me.

This is awesome advice! I want to be a better bowler so I can try out for the state team

Where are you located? I would love to come and meet you and have you coach me and or set me up with a new ball ? Thanks Ed

Good info. Really good info. I'm chasing a new ball and am looking for a reputable pro shop or driller but have yet to find any.

Where is your shop located? also can you recommend any great shops in New Jersey, jersey shore area. Thanks

Hello, I have a question and I hope you or someone can help me with, Four years ago I got a bowler thumb and that made me quit bowling completely, truth be told I live in the Netherlands and bowling here is not as common as in the USA. Now, my thumb no longer hurts and I have bowled with my very first bowlingball (9 pounds and with fingertips) and it went really well. So well that I would like to pick up professional bowling again, but the fear of that pain still remains. Do you have any tips for me to prevent that from happening again?

Is that a full size lane? I would love a proshop like this in florida.

Outstanding video - well done!

I wish this man worked at one of the oro shops near me. I bought a new ball a while back and the guy seemed like he was in a huge rush and did a terrible job. I'd rather it take 3 hours and come out perfect than have it done in a hurry and end up all wonky.

Informative. Thanks

This was great information, and I loved my ball fit before, and I've averaged 190 and 206 since 1987. But never had a fit as to where I felt that the ball wouldn't fall off with a complete relaxed hand. So I went to my ball driller and we talked for one hour trying to figure this out. Long story short, I had to much reverse pitch in my thumb, now I am 7-16 forward, span is closer and I also determined that I needed my finger size opened up al little more, because I get finger swelling also, just like my thumb. Its kind of funny, now I desire my thumb to be nice and snug because I know it's going to come off at the bottom. I don't have a lot of flex ability in my hand and I think this is where the mistake came in for my previous drilling setups. I had reverse thumb pitch , but by making my span shorter it allows me to relax more and require some forward pitch to help the ball stay on. My first time out in league was I had to play much deeper, pick my speed up, because the ball was that much stronger. I even had some roll out problems, because the ball was burning energy too early. I will probably need longer pin set ups now, I've always used pin below fingers before. Thanks

I wish every Pro Shop did this because I have gone to 3 who can't even tell me my P.A.P.. I know how to do it if I had an armadillo, but, that does no good when the Pro Shop does not have an Armadillo or an understanding of why P.A.P. matters. Those 3 also did not seem to have the time to watch me bowl. I showed one guy video of me bowling and he seemed disinterested as if he did not know why I was showing him the video.

I've been fitted by Ron! Great guy and a great coach

BEST INFO EVER!!!!

I'm almost totally ignorant of bowling and the language and specs about it even though I bowl once every year or two for the past 45 years. This video did not communicate to newbies AT ALL. I'm glad to have learned about the way the holes are measured with respect to forward and reverse from the center line, but that's not saying much. Let me tell these guys what is lacking: 1) Are the fingers numbered like as in piano playing? The thumbs are "1", the index finger "2" and the pinky "5"? I mean, not a hint about that. 2) Do all players use the same fingers (thumb and middle and ring finger: 1, 3, and 4) or not? Again, I'm using piano playing knowledge to number the fingers, which these guys failed to do. 3) The guy measures the middle of the other's finger and marks it with a pen. The guy FAILS to show what that position on the finger represents. Why the heck did he not then pick up a ball and show us newbies where that line lays on the ball. "It's where it grips the ball." Well, it should be illustrated! Is the hand and finger completely flat against the ball during said grip? Does it matter how the other fingers are resting, close to each other or spread apart? I'm still clueless. 4) On a few bowling ball sites and a couple of different videos here on RU-vid, there is speak about layouts. Not a single clue what they are talking about. At first I thought they were speaking about the finger numbering on a ball, but then one layout had the same digit in the pattern, twice! So it could not be fingering. Again, bowlers and all the pros must never have gone to college and did not graduate high school. Common sense when you are teaching, but these people lack it. 5) Can the holes be drilled larger than the size of the fingers so that when you sweat and get sticky, the ball still gets released easily, or is there some "reason" against that and they would prefer you use baby powder? Again, here's a pro ball shop guy and he does not cover that in the slightest. BASIC stuff! 6) Nothing at all said about how and why the hand should grip a ball a certain way and why the holes can (or cannot) be customized for said grip. Does it matter where the holes get drilled? Must the thumb hole be in a certain position, or does it not matter? This video, more than anything, should have taught on that subject. Instead, it takes a basic position and teaches a couple things about how measurements are made and the naming convention, and how to make a ball more comfortable to hold. Nothing else. I could add some other comments, but it would not help. These guys assume that everybody watching is almost as knowledgeable as themselves. Horrible teachers, to put it mildly.

Should I expect a thorough initial eval (at least an hour+) from a Certified Tech? There's only 2 & 1 Advanced Tech all 2 hours from me, and zero Master Certificate Shops in FL per the IBPSIA search 😬. I'll make the drive IF worth it but want to know what to expect as a pro shop newbie who just got my first ball but ave 176 house with much room for improvement in both spare game & seeking to use thumb hole for the first time to stabilize swing & release. Hence why I need a good tech/master to know how to measure my release & drill for it. Local shops want to do basic drill & see from there. I have an old poly ball I could drill up & not care about but I'm unsure that'll help. Thoughts?

This guy is bowling Socrates

What did Ron say? FCS Certified Pro Shop? Please advise. Thanks!

where he at i need to come to him

Also stretching being a myth is actually not a myth lol I don't care what anyone says you fit someone half way between the joints and as close as you can to their first joint your going to see them come out with more revolutions on the ball in the ball fit closer to their first knuckle. Half way between the joint is not even a full fingertip ball it's a semi fingertip. I've drilled my stuff all sorts of different ways and pitches. Ive literally owned and drilled probably 100 of my own balls. When you fit someone half way between the 2 joints your going to see they tend to grab the ball and stay in it longer I used to do the same thing. Now I push my span as far as I can and be comfortable. I get a boatload more revs on the ball that way. Lateral pitches are nothing but comfort longitude pitches determine how fast or slow you come out of the ball. Everyone fits a ball differently but I'm nearly positive this guys fitting skills are stuck in the 90s.

Should your thumb go as far into the ball as possible? I've always bowled with my thumb half out of the thumb hole using a fingertip grip.

Where is this guy located?

I currently am a straight bowler and when I am bowling I tend to leave splits and pins standing I want to learn to throw a hook how do you throw a hook

Ok bowling alley straight balls pitch now I know is way off for me because my thumb can bairly get past an 90 degree angle so and I have a hard time holding on to it too

I thought he was going to talk about 2 handed bowling at some point of time but watched through and got disappointed.

I’m after more strikes

I want to get back into bowling so bad!

I need this place. I try and Try!!! I can't get proper rotation. HELP!!!!!!!

Throughout the years of bowling, I've been doing good. My average has been increasing but lately, my hand has been snapping and causing me to drop my ball. Is my stretch catching up to me now? Not sure if I need to stretch or make it shorter?

need to find a proshop and coach like this in ny

what ball has the most check mark shape but hooks early? thnx.

i was a junior in the 60"s i averaged 185 , i quit bowling started back up at 60 , used my Manhattan Rubber averaged 198 for a season, watch bowlers that would be lucky to average 160 with over a 200 average and others with similar talent shooting 700"s or 300"s my league friends said it is my ball, that i will notice at least 20 pins in average, so i tried 2 different balls drilled by people one was plugged and re drilled by another all could not get the thumb right , i had them match my old ball- and the other fitted , but the Manhattan rubber fit perfectly , tried tape, blowing in the hole, it fill like the manhattan rubber is tight until i warm up , the other are too tight and stay tight or too loose , any input on your knowledge would be helpful.

Bill Taylor was trailblazing. RIP.

How can I hire this guy to coach me? Looking for a good coach.

i am a beginner bowler. I just started in a league and bought a used ball and had it drilled for my hand. Problem is that it kills my thumb at the joint where the thumb meets my palm. Plus, i feel like i really have to squeeze the ball or I will drop it. Would that be my span is drilled too far apart? Should I go back to the same pro shop or try a different one?

My fingers regularly hurt and swell when I bowl. I'm thinking the pitch is off which is causing me to squeeze?

I cant find anybofy to drill a ball right

If you have forward pitch, say 1/2 inch, will you hang up the ball?

Bundy at shoe counter. Holsters Febreeze.

where are you located

I am a beginning youth bowler and I want to know if i can buy a ball off of Amazon and then bring it to a pro shop to get drilled

i bowl no thumb i use my thumb hole just for placement make shure my palm lined up properly with my fingers

I loved this video - wondering if you guys have a recommended place to visit in the Tampa Florida area