Why Your Bowling Ball Pitches Are Important By MDM Bowling Coaching

What Exactly Are Bowling Ball Pitches?

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Pitch is the angle that the finger and thumbholes are going into the bowling ball. Forward pitch is when your fingers and/or thumb are going towards the middle of your grip. Reverse pitch is when it’s the opposite and your fingers and/or thumb are going away from the middle. Lateral pitch is angling your thumb left to right. Pitches are primarily there for comfort. With today’s equipment, you want the ball to hold on to you rather than you holding on to the ball. If you picture your hand in the ball, it should be facing the pins in your setup so that you can roll it easily. That usually means that there is more forward pitch on the thumb today and more reverse on the fingers.

Pitches Can Help You Not Squeeze For A More Consistent Release

It used to be common to have no pitch on the fingers and reverse pitch on the thumb to clear the bowling ball quickly. That meant that your hand was facing the ceiling, not the pins, resulting in increased pressure. When the ball is pitched in a way that is not conducive to keeping your hand in a relaxed position, you will be forced to grab and could have rubbing that leads to blisters. I see a lot of bowlers who began 20-30 years ago who now have arthritic fingers and hands due to overgripping. More grip pressure results in inconsistent releases and possible injuries. Additionally, if you’re in pressure situations like tournaments, you’re told to relax; but if you’re forced to grab, you can’t stay relaxed and it could cost you.

Here’s a picture of my personal pitches that I’ve used for the last 5 years. My fingers have lateral pitch because I used to rub in a certain spot that caused blistering. As with all recommendations, everybody is different and should get personally fit to optimize their pitch. In my experience, if your pitch is not supporting a relaxed hand, it will cause issues over time. If you have any questions, drop them below or stop by and see us! #protipfriday #mdmcoaching

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3 thoughts on “Why Your Bowling Ball Pitches Are Important By MDM Bowling Coaching

  1. Gary lee Goodwin says:

    i have had a blister on my thumb ever since I can remember while bowling. My blister is on my tight side of the thumb. Could I use a side pitch to prevent this?

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