8
- July 2017
Helen Duval’s Bowling Tips
How to Check the Fit of Your Ball
Do you know a quick visual way to check the span of grip of your ball?
Let's also discuss the fit of the thumb in the thumb hole.
Many lessons ago I explained how to select a ball and fit yourself to it.
Well, the information has been updated and the accompanying photos will
also help you.
Let's start with your thumb because that's the first thing to think about when
you try to find a house ball of check your own.
Place your thumb all the way into the thumb hole and rotate it several
times. You should be able to feel or know that the ball surrounds your thumb
but very lightly. Don't allow the skin on your thumb to be pulled of rubbed. If it
doesn't, have the thumb hole made a little larger (if it's your own ball).
You have a tendency to cock your thumb a little when you swing the ball,
so if the thumb hole is snug to begin with the ball will rub your thumb, friction
will cause it to swell...need I say more.
Now that your thumb is comfortable in the thumb hole, let's proceed. Lay
your hand easily on the surface of the ball (see left photo). Do not forcibly
stretch your hand. Be sure your hand is straight from the elbow to the tips of
your fingers. This way your hand will actually lie on the ball. The two knuck-
les closest to your palm should be no more than ¼-inch over the edge of the
finger holes.
The left two photos illustrate this with rolls of paper. You can also mark
your knuckles with a marking pen, following the creases and drawing a
straight line up and over your knuckles. (In the photos, the marking pen
shows that the hand, arm and fingers are straight from the elbow to the fin-
gers.)
If you ball's span is proper, you should be able to drop the two fingers into
the holes. If you have to stretch to do this, the span is too long and is putting
strain on the thumb. Please understand, this is not the way you get ready to
bowl; it's just a way of checking the span.
These instructions are for a conventional grip, as pictured. Learn to handle
this grip on the ball before you jump to a wider grip (semi-fingertip, fingertip,
etc.). The wider spans will only cause you problems unless you really know
your game.
Now let's look at the two photos on the right. This is the same ball, but you
can see that by "breaking" the wrist the properly-fit ball is now ill-fitting and
will cause a bad delivery.
Keep these points in mind:
Pick up your ball properly.
Find your starting position on the approach.
Put your two fingers into the holes up to the knuckles, then drop your
thumb easily into the thumb hole.
Look at your spot.
Make your approach.
Roll the ball over your spot and follow through.
Watch your ball all the way to the pins.
Stay at the foul line until your ball hits the pins for a strike.
Final tip: Your finger holes can be a little snugger than the thumb hole
Sam Levine Flowers for the Living Award
55
th
Flowers Award Winner is Pat Ciniello
Pat Ciniello, Bonita Springs Florida is the winner of one of Bowling’s most pres-
tigious honors, the Sam Levine Flowers for the Living Award, sponsored by Inter-
national Bowling Industry Magazine. The award has been given to outstanding
people in bowling since 1961.
Ciniello and his wife Lisa own and operate one of the most successful bowling
center companies in the world, Bowland Centers of Southwest Florida, but Pat has
taken his career in bowling to even greater heights by serving as Chairman of the
Board of QubicaAMF, by leading the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Mu-
seum for many years during which he was instrumental in moving the facility from
St. Louis to Texas to become a part of the International Bowling Campus, and by
serving on numerous BPAA committees, and state and local boards and projects
for decades.
“I cannot think of anyone in bowling with more integrity than Pat Ciniello,” said
Flowers Award committee member Cathy DeSocio. “Pat may be the busiest man
in bowling, but his calm demeanor makes it all look easy. He has a long history of
doing things the right way and making friends across the globe. His honest and
cheerful approach to business and life is what makes us proud to present him with
this honor.”
Ciniello seems to have endless energy, and his love and enthusiasm for the
bowling business and the sport of bowling is second to none. As IBMHF Chair-
man, he not only helped build the new museum, but he also established a commit-
tee to create the Hall of Fame Xtravaganza, a fund raising event that has sold out
every year since its inception in 2012, raising significant money for the museum
and hall of fame.
In 2014 and 2015, Ciniello got into the Family Entertainment Center side of the
business by re-building a center in Cape Coral and building an all new state-of-the
-art center in Fort Myers. The two FEC’s are named Headpinz. In Fort Myers,
Ciniello incorporate his love for bowling history by putting in four old time bowling
alleys – called Pinboyz Bowling Alleys. This section of the center transports
guests back in time to 1908 when bowling was a much simpler game, with wood
lanes, no automatic pinsetters, above ground ball returns. Employees working the
special parties in this area wear 1908 costumes and provide old fashioned hospi-
tality to guests who bowl and get a history lesson at the same time.
For many years, Ciniello has provided hands on support for the QubicaAMF
World Cup Tournament, for the International Family Tournament, and the new Hall
of Fame Xtravaganza Event, giving his time, and often providing his own financial
support to make them as successful as possible.
Ciniello bowled in college at Monmouth University, and in 2014, donated a four
lane bowling center to his alma mater. Many send checks to support their former
schools; but Ciniello took it a step beyond by providing a facility that will be en-
joyed by Monmouth’s bowling teams and thousands of students for years to come.
The Sam Levine Flowers for the Living Award is perhaps bowling’s most unique
honor in that it does not belong to any particular organization. It is operated by an
independent group of industry veterans from all corners of the business. It was
started in 1961 by Levine and a group of his fellow newspapermen who thought
that good people deserve recognition not for spectacular accomplishments, but
just for having integrity, honesty, and doing things the right way for the right rea-
sons. They were struck by the thought that great things are said after a person is
gone, but why not while they are still living? The award was inspired by a poem
called Flowers for the Living written by original committee member Fritz Howell.
Howell was a writer and editor for the Associated Press of Ohio.
Contact: Flowers Award Committee Chairman Jim Goodwin
By Fritz Howell
It seems that when a fellow dies, no matter what he’s been,
A saintly chap or one whose life was darkly steeped in sin –
That folks forget the bitter words they spoke but yesterday
And seem to find a multitude of pretty things to say.
